It was a grandeur party. In order to filter the uninvited guests, the security guard was assigned a task to check the secret password. The guests invited by the royal family also were shared with the secret password.
John wasn't an invited guest. He learned that the password is needed to make an entry. He hides himself and started watching the guests and the security.
The first guest comes. Security told him, TWELVE and the guest replied SIX. He wished him and allowed him to enter.
The second guest comes. Security told him SIX and the guest replied THREE! He was too allowed.
John made an entry as third guest. Security told him EIGHT and John replied FOUR. He was thrown out of the party!
Why?
The answer should be five. The password is not half of the digit, but the number that represents the number of digits told by security.
In classic mythology, there is the story of the Sphinx, a monster with the body of a lion and the upper part of a woman.
The Sphinx lay crouched on the top of a rock along the highroad to the city of Thebes, and stopped all travellers passing by, proposing to them a riddle.
Those who failed to answer the riddle correctly were killed.
This is the riddle the Sphinx asked the travellers: "What animal walks on four legs in the morning, two legs during the day, and three legs in the evening?"
This is part of the story of Oedipus, who replied to the Sphinx, "Man, who in childhood creeps on hands and knees, in manhood walks erect, and in old age with the aid of a staff."
Morning, day and night are representative of the stages of life.
The Sphinx was so mortified at the solving of her riddle that she cast herself down from the rock and perished.
In olden days you are a clever thief charged with treason against the king and sentenced to death.
But the king decides to be a little lenient and lets you choose your own way to die.
What way should you choose?
Remember, you're clever!