January 5, 2026: The Tasty Riddle

A riddle of epic proportions.

Back in the 70s, a cartoon commercial mesmerized a generation of kids. Featuring a popular lollipop, the ad asked, How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

The world, the commercial said, might never know.

Determined to find out, I grabbed one and sat down with paper and pencil. After each lick, I’d make a mark.

This seemed to take days.

But when I finally hit the brown tootsie middle, it felt like winning a gold medal. Then I counted my scribbles. And the grand total came to…dramatic pause...

429 licks.

Excited about my groundbreaking discovery, I mailed a letter to the Tootsie Roll Company, telling them the secret info. Satisfied with my accomplishment, I didn’t think about it again.

Until a few weeks later.

That’s when a large, important-looking envelope arrived, addressed to me. Inside, a fancy certificate stated these words:

TOOTSIE POP AWARD
Be It Known To All People
The world may never know how many licks it takes to reach the center of a Tootsie Pop... but a few strong-willed young men and women know. The bearer of this AWARD is one who KNOWS.

A company official had signed the bottom.

One of the proudest moments of my young life. And to this day, that certificate is kept in a scrapbook.

Curiosity starts most great adventures.

Ask questions and see where it leads you. The best learning will always require some work, but the process is part of the prize.

Bonus points if the ending includes chocolate.