Wake up your brain, you'll need it

luv2bt&tickled · Mar 26, 2003

Farmers problem

A farmer is standing on one side of the river and with him are a wolf, a goat and a box with cabbages. In the river there is a small boat. The farmer wants to cross the river with all the three items who are with him. There are no bridges and in the boat there is only room for the farmer and one item. But if he leaves the goat with the cabbages alone on one side of the river the goat will eat the cabbages. If he leaves the wolf and the goat on one side the wolf will eat the goat. Only the farmer can seperate the wolf from the goat and the goat from the cabbage.

How can the farmer cross the river with all three items, without one eating the other ?

ShiningIce · Mar 26, 2003

*Starts to figure out riddle, but decides to tickle Tracy instead.*

Limeoutsider · Mar 26, 2003

He takes the goat first and ties it to a tree, then he gets the cabbage, then he he takes the wolf over last.

qjakal · Mar 26, 2003

Oldie..

Hey, you need to remember that there's old people on this forum...we've heard 'em all due to our longevity...lol. Lime is close, but there's no need for rope (well, not in the sense we Tk'ers usually need it, anyway)

First the farmer takes the goat across the river. He goes back to pick up the wolf. When he is across, he leaves the wolf and takes back the goat. Once he's back on the other side he leaves the goat and takes the cabbage with him. Then he picks up the goat and all three items are on the other side. No ropes....although why the goat and wolf don't run away isn't explained. I'll assume they're well trained for the purposes of this puzzle. 😉 Q

milagros317 · Mar 26, 2003

Like Q, I saw this puzzle a long time ago (about 40 years ago in my case).

Slightly harder puzzle, also about crossing a river. It is known as the jealous husbands' puzzle.

A boat that holds at most two people is available. Three married couples are on one side of the river, and want to cross. But the jealous husbands have these rules:

No woman may be in the boat with a man not her husband.
No woman may be on a shore with a man not her husband, unless her husband is present on that shore.
No woman may be on a shore that a man not her husband is approaching by boat, unless her husband is either on that shore with her, or is in the boat with the other man.

How can they cross?

Answer posted below in a reply.

(Yes, the husbands are unreasonable and sexist. But otherwise there wouldn't be a puzzle to solve.)

milagros317 · Mar 26, 2003

Spoiler: answer to the jealous husbands' puzzle

Call the people h1, w1, h2, w2, h3, w3, where h1 is the husband of the first couple, w1 is the wife of the first couple, and so on. Here is a solution.

Starting position: h1,w1,h2,w2,h3,w3 /river/ nobody

w1 and w2 cross, w2 returns alone.

New position: h1,h2,w2,h3,w3 /river/ w1

w2 and w3 cross, w3 returns alone.

New position: h1,h2,h3,w3 /river/ w1,w2

h1 and h2 cross, h2 and w2 return.

New position: h2,w2,h3,w3 /river/ h1,w1

h2 and h3 cross, w1 returns alone.

New position: w1,w2,w3 /river/ h1,h2,h3

w1 and w2 cross, w2 returns alone.

New position: w2,w3 /river/ h1,w1,h2,h3

w2 and w3 cross

Final position: nobody /river/ h1,w1,h2,w2,h3,w3

cleopatra2003 · Mar 26, 2003

😕 ok, so I am cofused more! I have no clue! LOL🙄

Limeoutsider · Mar 26, 2003

Re: Oldie..

qjakal said:
No ropes....although why the goat and wolf don't run away isn't explained. I'll assume they're well trained for the purposes of this puzzle. 😉 Q

That's why I used the rope

So close, yet so far

BettyBoop2002 · Mar 26, 2003

I think Q hit it on the head, come on Ms.Tracy🙂 let's us know.🙂 😉

luv2bt&tickled · Mar 28, 2003

Re: Oldie..

qjakal said:
Hey, you need to remember that there's old people on this forum...we've heard 'em all due to our longevity...lol. Lime is close, but there's no need for rope (well, not in the sense we Tk'ers usually need it, anyway)

First the farmer takes the goat across the river. He goes back to pick up the wolf. When he is across, he leaves the wolf and takes back the goat. Once he's back on the other side he leaves the goat and takes the cabbage with him. Then he picks up the goat and all three items are on the other side. No ropes....although why the goat and wolf don't run away isn't explained. I'll assume they're well trained for the purposes of this puzzle. 😉 Q

🙂

Q, you are too good for me! Dab nap it! LOL You were correct 🙂 Farmers problemFirst the farmer takes the goat across the river. He goes back to pick up the wolf. When he is across he leaves the wolf and takes back the goat. Back on the other side he leaves the goat and takes the cabbages with him. Then he picks up the goat and all three items are on the other side. 🙂

luv2bt&tickled · Mar 28, 2003

Re: Spoiler: answer to the jealous husbands' puzzle

milagros317 said:
Call the people h1, w1, h2, w2, h3, w3, where h1 is the husband of the first couple, w1 is the wife of the first couple, and so on. Here is a solution.

Starting position: h1,w1,h2,w2,h3,w3 /river/ nobody

w1 and w2 cross, w2 returns alone.

New position: h1,h2,w2,h3,w3 /river/ w1

w2 and w3 cross, w3 returns alone.

New position: h1,h2,h3,w3 /river/ w1,w2

h1 and h2 cross, h2 and w2 return.

New position: h2,w2,h3,w3 /river/ h1,w1

h2 and h3 cross, w1 returns alone.

New position: w1,w2,w3 /river/ h1,h2,h3

w1 and w2 cross, w2 returns alone.

New position: w2,w3 /river/ h1,w1,h2,h3

w2 and w3 cross

Final position: nobody /river/ h1,w1,h2,w2,h3,w3