Sphinx

[snowprincess]

If people in Egypt had an unanswered question they would go to the sphinx. The Spinx would tell them their answer but only if they answered the following riddle : What has 4 legs in the morning, two legs during the day, and three legs at night?" What is the answer

[Merthyr Imp]

The answer is man, because: In the 'morning'of his life (i.e. as a baby) he goes on four legs (crawls). In the 'day' he goes on two legs. At 'night' (i.e. when elderly) he goes on three legs - one of the legs being a stick.

[ll_billym]

Surely the Sphinx woudn't ask them all the same riddle because word would get round???

[maxi29]

The sphinx was at Thebes, a city in central Greece, not in Egypt. Word didn't get round about the riddle as the sphinx would kill anyone who failed to answer it. No-one could answer it until Oedipus cracked it and slew the sphinx.