The Silent Parrot

A person enters a pet shop and sees a beautiful parrot. The seller guarantees him that the bird repeats everything it hears, so the person buys it. However, when he goes back home and tests the bird, it turns out that it doesn’t say a word. The buyer goes to the shop to complain to the seller, but the seller argues he has not lied. How is this possible?

The Sheikh and the Camels

A Sheikh dies, leaving behind three sons, 17 camels, and the following order:

1. The oldest son shall inherit one in two camels.
2. The middle son shall inherit one in three camels.
3. The youngest son shall inherit one in nine camels.

Now the three sons do not know what to do. They ask an old friend of the family for advice, and he finds a solution. What does the friend propose?

The Pirates and the Monkey

There are five pirates, one monkey, and lots of coconuts on an island. The pirates are supposed to share the coconuts on the next day, but while everybody is sleeping, the first pirate gives 1 coconut to the monkey, splits the remaining coconuts into 5 equal piles, and secretly keeps one of the piles for himself. Later, the second pirate does the same, then the third one, the fourth one, and the fifth one. On the morning, the pirates wake up and split all the remaining coconuts in five, leaving one last coconut for the monkey.
What is a possible number for the number of coconuts on the island?

Clock Hands

When do the hour and the minute hands of the clock lie on top of each other, and also between the numbers 1 and 2?

The Mother and the Girlfriend

John gets off work at random times between 3 and 5 PM. His mother lives uptown, his girlfriend lives downtown. John takes the first subway that comes in either direction and eats dinner with the one he is delivered to. Even though John believes he has 50-50 chance to have dinner with either his mother or his girlfriend, he visited the former only 2 times out of the last 20. How come?