Farmer Crosses River Puzzle - Solution
The Puzzle:
A farmer wants to cross a river and take with him a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage.
There is a boat that can fit himself plus either the wolf, the goat, or the cabbage.
If the wolf and the goat are alone on one shore, the wolf will eat the goat. If the goat and the cabbage are alone on the shore, the goat will eat the cabbage.
How can the farmer bring the wolf, the goat, and the cabbage across the river?
Our Solution:
Farmer takes Goat across (leaving Wolf and Cabbage behind)
Farmer returns alone
Farmer takes Wolf across
Farmer returns with Goat
* We now have the Farmer, the Cabbage and the Goat on one side and the Wolf on the other side
Farmer takes Cabbage across
Farmer returns alone
Farmer takes Goat across
DONE!
(Bonus question: what if there is also a rabbit? Left unguarded it could be eaten by the wolf, chased away by the goat, or it would eat the cabbage.)