| Author | Message | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2141 Registered: 5-2003 |
A boy refuses to let go of a dangerous animal even as it attacks him. Explain. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1112 Registered: 9-2009 |
Is he human, child, male? Is he too small to understand? Is he physically stuck to the animal? Is he holding on to the animal directly? Is it a cat? Dog? Other domesticated animal? Does it attack him because he holds on to it? If he lets go: will it attack him more? Will he fall? Or otherwise get more injured? Or will the animal get away? Which he doesn't want it to? Or is the reason for holding on irrational? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2145 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is he human, child, male? Yes. Is he too small to understand? No. Is he physically stuck to the animal? No. Is he holding on to the animal directly? Yes. Is it a cat? Dog? Other domesticated animal? No. Does it attack him because he holds on to it? Yope. If he lets go: will it attack him more? Possibly. Will he fall? No. Or otherwise get more injured? Noish. Or will the animal get away? Yes. Which he doesn't want it to? Yes. Or is the reason for holding on irrational? No. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 614 Registered: 6-2008 |
Is it a mammal? reptile? amphibian? bird? Does the attack involve biting? Does he hold onto it so that he can bring it to someone for identification? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2147 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is it a mammal? reptile? amphibian? bird? This. Does the attack involve biting? Yes. Does he hold onto it so that he can bring it to someone for identification? No. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1114 Registered: 9-2009 |
If he lets go, will the animal do any of these relevant things: get away? Attack someone else? Damage something? Injure itself? Die? Does he want to: capture the animal? Use it for fighting? Kill the animal? Eat it? Use some other part of it? Like feathers? Is the animal valuable? Rare? Is he a poacher? Is what he's doing a rite of passage? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2148 Registered: 5-2003 |
If he lets go, will the animal do any of these relevant things: get away? Primarily this. Attack someone else? Damage something? Injure itself? Die? None of these. Does he want to: capture the animal? Yesish. Use it for fighting? No. Kill the animal? No. Eat it? No. Use some other part of it? Yesish. Like feathers? Noish. Is the animal valuable? Rare? Is he a poacher? Is what he's doing a rite of passage? No to all. | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 616 Registered: 6-2008 |
Any supernatural or religious beliefs relevant?(such as, that this type of bird brings good luck, protects from evil etc.) Did the bird need to bite him in order for him to want to capture it? or would he have wanted to catch one of these birds under any circumstances? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2149 Registered: 5-2003 |
Any supernatural or religious beliefs relevant?(such as, that this type of bird brings good luck, protects from evil etc.) No. Did the bird need to bite him in order for him to want to capture it? or would he have wanted to catch one of these birds under any circumstances? Both, actually. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1136 Registered: 9-2009 |
Does he want to get to its eggs? Keep it so it can lay eggs? Habitat of the bird relevant? If so: water? Forest? Cliff? Grass land? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2150 Registered: 5-2003 |
Does he want to get to its eggs? No. Keep it so it can lay eggs? No. Habitat of the bird relevant? Yes. If so: water? This. Forest? Cliff? Grass land? | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 852 Registered: 10-2008 |
Is the bird's exact species relevant? Will he need to kill the bird to use it? Will he use all of the bird? Just one part? Just the skin? A feather? Is the boy's manner of capturing the bird relevant? Did he camouflage himself? Did he have something edible to lure the bird? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2152 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the bird's exact species relevant? A particular family is relevant. Will he need to kill the bird to use it? No. Will he use all of the bird? Yope. Just one part? One part is particularly useful to him. Just the skin? A feather? Neither. Is the boy's manner of capturing the bird relevant? Yes. Did he camouflage himself? No. Did he have something edible to lure the bird? Yesish. | ||
| Yojimbo (Yojimbo)
New member Username: Yojimbo Post Number: 335 Registered: 11-2009 |
is it a diving bird? useful for collecting pearls/other? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2154 Registered: 5-2003 |
is it a diving bird? useful for collecting pearls/other? No to both. And welcome back! | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1151 Registered: 9-2009 |
Will the bird collect something? Is its beak the relevant part? Eyes? Wings? Legs? Tail? Will it eat something relevant? Something undesirable, which it will be used to get rid of? Or do something else with its beak? | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1152 Registered: 9-2009 |
Or will it make a noise that is useful? For scaring away something? Luring something in? More birds of the same kind? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2155 Registered: 5-2003 |
Will the bird collect something? No. Is its beak the relevant part? Eyes? Wings? This. Legs? Tail? Will it eat something relevant? It tries at some point. Something undesirable, which it will be used to get rid of? No. Or do something else with its beak? It uses this to attack the boy. Or will it make a noise that is useful? No. For scaring away something? Luring something in? More birds of the same kind? | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 860 Registered: 10-2008 |
Will the boy use the beating wings for something? To cool something? To fan flames? To fly? Is he hanging on to the bird in order to fly, and therefore can't let go? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2156 Registered: 5-2003 |
Will the boy use the beating wings for something? Yes. To cool something? To fan flames? To fly? None of these. Is he hanging on to the bird in order to fly, and therefore can't let go? This isn't the reason. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1154 Registered: 9-2009 |
To hit something? To blow on something? To pull on something? Or is he just studying how bird wings work? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2157 Registered: 5-2003 |
To hit something? To blow on something? To pull on something? Or is he just studying how bird wings work? None of these. | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 864 Registered: 10-2008 |
Dang, I thought I was being all clever with the flying thing. =) Is this something that an adult wouldn't do? If so is it because: this is typically a kid's job? It requires someone small? It makes sense according to kid logic, but not necessarily to adults? Is this a common practice today? In another time? In a non-Western culture? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2168 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is this something that an adult wouldn't do? Not at all, the protagonist could just as well have been adult. And gender is irrelevant too. It's just that this is based on a true story. If so is it because: this is typically a kid's job? It requires someone small? It makes sense according to kid logic, but not necessarily to adults? Is this a common practice today? In another time? In a non-Western culture? It probably only ever happened once (though more is not out of the question), and exactly when, where or to what ethnicity is irrelevant. In this case, it happened to a German boy in his early teens, during the 1890s. | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 4 Registered: 1-2010 |
Does he intend to tear/cut off the bird's wing? Is the type of bird relevant? Was the bird attacking him in self-defense? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2169 Registered: 5-2003 |
Does he intend to tear/cut off the bird's wing? No. Is the type of bird relevant? Yes. Was the bird attacking him in self-defense? At first, no. Eventually, yes. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1163 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did he make the bird attack him, in order to get close to it? Will using the bird require injuring it? Will he use it: on the water? Underwater? In the air? Will it be put in a cage? Tied to a string? Will it be flying when doing what he wants it to? Does he want it to lift something into the air? Transport something? A coconut? =) | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2170 Registered: 5-2003 |
Did he make the bird attack him, in order to get close to it? No. Will using the bird require injuring it? No. Will he use it: on the water? This. Underwater? In the air? Will it be put in a cage? Tied to a string? Will it be flying when doing what he wants it to? Does he want it to lift something into the air? Transport something? A coconut? =) No to the others. It is not a swallow. | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 9 Registered: 1-2010 |
Is the bird a passerine? Is it native to Germany? Is it commonly found in Germany? Was this even in Germany? Was it larger than the boy? Was it captive? Could it fly? Is it now extinct? Was it even a real bird? Could this take place now? Was the bird male? Female? Adult? Was the boy trying to save the bird? If so, from a predator? A human? Did he have environmentalist motives? Animal rights motives? Was the bird carnivorous? Was the boy conducting some kind of scientific research? Was the bird carnivorous? Nocturnal? Did the bird have any eggs/babies? Was the boy a vegetarian? Was he afraid of the bird? Was the bird afraid of him? Was the bird's food relevant? Did he want the bird to do something for him? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2171 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is the bird a passerine? No. Is it native to Germany? No. Is it commonly found in Germany? No. Was this even in Germany? No. Was it larger than the boy? In some respects, yes. Was it captive? No. Could it fly? Yes, though not while he was restraining it. Is it now extinct? No. Was it even a real bird? Yes. Could this take place now? Yes. Was the bird male? Female? Irrelevant. Adult? Assume yes. Was the boy trying to save the bird? No. If so, from a predator? A human? Did he have environmentalist motives? No. Animal rights motives? No. Was the bird carnivorous? Yes. Was the boy conducting some kind of scientific research? No. Was the bird carnivorous? Nocturnal? No. Did the bird have any eggs/babies? No. Was the boy a vegetarian? Irr. Was he afraid of the bird? Yes. Was the bird afraid of him? Yes. Was the bird's food relevant? Yesish. Did he want the bird to do something for him? Yes. All good questions. | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 867 Registered: 10-2008 |
Is the bird a heron? Stork? Egret? Bird of prey? Duck? Goose? So, he does lure the bird to him in some way? Does the bird originally want to attack him? To eat him? Does it mistake him, or a part of him, for its normal prey? Does he hold something that it wants? Wear something? Does the way he catches it relate to the way he's going to use it? | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 13 Registered: 1-2010 |
Was this an eagle? Hawk? Owl? Anything you'd typically find in/near the water? Was the bird trying to kill him? Eat him? Was this in: Europe? Asia? Africa? Australia? Antarctica? North America? South America? The ocean? The sky? An island? Relevant? Was the boy born in Germany? Raised in Germany? Was he on vacation? Are any other people relevant? Was he with his family? Was he 13? 14? 15? Relevant? Bird=a member of the class Aves? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2172 Registered: 5-2003 |
Was this an eagle? Hawk? Owl? None of these. Anything you'd typically find in/near the water? Yes. Was the bird trying to kill him? This. Eat him? And subsequently this. Was this in: Europe? Asia? Africa? Australia? Antarctica? North America? South America? The ocean? This. The sky? An island? Relevant? Was the boy born in Germany? Raised in Germany? Yes to both. Was he on vacation? No. Are any other people relevant? Yes. Was he with his family? No. Was he 13? This. 14? 15? Relevant? None of this paragraph (except for the other people) is really relevant. Bird=a member of the class Aves? Yes. | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 21 Registered: 1-2010 |
Was the bird heavier than the boy? Taller? More voluminous? More important? Did it mistake him for prey? Was this in the Pacific Ocean? Indian? Atlantic? Arctic? Caspian Sea? Southern Ocean? Some other saltwater lake? Is he on a boat? Is he lost at sea? Any wars relevant? How many people are involved: 2? 3? 4? 5? 6? 7? More? Are they his friends? Enemies? Neutral? A mix? HAM? HAF? Is he an orphan? Is he supposed to be out here? I can't believe nobody's asked the following question (this is the Lateral Thinking Puzzles Forum, for cryin' out loud!): Is the bird an albatross? Are albatrosses otherwise relevant? Also, you skipped Gourami's questions. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2173 Registered: 5-2003 |
Was the bird heavier than the boy? No. Taller? No. More voluminous? No. More important? No, though I'm sure it felt otherwise. Did it mistake him for prey? Yes. Was this in the Pacific Ocean? Indian? Atlantic? Arctic? Caspian Sea? Southern Ocean? Anywhere works, so long as it is the habitat of the bird in question (see below). Some other saltwater lake? Is he on a boat? No. Is he lost at sea? Noish. Any wars relevant? No. How many people are involved: 2? 3? 4? 5? 6? 7? More? Exact number irrelevant -- assume just a few. Are they his friends? This. Enemies? Neutral? A mix? HAM? This. HAF? Is he an orphan? No. Is he supposed to be out here? No. I can't believe nobody's asked the following question (this is the Lateral Thinking Puzzles Forum, for cryin' out loud!): Is the bird an albatross? Yep! Excellent question! Are albatrosses otherwise relevant? Also, you skipped Gourami's questions. Ooh, thanks for the headsup! Is the bird a heron? Stork? Egret? Bird of prey? Duck? Goose? So, he does lure the bird to him in some way? Yesish. Does the bird originally want to attack him? Yes. To eat him? Yes. Does it mistake him, or a part of him, for its normal prey? Yes. Does he hold something that it wants? Wear something? Irr. Does the way he catches it relate to the way he's going to use it? Yes. | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 24 Registered: 1-2010 |
Yes! I just knew it was an albatross! Relevant which type of albatross? Is it at all like the classic puzzle with the albatross? Is cannibalism relevant? Suicide? Is he planning on trapping the albatross? Caging it? Using it to catch him? Will he die if he doesn't let go of the albatross? To make sure, is he in the open sea? Does he live nearby? Is he in a life-threatening situation? Is he trying to reach into its mouth and get the food? Is he swimming? Is he on a raft? Some other kind of sea transport? Is he trying to feed himself? The others? Is he stranded on an island? | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 25 Registered: 1-2010 |
Does the "bigger" part mean that it has a bigger wingspan? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2175 Registered: 5-2003 |
Yes! I just knew it was an albatross! Relevant which type of albatross? No. Is it at all like the classic puzzle with the albatross? No. Is cannibalism relevant? No. Suicide? No. Is he planning on trapping the albatross? No. Caging it? No. Using it to catch him? I'm not sure I understand that one. Will he die if he doesn't let go of the albatross? No. To make sure, is he in the open sea? Yes. Does he live nearby? Yesish. Is he in a life-threatening situation? Yes. Is he trying to reach into its mouth and get the food? You may be thinking of pelicans here. Is he swimming? Yes. Is he on a raft? No. Some other kind of sea transport? No. Is he trying to feed himself? No. The others? No. Is he stranded on an island? No. Does the "bigger" part mean that it has a bigger wingspan? Yes. | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 29 Registered: 1-2010 |
I knew it was pelicans, but I figured that theoretically it would work for albatrosses under dire circumstances. Is he temporarily living nearby? Is he living on an island? Is he away from civilization? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2176 Registered: 5-2003 |
I knew it was pelicans, but I figured that theoretically it would work for albatrosses under dire circumstances. Not this time. Is he temporarily living nearby? Yesish. Is he living on an island? No. Is he away from civilization? Yes. | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 32 Registered: 1-2010 |
Is he trying to feed the albatross? Does he live on a remote area of coast? Are pirates relevant? If he didn't do this whole thing, would he survive? Would the albatross? Would he die? Did he die doing this? Did the albatross die? | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 874 Registered: 10-2008 |
Is he trying to attract food? Or scare away something with the motions of the bird (sharks?)? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2180 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is he trying to feed the albatross? No. Does he live on a remote area of coast? No. Are pirates relevant? No. If he didn't do this whole thing, would he survive? No. Would the albatross? Yes. Would he die? Yes. Did he die doing this? No. Did the albatross die? Irr. Is he trying to attract food? Or scare away something with the motions of the bird (sharks?)? No to both. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 1189 Registered: 9-2009 |
If he didn't do this, would he die from: hunger? Thirst? Cold? Drowning? Disease? Poison? Injuries? Albatross attack? Other animal attack? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2182 Registered: 5-2003 |
If he didn't do this, would he die from: hunger? Thirst? Cold? Drowning? Disease? Poison? Injuries? Albatross attack? Other animal attack? Any of the above, except disease and poison. Attack and thirst are most likely. | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2183 Registered: 5-2003 |
Oh, and drowning. | ||
| Torquemada (Torquemada)
New member Username: Torquemada Post Number: 3 Registered: 1-2010 |
Is he trying to attract attention in some way? Are his friends in the same situation as him? Is it significant that they're adults, therefore older than him? Would they be able to do [whatever he's doing with the bird]? Are they alive? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2185 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is he trying to attract attention in some way? Yes. Are his friends in the same situation as him? No. Is it significant that they're adults, therefore older than him? No. Would they be able to do [whatever he's doing with the bird]? Yes. Are they alive? | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 51 Registered: 1-2010 |
Did they tell him to do this? Would they approve? Is he trying to attract boats/ships? Hot air balloons? Some other kind of transport? Is he trying to get rescued? Was this boy eventually rescued? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2186 Registered: 5-2003 |
Did they tell him to do this? No. Would they approve? {Yes.} Is he trying to attract boats/ships? Yesish. Hot air balloons? Some other kind of transport? Is he trying to get rescued? Yes. Was this boy eventually rescued? Yes. | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 887 Registered: 10-2008 |
Good thinking, Torquemada! Is it his friends' attention he is trying to attract? Are they on a boat? Has he fallen overboard? | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 626 Registered: 6-2008 |
Does he want the beating wings to reflect the sun, to create a flashing light? | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 59 Registered: 1-2010 |
Is he flapping the albatross's wings to attract someone to rescue him? Doing something else for the same purpose? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2188 Registered: 5-2003 |
Is it his friends' attention he is trying to attract? Yes. Are they on a boat? Yes. Has he fallen overboard? Yes. Is he flapping the albatross's wings to attract someone to rescue him? Close enough. Doing something else for the same purpose? Spoiler ******** This happened to Felix von Luckner, who ran away to sea as a boy and eventually became a WWI hero. On his first voyage, he fell overboard, and would never have been seen again if albatrosses had not attacked him in the water. He caught one that got too close and hung on grimly despite its frantic attempts to bite him and escape -- its huge flapping wings provided an aiming point for the lifeboat whose crew could not see him in the dark water. | ||
| Gourami (Gourami)
Moderator Username: Gourami Post Number: 888 Registered: 10-2008 |
Great story to base a puzzle on. Lucky him! | ||
| Hominid (Hominid)
New member Username: Hominid Post Number: 62 Registered: 1-2010 |
Nice! | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 2189 Registered: 5-2003 |
I seriously considered using "No food for the albatross, but mission accomplished" for the puzzle statement, after an earlier puzzle of Admin's. But I thought that might put people on the right track too quickly, so I tried to make a more lateral-sounding statement. | ||
| Cupofsun (Cupofsun)
New member Username: Cupofsun Post Number: 229 Registered: 12-2006 |
Awesome, I'm so sorry I missed this one! And great alternative title as well, haha. |
