(Hopefully this one hasn't been posted it's a really old one I think don't post a solution if you ALREADY know the answer I haven't posted the solution cause I want people to actually try and not just look at the question then giveup right away.)

An old man has a boat and needs to cross the river, the problem is he has three things he needs to get across the river a chicken, a dog, and a sack of grain. He has three problems:

His boat can only support himself and one item,

The dog can't be left with the chicken, and

The chicken can't be left with the grain.

How does he get across with all three items intact?

When he goes across first time he cannot take the grain as the chicken will be alone with the dog, and he cannot take the dog as the chicken will be with the grain. Therefore, he must take the chicken.

When he comes back he can take either the dog or the grain. But when he takes it across he must bring the chicken back, otherwise there will be a bad combination whichever one he takes.

Now he takes whichever one out of the dog and grain that he didn't take on the second trip across. Now all he needs to do is go back and get the chicken.

This is a classic puzzle and is one of my favourite logic puzzles of all time.

Posted by Lewis on 2003-08-04 23:24:51