Puzzle 1
My friend's son, Billy, has the same number of brothers as sisters.
His sister, Laura, has twice as many brothers as she has sisters.
How many boys and girls are in the family?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
A little algebra might help.
Answer
There are four boys and three girls.
If we call the number of boys B, and girls G.
From the first statement (we take one off as Billy is a boy):
B − 1 = G
and similarly:
2 x (G − 1) = B
Substitute G from the first equation into the second equation to give:
2 x ((B − 1) − 1) = B
2 x (B − 1) − 2 = B
2 x B − 2 − 2 = B
2 x B − 4 = B
B = 4
which means that B = 4 and hence G = 3.
Puzzle 2
Find two words, which are anagrams of each other, that complete this sentence:
While captive in the ?, King James ? an entire book.
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
One word starts with T and the other with W.
Answer
Tower and wrote.
While captive in the tower, King James wrote an entire book.
Puzzle 3
If tomorrow's yesterday is today…
…what day is yesterday's tomorrow?
Puzzle Copyright © Kevin Stone
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Hint
Tomorrow's yesterday is always today.
Answer
Today.
Reasoning
Tomorrow's yesterday is always today.
And yesterday's tomorrow is also always today.
Puzzle 4
What can go up a chimney down …
… but can't go down a chimney up?
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Hint
You would probably never try this.
