Strange But True: November 21, 2019

* It was 19th-century German poet Johann Peter Eckermann who made the following sage observation: "Invention requires an excited mind; execution, a calm one."

* Those who study such things say that if you want to know if someone is likely to keep your secrets, you should look at their birth order in the family. First-born children tend to be better at keeping secrets than kids born later.

* According to biologists, young giraffes have been known to grow up to half an inch per hour.

* You might be surprised to learn that in addition to being the father of our country, George Washington was quite a successful purveyor of alcohol. According to the U.S. Distilled Spirits Council, he operated one of the largest whiskey distilleries in early America, producing 11,000 gallons in 1799.

* You may be familiar with the famous scene from Shakespeare's "Hamlet," in which the title character picks up the skull of an erstwhile acquaintance and declares, "Alas, poor Yorick!" It's an icon of the stage -- and the screen, with more than 50 known film versions of the play. Of course, it's also been published too many times to count, and in too many different formats. One in particular stands out, though; in 2009, Czech bookbinders and artists Jan and Jarmila Soboda created their own unique edition. It's a tiny script tucked inside a plastic skull housed in a small metal casket with a hinged lid.

* If you're planning a holiday in Paris this year, keep in mind that in that city it's against the law to spin a top on a sidewalk.

***

Thought for the Day: "One does not advance the swimming abilities of ducks by throwing the eggs in the water." -- Eduard Douwes Dekker

(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.