Riddles

Original title: Zagadki

The first riddles by Korney Chukovsky appeared in 1928 in the children’s magazine Yozh. For decades, the poet returned to this playful form, weaving rhythm, humor, and hidden meaning into short verses.

In this edition, the riddles unfold with the illustrations of Viktor Chizhikov. His images add mischief and movement: animals rush away from strange yellow figures, flowers suddenly bloom in the night, familiar scenes twist into the unexpected. Each drawing transforms a line of verse into a scene full of character and tension.

The riddles themselves balance between nonsense and logic, provoking both laughter and reflection. Their rhythm makes them easy to memorize, while the imagery stays with the reader long after the page is turned.

Together, Chukovsky’s words and Chizhikov’s illustrations create a world where the familiar turns strange, and where every question hides a spark of discovery.