Princess and the Witch

[Flareon]

Okay, I modified the riddle a bit, but if you recognize it and know the answer, please don't give it away without giving everyone a chance.

 

*******

A princess and a witch live on an island. This island has 8 poisoned wells, numbered 1 to 8. If you drink from a well, you can only save yourself by drinking from a higher numbered well. Well 8 is located at the top of a high mountain, so only the witch (with her witchy powers) can reach it.

 

One day they decide that the island isn't big enough for the two of them, and they have a duel. Each of them brings a glass of water to the duel, they exchange glasses, and drink. After the duel, the princess lives and the witch dies.

 

Why did the princess live? Why did the witch die?

*******

 

(Please hide the portion of the post with the answers by changing their font color to "white" so that others can try to solve it without unwanted assistance. In order to see the text, simply highlight with pointer.)

[Dave]

Or, alternatively, use the spoiler tag.

[Phi for All]

[hide]The princess secretly drinks from her own glass just before the duel, knowing that, in order to win, the witch will brink water from well #8. Then, in the duel, she makes sure to drink all the water from the glass the witch gives her so the witch can't save herself.[/hide]

[razorfane]

i never heard it, btw.

[hide]The princess expects the witch to give her water from well 8, because if you drink from it there's no cure. So the princess has to drink from any of the other wells first, so she's poisoned and at the time of drinking from the 8th well , she's healed. The witch dies because the princess gives her regular water, so when the witch drinks from the 8th well, thinking she's poisoned, she poisons herself with no cure.[/hide]

[Phi for All]

razorfane, I like your answer as well. There are 2 things we don't know that would tell us who is right:

[hide]Onset time of the poison (how quickly it takes effect), and whether the island has non-poisonous wells.[/hide]

[Dave]

I came up with the same idea as razorfane. Not that it means much now, but nevermind

[razorfane]

yeah phi, and there also one more thing:

[hide]We don't know if the wells have more capacity than just one glass, and maybe poisoned water tastes different so the witch would know if it is regular water or not.[/hide]

[Flareon]

Razorphane got the answer I was thinking of. Good job! I myself had to wrestle with it for a while, and even had some hints.

 

Phi, I'm not sure I understand the second part of your answer. It sounds intriguing. Please elaborate.

[Phi for All]

Phi, I'm not sure I understand the second part of your answer. It sounds intriguing. Please elaborate.

[hide]I assumed that the contestants would use only what they brought to the duel, the two glasses of water, and that they would not have time to go to another well to save themselves. I further assumed that water from the wells was the only source of water on the island. Therefore, if the princess drank a little from her own glass before the duel, she would be saved when she drank the witchy water. Then, if she drank ALL the witchy water during the duel, the witch would have none left to cure herself after drinking the princess's water.[/hide]

[Flareon]

I see. Perhaps the riddle would be simpler if extraneous assumptions were suppressed and only the facts given were examined. I think it leads one to more elegant answers in general. You did get the first part correct, however.

[Phi for All]

I see. Perhaps the riddle would be simpler if extraneous assumptions were suppressed and only the facts given were examined.

I wouldn't change it at all. My second assumption was a complete error on my part, and has left me hiding in the basement in shame ever since I peeked at razorfane's answer.