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riddles >> easy >> Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
(Message started by: Macduff472y on Jan 18th, 2003, 4:35pm)

Title: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by Macduff472y on Jan 18th, 2003, 4:35pm
 :P This riddle, in my opinion should be in the easy category.
You obviously can't take the chicken across the river first,
so, the farmer would have to take either the grain or the dog across first(one then the other). Then he'd take the chicken across last.  The chicken and the grain would be safe, while the farmer was with them. ;)

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by redPEPPER on Jan 18th, 2003, 5:20pm
It might be easy but you still managed to miss it ;)

Contrary to what you said, you obviously have to take the chicken across the river first.  Take the dog first and the chicken will eat the rice.  Take the rice first and the dog will eat the chicken.

I'll let you go on from there.


It's a classic reworded (think wolf, goat and cabbage) but there's something wrong with the wording.  The riddle says the farmer must have one item in his boat at all times.  That would mean that if he crosses the river with one item, he must bring this item back, or he wouldn't have one item with him in the boat.

You could say the riddle doesn't say he has to cross the river with all his items.  It says he has to cross the river and return home.  One could assume that he can cross the river with the chicken, come back with the chicken and, with all three items, return to his home on that side of the river...

Ah, the importance of accurately worded riddles.

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by william wu on Jan 19th, 2003, 1:31am
Sorry, it was supposed to say "can't have more than one item on the boat". I'm correcting it now.

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by Speaker on Jan 19th, 2003, 9:09pm
Why doesn't the farmer just boil the rice, roast the chicken and share his meal with that ever faithful companion the dog. Then get into the boat with the dog and go home.

Or is there some condition, like taking them home undigested, that I am missing.

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by thx1138 on Jan 20th, 2003, 10:28pm

1. take the chicken over
2. row back alone
3. take the dog over, trade him for the chicken
4. row back with the chicken
5. drop off the chicken, trade him for the rice
6. drop off the rice with the dog
7. row back alone
8. row back with the chicken

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by Enigma on Jan 21st, 2003, 2:19pm
Ah good old wolf, goat, and cabbage. This was actually the first riddle I've ever heard in my life. It makes me all nostalgic  :'(  If I remember correctly, I answered that the man should just take the bridge across. I was only like 6 or so at the time, but still...

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by Jen1313 on Oct 12th, 2004, 5:35pm
;) thnx1138 is completely and exactly correct ;)

Title: Re: Dog, Chicken, Rice (answer)
Post by rmsgrey on Oct 13th, 2004, 8:20am
My personal favourite variation is the Panther, Pig, Porridge version in Ian Stewart's "The Magical Maze" (based on his series of lectures for the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures 1997)



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