This will probably be uncomfortable for all of us. @wehaveallgotknives - Tumblr Blog

Which creature crawls in its infancy, walks on two legs for the majority of its life barring disability, and often requires a cane to assist with mobility in its old age?

Can YOU solve the Riddle of the Sphinx????

xenostalgic

‘The answer is: “A Man”,’ said the Sphinx. ‘Now, don’t put up a fight, please, it releases unpleasant chemicals into the bloodstream.’

Teppic backed away from a slashing paw. ‘Hold on, hold on,’ he said. ‘What do you mean, a man?’

‘It’s easy,’ said the Sphinx. ‘A baby crawls in the morning, stands on both legs at noon, and at evening an old man walks with a stick. Good, isn’t it?’

Teppic bit his lip. ‘We’re talking about one day here?’ he said doubtfully.

There was a long, embarrassing silence.

'It’s a wossname, a figure of speech,’ said the Sphinx irritably, making another lunge.

'No, no, look, wait a minute,’ said Teppic. 'I’d like us to be very clear about this, right? I mean, it’s only fair, right?’

'Nothing wrong with the riddle,’ said the Sphinx. 'Damn good riddle. Had that riddle for fifty years, sphinx and cub.’ It thought about this. 'Chick,’ it corrected.

'It’s a good riddle,’ Teppic said soothingly. 'Very deep. Very moving. The whole human condition in a nutshell. But you’ve got to admit, this doesn’t all happen to one individual in one day, does it?’

'Well. No,’ the Sphinx admitted. 'But that is self-evident from the context. An element of dramatic analogy is present in all riddles,’ it added, with the air of one who had heard the phrase a long time ago and rather liked it, although not to the extent of failing to eat the originator.

'Yes, but,’ said Teppic crouching down and brushing a clear space on the damp sand, 'is there internal consistency within the metaphor? Let’s say for example that the average life expectancy is seventy years, okay?’

'Okay,’ said the Sphinx, in the uncertain tones of someone who has let the salesman in and is now regretfully contemplating a future in which they are undoubtedly going to buy life insurance.

'Right. Good. So noon would be age 35, am I right? Now considering that most children can toddle at a year or so, the four legs reference is really unsuitable, wouldn’t you agree? I mean, most of the morning is spent on two legs. According to your analogy’ he paused and did a few calculations with a convenient thighbone- 'only about twenty minutes immediately after 00.00 hours, half an hour tops, is spent on four legs. Am I right? Be fair.’

'Well-’ said the Sphinx.

'By the same token you wouldn’t be using a stick by six p.m. because you’d be only, er, 52,’ said Teppic, scribbling furiously. 'In fact you wouldn’t really be looking at any kind of walking aid until at least half past nine, I think. That’s on the assumption that the entire lifespan takes place over one day which is, I believe I have already pointed out, ridiculous. I’m sorry, it’s basically okay, but it doesn’t work.’

'Well,’ said the Sphinx, but irritably this time, 'I don’t see what I can do about it. I haven’t got any more. It’s the only one I’ve ever needed.’

'You just need to alter it a bit, that’s all.’

'How do you mean?’

'Just make it a bit more realistic.’

'Hmm.’ The Sphinx scratched its mane with a claw.

'Okay,’ it said doubtfully. 'I suppose I could ask: What is it that walks on four legs—’

'Metaphorically speaking,’ said Teppic.

'Four legs, metaphorically speaking,’ the Sphinx agreed, 'for about—’

'Twenty minutes, I think we agreed.’

'Okay, fine, twenty minutes in the morning, on two legs—‘

'But I think calling it in “the morning” is stretching it a bit,’ said Teppic. 'It’s just after midnight. I mean, technically it’s the morning, but in a very real sense it’s still last night, what do you think?’

A look of glazed panic crossed the Sphinx’s face.

'What do you think?’ it managed.

'Let’s just see where we’ve got to, shall we? What, metaphorically speaking, walks on four legs just after midnight, on two legs for most of the day—’

'Barring accidents,’ said the Sphinx, pathetically eager to show that it was making a contribution.

'Fine, on two legs barring accidents, until at least suppertime, when it walks with three legs—’

'I’ve known people use two walking sticks,’ said the Sphinx helpfully.

'Okay. How about: when it continues to walk on two legs or with any prosthetic aids of its choice?’

The Sphinx gave this some consideration.

'Ye-ess,’ it said gravely. 'That seems to fit all eventualities.’

—Pyramids, Terry Pratchett

thejabberwocki

might be the best road sign i've seen this year

darkcomedies

a lot of rpf can be explained by the fact that actors are all like that with each other constantly but i never want to say that on here because it feels like telling a 7-year-old santa isn’t real

darkcomedies

actors hanging off of each other constantly isn’t a sign that they’re fucking it’s a sign that they were once in a BFA program and never relearned normal boundaries. when actors are fucking and it’s complicated they won’t even stand in the same room with each other.

#also creative partnerships can be more intimate than fucking #like Springsteen and Clemons #they were NOT boning they were making music together and in many ways that’s more important

desertedinurban

HIGH FASHION BIRDS BY - Deserted In Urban

propertiesofjoy

death comes for the archbishop, willa cather

mournfulroses

Franz Kafka, from a letter to Felice Bauer written in 1913, featured in Letters To Felice

thescreamingwall

Bus stop

Watson

May 2026

vintagewildlife

White egrets "kissing" as part of their mating ritual By: Tokutaro Tanaka From: Life Nature Library: Animal Behavior 1965

389

The condition and characteristic of a vulgar person, is, that he never expects either benefit or hurt from himself, but from externals. The condition and characteristic of a philosopher is, that he expects all hurt and benefit from himself.

— Epictetus [The Enchiridion]

mattys-marbles

WAKE UP SUNSHINE. NEW MATT AND JAY VIDEO JUST DROPPED.

#I like how they’re kinda worse in real life #ntbtstm #matt johnson #jay mccarrol

quietwingsinthesky

like the betrayal’s always going to be worse if they cared about you and it didn’t matter. someone discards you because they didn’t give a shit, then you can be angry about that, you can feel vindicated in that, you can get over it. but if they can look you in the eyes and say “I love you. I would make the same choice again.” You will never sleep peacefully again, is all.

quietwingsinthesky

“I thought they cared about me, but they were lying this whole time.” <- tired. boring. removes all the nuance of this relationship to make it easier to move on from.

“I thought they cared about me, and I was right, and every minute they were there for me, every time they said they were proud, every laugh we shared leaning against each other bruised and breathless, all of it was real. and they still left me behind. They could put their love aside. I couldn’t.” <- insane. will never leave you alone. reminds you that even the worst people are still people and can still care about even the ones they hurt the most and that undoes neither the harm nor the love.

#uh yeah I have parents