Up to the early 70s, there were no television and daily newspapers in Padada- my hometown. Our main form of information and entertainment during those years was radio. So we listened to radio dramas, to the radio commentaries, and to songs played over the radio. Radio announcers were celebrities, and radio characters were our heroes.
If we don’t like the radio program(s) and for lack of anything else to do before bedtime, we spent our time telling stories; or more accurately, the adults telling the stories and us the younger ones listening to them. On some of these occasions, they played games of wits – the most popular of which are challenging the other people in the crowd if they can solve a puzzle. The dynamics of the puzzle game was amusing. As one person gave his solution, the other people in the group retorts back why the solution is wrong.
Here is one of the puzzles I remember being discussed in one of those. Lets see if you can solve it!
The Rabbit, the Cat, and the Cabbage
A farmer is returning from the farm. With him is his cat, a rabbit and cabbage. On the way home he must cross a river. His boat is small one, allowing him to take only one of the three things. He can’t keep the rabbit and the cabbage together (because the rabbit would eat it), nor the rabbit with the cat (because the cat would eat the rabbit).
How shall the farmer get everything on the other side (without any harm)?
And for my kababayans, the original version is as follows:
Ang Rabbit, ang Iring, ug ang Repolyo
Ang magbabaol pauli na gikan sa iyang umahan. Duna siya dala nga iring, rabbit ug repolyo. Bag-o sya mo-abot sa iya nga balay, kinahanglan nga molabang siya sa usa ka sapa. Pero gamay ra ang iya nga baruto mao nga usa ra sa tulo nya ka dala ang pwede nya nga makarga sa baruto. Dili nya pwede unahon ug dala ang iring unya biyaan ang rabbit ug ang repolyo kay kaunon man sa rabbit ang repolyo. Dili pod nya pwede nga biyaan ang iring ug ang rabbit kay kaunon man sa iring ang rabbit.
Unsaon man iyang himoon aron malabang nya ang rabbit, ang iring ug ang repolyo sa tabok sa sapa nga walay mahitabo sa bisan usa sa tulo?
1,095 comments
permero dal on nya ang rabbit..ibilin nya sa pikas..din balik sya..itabok npud nya ang cabbage..bilin nya ang cabbage.. pagbalik dalaon nya ang rabbit.. din balik na sya..ibilin nya ang rabbit dalaon nya ang iring tabok sa pikas..ibilin niya ang iring din balik sya..kuhaon niya ang rabbit.. tapos tabok na sila sa pikas…human na.. hehehe 🙂
you are almost there withyour answer.. there’s one imporatnt detail lang missing…
First: Dal-on nko ang rabbit tabok sa sapa.. tapos ibilin nko ang rabbit sa pikas dapit..Second:balik ko tabok sa sapa kay kuhaon nako ang cabbage para dalaon sa pikas dapit..third:tapos kwaon napod ang rabbit tabok sa sapa balik sa una na dapit..Fourth: human ibilin nako ang rabbit ug dalaon nko ang iring pra itabok sa sapa padulong sa pikas dapit..Fifth: sa kinalasan balikan nako ang rabbit para kuhaon na nako ug itabok nako sa pikas dapit…
1.iyang dalaon una ang rabbit…
2.balik sya kuhaon nya ang repolyo…pro pg balik nya iyang dalaon ang rabbit pra dli mkaon ang repolyo……tpos ibilin nya ang rabbit unya iyang dalaon ang iring….
3. balikon nya kuha ang rabbit……
very much like york’s answer above.. hapit na ma correct, may kulang lang sa answer.
pwede nya dalhon ang iring ug una, pero ipaguyod nya ang repolyo sa banca, dili isakay . ibilin nya ang iring, dayon, balikan nya ang rabbit, para sya na pod ang itabok, guyod pa gihapon ang repolyo. so, tabok na sila tanan he he
pero unsa imo solution kung dili pwede iguyod ang repolyo?
1. bring first the rabbit from A to B, leave the cat and cabbage behind.
2. go back from B to A, then bring the cabbage from A to B.. put the cabbage to B then go back from B to A bringing the rabbit back.
3.Put the rabbit to A.. Bring the cat from A to B.. Leave the cat to B then you go back to A.
4. Finally, bring the rabbit from A to B.. then there the farmer can go home now with his cat, a rabbit and the cabbage..
You got it right dominic minus a missing element which I is in my comment below. York and Felix gave the same answer earlier, so I am splitting the prize to both of them, even as their answers also has the missing element.
York and Felix were the first who got the correct sequence of how to get the cat, the rabbit and the cabbage across the river. But there is a missing in the answer. Because “Taga Padada Ka”….. segurista ka and therefore, you have to make sure you that not one of the three is able to escape. So before you leave the cat behind, gapusa sa para dili maka-dagan. And before leaving the rabbit behind, gapusa pud para dili maka-dagan. That way you are sure to be able to bring them home.
York and Felix, I will divide the prize between the two of you. Give me the instruction how to send it to youre address.
how can i claim the prize sir nic? 🙂
Have you received the prize sent c/o Dominic’s account?
sir kng pwd laing tao lng mo claim sko prize…..since i was not in padada this time im here in abroad……..ako lng ihatag ang name and contact number………ang akong kontak number ky +97433469121….ang ngalan s akong ipa claim ky stella marie brillantes ako ning pg umangkon ug ang iyang konak number ky 09306812233….kng pwd lng…..ky kng sko nmo ipadala dako ang charge….jejejeje…thank you so much and more power to you and your family…god bless…!!!
Hi felix. I tried contacting your stella marie via the cell number you gave me in order to get instructions on how to send the prize. I di not get a reply.
i tried again to call up and text stella but there was no answer
Ah… I had to go back to this page to know the answer. I never thought tying the animals is essential to the solution… I just presumed they would wait for the farmer.