In a far away land, it was known that if you drank poison, the only way to save yourself is to drink a stronger poison, which neutralizes the weaker poison.

The king that ruled the land wanted to make sure that he possessed the strongest poison in the kingdom, in order to ensure his survival, in any situation. So the king called the kingdom's pharmacist and the kingdom's treasurer, he gave each a week to make the strongest poison. Then, each would drink the other one's poison, then his own, and the one that will survive, will be the one that had the stronger potion.

The pharmacist went straight to work, but the treasurer knew he had no chance, for the pharmacist was much more experienced in this field, so instead, he made up a plan to survive and make sure the pharmacist dies. On the last day the pharmacist suddenly realized that the treasurer would know he had no chance, so he must have a plan. After a little thought, the pharmacist realized what the treasurer's plan must be, and he concocted a counter plan, to make sure he survives and the treasurer dies.

When the time came, they king summoned both of them. They drank the potions as planned, and the treasurer died, the pharmacist survived, and the king didn't get what he wanted.

What exactly happened?

The treasurer's plan: Drink a weak poison just before the test. Arrive at the test with an inert substance. So the treasurer would drink his weak poison just before the test; he drinks the pharmacist's strong poison during the test, which neutralizes his weak one. He then drinks the inert substance. He lives. The pharmacist, on the other hand, would drink the treasurer's inert substance, then drink his own strong poison. Since his poison has nothing to neutralize, it would kill him.

That's the teasurer's plan anyway. Unfortunately, the pharmacist figured out the treasurer's plan, and devised his own counter-plan: show up with an inert substance.

So in reality, the treasurer drank his own weak poison before the test, then drank two insert substances during the test. His poison went unneutralized and he died. The pharmacist drank two inert substances during the test and lived.

The king got a precious vial containing an inert substance.

Posted by Jim Lyon on 2002-05-31 08:06:11