Welcome back to another brain teaser! Here's a fun spin on an old classic.
Note: If you could all please input your answers using the previously noted html code it will allow others to answer without having a spoiler. Copy it verbatim and do not stick any " or ' in your answer and it will work.
Question
Billy the banker had been travelling for nearly two days when he came to the fork in the road. Billy knew it was inevitable, but he was prepared. Billy knew from the various puzzles he had solved that one path led to the City of Safety (filled with truth tellers), and the other path led to the City of Cannibals (filled with liars who eat you). There should also be two people waiting at the intersection, who, willingly or not, would tell him how to get to the City of Safety ...
Slouched against a tree trunk near the intersection was a scruffy stranger. Billy stopped in his tracks and stared at the man, very worried. He was certain to be from one of the two cities, but which one? Where was the second person? The man returned Billy's gaze, saying nothing.
There was a tense silence, broken only when the mysterious stranger finally spoke up.
"If you're wonderin' where the other guy is, he's home sick today. You see, he's from the City of Cannibals, and someone came through here with a bad cold. You're lucky that I'm here, from the City of Safety!"
Billy was too much on his guard to be reassured by the scruffy man's story. Perhaps it was true, and perhaps it wasn't. Billy also knew the rules about getting directions - he could ask just one yes/no question. Is there any way Billy could find out which path led to the City of Safety?
Point to the left - ask, "Did you come from that way?"
Both people will say yes if it is the City of Safety, and both people will say no if it is the City of Cannibals.
not sure that works since there is only one person at the intersection
Point in one direction and say "Is this the way the other other person would say is the way to the City of Safety"
My thoughts:
Hmmmm..... can't get the "answer" box to show up based on the link.
I would ask - Can you point to the path that will take me to the town you are from? Then I would go to the path that he pointed to. If he was from the City of Safety, he will tell the truth and point you to the right direction. If was a cannibal/liar, he is from the City of Cannibals and therefore would lie and then point to the City of Safety. Both situations they will point to the City of Safety
If the question was 'can you point me to the path that will take me to the town you are from' couldn't a valid answer just be, yes? or no, for that matter. It would identify who the person was but not where they came from. Sorta a technicality.
pretty sure TooShort's works under any combination
Et laboriosam aut delectus est quia aut autem. Ut minus asperiores quas at rerum. Minus delectus earum magnam illo rerum dolores et eum.
Dolor reiciendis dolorum eligendi porro voluptates tempora suscipit. Consectetur praesentium soluta esse cupiditate illo quidem. Illum explicabo nisi quisquam ut reiciendis ut. Laboriosam sed vel fugiat. Mollitia soluta inventore optio corrupti.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...