A Little Book of Filipino Riddles Part 43

My fish in Mariveles has manifold scales.

Pepper

Scales laid upon one another; the seeds of the pepper are flat and stacked against one another.

401.

Mahanghang hindi naman paminta; maputi hindi naman papel; verde hindi naman suha; turang mong bigla.

(Tag.) Rabanos

It is sharp but not pepper; white but not paper; green but not shaddock; guess what that is.

Radish

402.

Ang iloy naga camang ang bata naga pungco.

(Bis.) Calabaza

The mother creeps, and the son sits.

Squash

The mother is the vine; the child is the fruit. The riddle gains point, by suggesting a reversal of the natural conditions.

403.

Ania iti parsua ni Apo Dios nga aoan ti matana aoan ti ngioatna quen aoan ti obetna quet mangan ti ladoc-ladoc?

(Iloc.) Tabungao

What creature of Lord G.o.d has no eyes, no mouth, no a.n.u.s--and eats _ladoc-ladoc_?

A white squash

_Ladoc-ladoc_ is rice flattened in the mortar by the blows of the pounder. The seeds of the _tabungao_ resemble it.

404.

Berdi ya balat, malutu ya laman anti mo ing pacuan.

(Pamp.) Pacuan

Its skin is green and its flesh is like a watermelon.

Watermelon

The riddle is poor, in that it introduces the answer as a term of comparison, in a way to mislead. Similar cases occur in other lands.

405.

Verde ang balat pula ang laman espectorante cung turan.

(Tag.) Pacuan

Green skin, red meat, _espectorante_ they call it.

Watermelon

Vision.

406.

Limocsoac alabasco agco asabi.

(Pang.) Pacanengneng

I jumped further but I did not reach.

To see

Waves.

407.

Naga dalagan nga ua-ay sing ti-il cog naga ngurub nga ua-ay sing baba.

(Bis.) Balod

It runs having no feet and it roars having no mouth.

Waves

Word plays.

408.

Ania iti mainaganan ari ditoy bagui?

(Iloc.) Aripoyot

What king (_ari_) do you name in your body?

_Ari_poyot

This is the great inner muscle of the upper leg.

409.