| Author |
Message |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:33 pm: |       |
Is the type / breed of animal relevant ? I would call it rather type than breed - and yes, it is relevant |
Peter Johnson (Astraz)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:35 pm: | |
Place:
Northern Hemisphere ?
Southern Hemisphere ?
England ?
USA ?
Europe?
Time:
a.m or p.m ? |
Arjun Rangarajan (Jun)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:40 pm: | |
The animal - mammal? bigger than a human? wild? domestic? Did the man know the animal for a while? (years, months, days) Did he see it for the first time? (Sorry if some of these questions sound weird  )
In which century AD/BC did this happen? |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:49 pm: | |
Place:
Northern Hemisphere ? yes
Southern Hemisphere ?
England ? yesish - a foreigner might well say this but I assume that if you suggest this to an inhabitant of this country, he would probably feel offended
USA ?
Europe? yes
Time:
a.m or p.m ? p.m., but this is not really relevant - there are more important time settings than this |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:52 pm: | |
The animal - mammal? yes bigger than a human? no wild?yes domestic? Did the man know the animal for a while? no(years, months, days) Did he see it for the first time? yes(Sorry if some of these questions sound weird ) they sound absolutely perfect and, moreover, on the right track
In which century AD/BC did this happen? 18th AD |
Simon Downham (Beroean)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:53 pm: | |
Did this take place longer than 100 years ago? |
Arjun Rangarajan (Jun)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:53 pm: | |
Oh no, not again...
Northern Ireland? Scotland? Wales?
Hope you dont get offended if I got these wrong
Was he a
- King or person of authority?
- General and the like?
- Scientist?
- Some sort of hero?
- Social worker?
- Person of medicine? |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:54 pm: | |
Did this take place longer than 100 years ago? yes, it did - see above |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:58 pm: | |
Oh no, not again... why? has this happened before?
Northern Ireland? Scotland? this one Wales?
Hope you dont get offended if I got these wrong
Was he a
- King or person of authority? no
- General and the like? no
- Scientist? no
- Some sort of hero? yesish
- Social worker? no |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 8:59 pm: | |
- Person of medicine? and no for this one, too |
Arjun Rangarajan (Jun)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 9:08 pm: | |
"why? has this happened before?"
Oh not really, no. But I always get confused between Great Britain and United Kingdom (is there a difference?)
So 18th century Scottish hero and a wild animal smaller than a man...
Was the animal a
member of the dog family?
cat family? |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 9:18 pm: | |
"why? has this happened before?"
Oh not really, no. But I always get confused between Great Britain and United Kingdom (is there a difference?) as far as I understand, there is United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while Great Britain consists of England, Scotland and Wales; some people of the first one and the latter two are sometimes somehow offended when referred to as 'English'. Don't ask me why, I am a foreigner and perhaps have the entire concept wrong J
So 18th century Scottish hero and a wild animal smaller than a man... exactly so
Was the animal a
member of the dog family? no
cat family? no |
Peter Johnson (Astraz)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 9:25 pm: | |
Was he either of these 18th century Scottish heroes:-
Rob Roy MacGregor ?
Bonnie Prince Charlie ? |
Arjun Rangarajan (Jun)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 9:31 pm: | |
Thanks. that's what I thought too.
Monkey? Squirrel? Deer? Goat? darn...
The duck-billed platypus?
I probably don't know the story then. This might turn out to be another lesson in European history for me... |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 10:02 pm: | |
Was he either of these 18th century Scottish heroes:-
Rob Roy MacGregor ?
Bonnie Prince Charlie ? neither, I am afraid
Monkey? Squirrel? Deer? Goat? darn... The duck-billed platypus? J No for all - although the duck-billed platypus would certainly have been truly fascinating. J
Perhaps it might help to find out what was the thing our man realized? |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 10:40 pm: | |
It wasn't a wee sleekit cowrin' tim'rous beastie, was it? |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 10:54 pm: | |
It wasn't a wee sleekit cowrin' tim'rous beastie, was it? Woow. Enter Woubit, and right away, he makes my scheme gang a-gley.
It most certainly WAS her, our poor earth-born companion.
Now, it is time for me to $poil, isn't it? |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 11:00 pm: | |
I'm sorry, Alizon - I didn't realise that just identifying our hero and the animal would be all there was to it  If I had, I'd have sent an email rather than asked a question.
Still, at least it gives you a chance to get out the red ink and quote what is, in my opinion, one of the finest poems in the world - definitely not to be found in the Weightless Poetry Museum |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 11:05 pm: | |
You needn't apologize, Woubit - the Woow was an admiration rather than anything else - although I do admit that I did not expect it to be so quick. Well done indeed!
The red ink is for direct quotes, am I right? Is it acceptable to insert a link instead - I am afraid this one would be too long as it includes also the more readable, non-Scottish version? |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 11:16 pm: | |
Of course you can insert a link - that would be more helpful for people who do not speak Scottish, in any case |
Alizon (Alizon)
| | Posted on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 11:31 pm: | |
************SPOILER******************
The clue to this puzzle is a poem. It was written by the most famous Scottish poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) and its full title reads: “To A Mouse. On turning her up in her nest with the plough, Nov 1785."
Burns, who was a farmer besides being a poet, was actually ploughing his field in his farm at Mossgiel, Scotland, when he destroyed a mouse’s nest, and he wrote overnight this literary jewel.
John Blane, farm-servant at Mossgiel at the time of its composition, stated that he recollected the incident perfectly.
"Burns was holding the plough.... when the little creature (a mouse) was observed running off across the field "
"Blane having the pettle, or plough-cleaning utensil, in his hand at the moment, was thoughtlessly running after it to kill it, when Burns checked him, but not angrily, asking what ill the poor mouse had ever done him."
"The poet then seemed to grow very thoughtful, and during the remainder of the afternoon he spoke not. "
In the night time he awoke Blane, who slept with him, and, reading the poem which had in the meantime been composed, asked what he thought of the mouse now."
The link to the poem is here:
http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm
Thank you all folks for your participation and I hope you'll enjoy the poem as much as I do. |
David Burn (Woubit)
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 12:00 am: | |
Thanks, Alizon
You can actually put a hyperlink in a message, like this:
The link to the poem is \newurl{http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm,here}
which produces:
The link to the poem is here
And, since I seem to have driven a plough through this puzzle, here in partial restitution is some truly weightless poetry:
For ilka Scot wha pens a ditty
An' seeks tae moralise a bittie,
There is a stanza (mair's the pity)
That gaes like this.
Sin' only Burns could make it witty,
They ca'ed it his.
The Burns, or Scottish, stanza's sure
Tae find a hame in lit'rature;
Like haggis tae the epicure,
It's truly Scots,
An' reeks o' mountains, loch an' moor
Tae patriots.
Och, Sassenachs will ca' it cliquey
An' say its best-laid schemes are creaky.
Let them be generous, no' cheeky -
It will suffice
For praisin' kilts an' cockaleekie,
An' hailin' mice.
Paul Griffin |
Arjun Rangarajan (Jun)
| | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 12:43 am: | |
Ah, a couple of meetings for me, and it's all over thanks to Woubit! Wasnt he banned from Scottish puzzles? |
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