Monday, February 2, 2009

Riddle #41: Two Pigs

This is something that really happened: A man had two pigs that were identical twins from the same litter. However, when he sold them, he got 100 times more for one pig than the other one. Why?

The correct answer to this riddle has been guessed. To read it, see the comments section.

Lateral Thinking Puzzlers by Paul Sloane has lots of classic riddles, clues and answers. Click here to order it.
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18 comments:

  1. Ancient Greek PhilosopherFebruary 2, 2009 at 10:54 AM

    Was the other pig diseased when he
    sold it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marcia CFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:06 PM

    No.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ancient Greek PhilosopherFebruary 2, 2009 at 2:22 PM

    Were the two pigs exactly identical in every feature at the time they were sold?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Old Fashioned LiberalFebruary 2, 2009 at 3:24 PM

    I think it was marketing. He sold one pig, and then he advertised the other as an identical twin and so somebody bought it for a higher price. Stupid consumers :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marcia CFebruary 2, 2009 at 3:51 PM

    Ancient Greek Philosopher, they were identical twins, but at the time they were sold, there was something different about them.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Marcia CFebruary 2, 2009 at 3:52 PM

    Old Fashioned Liberal, interesting thought, but no.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ancient Greek PhilosopherFebruary 2, 2009 at 4:18 PM

    Did one have piglets? Was it bigger
    at the time it was sold? Did it
    eat golden hay? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 4:21 PM

    Was one of the pigs a trained pig?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Marcia CFebruary 2, 2009 at 4:31 PM

    Ancient Greek Philosopher: No to all those ideas.

    Halfmask: Yes, one was trained, but what was it trained to do?

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2009 at 8:45 PM

    Circus Acts? Military Purpose?
    A Pet?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Marcia CFebruary 2, 2009 at 9:01 PM

    Nope on all those, Halfmask. Maybe this one will take some research.

    ReplyDelete
  12. SonjaFebruary 3, 2009 at 12:54 PM

    Ems - I think he sold them by the pound, and sold one several weeks or months after the first one, which he sold while it weighed in at baby weight; selling the other at adult weight. - Sugar river

    ReplyDelete
  13. SonjaFebruary 3, 2009 at 12:56 PM

    Just saw the trained reference. Was it trained to find truffles?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Marcia CFebruary 3, 2009 at 4:08 PM

    Sonja,

    Your first guess was good, but I don't think it would bring 100 times a much. Your second guess is correct! It was trained to hunt truffles. Good job!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Marcia CFebruary 3, 2009 at 4:10 PM

    In case people haven't heard of truffles, they are a special kind of mushroom found in France, and trained pigs can smell them out. Truffles are worth a great deal of money and therefore truffle-hunting pigs are worth a great deal of money.

    ReplyDelete
  16. SonjaFebruary 3, 2009 at 9:54 PM

    Ems - sell that brand new 25 lb. baby at 40 cents/lb. - then sell the 500 lb. championship mama sow for 2.00/lb. $10 to $1000 = 100 times as much. Or 4 cents and 20 cents if the market is low!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Marcia CFebruary 3, 2009 at 10:17 PM

    Sonja -- OK, I stand corrected. But is it true that baby pigs are worth less per pound than a sow? I really should know this, since I live in farm country, but I'm a city girl.

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousFebruary 3, 2009 at 11:00 PM

    Well, I was close :)

    ReplyDelete

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