Tax Collection Custom

A research team went to a village somewhere between the jungles of Africa. Luckily for them, they reached the day when quite an interesting custom was to be performed. The custom was performed once a year as they confirmed and was performed in order to collect the taxes from every male of the region.

The taxes were to be paid in the form of grains. Everyone must pay pounds of grain equaling his respective age. This means a 20-year-old will have to pay 20 pounds of grain and a 30-year-old will pay 30 pounds of grain and so on.

The chief who collects the tax has 7 weights and a large 2-pan scale to weigh. But there is another custom that the chief can weigh only three of the seven weights.

Can you find out the weights of the seven weights? Also, what is the maximum age of the man that can be weighed for the payment of taxes?




Similar Riddles

If you toss a coin 10 times and it lands heads up every time, what are the chances it will land heads up if you toss it again?

Asked by Neha on 23 Sep 2021


Four people need to cross a rickety bridge at night. Unfortunately, they have only one torch and the bridge is too dangerous to cross without one. The bridge is only strong enough to support two people at a time. Not all people take the same time to cross the bridge. Times for each person: 1 min, 2 mins, 7 mins and 10 mins. What is the shortest time needed for all four of them to cross the bridge?

Asked by Neha on 24 Aug 2023

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


There is a basket full of hats. Three are white and two are black. Three men, Tom, Tim, and Jim, each take a hat out of the basket and put it on their heads without seeing the hat they selected or the hats the other men selected. The men arrange themselves so Tom can see Tim and Jim’s hats, Tim can see Jim’s hat, and Jim can’t see anyone’s hat. Tom is asked what color his hat is and he says he doesn’t know. Tim is asked the same question, and he also doesn’t know. Finally, Jim is asked the question, and he does know. What colour is his hat?

Asked by Neha on 06 Jun 2025

What does Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?

Asked by Neha on 17 Jul 2025

John, Jack and Jill are in a desert. John doesn't like Jill and hence decides to murder him. He poisons the water supply of Jill. Since it is a desert area, Jill must drink or he will die of thirst.

Jack does not know of the actions of John and also decides to murder Jill. To succeed in his ill motives, he removes the water supply of Jill so he dies of thirst.

Jill dies due to thirst. Who murdered Jill?

Asked by Neha on 08 Aug 2023


A man is approaching a broad and barren land. He has a package with him. If somehow, he is unable to open the package before reaching the land, he will die.

Can you guess what is present in the package?

Asked by Neha on 17 May 2025

What country can make you shiver?

Asked by Neha on 08 Oct 2024

You have a square. What you have to do is cut and reassemble the square such that you create a Red Cross sign that has the same volume as that of the square.

Red Cross Sign Riddle

Asked by Neha on 08 Nov 2025


As you can see that fifteen matches have been used to form an arrangement. What you have to do is remove any six of them to make them ten.

Make the Word TEN

Asked by Neha on 14 May 2021

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Crossword

The day before the 1996 U.S. presidential election, the NYT Crossword contained the clue “Lead story in tomorrow’s newspaper,” the puzzle was built so that both electoral outcomes were correct answers, requiring 7 other clues to have dual responses.