Quotations and Literature Forum

The Eighth Configuration is a series of 8 riddles. The answer to each riddle represents a configuration. Each answer is a component of the master riddle. The objective is to solve each riddle in order to determine what the eight configurations represpent.

#1

What has limbs like a tree but grows no leaves?
It has the mind of a man but the heart of a tree!

I see that no one has ventured to solve the first riddle.

This just came to my attention recently, and now I don't know whether to thank you for letting me see it, or become upset at the fact that now I am mad trying to figure this out.,, Could you give a hint as to what the answer might be? I am guessing...
Man.
(really a stab in the dark)

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We hold these truths to be selve evident, but evidence is not ownership. Those words are not a decree that we have life, liberty, happiness. Only an iron clad statement that it is ours if we are willing to do all that is necessary to take it.

Though no one has ventured to solve this forward,but the No. of views this article has got tells how many people were unsuccesful in getting the right answer,I am too one of them but admitting it
But i am working on it

could we maybe get all the riddles? That might help solve each one

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We hold these truths to be selve evident, but evidence is not ownership. Those words are not a decree that we have life, liberty, happiness. Only an iron clad statement that it is ours if we are willing to do all that is necessary to take it.

Hey the answer is OCTOPUS. I got some reasons to back it up-:
1]I watched a program on discovery channel which showed that octopus are very intelligent ,maybe they are most intelligent of them all like man.
2]when you say limbs of a tree then i can relate it to the legs/hands of the octopus.
3]when you say "heart of a tree" ,then i think the roots of the tree are its heart and again you can relate it to the hands/legs of the octopus which infact are heart of the octopus.

Hey don't say no,octopus will feel very bad.

Jas Malik

Best answer I've seen. Next riddle, please.
Yang

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We hold these truths to be selve evident, but evidence is not ownership. Those words are not a decree that we have life, liberty, happiness. Only an iron clad statement that it is ours if we are willing to do all that is necessary to take it.

Hm I doubt thenostromo will post the rest. The first riddle was posted at 10.8.2004... almost year ago. Who would remember it?? Not me...

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"Follow me," the wise man said, but he walked behind...

I hate it when some people are right.... if I don't get the rest of those riddles i'll never sleep... but it wasn't thenostromo who posted the first one, it was Phantom delta, who just made a post in this forum a couple days ago. Please, may we have the next riddle phantom?

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We hold these truths to be selve evident, but evidence is not ownership. Those words are not a decree that we have life, liberty, happiness. Only an iron clad statement that it is ours if we are willing to do all that is necessary to take it.

I thought the answer might be a family.
The limbs could be the branches of the family tree (genealogy).
The roots are the heart of the tree and a human being is at the heart of their family tree.

Oh me! Yea, it was phantom delta... I thought it was thenostromo :> and on the other hand, I neither noticed that he made the second post :> ok now it looks like he will have the rest riddles.

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"Follow me," the wise man said, but he walked behind...

The first configuration is a tree. Though the right answer (as to how a tree can have the heart of a man) has not been disclosed I will post a second riddle.

(The second configuration)


More - - - -ly than a bow and sharper than a dagger--
What is swifter than an arrow and fearless as a tiger?

(Each configuration is a clue to the master riddle, a subject that is spelled with a four letter word.)

Wow... I have no clue...

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We hold these truths to be selve evident, but evidence is not ownership. Those words are not a decree that we have life, liberty, happiness. Only an iron clad statement that it is ours if we are willing to do all that is necessary to take it.

well The riddle said "....heart of a tree" .Now your saying that we were unable to explain why tree has heart of a man confuses me.Yingyang you have company my dear[i am too confused]

Back for an edit, I see JAS has essentially the same dilemma.
PD, your original clue states "has the mind of a man" and then in your follow-up you say "the right answer (as to how a tree can have the heart of a man) has not been disclosed."
I don't think this got off to a very good start, IMHO.

Why is a dog's tail like the heart of a tree?
Because it is farthest from the bark.

A nation's growth from sea to sea stirs in the heart of a tree.
-- Henry Bunner

What does he plant who plants a tree?
He plants the friend of sun and sky;
He plants the flag of breezes free;
The shaft of beauty, towering high,
he plants a home to heaven anigh.
For song and mother-croon of bird,
in hushed and happy twilight heard –
The treble of heaven's harmony.
These things he plants who plants a tree.
-- Henry Cuyler Bunner, the Heart of the Tree
http://www.treelink.org/linx/Quotesearch.php