Library: Clues on How to Title a Book.

I leaned back, scanning the skies and noting the position of the sun. "Later than I would have imagined...Perhaps there was too much data right from the start." I heaved a sigh, I did so hate to see my races go unfinished, but the time limit had passed, and no one had yet finished. A noise alerted me to their presence, I saw all of them, off in the distance, still unsure of where to go, so I called out to them. As one they turned to look and trotted to me. The leader was out of breath, as were they all. "We failed, again! I am beginning to hate these outings!" he said through his panting. "You must tell us! How were we to find our way?" I looked them over. They looked weary, indeed. After a moment, I spoke. "Did you hear about Barnum's shop? Seems there will be a tariff placed on his goods." The racers looked confused, all save their leader. He was used to sudden changes in conversation when dealing with me. He sat down, and feigned interest. "Oh really, do tell, Yari." "Well, it's really a matter of quality, when dealing with rings. You have to inspect them very carefully, even small parts within the whole can make all the difference. Have you ever really looked at a ring?" I asked. "Hmm, yes, I have," the leader said. The others were still standing behind him, exchanging looks of confusion. "But I would think that something must be new, else the tariff would not be added?" Perceptive for a troll, the leader is. "Yes. It seems that there has been some sabotage of recent shipments of his raw materials used in ring making. Some competitor, most likely, is pouring a substance over the ring stock, rendering it worthless. Some sort of a tar, I think." The leader nodded. "I am sorry to hear that for Barnum, he has always been a fair shopkeep. Now, if we may, I'd like to talk about your race? Can you give any sort of hint as to the correct path to use in the forest?" "You wish to speak of the race, eh? Isn't that what we were talking about just now? All right then, I'll be direct, so listen carefully. When you try to beat a riddle, you must dissect everything, even the smallest detail must not be left uninvestigated. Riddles play on your preconceptions, dissolve them, and you may find yourself looking at a righteous victory." The leader of the racers frowned even more deeply than I. "That's it? There is nothing more?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He stood, and without another word, stalked off. I heaved a sigh and went home. Perhaps next time, they would finish the race. That's it. That's my hint. Don't complain, it's actually useful. I am going to write up the solution and post it along with this one. So, if you really want to know the answer, read the answer book...But, I urge you to read this book VERY carefully and at least try to figure out what the solution to the riddle is based on, even if you cannot get the actual answer. Yari

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Library: Clues on How to Title a Book.