Brain Teasers 2

Question 1 Which Way?:

Once a boy was walking down the road, and came to a place where the road divided in two, each separate road forking off in a different direction.

A girl was standing at the fork in the road. The boy knew that one road led to Lieville, a town where everyone always lied, and the other led to Trueville, a town where everyone always told the truth. He also knew that the girl came from one of those towns, but he didn't know which one.

Can you think of a question the boy could ask the girl to find out the way to Trueville?

Answer:

The question the boy should ask is, "Which way is your town?"

If the girl is from Lieville, she will point to Trueville because she has to lie; if she is from Trueville, she'll point to Trueville because she has to tell the truth. So whatever road the girl points to will be the road to Trueville.

 

Question 2 The Barbershop Puzzle:

A traveler arrives in a small town and decides he wants to get a haircut. According to the manager of the hotel where he's staying, there are only two barbershops in town — one on East Street and one on West Street. The traveler goes to check out both shops. The East Street barbershop is a mess, and the barber has the worst haircut the traveler has ever seen. The West Street barbershop is neat and clean; its barber's hair looks as good as a movie star's.

Which barbershop does the traveler go to for his haircut, and why?

Answer:

The traveler goes to have his hair cut at the barbershop on East Street. He figures that since there are only two barbershops in town the East Street barber must have his hair cut by the West Street barber and vice versa. So if the traveler wants to look as good as the West Street barber (the one with the good haircut), he'd better go to the man who cuts the West Street barber's hair-the East Street barber.

By the way, the reason the West Street barbershop is so clean and neat is that it seldom gets customers.

Question 3 Cats & Dogs:

All of Jenny's pets are dogs except one. All of her pets are cats except one. How many cats and dogs does Jenny have?

Answer:

Jenny has one cat and one dog.