“Steam Ship”
Description
"If a steam ship weighed ten thousand tones And sailed five thousand miles... If the mate was each six feet talls And the captain just the same; Would you multiply or subtract To find the captain's name?" The singer admits "I can't do that sum"
Notes
This looks to me like a parody of the "story problems" children are sometimes assigned. The information in the riddle is not sufficient for solution. - RBW
References
- BrownIII 151, "Steam Ship" (1 text)
- Roud #15886
- BI, Br3151