On the first day of Spring, most of all the city’s down town department stores had sales on their winter clothing. Just last week, Mr. Boddy had the six suspects over to tea and was saying how he was ahead on his Christmas shopping as he had already bought a nice sweater for a friend. Come to find out, on that same day, each of the others six - Col. Mustard, Mr. Green, Miss Scarlet, Mrs. Peacock, Mr. White, and Prof. Plum, had also went shopping and had also bought a sweater on sale. Each of the seven individuals made his or her purchase at a different store (one was Bloomingdale’s) and each bought a sweater in a different color. Also, each purchased his or her sweater in one of four sizes - extra large, large, medium, or small, and each paid a different amount - $20, $30, $40, or $50.
From the clues, determine where each person made his or her purchase, the color of each sweater, the size of each sweater, and the price paid for each sweater.
1. No two individuals who bought sweaters in the same size paid the same amount.
2. The dove gray sweater is either larger than the chartreuse sweater, or costs more, but not both.
3. Both of the sweaters which cost $50 were purchased by women, while all three sweaters purchased in size small (each of which cost $40 or less) were purchased by men.
4. Miss Scarlet and the person who purchased the lavender sweater either bought sweaters in the same size, or paid the same amount, but not both.
5. Mr. Green isn’t the person who shopped at Targett, who purchased the mauve sweater. The mauve sweat (which wasn’t purchased in size extra large) cost either $20 or $50.
6. Prof. Plum purchased a sweater in a larger size than the one who shopped at Macey’s, who purchased a sweater in a larger size than both the person who shopped at Wahlmart and the person who purchased the cream sweater.
7. The person who shopped at Bales & Long and the person who purchased the peach sweater both got their sweaters in the same size, but the person who purchased the peach sweater paid less.
8. Mr. Boddy and the person who shopped at Huntington’s (who both paid the same amount for their purchases) each paid more than the person who purchased the brown sweater, who in turn, paid more than Mrs. White.
9. The person who purchased the cream sweater and the person who shopped at Wahlmart both purchased sweaters in a larger size than did Mr. Green and the person who shopped at Anthony & Sons.
Back to Year to Year Logic Problem Page
| CHARACTER | DEPARTMENT STORE | SWEATER COLOR | SWEATER SIZE | SALE PRICE |
This month I decided to do a little something different in the way of logic problems for the Everett Kaser one. I hope you enjoy it. More of a story, but one does need to come to a conclusion at the end. Be sure to read the 'clues' correctly. :-)
One night Everett had been working on a new game, and he leaned back for just a moment to close his eyes and stretch, to gather his thoughts. The next moment he found himself in a room in a castle with his beloved wife Sharon who was dressed rather funny he thought. In fact, she looked like a maiden straight out of the days of King Arthur. He then looked down and found himself dressed like a Knight of those same times. (By golly, he thought, I’ve turned into Sir Lancelot!).
Sharon began to explained to Everett how he could win her hand in marriage. (Gosh, he thought, aren’t we already married?) Sharon waved her hand toward three chests placed on a nearby table and explained to him that in one of these chests was the key to her heart. (Everett feverish pinched himself and looked around, bewildered).
She explained that if he looked carefully, he’d see that one chest was made of gold, one of silver, and one of bronze, and that on each chest was an inscription. Everett sashayed over to the chests, and sure enough, it was exactly as she said. Sharon explained that even though she loved him dearly, she could not marry a man who was not wise. (Everett thought, 'I certainly hope not!')
Then she explained that of the inscriptions on the chests, at most, one was true, and if he chose wisely the chest which held the key to her heart, then he could take the second test, and if he got that one right also, she was his! Everett squinted and peered closely at the chests, reading each inscription (and thinking ‘second test? I gotta take TWO tests?’).
1. On the gold chest were inscribed the words, “The Key to My Heart is in this chest.”
2. On the silver chest were inscribed the words, “The Key to My Heart is not in this chest.”
3. On the bronze chest were inscribed the words, “The Key to My Heart is not in the gold chest.”
He then pointed to one of the chests and said, “I believe this is the chest with the key to your heart!” Well, he was correct, naturally, and she promptly dragged him into the next room.
There he found three more chests - one made of cedar, one of teak, and one of maple. Sharon explained that in one was a diamond ring. (Harrumpph, thought Everett, what's wrong with the one she's already got!) Everett simply nodded as Sharon explained that on each chest was an inscription, and looking at them, he saw that again she was correct. She further explained that at least one of the three inscriptions was true and that at least one of them was false.
(1) On the cedar chest were inscribed the words, "The diamond ring is not in the teak chest."
(2) On the teak chest were inscribed the words, "The diamond ring is not in this chest."
(3) On the maple chest were inscribed the words, "The diamond ring is in this chest."
Well, Everett had to think for a moment about the inscriptions (frankly, at this point he thought Sharon was acting really weird!), and finally he pointed to one and said, the diamond ring is in that chest. He was correct again, so he and Sharon were married (again!) and lived happily ever after.
The next thing Everett knew, Sharon was standing beside him (wearing jeans and a t-shirt), and saying supper was ready. Everett looked at her strangely, wrinkling his brow, and mumbled something about having the key to her heart and something about her wedding ring. Sharon looked at Everett and said, “gosh, you sure are acting really weird tonight!” Well, I’m sure we all realize now that Everett was dreaming. But, if you were in Everett’s dream, could you tell from the inscriptions on the chests which ones he chose to win his wife’s hand in marriage?
Back to Year to Year Logic Problem Page
This puzzle is based on a three part logic problem submitted by a friend of mine in England - Mark Eustace - called the "Grecian Mystery." I've made a couple of minor changes and inserted Stefano into the problem. The first part appears this month, and then part two will appear in September, and part three in October. Even though it is a three part puzzle, and one does not need to work back and forth between the three to work it. So, be sure to stop by next month so enjoy the further adventures with Stefano in solving the "Grecian Mystery!"
It had been some time since Stefano had last seen his great-uncle, Professor Silus Malvern, who has spent over thirty years searching for the ancient Greek puzzle known simply as The Cube. The Cube was a golden box that held a golden key which unlocked the door to the Tomb of Galista holding untold riches. Several years earlier the Professor had found a parchment with a number of clues that indicated how to open The Cube, but it also warned that whosoever tried to unravel the mystery would only have one chance and if a mistake was made the key would be destroyed and the riches would remain forever secret.
Last year, the Professor found The Cube after almost giving up hope. Stefano was astonished when his great-uncle contacted him and asked him to accompany him to the tomb while he opened it. Stefano asked him how he intended to do this, and his uncle replied that he had studied The Cube carefully and saw that four of its sides had five symbols each. The first face had buttons with pictures of letters from the Greek alphabet. From the parchment he deduced these had to be pressed in a certain order, and after each button was pressed on the first face, a button on the next face had to be pressed, and so on. Each of the buttons on the other three faces had unique pictures of various items. On one side was an arch, a bracelet, a shield, a sling, and an urn; on another side was a bird, a column, a key, spear, and a temple; and on a third was a boat, knife, house, tree, and warrior, in some order.
Well, being curious, and also thrilled that his uncle had asked him to accompany him on this wonderful adventure, Stefano agreed, and off they went. After reaching the tomb and following the instructions on the parchment successfully, the tomb was opened. Following the clues on the parchment, can you unlock the secret of The Cube? Note: Weapons would include the knife, shield, sling, and spear.
1. The order in which each of the Greek letters were to be pressed were as follows: Alpha, Kappa, Omicron, Sigma, and Upsilon
2. The warrior is used in a different sequence to the column, and the urn is used before the shield.
3. Less than 13 in number are the letters of the names of all the symbols used in Sigma, but exactly 18 in Alpha. Note: these numbers do not include the buttons with Sigma and Alpha.
4. Use the knife and the spear in the same sequence.
5. Pressing the arch before the sling will destroy the golden key.
6. Choose wisely and press the temple last of all.
7. The warrior should not be pressed in the Alpha sequence.
8. No weapons are in the Kappa sequence.
9. In one sequence, the order to be pressed after the first one button is pressed is the shield, then the house, and then the bird.
10. The tree and the key are both used in the same sequence.
Back to Year to Year Logic Problem Page
| FACE ONE BUTTONS | FACE TWO BUTTONS | FACE THREE BUTTONS | FACE FOUR BUTTONS |