Personal Comment: This Does not have an answer. It is a true Enigma.

The unexpected hanging

Story:A prisoner is told that he will be hanged on some day between Monday and Friday, but that he will not know on which day the hanging will occur before it happens. He cannot be hanged on Friday, because if he were still alive on Thursday, he would know that the hanging will occur on Friday, but he has been told he will not know the day of his hanging in advance. He cannot be hanged Thursday for the same reason, and the same argument shows that he cannot be hanged on any other day either. Nevertheless, the executioner unexpectedly arrives on some day other than Friday, surprising the prisoner.

Question:The Prisoner had to be hung on a suprising day. What day was it?

Solution:There is none!

But Note that:

Since he figures he can't be hung, then this leaves him to be unexpecting which might get him hung anyway!

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