The Hatter, the Hare, the Rabbit, the Mouse, Alice and I met for a Tea Party. The table had two sides, with three chairs on each side, numbered like so:

Side A: 1 2 3
Side B: 6 5 4

Chair one was across from chair 6, chair 2 across from chair 5, etc. We would sit down one at a time, in any chair we choose. The first guest to sit down was called the first guest. After the second guest sat down, however, everyone moved clockwise to the next chair. This behavior was continued after the fourth and sixth guest sat down.

My question is, after everyone had been seated, where was I seated?

(1) The first guest sat in chair 1.
(2) The mouse sat down last.
(3) After the first time everyone moved, no one had been on side B yet.
(4) The Hatter and Alice choose the same starting chair.
(5) When I was in chair 1, the Rabbit was in chair 6.
(6) I started on side B, but didn't end there.
(7) The hare moved all three times.
(8) Alice ended up between the mouse and the hare.
(9) I sat down after the rabbit but before the hatter.
(10) The mouse sat down in an odd numbered chair.

Also, a bonus question. Who am I?

I'm not sure whether this is right or not. I got the answer mainly by elimination, but I do have a method:

Hatter = HT, Hare = HA, Rabbit = R, Mouse = M, Alice = A, I = Q (I is easily mixed up with 1).

1 (this number signifies the 1st guest sitting down):
Side a: HA 2 3
Side b:  6  5 4
(- clue 1 & 7) (these clues helped me find this)

2:
Side a: HA A 3
Side b:  6  5  4
(- clue 3, 4 & 8)

3:
Side a: 1 HA A
Side b: 6  R  4
(- clue 8 & 9)

4:
Side a: 1 HA A
Side b: Q   R  4
(- clue 5, 6 & 9)

5:
Side a: Q HT HA
Side b: R  5   A
(- clue 2, 4, 8, 9 & 10)

6:
Side a: Q HT HA
Side b: R  M   A
(-clue 2, 8 & 10)

[7] (-there's an extra rotation):
Side a: R Q HT
Side b: M A HA

So, since Q = I, 'I' was in seat number 2 by the end of all the fussing about and rotations.

I haven't watched Alice in Wonderland for years, so I can't remember much of it, but I keep thinking of Jiminy Cricket, for some strange reason, but if I were to hazard a guess, I would say the Queen, which seems wrong...

Posted by Steph on 2005-05-31 13:40:17