Calvin Tower Quotes

“I wanted to ask you if you know the answer to a riddle."

"Fire away."

"Samson told it. The strong guy in the Bible? It goes like this--"

"'Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness.' That's the one?"

"Yeah, it is. How'd you know--?"

"Oh, I've been around the block a time or two. Listen to this:

'Samson and a lion got in attack,
And Samson climbed up on the lion's back.
Well, you've read about lion killin men with their paws,
But Samson put his hands round the lion's jaws!
He rode that lion 'til the beast fell dead,
And the bees made honey in the lion's head.'

That answer to your question, friend?"

"Wow! Good song! Where'd you hear it?"

"Oh, Aaron knows them all. He was hanging around Bleecker Street back before Bob Dylan knew how to blow more than open G on his Hohner. At least, if you believe HIM."

"It's an old spiritual. By the way, you're in check, fatso."

"Not for long."

"So the answer is a lion."

"Wrong. Only HALF the answer. Samson's Riddle is a DOUBLE, my friend. The other half of the answer is honey. Get it?"

"Yes, I think so.”
― Stephen King, The Waste Lands