April 1 teasers from Martin Gardner's 1969 Perplixing Puzzles and Tantalizing Teasers

  1. Farmer Higgs has 1 pink, 4 brown and 3 black pigs. How many of Higgs' pigs can say they are the same color as another of Higgs' pigs?
  2. Tom's grandfather is only 6 years older than his father. How is that possible?
  3. If it takes 20 minutes to hard-boil one goose egg, how long does it take to hard boil 3 goose eggs?
  4. A hobo was walking down a railroad track when he saw a fast train coming towards him. Why did he run 10 feet towards the train before jumping off?
  5. Archie walked outside on a rainy day for 20 minutes without getting a single hair on his head wet. He had no hat or umbrella or other covering, and his clothes got soaked. What gives?
  6. Mrs. Fumblefinger was working in her kitchen when a loose diamond ring fell off her finger and smack into some coffee. Strange to say, the diamond did not get wet. Why?
  7. What do you sit on, sleep on, and brush your teeth with?
  8. What has 18 legs, is covered with red spots and catches flies?
  9. One day an alchemist brought a bottle to the king and said, "this bottle holds a liquid that dissolves anything it comes into contact with". Why did the king throw him in the dungeon for lying?
  10. Heidi turned off the light in her bedroom, and was able to get to her bed before it got dark. Her bed is 15 feet from the wall switch. How did she do it?
  11. The petshop sold Zep a parrot with the guarantee that it would "repeat every word it hears". Zep tried to return it because it never spoke, but the petshop owner was able to convince him that he did not lie. How?

  1. None. Pigs can't talk.
  2. It's Tom's maternal grandfather.
  3. 20 minutes
  4. To get to the closer end of the tunnel.
  5. Archie is bald.
  6. The coffee was still powder or grounds.
  7. A chair, a bed, and a toothbrush
  8. A baseball team with measles.
  9. It didn't dissolve the bottle.
  10. During daylight
  11. The parrot was deaf.
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