Random Puzzles 

Workings

Hint
The first word starts with H.

Answer
Hard and soft.

Workings

Hint
The cube root of the given number is a good starting point.

Answer
71, 73, 79.

Reasoning
The cube root of 409,457 is around 74.

The closest consecutive prime numbers to 74 are: 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97.

Using a calculator, it is quickly seen that the answer can only be found using 71, 73 and 79.

Workings

Hint
Find how many sheep Drew has first.

Answer
3.

Reasoning
If we denote Alex by A, Billie by B, Charlie by C, and Drew by D and number the clues.

If Alex had three more sheep, then he'd have one fewer sheep than Billie. Whereas Drew has the same number as the other three shepherds put together. If Charlie had three fewer sheep, he'd have exactly three times the number of Alex. If they were evenly distributed, they'd each have eleven sheep.
By (4):
   A + B + C + D = 44

And, by (2), these are shared equally between A + B + C and D.

So D = 22, and A + B + C = 22 (*)

By (1):
   A + 3 = B − 1
   A + 4 = B

By (3):
   C − 3 = 3A
   C     = 3A + 3

Substitute B and C in (*):

A + (A + 4) + (3A + 3) = 22
                5A + 7 = 22
                    5A = 15
                     A = 3

And, B = 7, C = 12.

Double-Checking
A = 3, B = 7, C = 12, D = 22.

(1) 3 + 3 = 7 − 1
(2) 3 + 7 + 12 = 22
(3) 12 − 3 = 3 x 3
(4) 3 + 7 + 12 + 22 = 44, and 44 ÷ 4 = 11 each.

Workings

Hint
The first number is 2.

Answer