< Anglo-Saxon Riddles of the Exeter Book < Annotated
78 (k-d 61)
| Often a goodly damsel, a lady, locked me close in a chest. Sometimes with her hands she took me out and gave me to her lord, a fine chieftain, as he commanded her. Then he thrust his head well inside me, up from below, into the narrow part. If the strength prevailed of him who received me, adorned as I was, something or other rough was due to fill me. Guess what I mean. |
Oft mec fæste bileac freolicu meowle ides on earce hwilum up ateah folmum sinum ⁊ frean sealde holdum þeodne swa hio haten wæs siðþan me on hreþre heafod sticade nioþan upweardne on nearo fegde gif þæs ondfengan ellen dohte þe mec frætwedne fyllan sceolde ruwes nathwæt ræd hwæt ic mæne |
The answer is an ornamented Shirt, which the man pulls over his head. Up to a point this is innocent enough; but a twist at the end, emphasized by the unusual formula, “Guess what I mean,” conveys the double entendre.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.