You have a small boat and you need to cross a river with three items: a wolf, a lamb, and a bale of hay. You can only take yourself plus one item at a time across the river. The problem is, you cannot leave the wolf alone with the lamb, or the wolf will eat the lamb. Also, you cannot leave the lamb alone with the bale of hay, or the lamb will eat the hay. How do you get all three items across the river?
The correct answer has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.
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You take the lamb, then the hay, and finally the wolf across.
ReplyDeleteBut what happens when you leave the lamb and hay on the other side to go back and get the wolf?
ReplyDeleteOkay, you tie a rope to the boat, send the wolf across by himself, pull the boat back to you and then take the hay across, and then come back for the lamb (I know this is a longshot).
ReplyDeleteNo, sorry. You have to steer the boat yourself.
ReplyDeleteAlright, how about this: You take the hay across and make the wolf
ReplyDeleteswim beside the boat. Then you come back for the lamb. Does that
work?
Nope, sorry that doesn't work either. You have to take each one on the boat yourself. Keep trying. Does anyone have any guesses?
ReplyDelete1. Take the lamb across, leaving the wolf and the hay
ReplyDelete2. Go back with nothing
3. Take the hay across
4. Go back with the lamb
5. Leave the lamb and take the wolf across
6. Go back with nothing
7. Take the lamb across
The key is to leave the wolf with the hay.
Hmm... This is tricky. How about throwing a stick so the wolf will
ReplyDeletefetch it while you take the hay
across? Then you take the wolf?
Or, how about finding a bridge to cross?
I'm running out of ideas...
Yes, Anonymous who posted at 8:26 on May 16. You are correct. Good job. Great way of explaining it too. You just have to think outside the box a bit. Just to repeat, this is the correct answer:
ReplyDelete1. Take the lamb across, leaving the wolf and the hay
2. Go back with nothing
3. Take the hay across
4. Go back with the lamb
5. Leave the lamb and take the wolf across
6. Go back with nothing
7. Take the lamb across
Why can't you take the wolf, then the hay, then the lamb?
ReplyDeleteSimms, that won't work, because you'd have to leave the lamb and the hay alone on the shore while you took the wolf over. Anonymous has the only possible answer, as strange as it seems.
ReplyDeletethis is confusing =P
ReplyDeleteThis is really easy. I am only eleven and could guess it in 10 seconds. You take the lamd, then the hay and bring back the lamb, take the wolf and then take the lamb. It is sooooo easy!!!
ReplyDelete1. Take the lamb across, leaving the wolf and the hay
ReplyDelete2. Go back with nothing
3. Take the hay across
4. Go back with the lamb
5. Leave the lamb and take the wolf across
6. Go back with nothing
7. Take the lamb across
take the lamb then take the hay and bring the lamb back take the wolf then the lamb
ReplyDeleteYou bring the lamb then take hay bring the lamb back bring the wolf then take the lamb
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right. Many people find this puzzle quite easy.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this being the only possible answer as you could reverse the order in which you took the the hay and wolf over in step 3. The wolf or the hay could go over as long as you bring the lamb back across in step 4.
ReplyDeleteYes, that would work too. The key is to bring the lamb back, as you said. As long as you get this concept, you get the answer.
Delete