Cowboy Bob's Newspaper Columns

Cowboy Bob's Conundrum

It's 10 below zero with a windchill of 35 below. So, how are you going to fight off "cabin fever," then?

Some folks hop on their snowmobile or ATV and try to generate some windchill of their own. Others make a cup of hot chocolate and curl up before a warm fire with a good book. Still more will pop in a good DVD and curl up before a warm TV screen.

For many, however, the best diversion is a good puzzle. If you don't believe me, just listen to the howls that go up whenever the crossword puzzle arrives too late to be printed in the Herald-Review!

So, to help you wile away a cold winter night -- and avoid cabin fever -- here's a shameless rip-off of a puzzle supposedly designed by Albert Einstein many years ago. According to legend, Einstein claimed that 98 percent of the people in the world can't solve the quiz. Are you among the other 2 percent?

Here are the facts: Along a certain country road are five houses in a row, which can all be seen as you stand in the road. In each house lives a cowboy of a different nationality. No two cowboys drink the same beverage, wear the same color (or type) of hat, or ride the same breed of horse.

Further details:

1: The Scot lives in a red house.

2: The Italian rides an Arabian horse.

3: The Mexican drinks lemonade.

4: The green house is immediately left of the white house.

5: The owner of the green house drinks coffee.

6: The cowboy who wears the gray hat rides a Tennessee Walker.

7: The owner of the yellow house wears a tan hat.

8: The cowboy living in the middle house drinks milk.

9: The Native American lives in the first house from the left.

10: The cowboy who wears a white hat lives next to the man who rides a Quarter Horse.

11: The cowboy who rides a Morgan lives next to the man who wears a tan hat.

12: The cowboy who wears the black hat drinks sarsaparilla.

13: The German wears a Twins baseball cap.

14: The Native American lives next to the blue house.

15: The cowboy who wears a white hat has a neighbor who drinks water.

Now... using logic, tell me... who rides the American Saddlebred?!

You're on your honor to solve this puzzle unassisted (OK, schoolkids can have a little help from mom or dad.) When you think you've solved the puzzle, CLICK HERE to see if you have the correct answer and are among that top 2 percent. Have fun battling cabin fever!

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