A tenant has been left puzzled after discovering a mysterious handwritten note hidden inside a duct in their rental home, with a message that has remained unsolved for more than five years.
The renter said the note was found shortly after moving in and has since been kept on the fridge as a reminder of the strange discovery.
Sharing the story online, the tenant wrote in a Reddit post: “We found this in my rental, hidden in a duct or something.”
The note itself contained a riddle that has continued to confuse both the renter and hundreds of others who have tried to solve it.
“Riddle me this: Once a calm keeper, always true. Now a hard sleeper, there for you. What is green, grey and always dry?”
Despite returning to the puzzle many times, the tenant said they still had no idea what the answer could be, prompting others online to offer their own theories.
Some suggested the answer might be found in nature. One person proposed “sage”, pointing to its green-grey colour, its reputation for wisdom and calm, and the fact it is commonly used as a dried herb.
“Sage Advice is dry. Also, the plant Sage thrives in dry, well-drained soil and will get root rot and die in wet conditions,” another commenter wrote.
Others offered more literal explanations. “Wood beam,” one person suggested, saying it could reflect the change from a living tree to a structural support that turns grey over time.
“Firewood,” another wrote: “It was once a tree, tall and true. It was rooted, calm and in place. Now, its life has gone, and it is dead asleep.”
“Alive, it was green (green wood is also firewood that has not yet dried). Without life, its color has faded and dulled and will continue to do so as it turns to ash. Firewood must be dry to ignite and stay lit.”
A more unusual theory also appeared, with one commenter suggesting absinthe.
“It was originally a social drink (calm keeper), but eventually became more of a nightcap (hard sleeper).
“It has a naturally green colour, but becomes cloudy (grey) when water is added because of a process called louching.”
Despite the wide range of suggestions, the riddle remains unsolved.
