Here is a classic riddle that sounds as though it is describing an animal: “What has a head but never thinks, and a tail but never wags?” The trick is to stop thinking about living creatures.
Both “head” and “tail” can describe the two sides of a familiar everyday object.
Answer: A coin.
A coin has a heads side and a tails side, but of course it cannot think or wag. That simple wordplay is what makes the riddle work. It gives you clues that initially point toward an animal, then rewards you for interpreting the words in a completely different way.
