Solution to Riddle of the Week

Solution to Riddle of the Week: Knights and Knaves, Part 1

Difficulty level: Easy

Michael Stillwell

By Jay Bennett

The first person you meet on this island is not to be trusted.

Solution

The first person cannot be a knight. Knights always tell the truth, so if he were a knight, he would tell you so. Instead he says, "we are both knaves."

If the first man is a knave, then he must be a liar. This means they cannot both be knaves. So, since we've established that the first man is a knave and a liar, the second man must be a knight.

Easy? Well this island of knights and knaves is only going to get stranger and more difficult to navigate, so make sure to come back next week for another riddle!