Page:Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book (1963).djvu/84

 with the head of what hangs the familiar hole he had often filled with its equal length.

This is an inferior piece, meant only for its impropriety. The innocent answer is Key. Compare 33 (K-D 89), which is Key pure et simple.


 * 1) s76 ##

I have heard of something wax in a corner, swell and pop, lift up the covers. A proud-minded woman seized with her hands that boneless thing, a prince&rsquo;s daughter; covered with her dress the swelling thing.

The answer is Dough. The first line contains a primitive pun (Wyatt); the scribe wrote weax, the noun, &lsquo;wax,&rsquo; for weaxan, the infinitive, &lsquo;to increase.&rsquo;


 * 1) s77 ##

A youth came along to where he knew she stood in a corner. Forth he strode, a vigorous young man, lifted up her own dress with his hands, thrust under her girdle something stiff as she stood there; worked his will; both of them shook. A thane hurried up, useful at times, a capable servant; nonetheless he grew tired from time to time, though strong at first, weary with work. Beneath the girdle there began to grow what often good men love heartily and buy with money.

The answer is Churn, Anglo-Saxon cyren, a feminine noun. This makes for an awkward handling of the pronouns: &ldquo;she&rdquo; is too obvious; &ldquo;it&rdquo; too misleading.