The Burning Field

[Blueboy]

Yet another one:

Two boys are playing football outside a field of wheat which 12 foot high walls surrounding it. The boys each stand 5 feet tall. One of the boys kicks the ball over the wall, into the field. Both boys then run through a door into the field to retrieve it.

Once inside they discover 2 things. The door can only be open from the outside, there is no handle on the inside of the door, so it cannot be reopened. Also, to the north of the field, there is a fire burning steadily in a line from east to west. The fire is slowly travelling southwards, towards them.

The field is 100 ft by 100 ft. There is now no way out of the field, no way of jumping over the fire or quenching it.

Within half an hour the fire will reach them, if they do nothing, they will be burnt alive.

How can they save themselves from this fire?

[MatydaLover]

cut down the wheat? as in a fire-break?

[wibnif]

I keep thinking that the size of the field maybe has some clue to solving this? It doesn't say that the boys are at the southernmost edge of the field - only that the fire will reach them in 30 minutes. They could get more time to deal with the problem if they run south down the field - but that still doesn't resolve the situation!

[Reverandfunk]

can they door be re-opened from the side they are now on?

[Reverandfunk]

Is the door shut lol

[stewey]

Blue, you stated that "to the north OF the field, there is a fire burning......". That implies that the fire is not IN the wheat field. So, if the field is surrounded by a wall, the fire cannot get to the boys.............am I getting warm?

[B00]

Now if only they had three melons, all would be well ;-)

[Reverandfunk]

Boo stop talking about your melons lol

[stewey]

Nice one, BOO..............But then, on the other hand, maybe they're both nice.

[stewey]

Ok, it's a square field surrounded by twelve one foot high walls. That means each side is surrounded by three one foot high walls. These five feet tall boys can just step over the walls!

[phizzy]

hi blueboy - i think stewey may be on a winner, but if not how's about (assuming the door is closed)
1. the boys have a friend outside and he or she opens the door.
2, there is a window in the door and they simply open that to get out.
3. if they have (as it seems) at least half an hour before the flames get to them, this would give them plenty time to build steps or a 'block' from the wheat so that one of them could scale the wall and open the door. Tadaaaaaaa?
i bet these are all wrong - phizzy

[brendon2307d]

"phone a friend"?

[phizzy]

good'n brendon2307d - wish i'd thought of that one

[phizzy]

i think i've cracked it - one of the boys had a blue peter badge and pulled out a self inflating, self erecting ladder and said (all together now) "here's one i made earlier" !

[Blueboy]

The door is firmly closed, the walls surrounding the field are 12 foot high. They cannot contact anyone, they have no tools or anything to help them, there are no windows or holes in the wall. They are trapped in the field, roughly in the middle, so the fire will take half an hour to reach them. If they do nothing they will be burnt alive, so what do they do??

[stewey]

Wait a minute..........hold on! If the door cannot be opened from the inside, the farmer (along with his tractor) who planted the wheat must still be in there. They all climb onto the tractor; the friendly farmer boosts the boys over the wall, and then clambers over himself. The boys go home for for tea, and he goes to claim on his crop and equipment insurance!

[B00]

hehe, this is why i love ya stewy.

well ok perhaps not love, more like?

Ummm still not right....

Oh ok...you're ok, I guess ;-)

[Blueboy]

Stewey, who said the Farmer was clever, or that he could squeeze a Tractor through an average door (which he can't bty). Just for you, the farmer has gone to have it out with the people who bult the wall, leaving the boys trapped inside. No one knows they are there, not even their parents who have gone for juggling lessons.

How can the boys save themselves?

[stewey]

If ya don't help me outta this field, BOO, I won't be ok........I'll be more like and old flame!

[oldgrape]

give us a clue this has been doing my head in all day

has it got anything to do with the dirrection of the fire???

[stewey]

Well, Blue, if they do NOTHING they'll be burnt alive, so I guess they'll have to do SOMETHING.......I'll let you know what as soon as I've finished my wheatabix.