Holiday Puzzle #13 – Return to the Land of Wishy-Washy

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure’s Island” – Walt Disney

Back in March, I posted The Land of Wishy-Washy which is an original logic puzzle.  This is a puzzle about being shipwrecked on the Island of Wishy-Washy, which is inhabited by three types of natives, the Wishy, the Washy and the Wishy-Washy.  You quickly become aware that it is impossible to determine what group an individual belongs merely by looking at them (only natives could tell each of them apart).  However, you realize that they all have one characteristic that separates them. 

The Wishy always tell the truth and the Washy always lie. The Wishy-Washy sometimes tell the truth and sometimes lie. It all depended what they heard immediately before. If what they heard immediately before was the truth, then they would lie. If what they heard immediately before was a lie, then they would tell the truth

A curious fact about the natives of the Island of Wishy-Washy is that they never are seen with one of their own kind. That is, a Wishy is never with another Wishy. If a Wishy is walking with another native it is most certainly either a Washy or a Wishy-Washy.

Below are three different meetings with the natives on the island of Wishy-Washy. Can you answer each of the questions for each meeting?

1. You visit the land of Wishy-Washy and immediately are approached by three natives.

• the first says, “Hi, I’m a Wishy”
• the second says “Hi, I’m a Washy”
• the third says “Hi, I’m a Wishy-Washy”

Can you determine which is which?

2. Again, three natives approach. You ask the first “Are you a Wishy?” and the second “Are you a Washy?”. They both respond with the same answer.

What question can you ask the third to determine the identity of the three?

3. Again, three natives approach.

• the first says, “Hi, I’m a not a Wishy”
• the second says “Hi, I’m not a Washy”
• the third says “Hi, I’m not a Wishy-Washy”

Can you ask just one of them one question to determine which is which?

Good Luck and pass the puzzles onto others who may enjoy them!

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