The Riddle

Once upon a time, in a land with tall mountains and green forests, there lived a young boy named Jack. Jack was known everywhere for being smart and quick-thinking, always ready to solve the trickiest of puzzles and riddles.

One day, as Jack walked through the forest, he found an interesting old cottage hidden among the trees. Curious, he walked up to the cottage and found an old woman sitting on the doorstep, her eyes shiny with a playful look.

"Welcome, young traveler," the old woman said with a smile. "I have a riddle for you, one that will test how smart you are and challenge your mind. Solve it, and you will get a great treasure."

Eager to prove himself, Jack listened carefully as the old woman whispered the riddle in his ear: "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with fears. What am I?"

Jack scrunched his face, thinking about the riddle carefully. He thought very hard for an answer, but try as he might, he could not solve the mystery.

Not giving up, Jack set off on a quest to find the answer, traveling far and wide across the land in search of clues. Along the way, he met all kinds of creatures – from wise old owls to playful sprites – each giving him cryptic hints and advice.

As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, Jack grew weary and discouraged, his spirits falling as he struggled to unlock the secret of the riddle. But just when he was about to give up hope, he stumbled upon a hidden glen deep in the forest, where a shimmering pool of water lay hidden among a grove of ancient trees.

As Jack looked into the pool, he saw his reflection staring back at him, and suddenly, the answer to the riddle came to him like a bolt of lightning. With a happy shout, he raced back to the old woman's cottage, his heart pounding with excitement.

"I have the answer!" Jack shouted, very excited. "The answer to the riddle is... an echo!"

The old woman's eyes shone with happiness as Jack's words echoed through the air, and with a wave of her hand, she brought out a chest filled with treasure – gold coins, precious gems, and sparkling jewels.

"Congratulations, young Jack," the old woman said with a smile. "You have proven yourself to be a true master of riddles, and you will be rewarded with riches beyond your wildest dreams."

And so, with the treasure in hand and the mystery of the riddle solved, Jack returned home to the land, where he was called a hero and cheered for his smartness and bravery. And as he fell asleep that night, his mind filled with dreams of new adventures and challenges waiting for him in the days to come.

The end.

Follow-up questions:

• What did the old woman give Jack as a challenge?

• How did Jack find the answer to the riddle?

• What happened when Jack solved the riddle?