Escape from Monster

A swan sits at the center of a perfectly circular lake. At an edge of the lake stands a ravenous monster waiting to devour the swan. The monster can not enter the water, but it will run around the circumference of the lake to try to catch the swan as soon as it reaches the shore. The monster moves at 4 times the speed of the swan, and it will always move in the direction along the shore that brings it closer to the swan the quickest. Both the swan and the the monster can change directions in an instant.
The swan knows that if it can reach the lake's shore without the monster right on top of it, it can instantly escape into the surrounding forest.

How can the swan successfully escape?




Similar Riddles

Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All 4 cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?

Asked by Neha on 11 Aug 2025


It spends most of its day eating white, but when it’s quick enough, it gets to eat fruit and sometimes some blue things. It’s in a dark room, where the walls are blue, it runs from a ghost that roams the halls and haunts it all the time. What is it?

Asked by Neha on 30 May 2025

Rob is taller than Edwin, and Jurgen is shorter than Rob.
Of only one of the following statements, we now certainly know it is correct:

A.Edwin is taller than Jurgen
B.Jurgen is taller than Edwin
C.It cannot be determined if Jurgen or Edwin is the tallest.

Asked by Neha on 01 Mar 2024


Spot the cat in the picture below

Spot the Cat

Asked by Neha on 11 Apr 2021

You measure my life in hours
I serve you by expiring
I vanish faster when I am thin
and slower when I am thick
The wind is my energy
What am I?

Asked by Neha on 14 May 2021

What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

Asked by Neha on 20 Oct 2025


By removing one matchstick and adding one matchstick, can you convert the word "ZOO" to an animal name?

Zoo Matchsticks Riddle

Asked by Neha on 27 May 2023

Replace the question mark with the correct number.

Replace the question mark

Asked by Neha on 09 May 2023

Some friends went on a vacation to a resort. It was raining heavily and it kept raining for thirteen days.

When it rained in the morning, the afternoon was beautiful and when it rained in the afternoon, the day was blessed with a clear morning.

Overall, the friends experienced eleven nice mornings and twelve nice afternoons. Can you find out the number of days they spent on vacation?

Asked by Neha on 08 Jun 2024


You are presented with three boxes. One of them has a red ball inside and the other two have a black ball inside each of them. You are asked to pick up the one with red ball and you pick one. Now, one of the other boxes is opened and it is found to have a black ball.

You are presented with a chance to change your box with the one that is left closed. Will you change your box? Why or why not?

Asked by Neha on 15 Apr 2023

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Rubik’s Cube

The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube didn’t realize he’d built a puzzle until he scrambled it the first time and tried to restore it.