Lateral Thinking - Puzzling Questions For You To Answer ~
Here
are a selection of very old stories which are ideal for a Christmas,
birthday or social gathering. In this day and age such gatherings may be
unusual, so you need a strong master of ceremonies. If you were to
tell the tales yourself, you need to read the audience and judge just
how much extra information to give them in order to maintain interest.
If necessary work with a stooge in the audience who knows the answers
but will ask questions to get the show going.
1) The Man In The Bar ~
A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The
barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says ' Thank
you' and walks out.
This puzzle has claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in
its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying
solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they
like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring
it out.
Solution
The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and
drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the
hiccups - so the man no longer needed the water.
The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a
perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation
having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle
seems to work in different cultures and languages.
2) Death In A Field ~
A man is lying dead in a field. Next to him there is an unopened
package. There is no other creature in the field. How did he die?
Solution
The man had jumped from a plane but his parachute had failed to open. It is the unopened package.
This is sometimes given with the following rather elegant clue - as he
approached the centre of the field he knew he was going to die. This is
another of the top classics which is right up there with ' The Man in
the Bar' . If the solver is thinking along the wrong lines (i.e. in
the two dimensions of the ground) then the lateral jump to the third
dimension can be tough to make.
3) Anthony & Cleopatra ~
Anthony and Cleopatra are lying dead on the floor of a villa in Egypt.
Nearby is a broken bowl. There is no mark on either of their bodies and
they were not poisoned. How did they die?
Solution
Anthony and Cleopatra were goldfish whose bowl was knocked over by a clumsy dog.
This is one of a set of puzzles which deceive by using human names for
animals. This is not a very satisfactory basis for a good puzzle but
despite that, the puzzle has enduring popularity
4) The Coal, Carrot & Scarf ~
Five pieces of coal, a carrot and a scarf are lying on the lawn. Nobody
put them on the lawn but there is a perfectly logical reason why they
should be there. What is it?
Solution
They were used by children who made a snowman. The snow has now melted.
Another change of state puzzle. After this you should be on the look-out for them!
5) Trouble With Sons ~
A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of
the same year. But they were not twins, and they were not adopted. How
could this be so?
Solution
They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets etc.)
This simple little puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish
solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate mothers. Why does the
brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one
available?
6) Push That Car ~
A man pushed his car. He stopped when he reached a hotel at which point he knew he was bankrupt. Why?
Solution
Monopoly
7) The Arm Of The Postal Service ~
One day a man received a parcel in the post. Carefully packed inside
was a human arm. He examined it, repacked it and then sent it on to
another man. The second man also carefully examined the arm before
taking it to the woods and burying it. Why did they do this?
This one probably has more variations than any other. A great one to puzzle out. It requires plenty of good questions.
Solution
The
three men had been stranded on a desert island. Desperate for food,
they had agreed to amputate their left arms in order to eat them. They
swore an oath that each would have his left arm cut off. One of them
was a doctor and he cut the arms off his two companions. They were then
rescued. But his oath was still binding so he later had to have his
arm amputated and sent to his colleagues.
This is often told with a further twist whereby a doctor pays a tramp a
large sum in order to amputate the tramp's arm which the doctor then
sends to another man who inspects it etc. This variation can make for a
long night of questioning!
8) Heaven ~
A man died and went to Heaven. There were thousands of other people
there. They were all naked and all looked as they did at the age of 21.
He looked around to see if there was anyone he recognised. He saw a
couple and he knew immediately that they were Adam and Eve. How did he
know?
Solution
He recognized Adam and Eve as the only people without navels. Because
they were not born of women, they had never had umbilical cords and
therefore they never had navels.
This one seems perfectly logical but it can sometimes spark fierce theological arguments!
9) Friday ~
A man rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and then left on Friday. How come?
A silly one - but it is surprisingly popular.
Solution
The man's horse was called Friday.
OK, so this is really a schoolboy riddle but people keep asking it!
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