Life is a Test: A Series of Pony Logic Puzzles

by Brony_of_Brody

S.P.L.A.T (Society of Ponies Leaping from Alpaca Towers)

"Hey," Applejack gestured at Rarity. The white unicorn looked up from her book. "Yes, Applejack?"

"Ya ever wonder why we're here?"

"Are you talking about our current predicament, or is this an attempt to wax philosophy to pass the time?"

"...uh, first one," Applejack looked confused. "Ah mean, Ah don't get what happened. One moment we were just talking real peacefully to the alpaca tribe's leader, and next thing we know we got cuffed and thrown right atop this tower. Was it something we said?"

"I mean honestly, all I suggested was that they build another boat if they wanted all their grain, chickens and wolves across the river faster, but this seems...disproportionate." Rarity shook her head. "My fault, I suppose. I should have realised how ill-mannered and stubborn those brutes could be."

Fluttershy sniffed quietly. Rarity pulled her towards her in a comforting embrace. "It'll be fine, darling. We'll find a way out."

"Oh I know..." Fluttershy shook her head. "I can't help but worry, though."

Applejack trotted over to the tower window, and looked down. "Welp, we sure ain't climbing out. We'd splat on the floor like one of mah Granny's apple fritters."

"And no attempt at lock-pickin on my part or bucking can open this door," added Rarity, struggling with the doorknob as best she could, given the lack of opposable thumbs. She turned to Fluttershy. "Darling, do you think you could fly us out?"

"Um..." Fluttershy looked out of the window, and upon seeing the drop below, she quickly backed away. "EEP!"

She turned to the others. "Sorry...not good with heights. But, not really...my wings still haven't fully recovered from yesterday. If I tried carrying you out, I'd probably drop you..."

"It's alright darling, we're not going to force you," Rarity struggled with the lock for another five seconds before finally throwing the hairpin to the floor. Finally giving up in disgust, she was about to make her way back to one of the chairs in the centre of the room, when several items propped up against the wall caught her eye.

"...Say, I do believe I have an idea..."

"Somethin' to get us out?" Applejack's eyes lit up.

"Of a sorts..." Rarity appeared deep in thought. She motioned to a large stockpile of goods in the corner. "I cannot help but notice a rather long sturdy rope, and two crops baskets."

Using her unicorn magic to levitate the objects towards her, one at a time, she turned to the others. "I believe I may be able to assemble a makeshift pulley system so we can escape via the window."

"Like an elevator?"

"Of sorts," Rarity nodded. "Of course, whether I can design one strong enough for all three of us is..." Rarity scrunched up her face. "This is...VERY uncomfortable for me to ask this, goodness knows a proper lady would never make such an enquiry, but..."

"Rarity, there ain't any polite society to offend here," Applejack pointed out.

Rarity struggled with herself before finally blurting out, "How much do you both weigh?"

A poignant silence filled the air. Rarity flailed her hooves in the air. "It's for the pulley system! I'm not a gossip! ...not MUCH of a gossip anyway."

Fluttershy nervously trotted over to Rarity, before whispering something in her ear. "I see...thank you, that helps."

"Oh...um, you're welcome..." Fluttershy hid her face in her mane out of sheer embarrassment. "...I try to watch my weight..."

"Ah, horseapples," Applejack sighed. "Fine, but this doesn't leave the tower, okay? Not havin' anypony think Ah'm tubby."

"My dear Applejack, there are some lines a lady must NEVER cross!" Rarity insisted. "Rest assured your secret will be safe with me!"

Applejack nodded, and whispered her weight into Rarity's ear.

"Alright...so...I believe we should be able to get out...I would say that as long as we don't go thirty pounds over the weight limit, we should be able to avoid a very messy spill..." Rarity was muttering to herself as she drove a large nail with her magic into the outside walls of the tower. She then tied both ends of the very long rope to each of the crop baskets, before carefully throwing the rope over the nail in a loop, creating her makeshift elevator.

"Are you sure this is...safe?" Fluttershy was beginning to shake.

"Of course!" Rarity said haughtily. "...in theory," she added, sounding less confident.

"In theory?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Well, we're stuck here until those infernal alpacas destroy themselves with their own stubbornness, so it's the pulleys or bust, darling."

A look of concern crossed Applejack's face. The unstable elevator was already bad enough, but there seemed to be a more pressing concern. "Didn't ya mutter to yerself that we couldn't go over thirty pounds in weight? Ah mean, Ah'm not sayin' Ah'm fat..."

"Naturally!"

"But Ah'm pretty sure Ah'm well over Fluttershy."

"True..." Rarity scanned the room for something she could use to solve such a problem. "I think we could all escape, if I had something that weighed one hundred and fifty pounds. That should balance the weight enough for all three of us..."

"Um...like this big bronze statue?" Fluttershy pointed to what appeared to be a bronze bust of Princess Celestia, that had been rather extensively graffiti'ed all over in a red ink marker with all sorts of offensive slogans.

"Well, I suppose, but I would first need to make sure..."

"It's one hundred and fifty exactly. I checked," Fluttershy said, pointing to the weight, carved into the back of the statue, along with another note that said "Made in China".

Rarity could only stare in amazement. "What an astonishingly contrived coincidence..." She shook her head, and summoned up her unicorn magic again to move the statue to her. It seemed to be a bit of a strain for her, given the strained look on her face and the extra glow to her horn. "Well, no time like the present, you two! Let's hurry up and get out of here before they notice we're plotting an escape!"

"Where the heck's China...?" Applejack wondered out loud.

"Applejack!"

"Alright, keep her mane on, Ah'm comin'..."

Author's Note:

Not doing that stupid liquid in jugs one. No, I don't really care that this uses similar logic, shut up.

1. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and a bronze statue atop a tower.

2. A pulley system with a rope and two baskets set up outside the tower.

3. If the contents of a basket is heavier (by over 30 pounds) than the contents of the other basket, the heavier one will fall, dooming the ponies inside to a rather splattery end.

4. All occupants are of the following weights:

• Applejack: 370 pounds.
• Rarity: 210 pounds.
• Fluttershy: 180 pounds.
• Statue: 150 pounds.

PUZZLE: How can you get all three ponies out of the tower safely?

Comments

[Duckgame4life]

So we want all ponies going down safely?
rarity and statue can lower aj,Fluttershy lowers rarity,and statue alone can lower Fluttershy

[ANW]

9236433
Rarity goes splat.
150+180=330
Rarity is 210
120 pound difference.

[ANW]

If Applejack and Rarity can get down safely, can Fluttershy just flyet down afterwards?

[Brony_of_Brody]

9236531
No

[Skittlebug]

AJ is lowered by Fluttershy and Rarity. (370 --> 390) 20lb difference
Fluttershy lowers Rarity. (180 --> 210) 30lb difference
Statue lowers Fluttershy. (150 --> 180) 30lb difference

[Brony_of_Brody]

Right, I don't think I've been clear enough on this one.

Assume we start with a basket right at the bottom of the tower and there's a basket right at the top where the window is. You know, HOW A PULLEY SYSTEM WORKS.

[Eclipse_Nova]

Place the statue first and let it drop since it can't die and I assume neither the statue nor the basket will break upon impact.
Next put Fluttershy in the other basket.
Replace the statue with Rarity
Both Rarity and Fluttershy get out of the pulley then put the statue back
Rarity enter the bottom basket with the statue and Applejack enter the top basket
Remove the statue and replace Applejack with Fluttershy
Replace Fluttershy with the statue
Fluttershy enter top basket

[Duckgame4life]

9238402
To simplify this
statue goes down
Fluttershy goes down, statue up
Rarity goes down, Fluttershy up
Statue goes down
Aj goes down, Rarity&statue go up
Now we have aj down, all the others up
Drop statue
Fluttershy down statue up
Rarity down Fluttershy up
Statue down
Fluttershy down Statue up
Then as Fluttershy leaves the statue will fall, thus all 4 get down safely

[Andy Ray]

...grain, chickens and wolves...

You have got to be kidding ! There had better be a twist!

[Andy Ray]

So it's not that one. OK...

Applejack: 370 pounds.
Rarity: 210 pounds.
Fluttershy: 180 pounds.
Statue: 150 pounds.

Fluttershy-statue and Fluttershy-Rarity seem pretty obvious, but how will Applejack get down? Rarity+statue vs Applejack should be fine...

Yeah, I think, it might work!

First drops the statue (it won't hurt it). Then goes Fluttershy, the statue slowing her descend down. Then Rarity dismantles the statue and hops in -- she's down, Fluttershy's up. It's only Applejack, Fluttershy and the statue in the tower.

The statue drops yet again, and Rarity settles in the basket with it. Applejack hops in and gets down, Rarity+statue get up. No it's them and Fluttershy up there.

The statue drops yet again (), and Fluttershy gets down, the statue gets up. Rarity dismantles the statue and hops in -- she's down, Fluttershy's up. Now Fluttershy pushes the statue through the window and into a basket (it'd be hard, but you can do it, Fluttershy !) -- it's down. The only thing left for Fluttershy to do is to hop in -- and she's down, and the beaten statue's up! Then she dismantles carefully, and everypony steps aside, for the statue drops the second Fluttershy touches the ground!

Hurray, they've escaped (and the statue has dropped 5 times )!