Life is a Test: A Series of Pony Logic Puzzles

by Brony_of_Brody

Fatal And May Even Cause Death

Ponyville may have had a few problems, regular invasions from evil forces notwithstanding, but Ponyville General Hospital certainly wasn't one of them. It was where any sick pony, young or old, could visit and be patched up by some of the finest staff around town. From broken bones to a bad case of the trots (although some of the ridiculously obscure diseases were left to the zebra on the outskirts of town).

It was on one such day that a nurse, who had finished her rounds for the day, found herself chatting to two friends of hers, a smart looking brown stallion in a bowtie, and a grey pegasus with a wonky eye.

"...and that's when I said, 'But out of context conversations are the best part!'" Time Turner said with a grin.

"Well, obviously. Low effort punchlines are just so easy..."

The conversation was suddenly interrupted by Derpy's face turning a slight green colour, followed by the grey mare starting to sway on her hooves.

"Miss Hooves!" gasped Nurse Redheart.

"Ah, yes," Time Turner's grin faded. "I did expect her to come down with something. Especially after the Space Mines..."

"What?"

"Don't ask." Time Turner reached into his bowtie and pulled out two glass jars, both containing what appeared to be small white pills. "Gotta love the bowtie. Bigger on the inside. Anyway, I know what this is, and I've got the medicine for it."

"Seriously?" Derpy croaked out. "Gimme." And she reached her grey hooves out and swiped the jars from Time Turner. "Oi!" he protested.

Derpy then poured out two pills from the AR jar and one from the AS jar, and with considerable effort, raised the pills to her mouth...before collapsing to the floor with a somewhat darker green look across her face.

"Okay...well, this hurts about six fourteenths as much as I thought it would..."

"Oh goodness..." Nurse Redheart said with grim determination. "I suppose I'll have to administer it then."

She picked up the pills. "Okay..." Nurse Redheart looked down at the medicine in her hoof. "So I give the patient all three of these pills in her hoof then?"

"All THREE?"

"Well, yes? There's three pills here."

"Wait, let me see..." Time Turner stared at Nurse Redheart's outstretched hoof. Sure enough, there were three identical looking pills lying there. "Horseapples."

"What's the problem?" she asked. "Not the right dosage?"

"MMmmmmmm...sort of." Time Turner said nervously. "See...one pill is AR and one pill is AS. Two different meds that work together and need to be taken at once to counter the poison. Except they both look the same. Same size, same colour, weight, smell, IQ, ATM number, dental records and favourite food."

"Out of EVERY zenith of sheer improbability WHY!?" Nurse Redheart shrieked.

"Very poor communication between staff apparently."

"What happens if the dose is incorrect?" Nurse Redheart was almost dreading the answer.

"Well, then Derpy joins the great open meadow in the sky. Instantly." Time Turner nodded. "Almost instant anyway. Fascinating really."

"What sort of idiot would make medicine that can kill a pony?"

"Every medicine in high enough doses can. Not difficult," Time Turner replied, rather dryly.

"Um...Doc?" Derpy weakly raised a hoof. "Still poisoned here."

"Yes, I know dear, we're trying to figure out how to solve this little dilemma." Time Turner rubbed his chin with his hoof.

"There's an extra AR pill in there if it helps..."

"FOR CELESTIA'S SAKE!" Nurse Redheart threw up her hooves in exasperation. "Can't you just throw these ones away and get two new ones?"

"But what if we need them later?" Time Turner pointed out.

"What are the odds it WOULD happen again?"

"What are the odds two independent chemists would make two identical looking pills down to even the little red stripe across each one? It would be the absolute zenith of sheer improbability, but it happened anyway."

"Forget this! Let me just give her the right medicine..."

"Fine. We play it your way. But I still say we could do this the most efficient way..."

"I can't believe I'm going to croak...because of a logical...problem..." Derpy weakly groaned out.

Author's Note:

Well. What are the odds? High, if the winds of drama are in your favour. Anyway, here's what you must work with:

1. Two types of pills, AR and AS, that are indistinguishable from each other.

2. One of each pill is needed to cure Derpy.

3. Derpy messes up and adds one more AR pill to the pile, making three pills.

PUZZLE: How can Derpy take the correct dosage of each pill without wasting any other pills?

Comments

[WolfWatcher7]

Add another AS pill then cut all the pills in half then take one half of all the pills???

[Duckgame4life]

cut each pill into 3, and thake 2/3 of each pill?

[Gadgetphile]

"There's an extra AR pill in there if it helps..."

I really hope that's an AS pill, otherwise you can't solve it.

[Andy Ray]

I've got nothing... I hope, Derpy's OK!.. .