Young Archer
Trick brain teasers appear difficult at first, but they have a trick that makes them really easy.
A duke was hunting in the forest with his men-at-arms and servants when he came across a tree. Upon it, archery targets were painted and smack in the middle of each was an arrow. "Who is this incredibly fine archer?" cried the duke. "I must find him!"
After continuing through the forest for a few miles he came across a small boy carrying a bow and arrow. Eventually the boy admitted that it was he who shot the arrows plumb in the center of all the targets. "You didn't just walk up to the targets and hammer the arrows into the middle, did you?" asked the duke worriedly. "No my lord. I shot them from a hundred paces. I swear it by all that I hold
holy." "That is truly astonishing," said the duke. "I hereby admit you into my service."
The boy thanked him profusely. "But I must ask one favor in return," the duke continued. "You must tell me how you came to be such an outstanding shot."
How'd he get to be such a good shot?
Answer
The boy shot the arrow, THEN painted the circle around it.
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Comments
jeanray 
Apr 16, 2002
| hummm.... |
cathalmccabe
Apr 19, 2002
| Then he didn't "come to be a good shot" at all |
mad-ade  
Apr 20, 2002
| in the story, the boy admitted that it was he who "shot" the arrows plumb in the centre of the targets. Did he lie? He didn't actually shoot the targets at all. just the trees. |
kwokna
Apr 24, 2002
| No he did not lie. He just claimed he shot the arrows from 100 paces. He never said anything about hitting targets. |
mad-ade
Apr 25, 2002
| no one is questioning the distance the arrows were shot from, only the fact that the boy admitted shooting the arrows plumb in the centre of the targets, which he clearly didn't. he shot at the tree and then painted the target. so yes he did lie.if still unsure read the third and fourth lines of the puzzle above, where he admits shooting the targets. |
mad-ade
Apr 25, 2002
| the above statement should read "third and fourth line of the second paragraph". sorry about any confusion
|
bluetwo
May 15, 2002
| how about, "The boy admitted that he had shot the arrows that were plumb in the center of the targets". better? |
mad-ade
May 18, 2002
| that inded is a better way of expressing the situation, but alas, it is not what the teaser says, and that i fear is what the real problem is. |
angie
Jun 12, 2002
| why am i the only one who thinks this funny? |
farrell2k
Jun 17, 2002
| Before posting a riddle that contradicts itself, maybe a little thought should go into its wording. :-) |
Mach3
Nov 29, 2002
| Some of you "Commentors" should be in debate! |
jimbo 
Apr 14, 2003
| This riddle must be OK. I got it! Anyway it's way better than some others. Good fun! |
jessicag
Jun 15, 2003
| I thinmk this teaser is fabulous. It made me laugh. It's important not to take these things too seriously guys! |
Katelin
Nov 22, 2003
| I thought it was funny also. So was the little quarrel. |
sweetime
May 31, 2005
| i was going with the boy didnt hold anything holy, therefore he had lied  |
zonasurance
Mar 17, 2006
| just to add fuel to the fire, the sentence in question is written in third person and not a quote. We can not therefore assume the boy lied only that the questions asked of him (by the duke) led to the conclusion that he shot the arrow plumb in the center. |
solarsistim321
Feb 11, 2007
| 
 |
aball911
Mar 02, 2008
| wait, isn't there a scene like this in the Disney animated version of Robin Hood? it was in some movie...
anyway, funny. made me L  L |
kwelchans
Jul 10, 2008
| Practice, practice, practice |
geccco 
Aug 13, 2008
| I liked it. It was pretty clever, and I got it!   |
markmonnin
Sep 08, 2008
| Yay I got it. |
Calehay
Nov 03, 2008
| Excellent teaser! |
zembobo
Dec 31, 2008
| I like my answer better...the boy took 50 paces back and 50 paces forward so there is your 100 paces.
And yes, the sentence in question is in third person..which is the author talking. So, the author himself is telling us that the boy admitted shooting the arrow plumb in the middle of the target. No conclusion, just fact. The teaser is simply misworded but who cares? Good teaser anyway. |
gooberbaby1
Jun 10, 2010
| I knew that,and I'm 9! |
thebrain789 
Jun 20, 2010
| I got it! So easy! |
AgKKR20
Jun 02, 2011
| Even i got it.easy one |
Gwendalla
Apr 04, 2012
| I percieve it as:
The boy explained he was the one who SHOT the arrows THAT EXISTED in the middle of the targets. |
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