Riddle Quotes Novels & Stories

A riddle appeared on a stone plaque by the pool: "By day it sleeps, by night it soars, Silent as the moon, it holds the core. Speak its name to calm the tide, And through the maze, you may glide." Nikolai and I pondered the riddle, our eyes scanning the area for any hints. After a few moments, a soft voice echoed through the trees. “The answer is the owl,” it said. “Speak the name, and the way will be shown.” Following the guidance, I called out, “Owl!” At that instant, the water in the pool began to bubble, and a hidden pathway emerged, leading us further into the garden.

Cassandra, gathering her strength, yelled over the powerful melody, "We've faced your trial, Raven! Release him!" The raven lowered its head, locking eyes with her. "Your bravery and intellect have been tested. But the trial isn't over. To free your friend, answer this riddle: 'I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?'" Cassandra thought for a moment, then whispered, "A pencil lead." The raven let out a triumphant caw, and the enchantment broke. Darius dazed, returned to their side.

That made her draw a sinister smile on her face. “Who is there?” She asks, and though she already knew who it was. She giggles, knowing who is it, yet she is in a bit of a playful mood, which teases her knowing guess. “It’s me.” With a sly smile that forms on her face, she playfully asks. “Who’s me? The rose with no thorn? The sun whose light doesn’t exist, or the soulless shadow that is undefined?” The riddle that only the four of them knew. The words that she throws through a question that is immediately answered by the words.

Floating platforms appeared before me, each one inscribed with a riddle. “Your challenge is trust,” the voice said. “Choose the correct path. One wrong step, and you fall.” I hesitated, my heart pounding as I read the first riddle: *I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind.* “An echo,” I whispered, stepping onto the platform marked with that word. It held firm. The next riddle appeared: *The more of me you take, the more you leave behind.*

“Tonight’s for fun. You’ve cried enough for three years in one week. No therapy talk, no shadow work. Just fire, stars, and maybe a little roast—if not of the marshmallow variety, then of your jokes.” Laughter scattered around the circle. “Let’s start easy. The first person to solve this gets the Super Deepest Brain Award,” he announced, dramatically gesturing. “I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind. What am I?” Silence. Then a few guesses: “An echo?” someone said. The facilitator clutched his heart. “Yes! Who said that?” A petite woman in a red hoodie lifted her hand. “That was me.”

I shook my head and went to sit across Audrey. She was laughing at the quotes on the wall. “These are hilarious,” she said, reading one aloud: ‘I don’t need you to brag about me, I just don’t want you to deny me in front of people. – FART!’ Her laughter burst out, filling the café. I just stared, completely captivated. Every laugh, every sparkle in her eyes, it was contagious. “Here’s another one!” she giggled. ‘What a life! Eggs every single day… eggs, eggs, eggs… Do you know who said that?’ Her eyes gleamed mischievously.

And it’s not for me—it’s for herself. “Do you like riddles?” she asks. I blink. “Sometimes.” “I have one for you,” she says, picking at her tart. “What lies with a smile, hides with a gift, and steals with soft hands?” I raise an eyebrow. “Sounds poetic.” “Answer it,” she presses, eyes gleaming. I chuckle. “A thief?” Hazel shrugs. “Close enough.” She pops a piece of the tart into her mouth and hums. “You always bring sweets. Why?”

And according to his last questions he tries to say something. “Where did everything happen? Where was an innocent soul lost?” I read slowly, analyzing the unknowns. The scene of the events... Is that what you want to tell me, Enigma X? “Where the sun does not shine nor the shadows darken. “Puffff,” I huffed exasperatedly, massaging my temple, “This sounds like a riddle!” I hate and am beyond terrible at puzzles. Try it, Rose, you're smart. Where the sun does not shine nor the shadows darken.

I stepped toward her and set my hand on her waist before murmuring, “We make ourselves rich by making our wants few.” Her lips parted as if that was the most profound thing she’d ever heard. And it might’ve been, since it had originally come from the lips of Henry David Thoreau. Which was why I couldn’t continue to take credit for it. I pointed past her toward the wall with my free hand. “At least that’s what Thoreau says.” She glanced back to find the quote printed and framed above the desk. “Oh.” Scowling, she whirled back to poke me in the gut. “You cheated. That’s a cheater’s answer.”

“My mother loved that quote by Steve Jobs. She used to say, they helped her gain courage in the most difficult times of her life.” “It should, it’s a very compelling adage. Your step-mother, or my sister more specifically, used to say that to me as a kid.” Smiling, a thought suddenly came to me. “That’s funny, mum told me a friend of hers was the one who used to quote that sentence to her.” Smiling in return, she leans forward and rests her elbows on her knee. “Well that’s not surprising at all, became your mother and my sister used to be best friends.”