A friend purchased "The World's Worst Riddles", a slim book at a second-hand bookshop. Published in 1968, its Introduction says that by "worst", it might mean "best". However... here are some for mathematicians: ====================================== Q: A man bought 90 hens. He placed 30 on the first perch, 30 on the second, and the remaining 30 on the top perch. How many hens did he own? A: Only the ones on the first perch because the others were on higher perches (hire purchase). ======================================== Q: If it took eight men eight hours to build a brick fence how long would it take five men to build it? A: None, because the eight men have done the work. ======================================== Q: If six magpies are sitting on a fence and one is shot, how many are left? A: None, because the others flew away. ======================================== Q: Two's company, three's a crowd but what is four and five? A: Nine. ========================================
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