Poor farmer went to the market puzzle

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A poor farmer went to the market to sell some peas and lentils. However, as he had only one sack and didn’t want to mix peas and lentils, he poured in the peas first, tied the sack in the middle, and then filled the top portion of the sack with the lentils. At the market a rich innkeeper happened by with his own sack. He wanted to buy the peas, but he did not want the lentils.
Pouring the seed anywhere else but the sacks is considered soiling. Trading sacks is not allowed. The farmer can’t cut a hole in his sack.

How would you transfer the peas to the innkeeper’s sack, which he wants to keep, without soiling the produce?poor farmer went to market puzzle

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  • 4 Answer(s)

    Can we tie the sack vertically instead of horizontally( as done by the farmer)?

    ReadyToPuzzle Scholar Answered on 27th August 2016.
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    well!….we can’t cut a hole in farmer’s sack but we can in innkeeper’s sack…..

    first transfer the lentils from farmer’s to innkeeper’s sack
    second tie up the innkeeper’s sack in the middle
    now transfer the peas from farmer’s sack to upper half of innkeeper’s sack
    now make a hole in innkeeper’s sack and transfer lentils tp farmer’s sack

    archit Curious Answered on 28th August 2016.
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    Invert the sack, so that the lentils will be in the bottom and peas in the top. Then cut the sack in the middle below the tied rope. And empty the peas to the keeper. Now pour the lentils into the original bottom portion of the sack.

    Nima Starter Answered on 29th August 2016.
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    Best answer

    – Pour the lentils into the innkeeper’s sack,
    – bind it and turn inside out.
    – Pour in the peas.
    Then,
    – Unbind the sack and
    – Pour the lentils back to your sack.

    SherlockHolmes Expert Answered on 29th August 2016.

    I had thought of this answer at first sight, but didn;t write, because there’s a problem: once you have tied the sack AND turned it inside out, the knot will be INSIDE (and at the bottom of) the sack. Now, if you pour the peas into this modified sack, it will cover the knot. How will you untie the sack to get the lentils back??  (Will be possible only if the quantity of peas is considerably small, so that you can get underneath and untie the knot.)

    on 29th August 2016.
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