7. Two boys are sitting together, playing with 30 matches. They agree that the
boy who takes the last match wins. Each of them can take up to 6 matches
at a time. How can you arrange to become a sure winner?
6. Two women are sitting on a bench, both of them with a little boy in her arm.
A passing pedestrian asks them whether the boys were their own children.
‘Yes,’ they reply, ‘the boys are our sons, our son’s sons, our husbands’
brothers and yet from legal marriages’. Can you find out their relationships?
5. A simple question: What do you find exactly in the middle of Australia? (The
solution shouldn’t be too difficult for those of you with some geography
knowledge – or should it?)
4. A traveller on a ship is standing at the rail, looking to the west. His friend is
standing at the opposite rail, looking to the east. The first man says to his
friend: ‘Your tie is not straight.’ His friend replies: ‘And you are unshaven, as
I can see.’ How can they – without turning around and without mirrors –
make these observations?
3. A 5m long tree trunk has to be cut into seven pieces. A worker needs 4.5
minutes for each cut.
How long does it take him to get the seven pieces cut?
2. A traveller has taken his letterbox key with him on his trip by accident. He
writes to a friend from his holiday residence, includes the key in the
envelope and asks his friend to forward his mail to him. And now he is
waiting day by day but no letters are coming. Why doesn’t his friend send
him the mail?
1. Mr. Smith is superstitious and goes to a fortune-teller to enquire about his
future. After telling him (or her) some stories, true or not true, he offers the
clairvoyant $10 extra to give him the name of his future wife. How is this
possible?
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