This riddle skillfully describes several different aspects of an orange. The exterior of the orange is compared to an egg: round and golden yellow. The fleshy interior is analogized to a yellow head of garlic because, like garlic, it can be pulled apart and used one section at a time. When eaten, an orange has a certain acidic sourness that can feel rough on teeth; the scattering pearls in the riddle are intended to represent teeth decaying and falling out in response to the orange's acidity.