A farmer must transport a wolf, a sheep and cabbage from one side of a river to another using a boat. But in crossing the river by boat, the farmer could carry only himself and a single item – the wolf, the sheep or the cabbage.
If left together, the wolf would eat the sheep, or the sheep would eat the cabbage.
How can the farmer transport the wolf, the sheep and the cabbage across the river without losing any of them?
Answer
Let’s say that the farmer is transporting the wolf, the sheep and the cabbage from point A to point B.
- Farmer transports the sheep from A to B.
- Farmer goes back to A.
- Farmer transports the cabbage from A to B.
- Farmer transports the sheep back from B to A.
- Farmer transports the wolf from A to B.
- Farmer goes back to A.
- Farmer transports the sheep from A to B.