Tuesday, July 31, 2007

An Anglo-Saxon Riddle

A young man made for the corner where he knew she was standing;

this strapping churl had walked some way--with his own hands he whipped up her dress,

and under her girdle (as she stood there) thrust something stiff, worked his will; they both shook.

This fellow quickened:

one moment he was forceful, a first-rate servant,

so strenuous that the next he was knocked up, quite blown by his exertion.

Beneath the girdle a thing began to grow

that upstanding men often think of, tenderly, and acquire.

Go on then - what do you think it is?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

smut!




Andrew

Melanie Rimmer said...

I don't know what you're thinking of Andrew, but it's not that!

Her indoors said...

(from the heart of East Anglia)...is it anything to do with butter perhaps? ;-D

Anonymous said...

I thought it could have been a wind to start off with, but it didn't tie in with the ending.

Anonymous said...

Something to do with fire maybe? I'm thinking of a smithy and bellows!

JD said...

Cheese.

Unknown said...

butter ??

Anonymous said...

bread dough? I thought it was butter at first

Caroline

Ally said...

Cream, maybe, if not butter?

Anonymous said...

Butter churner! Are you reading The Year 1000 too???

Melanie Rimmer said...

The Year 1000? No, I've not read it. Is it a book? I found this riddle through Google.

Anonymous said...

Melanie, The Year 1000 is a book by Robert Lacey and Danny Danzinger: http://www.amazon.com/Year-1000-What-First-Millennium/dp/0316511579/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-9893631-4408736?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186064541&sr=8-1. It's a pretty interesting and light read. I read that same riddle in this book!