Yes/No-question puzzle

[Marinus]

Let me say, the name looks someway familiar, I think it's about ancient Greek mythology, so an ancient religion, but I have to admit I don't know much about it. Except for the man who was flying too close to the sun and then his wings were melting. But I suppose I can find it on Wikipedia and I guess I know the answer then. That's question 1.

But I prefer to continue asking questions instead of looking for the answer.

2. Is the man sort of (half)god?
3. Are there gods involved, important for the solution?

Wait!!! I remember a story of a man who was very beautiful, and then fell in love with his mirror-image. Adonis if I'm right. But I don't know what he did and how he died. I'll think about it.

Edit:
Maybe if I hear or read I remember more but at the moment I don't know. The only thing I can think is that he died because of love/sadness but I think that can't be immediately when he saw himself.

4. Did he have other special properties beside that he was very beautiful?

I don't either have any idea about the two different times.

[Muzozavr]

2. Well, depends on the version of the myth, one actually has a different death, but is fairly uncommon.
3. Well, not really. You've just pinpointed the story yourself.

Yes, it's that story, but it's not about Adonis. It's about someone else, and it will become pretty clear when you know it.

[Marinus]

I just edited my previous post when you posted.

There was something with his name if I'm right. Isn't it used generally for people who love theirselves very much?

[Muzozavr]

I don't think he had special properties besides being very beautiful.

His love/sadness is the indirect reason...
There's a reason why I wrote AFTER in big letters.

[Dizzy1]

If you mean AFTER he looked at himself, then it's immediately, before he even had a chance to stop looking. However... there's always a however. And I can't tell why unless you manage to form a specific yes/no question about that, because it would be a total? giveaway.

1. Was he not beautiful anymore?
2. Was he so upset that he died from that pain?

[Muzozavr]

1. No, he was still beautiful.
2. No.

[Marinus]

1. About the two different times. One is immediately, the other, we don't know exactly but let's say, three months, for the exact time is not really important, ok?

2a. Is it then that he someway, in a manner of speaking, died twice? One time at the moment he saw his mirror image, and the second time three moths later?
b. Or is it maybe that at certain moment, three months earlier, he realized he should never love someone else more then himself, so he became ill of love-sadness, and finally after the three months, he looked at himself in the water, something happened and he died immediately?

3. Out of what you was saying I understand that he did something, (almost) no one else should/could do, because of magic, but he didn't have special powers. Not even sort of magic powers?

[Muzozavr]

1. Yes.
2. Neither.
3. No special powers. Maybe this undying love to mirror-image could be considered.

[Marinus]

OK, I'll write sentences what I think how the story is. Please say for each sentence yes, no, sort of, in a manner of speaking, not exactly that but coming close. Ok?

1a There are two seperate "moments" really important for this story, A and B.
b Or more then two.
2a One of them (A) is really a moment. He looked at his mirror image and died immediately.
b The other "moment" (B) is also a moment. (matter of seconds)
c Or longer. (maybe a day)
3 Between A and B is, let's say, about three months.
4 Is B (three months) before A? (Or three months later)
5 He died only once. At moment A he looked in the water and died
a the water can be a lake
b his heart stopped
c his breathing stopped
d his brain died
e his whole body was dead
f his body was just a "normal" dead body
g he fell on the ground or in the lake
6a Until that moment there was nothing strange/special visible at him, except his beauty
b from that moment there was nothing more strange/special visible at him, except he was dead.
7 Same as 6 but invisible instead of visible

8a He was acting at a way no one else could do
b the only reason that he was the only person who could do that is this undying love to mirror-image
c Have "undying" and the a special, important meaning?

Indeed they would, it does look very strange.

d The quote is about that acting
e He needed magic for it but didn't have magic power
f Was that acting a matter of a moment
g moment A, B, in between, all the time even before the first moment.

Magic, um... If a man who'd do the same can exist without magic...

h He didn't need magic to act that way, but for acting that way he needed magic to exist

9 The rest

[Muzozavr]

1a: Very very close -- they aren't really separate. There're two. One is when he looks the other is when he dies, "immediately" af...

Wait. Now I'll have to ask YOU a question.
By "after he looked at himself" do you mean after he STARTED looking... or after he STOPPED looking? In case of "after he started", then it's just a really long time, with no "immediates".

2a: This includes both moments already!
2b: no other moments, since 2a already includes them both.
3: no, there's nothing inbetween.
4: Sorry, but... can't answer at all.
5. Yes, only one death, no you missed the way the moments have to be timed.
a: yes, can be a lake.
b-e: no
f: I think he was much thinner, so not exactly "normal".
g: doesn't matter.
6: a yes, b yes.
7: Erm, what do you mean?

8b: yes.
8c: no.
8d: yes.
8e: erm... if you know the story, you understand. If you don't it's unexplainable. So don't bother.
8f-g: can't answer at all.
8h: well, do you think anybody could do it? I don't think so!

Hint about the moments/times to not to confuse you further.

Time A is when he started looking at the lake. He looked for a really long time, you know.
Time B is when he stopped looking due to death.
It's that simple.

[Marinus]

I remeberd the word: narcissism, so I guess that man was Narcissus or such.

Well I guess, when he saw himself and he fell in love with himself, he couldn't stop looking until he died due to lack of food. (I hope he had a cup or such to drink water, for if he drank the water directly he couldn't see the mirror image anymore. )

But in my opinion with dying due to lack of food is certainly time between starting to die and the moment of death.

And I also think you certainly need some special power to stay looking at one point until the moment of death.

Is this right so far? And about that acting, is just what I described? Or is there more I need to know

[Muzozavr]

Yes. Sorry about confusing you on the time, I was thinking of an "opposite" riddle at the moment, and stretched things to the point of breaking.

Narcissus, aka Narkissos, aka The Self-Admirer continued to stare into the pool and banally forgot to eat. He doesn't have a special power, since it's a myth, and not a real story anyway. Most versions of the myth don't have it simply "happen" -- he was cruel to his lover, and was, in turn, cursed.

In one version, said lover killed herself with a sword, and cursed Narcissus. When at the pool, he fell in love, and only realised that it was a reflection after attempting to kiss it. Heart-broken, he also killed himself with a sword. However, this version of the myth is fairly uncommon, and the starvation is more widely accepted.

[Marinus]

That was a very interesting riddle, Thanks!!

I think I go read the story now.

Next story is from some kind of newspaper:

A man used the wrong tool to steal, and died.

[Dizzy1]

1. Do you mean the thing he tried to steal, killed him?
2. Do you mean he used a tool to break in a store?

[Muzozavr]

Dumb guess:
Was he using a flashlight, put it in his mouth, and then FELL DOWN with the flashlight still in his mouth? I remember reading it somewhere.

[Marinus]

1 Yes
2 No. He sort of broke in but he wasn't killed by the tool he used for that.

[Marinus]

Muzo

No. He used a flashlight as well, but wasn't killed by that.

[Muzozavr]

He used a faulty pistol, but was killed by the victims in self-defence?

[Marinus]

No, he didn't use a weapon at all.

[Muzozavr]

So, time to end guesses and do normal questions. Let's start out with these...

1. Was he killed by
a: One of his stealing tools directly
b: By something inside the house (if it was a house, that is)
c: By something outside the house
d: By someONE inside the house
e: By something else.

2. Was the tool faulty?
3. Or was it a different tool that is simply unfitting?

[Marinus]

1a No (See also Dizzy's question 1)
b Yes, (yes)
c No
d No
e No

2 No
3 The tool was not meant for this purpose/use, if you mean that.

[Muzozavr]

1. Was the thief himself a completely normal, healthy man? Or was there some sickness/trauma in the past that could work together with whatever caused his death?

[Marinus]

Yes. There was nothing special with him and about his past is nothing important for this riddle.

[Marinus]

Muzozavr, I read the story about Narcissus on Wikipedia and I think is was pretty tricky though. I think most confusing for me was:

If you mean AFTER he looked at himself, then it's immediately, before he even had a chance to stop looking.

Actually I don't believe he was sitting there like this

until the exact moment he died.

Oh, and after he died he was not just a dead body but something like this:


But on the other hand, if you should've answered the questions exactly the same I should've done in your situation, it was probably not as much fun as this.

[Muzozavr]

Sorry for the confusement, I think I've forgotten the end of the story.
And I also don't believe him being a sitting duck, but this time I'm backed up by the myth.
Sorry for possible mistakes in my answers for I have read that myth a long time ago and forgot the ending.

[Dizzy1]

A man used the wrong tool to steal, and died.

1. Do you mean the thing he tried to steal, killed him?
2. Do you mean he used a tool to break in a store?

1. Yes
2. No. He sort of broke in but he wasn't killed by the tool he used for that.

Was he using a flashlight, put it in his mouth, and then FELL DOWN with the flashlight still in his mouth? I remember reading it somewhere.

Muzo - No. He used a flashlight as well, but wasn't killed by that.

He used a faulty pistol, but was killed by the victims in self-defence?

No, he didn't use a weapon at all.

1. Was he killed by
a: One of his stealing tools directly
b: By something inside the house (if it was a house, that is)
c: By something outside the house
d: By someONE inside the house
e: By something else.

2. Was the tool faulty?
3. Or was it a different tool that is simply unfitting?

1a No (See also Dizzy's question 1)
b Yes, (yes)
c No
d No
e No

2 No
3 The tool was not meant for this purpose/use, if you mean that.

1. Was the thief himself a completely normal, healthy man? Or was there some sickness/trauma in the past that could work together with whatever caused his death?

Yes. There was nothing special with him and about his past is nothing important for this riddle.

1. Was the thief related to the residents of the home?
2. Did he try to steal something electrical?
3. Did he try to steal something sharp?
4. Did he try to steal something alive?
5. Did he try to steal something very heavy?

[Marinus]

Those are very good questions Juliet! I suppose you'll find out soon!

1 Yes
2 Yes
3 No
4 No
5 No

[Dizzy1]

1. Was the thief, the man who actually lived in the house?
2. If #1 is Yes, was he the 'Man of the house'?
3. Was he the son?
4. Did the man have a wife who was inside the house at the time he broke in?
5. Was she asleep?
6. Did he break in because he lost his key?
7. Did he break in because she locked him out?

[Marinus]

He sort of broke in but he wasn't killed by the tool he used for that.

Because I think there is some confusion about "breaking in", I'll tell he didn't break in litterally. therefore I used the words "sort of". I only meant, he illegal opened something what was closed. He was already in the house.

So about your questions, 1 and 2 Yes. The rest doesn't matter

[Dizzy1]

I don't understand how you can break into something illegally, in your own home.

I suppose that is the puzzle though. And it's a good one too.

1. Did he try to steal the house alarm system, off the wall?
2. Was the item he tried to steal, smaller than a cigar box?
3. Was the item he tried to steal, smaller than a computer?
4. Was there an electrical cord connected to the item and he forgot to unplug it?