Before any changes I'm a garlic or spice. My first is altered and I'm a hand-warming device. My second is changed and I'm trees in full bloom. The next letter change makes a deathly old tomb. Change the fourth to make a fruit of the vine. Change the last for a chart plotted with lines. What was I? What did I become? What did I turn out to be?
Clove, glove, grove, grave, grape, graph
Why this works
This riddle plays with the word "clove," which is a type of garlic or spice. The clever twist comes from altering each letter in the word step-by-step:
1. Change the first letter 'c' to 'g' to get "glove," a hand-warming device.
2. Change the second letter 'l' to 'r' to form "grove," referring to trees in full bloom.
3. Alter the third letter 'o' to 'a' to create "grave," which is associated with a deathly old tomb.
4. Change the fourth letter 'v' to 'p' to arrive at "grape," a fruit of the vine.
5. Finally, change the last letter 'e' to 'h' to make "graph," a chart plotted with lines.
This riddle cleverly captures the transformation of one word into another, highlighting the fun of language and how a single word can evolve into multiple meanings through small changes!