The mindboggling sphinx riddle that only those with a sharp mind can crack

Can you figure out this mind-boggling sphinx riddle that has stumped people for decades? Riddles are a great way to keep your brain active. Like many other organs in your body, your brain needs exercise. Keeping your mind sharp with puzzles and challenges can actually help postpone the onset of diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, according to some scientists. So, they are good to do regularly to keep your brain sharp. 

This riddle is really tricky, and we bet that it will take you some time to get anywhere close to figuring it out. We will put the riddle below in bold writing, and all you have to do is work out the answer. It’s not going to be easy, so we will give you some clues below the riddle if you are struggling to figure it out. But don’t use them too soon. See if you are one of the clever folks who can figure out this famous riddle with no clues. 

Here it is!

Can you solve the riddle below?

 “What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?”

This is quite a famous riddle, and has been around for centuries. It actually comes from ancient Greek mythology. The story goes that this mythical creature, with the head of a human and the body of a lion with the wings of an eagle, asks people who encounter her this riddle.

Those who get it wrong are devoured by the creature, but those who get it right can pass her by. As the story goes, the riddle was finally solved by Oedipus, a mythical Greek king. 

Can you do it like Oedipus and solve this riddle? If you are struggling, we will give you a clue below.

Clue: Morning might represent the early years of someone’s life, while evening might represent the later years.

Has that clue helped you? If not, we are about to give you the answer below. If you haven’t managed to figure it out, don’t stress about it. It’s quite a hard one and most people get stumped by this riddle. 

Here we go. The answer to “What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?” is ‘Man’. 

Does it make sense? Let’s break it down. The four legs are supposed to represent a baby crawling on its arms and legs, while the two legs represent a grown adult standing upright. Meanwhile, the three legs represent an elderly individual who often needs a cane or walking stick to get around.