# Solve this little problem, if you can.:) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 10, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014 "2001-05-10T19:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/cc9497/32.png) [@Anniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anniz)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2001, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/1 "2001-05-10T19:43:55Z")
[Here it is](http://www.funkypages.com/fox/) and you maybe have to think and try a while, if you don’t solve it and want the soulution, I can e-mail it to you. No spoilers here, please.🙂 It took me a little while, but I finally solved it. Good luck.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LindyHopper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@LindyHopper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LindyHopper)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2001, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/2 "2001-05-10T21:33:39Z")
Yeah, I’ve seen this puzzle before, although the addition of the wild birds on the right bank was a new one on me. In the original version, it doesn’t matter which you send over second, the corn or the fox; in this one, it’s got to be the fox. Nice graphical representation, though! [sub]Jeez, I love getting puzzles I already know how to solve![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/3 "2001-05-10T21:34:41Z")
I don’t want to seem condescending, but you can find a better version of that problem elsewhere with 3 husbands and 3 wives, where no-one trusts their partner. The boat holds three. And the 11 year olds at my school can do it… ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2001, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/4 "2001-05-10T22:30:57Z")
Apologies! Of course my last post was condescending. :o My reason: I’d just had an irritating idiot on the phone. (I told him I would have the information he wanted next Monday. So he phones me every day this week to ask if I’ve got it yet.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/5 "2001-05-11T01:21:43Z")
three tries… but only because I didn’t realize the corn couldn’t be left alone. so my second try had to be altered. ---
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/6 "2001-05-11T01:27:43Z")
Two tries. I’m sure I’ve seen this before somewhere though. ---
**Author:** ![MIKE\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MIKE\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MIKE_P)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/7 "2001-05-11T02:19:42Z")
I give up! I know the answer to the puzzle,but I cant get it to work here. ---
**Author:** ![Gazoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@Gazoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazoo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/8 "2001-05-11T02:48:35Z")
Yeah, the wild birds was new twist, so it took me two tries. There’s another one that’s similar, people crossing a bridge at night, one flashlight, and they all move at different speeds. Two must travel together (in order for one to bring the flashlight back) and they move at the speed of the slowest. You have to get all of them over the bridge in a time that is about twice the time it takes the slowest to get over, IIRC. I’m sure there’s a link somewhere, but I’m too lazy to go look for it. ---
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/9 "2001-05-11T02:59:14Z")
I’ve never seen this one before. Anyone mind letting me in on the secret? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/10 "2001-05-11T05:22:13Z")
I’ve seen this one (minus the wild birds) many times before. There’s one that my geometry teacher gave me in 8th grade that I still haven’t figured out: A family of 5 needs to cross a river. Each family member has brought a dog. The problem is that the dogs are tempermental and can’t be left with other people unless their owner is present, not even for a very short time. Dogs can be with other dogs, though. A boat can hold three people or dogs. The crossing would be impossible, except that one dog was capable of rowing the boat without a human present (don’t ask how). How can they get across, and how long does it take? ---
**Author:** ![RiffRaff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@RiffRaff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiffRaff)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/11 "2001-05-11T10:37:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ITR champion \* > A family of 5 needs to cross a river. Each family member has brought a dog… There’s probably a quicker way, but I was able to get everyone across in 9 moves. ---
**Author:** ![RiffRaff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@RiffRaff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiffRaff)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/12 "2001-05-11T10:46:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ITR champion \* > The crossing would be impossible, except that one dog was capable of rowing the boat without a human present (don’t ask how). Using doggie paddle, naturally… ---
**Author:** ![frobozz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ed8c4c/32.png) [@frobozz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/frobozz)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/13 "2001-05-11T11:30:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mercutio \* > \*\*I’ve never seen this one before. Anyone mind letting me in on the secret? \*\* The secret is that you can take things back to the beginning side after you’ve already broght them across. By the way, I was hoping for better graphics. I purposely left the fox with the goose, but there was no animation! Rats! ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2001, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solve-this-little-problem-if-you-can/65014/14 "2001-05-11T11:42:09Z")
Once upon a time, as a younger wise ass, I answered the goose, fox, grain question by asking “Why not put the grain and the fox in the boat and tie the goose to the boat and let it swim across?” Worked for me.MTS