In Marble Walls as White as Milk Lyrics
A white castle with no doors, a crystal fountain inside, and a golden apple in the middle. Can you guess what it is before the last line? It is one of the best riddles in Mother Goose.
In Marble Walls as White as Milk
In marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with a skin as soft as silk;
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this strong-hold.
Yet things break in and steal the gold.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/in-marble-walls-as-white-as-milk/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 5 to 10 years
What Does In Marble Walls as White as Milk Mean?
The answer is an egg. Each line describes one part:
- The marble walls as white as milk are the shell.
- The skin as soft as silk is the thin layer just inside the shell.
- The crystal-clear fountain is the egg white.
- The golden apple is the yolk.
- There are no doors, yet things break in and steal the gold: animals and people crack eggs to get the yolk.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed it among the riddles in his 1840s collection, with the answer, "an egg", written above it. Egg riddles have a long history, and J. R. R. Tolkien used one very like this in The Hobbit (1937), when Bilbo and Gollum trade riddles in the dark.
Learning Activities
- Crack it open: crack an egg into a clear bowl and find each part of the riddle: shell, skin, white and yolk.
- Riddle time: read the riddle without the title and see who guesses first.
- Write your own: describe an everyday object in fancy words, like the riddle does, and let others guess.