Logic Puzzels 1

OL GIC

S E L Z PUZ

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CONTENTS I. RIDDLES, PUZZLES AND GAGS II. I WONDER, I WONDER...

III. USE YOUR BRAIN!

... 7 ...13

...19

IV. OH, THOSE NUMBERS!

...27

V. BUYERS AND TRADERS

...35

VI. THE LONG ROAD

...43

VII. CHECK YOUR BRAIN VIII. ANSWER KEY

...59

...51

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LUKA DEJANOVIĆ

For Mila

FOREWORD Everyone has at least once been in a situation where you singlehandedly untangled a seriously tangled situation, a puzzling problem or a mind-bending riddle; found a key to the solution.

Satisfied with yourself, you would then explain: ‘Oh, that’s nothing!

I’ve got the brains, me!’

This statement does not only apply to the end result of the problem.

Getting to it was also helped by your previous knowledge, but also skills that allowed you to utilize that knowledge. It was also important to correctly identify the problem, to spot where the issue lies, to figure out what’s the catch. After several somewhat unsuccessful attempts, different approaches, various paths towards the goal, as well as persistence or even audacity – why not? – you took a completely new road and reached success! Despite all your humility, you were, of course, visibly pleased with yourself.

It is precisely this sense of satisfaction that was the catalyst for presenting you with this book. In fact, not just one book, but three of them, whose diverse activities will attract all those who are curious and persistent.

Savour the joy of problem solving!

Author

I RIDDLES, PUZZLES AND GAGS

RIDDLES, PUZZLES AND GAGS

1. White field with black seeds, a wise man should plant them with ease.

2. A brother and sister were born and went everywhere together, without ever actually seeing each other.

3. Be it grass, wheat or rye, this curvy thing will mow it in a blink of an eye.

4. Two pots, but four lids.

5. T his twosome always walks side by side, yet cannot ever catch up with each other.

6. It loves to groom and purr, but it might scratch you if you touch its fur.

7. This green goody has black spots inside it, you will need a sharp tool to unlock it.

8. Stares at the home on its way out, stares at the hill as it climbs down.

9. When should you mow hay?

10. To build a house without a fail, where should you hammer in the first nail?

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11. Who complains with all their might, even when there’s no trouble in sight?

12. House atop a hill, standing on one leg.

13. I am tiny, smooth and have one eye, if you must know – without me, you could never sew.

14. Fleshy spit, iron roast.

15. It was never born and it shall never die, yet drinks all the water it comes by.

16. It has legs, yet it does not walk, it has a head, yet it does not think, it has a tongue, yet it does not speak.

17. A wingless pigeon fell on a branchless tree, then got eaten by a toothless queen.

18. It sails the seas and walks the land, yet never leaves its home.

19. Pearls rolled down fleshy hills, as soon as they dropped, they disappeared.

RIDDLES, PUZZLES AND GAGS 20. It digs through the ground, yet it’s not a mole, its hair is dark, yet it’s not a bear; whoever sees it runs scared.

21. It carries a saddle, yet it’s not a horse, it has horns, but it’s not a goat.

22. Every day, a fair mother gives birth to a dark son.

23. The runner runs, the hanger hangs, the runner prays the hanger hits the land.

24. It walks on four legs at first, on two legs throughout its life and on three legs when it gets to old age.

28. Who looks at the sun, yet harms it?

29. A spinner without a wheel, A weaver without a weave, A hunter without arms, A flyer without wings.

30. You discard the outsides and cook the insides. Then you eat the outsides and discard the insides. What are you eating?

31. What moves up and down the stairs without moving?

32. What can you catch, but not throw?

33. What travels around the world, yet stays in the corner?

26. What is the fastest thing in the world?

34. I have holes on top and at the bottom, left and right, and also in the middle. And yet, I can hold water.

What am I?

27. What gets to drink wine before the king?

35. Give me food and I will live. Give me water and I will die. What am I?

25. Red goat jumps in the basket.

36. W hite and delicate, its downturned bell peeks out of the snow. The winter is over as soon as you see it grow.

37. Made out of glass, electricity is food to me. When I am here, dark you will never see.

38. You use a knife to cut of my head, but when I die, you cry. Who am I? 39. I am the part of the bird which does not appear in the sky. I can swim the seas, yet I always stay dry. Who am I?

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RIDDLES, PUZZLES AND GAGS 40. I am weightless, but you can still see me. Put me in a basket and I will light it up. Who am I? 41. I never was, yet I will always be. No one has, nor will anyone ever see me. Yet, all living creatures put their hope in me. Who am I? 42. I am light as a feather, yet even the strongest man cannot hold me for longer than a minute. What am I? 43. I am a grey child of a white father.

A wingless bird that flies high in the sky. Every eyeball tears up as soon as it sees me. Yet, there’s no reason to be sad, as I will evaporate the moment I am born.

44. They come at night without invitation; they disappear in the morning without a warning.

45. An old man, wearing a green suit and a yellow hat, stands in the field and stares at the sun.

46. It is everywhere, yet you cannot see it. You can catch it, but not hold it.

It has no throat, yet it can be heard.

What is that?

47. To untangle me, you will need a key at hand – not one made by a locksmith, but one that I will understand. Who am I? 48. I will give you three. The first one stands and never moves. The second one devours everything in sight, yet is never sated. The third one leaves

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and never comes back. Who are they?

49. What does a person love more than life? What scares them more than death or discord? What do poor have and the rich need? What satisfies the human want? What is squandered by a miser and saved by the squanderer, something that every person takes to their grave?

50. When I’m full, I can show you the way. When I’m empty, nothing gets me moving. I have two skins, one on the outside and one on the inside.

Who am I? 51. I fly, yet I have no wings. I cry, yet I have no eyes. I am followed by darkness, there is no light beneath me.

Who am I? 52. Under the pine trees, a spikey yarn lies.

53. It is born twice: first smooth and then soft. What is it?

54. Which year lasts one day?

55. What can you see with your eyes closed?

56. In which month do people talk the least?

57. Who speaks all the languages?

58. Under what kind of tree does the rabbit sleep when it rains?

RIDDLES, PUZZLES AND GAGS 59. The shepherd had nine sheep. All but seven died. How many sheep were left?

float clouds of strange bees.

They are all white, filling children with glee.

60. I f you take two out of three apples, how many apples will you have?

69. My body is wooden, my heart is black and made out of stone.

61. Three large men tried to get under a small umbrella. No one got wet. How is that possible?

70. I will become cold, when you don’t give me something to eat, but when I do have food, I will provide heat.

62. On my way to the village, I came across seven women walking towards me. Every woman had seven bags. There were seven cats in every bag. Every cat had seven kittens. Kittens, cats, bags, women… How many of them were going to the village?

63. School full of students, no door in sight.

64. I am the Godmother of the woods, speedy legs and quick wit, And as for my red coat, every hunter loves it.

65. What has one life, but eight to spare?

66. Below the ground, you will find its head.

The top is green and the bottom red.

67. If you skip the greeting and don’t bow to the ground, I will blow your hat off with a hissing sound.

68. Over the town and over your head, over the oaks and over the pines,

71. Loved by both the young and the old, it is the by far the sweetest of them all.

72. T raipses the hills without making a sound, swims the waters without splashing around.

73. What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?

74. Crouchy crouches, while Speedy speeds.

Crouchy jumps and catches Speedy.

75. I guard the treasure and people guard me.

76. O ne head with hundreds of hats.

77. I f I am young, young I shall stay; If I am old, old I shall stay; I have eyes, yet I do not see; I have ears, yet I do not hear.

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II I WONDER, I WONDER...

I WONDER, I WONDER...

1. The flying ducks Ducks were flying in clear skies – one in the front and two in the back, one in the back and two in the front, one between the two and three in a row. How many ducks were flying in total?

2. Legs A two-legged thing sat on a three-legged thing and held a one-legged thing. When a four-legged thing came and took the one-legged thing, the two-legged thing threw the three-legged thing so the four-legged thing would let go of the onelegged thing. What was this all about?

3. Divide the apples There are five apples in the basket. Divide them among five friends, so that each of them gets an apple and one apple stays in the basket.

4. Cats in the room There are four corners in the room. One cat sits in each corner. There are three

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cats opposite each cat. There is a cat in front of each cat’s tail. How many cats were in the room in total?

5. Fill the sack How can one sack of milled wheat be used to fill up two sacks that are the same size as the sack in which the wheat was stored?

6. Strange creature Guess the creature: it has two heads, two arms and six legs, out of which only four can walk.

7. Two workers – one canal Two workers can dig out a 2-metre canal in two hours. How many workers will it take to dig out a 5-metre canal in five hours?

8. Tailor’s scissors A tailor had 16-metre fabric, out of which he would cut a 2-metre piece each day.

After how many days did he cut the last piece?

I WONDER, I WONDER...

9. The clock with the cuckoo

12. Bus driver

How many times does the cuckoo clock make a sound in 24 hours?

You are a bus driver. It’s Monday. The day is cloudy and it’s hard to discern colours.

Eight passengers board the bus at the first stop. At the second stop, four passengers get off the bus and eleven board the bus.

At the third stop, two passengers get off and six board the bus. It’s beginning to rain. At the fourth stop, near the school, thirteen passengers get off and only one passenger with a monthly pass boards the bus. At the fifth stop, five passengers get off the bus and three boards the bus, two of which don’t have an umbrella. Three passengers get off the bus and two board the bus at the sixth stop. What colours are the driver’s eyes?

10. Crows and birches Crows were looking to land each on one birch tree, but they were left short of one. When they landed on each birch in twos, there was one extra birch with no crows on it. How many crows and how many birches were there?

11. Sate the insatiable One and a half insatiable pelicans need three and a half fish to stay sated for half a day. How many fish will it take to sate three insatiable pelicans for three days?

13. Train as fast as the wind An electric trains travels northwest at the speed of 120 kilometres per hour.

The wind blows at the same speed, but in the direction of southwest. In which direction will the smoke from the locomotive blow?

14. All black A man dressed in black, with a black mask, stands at a crossroads in a completely black town, in which all the streetlights are out. There is no moonlight. A modern black car with headlights switched off is moving straight at him, but diverts just in time

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I WONDER, I WONDER... not to avoid hitting him. How did the driver know when to turn the car and avoid an accident?

19. Born in Wales How will you call a man who was born in Wales, grew up in Scotland and died in England?

15. Mother Molly Molly gave birth to two sons at the same hour, on the same day and in the same year and yet, they are not twins. How is this possible?

20. Modern man’s lifespan

16. Gary’s house

21. Precious matchstick

Gary lives in a house with four walls.

Every wall has a window. Every window faces south. A bear is walking under the window. What colour is the bear?

If you have only one matchstick and you walk into a room with a kerosene lamp, a gas stove and a solid fuel heater, which will you light first?

17. Months of the year

22. Doctor’s recommendation

Some months have 30 days. Other moths have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?

If a doctor hands you three pills and tells you to take one every half an hour, how long will they last you for?

18. Encyclopaedia The encyclopaedia is made up of ten books, which have been arranged on the shelf in a row. Every book is 1000 pages long. Not including covers of each book, how many pages are there between the first page and the last page of the encyclopaedia?

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People’s lifespans are getting longer. How many birthdays does every modern man have?

I WONDER, I WONDER...

23. Famous archaeologist A famous archaeologist declared that he found a coin which noted the 46th year before the birth of Christ. Do you believe him?

24. End of the Morava River Is burying a man who lives west of the South Morava River east of the West Morava River allowed?

25. Divide and add Divide 30 with ½ and add 10. What is the result?

29. LP record by the rock group The Hyacinths?

How many grooves are on the LP record by the rock group The Hyacinths?

30. Literacy Which word is always written wrong?

31. Sunrise Which days of the year does the sun rise and set at the same time of the same day?

32. Words that end in -ay

How many animals of each species did Moses board on his ark?

Think about the words that end in -ay.

Two of them are way and essay. Which is the third in the English language? If you listened carefully, do you know which word that is?

27. Legal question

33. How many eggs?

Is it legal in southern California for a man to marry his widow’s sister?

If a chicken lays eight eggs in seven days, how many will the rooster lay in sixteen days?

26. Boarding the animals

28. Hole in the garden How much soil is there in a hole that was dug out in the garden, if the hole is 60 centimetres wide, 90 centimetres long and 120 centimetres deep?

34. Coin in the bottle If you put a coin in an empty bottle and close it with a cork, how can you take out the coin without taking out the cork or breaking the bottle?

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III USE YOUR BRAIN!

USE YOUR BRAIN!

1. Numbers’ halves

5. Timmy’s age

How is it possible that half of the number 12 is 7 and half of the number 11 is 6?

Timmy is seven years old. In how many years will he be three times older than he is now?

2. Subtraction How can you subtract 22 from the number 20 to get 88?

3. Books on a library shelf On a shelf in a library, there are two books, one next to the other. The thickness of each book is 5 centimetres, the covers are ½ centimetres thick and regular pages 4 centimetres thick. One persistent bookworm, as they tend to be, can dig out a ½-cenimetre long tunnel through a book in one day. How much time will it take for the bookworm to get from the first page of the first book to the last page of the second book?

4. The mill It takes an hour and a half to mill 1.2 tonnes of wheat in a mill. How much time will it take to mill 1.6 tonnes of wheat?

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6. Length of the fish The fish is 15 centimetres long. Its head is as long as its tail. If its head were twice the length, the combined length of the head and the tail would equal that of the body between them. How long is each part of the fish?

7. Pensioners In the city park, on a bench under the sycamore tree, old man Roger and old man Bert, two pensioners, spend their days playing chess. Roger won three games and Bert won more by seven. How many games did Bert win? How many games did they play in total?

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ISBN 978-86-529-0610-9

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