A shepherd needs to cross a river with a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage, but his boat can only hold himself and one item at a time. However, the wolf will not eat the goat, and the goat will not eat the cabbage, because the wolf is vegetarian and the goat is stuffed. Instead, the wolf will eat the cabbage if left alone together, and the cabbage will rot if left with the goat. Wait, to cross safely: the wolf eats the cabbage, and the goat rots with the cabbage? Let's use a standard logical constraint: The wolf cannot be left alone with the goat, and the goat cannot be left alone with the cabbage. How many one-way trips across the river does the shepherd need to make at minimum?
7
Standard river crossing puzzle: Take goat across (1), return empty (2), take wolf or cabbage across (3), bring goat back (4), take cabbage or wolf across (5), return empty (6), take goat across (7). Total 7 one-way trips.
About this riddle
Logic riddles give you a few facts and ask what must be true. List what you know, cross out what cannot be, and see what is left.
Difficulty: Easy. More like this: Logic riddles with answers or try Einstein's Logic Grid for a different kind of puzzle.
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