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One day, as I was wandering in the forest, I came across a most peculiar animal. It came right in front of me and said to me:

I watch
I salute
I am multiple
I am myself
I sting
I dig
I am yourself
I was
I question

What was this animal and could I milk it ?

Hint:

It's a little bit more complicated than just finding an animal with these requirements.

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  • $\begingroup$ Animals that salute? Well google had nothing :) $\endgroup$
    – Gustavo Gabriel
    Mar 8, 2018 at 13:41
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    $\begingroup$ Can you milk a titmouse? $\endgroup$
    – Chowzen
    Mar 8, 2018 at 14:12
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    $\begingroup$ @Chowzen Damn, I was hoping that it'd be a big breasted mouse instead of a bird. $\endgroup$
    – Rick
    Mar 8, 2018 at 14:13
  • $\begingroup$ Disappointed for no "I protecc I attacc I get myself bacc on tracc" $\endgroup$
    – Quintec
    Mar 8, 2018 at 14:34
  • $\begingroup$ Well, it said something, I bet it was either another human or parrot. $\endgroup$
    – PL457
    Mar 8, 2018 at 15:07

6 Answers 6

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This is based on M Oehm's idea and J. Siebeneichler and Bass's comments; I only contributed

one letter

but since the answer hasn't been posted yet let's put it up!

... As M Oehm thought, each line corresponds to a letter (most of this is quoted from their answer):

• I watch — C: I see
• I salute — A: as in, "hey!", or "ay!" (J.Siebeneichler suggestion)
• I am multiple — R: "I am" multiple is "we are"
• I am myself — I: literally I
• I sting — B: a bee stings
• I dig — O: a circular hole, or I dig=I love=>love in tennis=0 => O (Bass suggestion) a hoe!
• I am yourself: U: you yourself
• I was: — X: it is an ex-parrot, it was but is no more
• I question: Y: the question is why

It is indeed

a Caribou, of the male persuasion,

and thus

cannot be milked.

Unless you join J. Siebeneichler's mind in the gutter of course! And who didn't.

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  • $\begingroup$ Good job, team! Since @M Oehm is such a gentlemant, I'll accept this answer. Only one thing : I was more thinking of a tool for the "O" $\endgroup$
    – Keelhaul
    Mar 8, 2018 at 20:57
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    $\begingroup$ Oh, a hoe! :) no? $\endgroup$
    – Oosaka
    Mar 8, 2018 at 21:00
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    $\begingroup$ @Keelhaul This is a really cool riddle by the way! $\endgroup$
    – Oosaka
    Mar 8, 2018 at 21:18
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    $\begingroup$ A really neat riddle - and nice teamwork on the answer! $\endgroup$
    – Stilez
    Mar 8, 2018 at 22:54
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This is perhaps more of an idea than a real answer.

I think what's going on here is ...

... that each line represents a word that is a homophone of a letter. For example:

• I watch — I or C: An eye watches; I see
• I salute — ?
• I am multiple — R: "I am" multiple is "we are"
• I am myself — I or M: literally I or am
• I sting — B: a bee stings
• I dig — ?
• I am yourself: U: you yourself
• I was: — ?
• I question: Y: the question is why

When I squint, I can see a caribou hidden in these lines, but I can't really make it stick. (I also half-expect the animal to be one for which there is a famous question along the lines of "Can you milk a ___?")

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    $\begingroup$ I salute could be "hey" for A. $\endgroup$
    – J. Siebeneichler
    Mar 8, 2018 at 15:05
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    $\begingroup$ Possibly you could dig a circular hole $\endgroup$
    – Bass
    Mar 8, 2018 at 15:07
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    $\begingroup$ @Bass: Either that or "I dig" means "I love" and in tennis love means zero and a zero looks like the letter O. How's that for lateral thinking`? $\endgroup$
    – M Oehm
    Mar 8, 2018 at 15:08
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    $\begingroup$ OK, I found it but feel bad putting it in an answer because it's based on this answer and its comments; I think M Oehm should update. J.Siebeneichler & Bass have it right, also "I was" is "ex" and you cannot milk the animal! $\endgroup$
    – Oosaka
    Mar 8, 2018 at 15:31
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    $\begingroup$ XY is the male chromosome, so I guess you can't milk it (unless you consider its "special milk" :-P ) $\endgroup$
    – J. Siebeneichler
    Mar 8, 2018 at 15:39
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This is probably a little bit of a stretch, but you are a:

Bee

I watch

Bee always watching?

I salute

Something related to the Queen Bee or GRAMMYs to salute Bee Gees

I am multiple

Beehive

I am myself

Related to the verb "to be", To Be Myself?

I sting

Bee sting

I dig

Some type of bees dig

I am yourself

Related to the verb "to be", Be Yourself?

I was

Past of the verb to be?

I question

This I don't know

Could you milk it?

A metaphor for the honey? Or Royal Jelly which is considered Bee Milk

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  • $\begingroup$ Don't get too attached to the literal sense of this riddle, it's not an ant and it's not a bee either :) $\endgroup$
    – Keelhaul
    Mar 8, 2018 at 13:59
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    $\begingroup$ I guess it's not right, but I liked this idea. Also, for "I question" - to be or not to be - would fit. $\endgroup$
    – sirjonsnow
    Mar 8, 2018 at 14:51
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I think it's probably

an ant.

I watch
I salute

Soldier ants.

I am multiple
I am myself

Like some other insects, ants have a sort of 'hive mind': the anthill community functions almost as a single organism. It's thought that ants don't have much individuality.

I sting
I dig

Some ants have stinging bites. Others dig holes in the ground.

I am yourself
I was
I question

Not sure about these lines.

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  • $\begingroup$ You wish it was that easy... but it's not :D $\endgroup$
    – Keelhaul
    Mar 8, 2018 at 13:11
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Is it

A pond / river reflection of yourself ?

Because

The all points are applicable to you ?

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  • $\begingroup$ A pond/river is not an animal $\endgroup$
    – Keelhaul
    Mar 8, 2018 at 13:18
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, i meant yourself, the human animal(Humans are animals i have read somewhere) :P $\endgroup$
    – ran
    Mar 8, 2018 at 13:25
  • $\begingroup$ Still not it ^^ $\endgroup$
    – Keelhaul
    Mar 8, 2018 at 13:27
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Are you a

Koala(Koala bear)

I watch I salute

Koalas sometime salute

I am multiple I am myself

Koala is a marsupial, carrying its young one on itself

I sting I dig

It attacks with nails, and digs the ground for food

I am yourself

Koalas sleep for about 20 hours a day :p

I was I question

No idea

And yes it is possible to milk this animal.

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  • $\begingroup$ Again, don't get too attached to the literal sense of this riddle. Not a koala. $\endgroup$
    – Keelhaul
    Mar 8, 2018 at 14:11

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