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James ordered a fishing rod, priced at $3.56. Unfortunately, James is an Eskimo who lives in a very remote part of Greenland and the import rules there forbid any package longer than 4 feet to be imported. The fishing rod was 4 feet and 1 inch, just a little too long, so how can the fishing rod be mailed to James without breaking the rules? Ideally James would like the fishing rod to arrive in one piece!

Insert the fishing rod into a box which measures 4 feet on all sides, the fishing rod will fit within the diagonal of the box with room to spare.

Why this works

This riddle plays with the concept of dimensions and geometry. While the fishing rod itself is too long to be imported due to its length of 4 feet and 1 inch, the clever solution lies in the use of a box. By placing the rod diagonally inside a box that measures 4 feet on each side, the rod can fit within the box's diagonal, which is actually longer than 4 feet. This allows the rod to be transported legally, as the box itself complies with the import rules while containing the rod in a way that keeps it intact. The riddle teaches us to think outside the box—literally!

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Common Wrong Answers

“Cut the fishing rod in half.”

Cutting the fishing rod would not allow it to arrive in one piece, which is what James ideally wants.

“Send it in multiple packages.”

Sending it in multiple packages would still violate the import rule regarding the length of each package, and James specifically needs it in one piece.

“Use a different delivery method, like a helicopter.”

While a different delivery method may bypass some restrictions, the riddle specifies import rules that apply regardless of the delivery method, making this answer irrelevant.

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