🔴 hard

Why is a raven like a writing desk? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter

No answer was proposed at the time this riddles was written but a couple of answers have since come about. 1. Edgar Allan Poe wrote on both. 2. They both have quills

Why this works

This riddle, posed by the Mad Hatter in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," plays on the whimsical nature of the story, suggesting a seemingly absurd comparison that defies logic. The humor arises from the fact that both a raven and a writing desk can be linked through the idea of writing: Edgar Allan Poe famously wrote about ravens, and both ravens and writing desks utilize quills. Thus, the riddle invites readers to explore creative connections between unrelated items, highlighting the playful absurdity that characterizes much of Lewis Carroll's work.

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Common Wrong Answers

“They are both black.”

This answer is incorrect because the riddle is not about the color of the objects, but rather their functions and associations.

“Because they both have wings.”

This answer is misleading; while a raven literally has wings, a writing desk does not, making this comparison invalid.

“They are both used for communication.”

While this answer has some merit, it fails to capture the essence of the riddle's playful nature and the deeper, more whimsical connections between a raven and a writing desk.

Mystery

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