How Many Were Going to St. Ives? A Riddle Explored

[gravenewworld]

I'm sure a lot of you may have heard this riddle before so if you have don't post the answer right away for those who haven't

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with 7 wives
Every wife had 7 sacks
Every sack had 7 cats
Every cat had 7 kits
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives how many were going to St. Ives?

 

[The Bob]

I'm sure a lot of you may have heard this riddle before so if you have don't post the answer right away for those who haven't

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with 7 wives
Every wife had 7 sacks
Every sack had 7 cats
Every cat had 7 kits
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives how many were going to St. Ives?

Hightlight for my answer:Surely the answer is none or one because the kits, cats, sacks and wives have not been said to be moving at all, thus the answer is none are going to St. Ives. However, if the answer is one then it is only because you ('As I was...') are traveling there. Therefore will have to say the answer is none.

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[jcsd]

Is that St. Ives in Cornwall or St. Ives in Cambridgshire? (this riddle is as old as the hills to me as my dad would always ask it when we went for our holidays in St. Ives in Cornwall)

 

[franznietzsche]

I'm sure a lot of you may have heard this riddle before so if you have don't post the answer right away for those who haven't

As I was going to St. Ives I met a man with 7 wives
Every wife had 7 sacks
Every sack had 7 cats
Every cat had 7 kits
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives how many were going to St. Ives?

1, just you...right?

 

[gravenewworld]

you are correct

 

[Alkatran]

Did anyone else thinkg "It's one", then do the math anyways?

7^4 = 49^2 = 50^2 - 50 - 49 = 2500 - 99 = 2401

 

[RandallB]

you are correct

Were you saying correct to "1" ?
It would be ZERO - since your question was:

"Kits, cats, sacks, and wives how many were going to St. Ives?"

Also 2401 is just the kits.
include 7^1 and 7^2 and 7^3 for a total of 2800
7^0 would be the man but he wasn't part of the question either.
RB

 

[BobG]

2,801 are headed to St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, while I am headed to St. Ives, Cornwall.

Surfing in Great Britain. Who'd a thunk it.

 

[gravenewworld]

The answer is 1. The only person going is the narrator. The last sentence is to throw you off, the only person going according to the first line is the narrator. Don't read too much into the problem.

 

[The Bob]

The answer is 1. The only person going is the narrator. The last sentence is to throw you off, the only person going according to the first line is the narrator. Don't read too much into the problem.

So I was infact correct?

The Bob (2004 ©)

 

[Ian Rumsey]

sixtysix if you include the bus driver.