Magazines for children were numerous in the USSR. They published a lot of entertaining and challenging riddles and fun problems. Many times children and adults racked their brains over them together. Here is one of them.
Take a close look at the picture and answer the following 9 questions:
[Sign on the tree reads:
Duty
Kolya 7
Petya 8
Basya 9
… ….. 10]
- How many tourists are camping here?
- When did they arrive: today or a few days ago?
- How did they get here?
- How far is the nearest community from here?
- Is the wind blowing from the North or the South?
- What time of day is it?
- Where did Shura go?
- Who was on duty yesterday? What is his name?
- What date of what month is it?
***
Answers:
1. How many tourists are camping here?
Four. If you look closely, you’ll notice four eating utensils and four people listed on the duty sheet
2. When did they arrive: today or a few days ago?
Not today. Spider web between the tent and the tree needed time to form.
3. How did they get here?
By boat. There are oars by the tree.
4. How far is the nearest community from here?
Really close: there is a chicken in the picture.
5. Is the wind blowing from the North or the South?
The wind is blowing from the South: you can tell by the fire and the small flag on the tent. Look at the trees to decide where South is: the longer branches grow there; shorter, scraggly-looking branches grow on the North side of trees.
6. What time of day is it?
Morning. Answering the previous question we found North and South. Now we can decide where East and West are by observing the shadows.
7. Where did Shura go?
He is catching butterflies: we can see his net over the tent.
8. Who was on duty yesterday? What is his name?
Kolya was on duty yesterday. Today he is digging in the backpack with the letter “K” on it;
Shura is catching butterflies;
Basya is taking pictures (his tripod is sticking out of his backpack marked with letter “B”);
This means that Petya is on duty today. Therefore, yesterday – according to the list – was Kolya’s turn.
9. What date of what month is it?
August 8. According to the list on the tree, Petya is on duty today, therefore the date is 8. There is a watermelon in the picture, thus it is August.
Russian source: