Oedipus raised an eyebrow, "That's not what I was told."
“And since you were told, it must be law?" The sphinx replied with an amused smirk.
The sphinx leaped off her perch and circled Oedipus. Her great claws dug deep into the dirt. Her enormous wings brushed against his shoulder. “Or perhaps the coming up of a riddle is too much mental strain for you.”
The sphinx's taunts were transparent, but effective. Oedipus’ wit had been challenged and he had to respond.
He spoke proudly, “I have a riddle for you. What is of one voice and walks with four legs in the day, two legs in the afternoon, and three in the evening?”
The sphinx’s tail whipped against Oedipus’ legs. “I did not realize a typical human lifespan took course over a single day.”
Oedipus frowned. That was his favorite riddle.
“What fun!” The sphinx howled, “How nice it is to be on the other side for a change. Another!”
The sphinx’s enthusiasm brought a glimmer of a smile to Oedipus’ face. As the day passed, he came up with dozens of more riddles, each of which the sphinx answered with great amusement.
As the sun began to set, Oedipus’ mind had exhausted itself, while the Sphinx’s cheeks ached from laughter.
“Another one!” The sphinx commanded with boundless energy.
Oedipus lay sprawled across the ground. “You sure do enjoy riddles, don’t you?”
“They pass the time. Travelers don’t often take this trail. Much too dangerous.” The sphinx smirked, “Vicious beasts abound.”
Oedipus remarked, “That sounds.... lonely.”
The sphinx lifted her chin with pride, “A daughter of Echidna has no need for company. We are solitary creatures.”
She looked out and saw the sun starting to dip below the horizon. With a hint of disappointment in her voice, she said, “And as usual, it seems our time together has come to an end.”
Oedipus replied, “Actually, I have one more riddle for you.”
The sphinx laughed, “One last gasp, is it? You’re a stubborn one. Very well, one final riddle before I enjoy my meal.”
Without daring to look her in the eyes, Oedipus asked, “Why does a sphinx enjoy riddle games with mere humans?”
The sphinx’s muscles tightened. Her expression turned dark. “That is not a riddle.”
“Do you not have an answer then?”
The sphinx snarled, but her pride would not let him get the best of her. She answered, “The cat likes to play with the mouse before she eats it, does she not?”
“Wrong.” Oedipus replied.
The sphinx’s fur began to rise. She demanded with venom in her voice, “What is the answer then?”
“Only if you promise me safe passage.”
The sphinx snarled at him. She considered silencing this man, once and for all. But her curiosity was too great. The words trickled out with great reluctance, “I… promise…”
Oedipus laughed as he rose to his feet and dusted off the dirt from his tunic. “The answer is simple.”
With a friendly grin, he explained, “It’s because you need two to play at riddles.”
The sphinx’s claws dug into the dirt as she pondered his answer. Then, with a flash of anger, she snapped, “That doesn't count! That's a terrible riddle!”
As he walked down the dirt path towards his destination, Oedipus glanced back and shouted, “I’ll come back soon then. With even more riddles!”
The sphinx watched as Oedipus shrunk into the distance. Although she still fumed from his answer, the sphinx mused at the day’s events and found herself looking forward to this stranger's return.
