Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk? - Part #1

In the Tim Burton movie "Alice in Wonderland" (which is also, in the book where's the answer isn't), the Mad Hatter asks Alice: "Why is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?" Later, in the movie, before Alice goes to Battle with the Jabberwocky, the Hatter leans into Alice and says: "Ask me the riddle ..." To which, Alice asks: ""Why is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?" And the Hatter responds: "I don't know!" PERCEPTIONS! Everything is how we perceive it, and we all have our own perception(s). We all have our own moral and ethical compasses. We all have knowledge even if some have limited knowledge. We are All Teachers and as such all students although some do not walk their talk and refuse to learn the lesson(s). We all have our own unique experiences, understanding and personality. Our perception(s) are our own ... Yet many allow others perceptions to tarnish the virtue of truth. We allow others to define the reality that we exist in. "Believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear." - Edgar Allan Poe; from the short story, "The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether” published in the November 1845 If you, dear reader, take in account, that every ficticional novel you read is not only a story but also, the personal philosophy of the author and that also, every so called factual book is only the personal interpretation and perception of the author who pain-stakingly gathered information to present and justify his/ hers perception(s).

Joseph S. Campbell said, and I quote: 'Behind every Myth is a Grain of Truth." Perception(s). I love being the subject of the rumor mill/ the focus of gossip. I love how a person or people can spread a story, which like the Chinese Whisper, becomes so twisted and tainted and when it is finally murmured into your own ear, you look with horror or bemusement or a strange mixture of both at the person relaying the tale ... and think, if not state outright: "Dear Goddess, I am such a horrid, monstrous, diabolical bitch, aren't I?"

Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk? * Because it can produce a few notes. Particularly if its name is Lewis Carroll. Jennifer Rathbone, Toronto, Canada • The answer lies in the quill: both may be penned, but they can never truly be captive. Noel Bird, Boreen Point, Queensland, Australia • Ravens and writing desks are both highly intelligent, found in a wide range of habitats, will eat almost anything and like playing tricks on humans. Stephen Saunders, Canberra, Australia • Because outstanding bills are found on both of them. David Tucker, Halle, Germany • Because in French all the letters in bureau are contained in corbeau. Gillian Shenfield, Sydney, Australia • The Mad Hatter didn’t know, but perhaps The Raven came into Edgar Allan Poe’s mind while he was sitting at his writing desk. Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada • They have quills in common – and black, if the desk is crafted from ebony. In fact, Lewis Carroll was so plagued for an answer to his riddle that he eventually satisfied his fans with: “because it can produce a few notes, tho they are very flat and it is nevar put with the wrong end first”. Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia • If you look up this riddle on the internet you will find that it is a riddle without an answer. You will also find that a lot of people have tried with spectacular lack of success to say funny or intelligent things about it. I have just added to the number. David Isaacs, Sydney, Australia * Did I say something wrong? Has the wrong use of words ever led to a serious conflict, such as war? Malapropism is pretty harmless, but when wrong use of words amounts to a lie it can be fatal. For example, the untrue claim that Iraq had so-called weapons of mass destruction. Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia * A declaration of war may be grammatically correct but it’s such a wrong use of words. Margaret Wyeth, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada • Yes, repeatedly. That’s why we employ diplomats. Imagine how busy they’d be if Donald Trump ever became president. Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada • “Do you think you might be mistaken, my dear?” Roger Seal, Spalding, UK * You just can’t resist Groucho What are eyebrows for? Signalling emotion: two down (disapproval); two up (surprise); one up (disbelief). Victoria Castiglione, Denmark, Western Australia • Enchanting the opposite sex, à la Groucho Marx. R M Fransson, Wheat Ridge, Colorado, US • Presumably different things as we age, since women’s dwindle and men’s get shaggier. Annie March, West Hobart, Tasmania, Australia • A raised eyebrow can be more eloquent than a dropped jaw. Harvey Mitchell, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia • To remind the rest of us why we are the hoi polloi. Philip Bool, Winslow, Victoria, Australia • Irony. Michael Polanyi, Toronto, Canada * THE RAVEN flaps its wings, and the lid of the writing-desk flaps, up and down. Ian Gowans, Tervuren, Belgium.

* MY PERSONAL view is that it was a joke at the expense of the Establishment and red tape. There is a saying that if the ravens leave the Tower of London, the monarchy will fall. What would happen if the government were unable to write and keep records? Andrew Small, Dorney Reach, Berkshire (106512.3232@compuserve.com) *JOHN FISHER, in his book "The Magic of Lewis Carroll" (Thomas Nelson 1973, Penguin 1975), quotes Carroll's own answer, supplied in a preface to the 1896 edition of "Alice in Wonderland": "Enquiries have been so often addressed to me, as to whether any answer to the Hatter's riddle can be imagined, that I may as well put on record here what seems to be a fairly appropriate answer, viz: 'Because it can produce few notes, tho [sic] they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!' This, however, is merely an afterthought; the Riddle, as originally invented, had no answer at all." Fisher also quotes Sam Loyd's solution, in his posthumous "Cyclopedia of Puzzles", published in 1914: "The notes for which they are noted are not noted for being musical notes." Fisher continues: "Loyd also reminded the world that 'Poe wrote on both' and that 'bills and tales are among their characteristics.'" Harold Somers, Chorlton, Manchester (harold@ccl.umist.ac.uk) * LEWIS CARROLL himself proposed an answer in the 1897 final revision of Alice's Adventures. "Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is never put with the wrong end in front!" The early issues of the revision spell "never" as "nevar", ie "raven" with the wrong end in front. Martin Gardner, in More Annotated Alice (1990) gave two possible answers, sent in by readers: "both have quills dipped in ink" and "because it slopes with a flap". In 1991, The Spectator held a competition for new answers, among the prize winners were: "because one has flapping fits and the other fitting flaps"; "because one is good for writing books and the other better for biting rooks"; and "because a writing desk is a rest for pens and a raven is a pest for wrens". (Dr) Selwyn Goodacre, Editor, Journal of the Lewis Carroll Society, Swadlincote, Derbyshi Since "The Guardian" newspaper challenged it's global readership many, many years ago, the responses to the simple riddle have been countless. Perhaps Dr Selwyn Goodarce is correct but I suspect that Lewis Carroll responded with that answer as a retort for being constantly badgered with the riddle question. The riddle, from the Lewis Carroll classic, Alice In Wonderland. Carroll himself said "the riddle has no answer, unless it does. But it doesn't, however it might." the riddle is seemingly unsolved or is it ..

Or perhaps it is a metaphor and if such, and keeping in reference to the topic and context of this article allow me to interpret and answer this riddle without an answer. "Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk?" Perhaps, "Everything is NOT what it SEEMS or how we FIRST PERCEIVED them?" Or as another great author once philosophised: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - William Shakespeare (1603) - Hamlet (1.5.167-8); Hamlet to Horatio Perception (s) * Note: This is only part #1 of this article. 💖 Namaste 🔱