What has 6 faces and 21 eyes but cannot see? This is a riddle.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The answer to the riddle is a die (singular of dice).
A standard die is a cube, meaning it has 6 faces. Each face is marked with a number of dots (or pips) that represent a value from 1 to 6. The total number of dots on a die can be calculated as follows:
- 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 21.
Therefore, a die has 6 faces and a total of 21 pips (or “eyes”) on it. Despite having these dots that resemble eyes, a die cannot see because it is an inanimate object. The riddle plays on the double meaning of the word “eyes,” suggesting that the dots resemble eyes but, as a die is an object, it does not have the ability to see. The riddle uses a bit of wordplay to make the answer sound more mysterious. In addition, the cube shape of the die is a common characteristic in many riddles, making this one particularly effective in its simplicity and clever use of numbers.