Victorians loved riddles and wordplay, often sharing them at parties and in newspapers. Here are some classic Victorian-style riddles for your enjoyment!
1. The Silent Messenger ✉️
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I am invisible, yet I leave my mark wherever I go. What am I?
Answer: An echo
2. The Endless Letter 🔤
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: The letter "M"
3. The Loyal Follower 🐕
I always run but never walk. I have a bed, but I never sleep. I have a mouth, but I never speak. What am I?
Answer: A river
4. The Mysterious Brother 👦👦
If two brothers are born at the same time on the same day and in the same year but are not twins, how is that possible?
Answer: They are part of a set of triplets (or more).
5. The Useful Hole ⏳
The more you take away from me, the bigger I get. What am I?
Answer: A hole
6. The Family 👨👩👧👦
A father and son were in a carriage accident. The father died, and the son was rushed to the doctor. But the doctor said, "I cannot operate on him; he is my son!" How is this possible?
Answer: The doctor is his mother.
7. The Invisible Weight 🪶
What is as light as a feather, yet even the world’s strongest man can’t hold it for long?
Answer: His breath
8. The Timeless Question ⏳
What has hands but cannot clap?
Answer: A clock
9. The Traveling Companion 🚗
The more you take me, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Answer: Footsteps
10. The Unbreakable Bond 💍
Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not. What am I?
Answer: The word "ton" (backward, it spells "not")
11. The Brightest Room 💡
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. The more I shine, the darker I become. What am I?
Answer: A candle
12. The Speaking Object 📜
I have no tongue, yet I tell the truth. I have no mind, yet I am full of knowledge. What am I?
Answer: A book
13. The Two-Faced Timekeeper 🎭
At night, I watch without seeing. By day, I vanish. What am I?
Answer: A shadow
14. The Hungry Giant 🔥
The more you feed me, the bigger I grow. But give me water, and I die. What am I?
Answer: Fire
