Honestants and Swindlecants #9 (Solution)

Have you got your answer? Let’s compare with mine.

It’s said that the gringo asked one of two aborigines whom wanted to talk to him, “Is at least one of you an Honestant?” After the answer, there was no doubt. Who are they and who answered?

Let’s analyze!

There are 2 persons here (just call them M and N) we have to judge whether they’re Honestants or a Swindlecants. There are 4 possibilities of combination of them. Here they are:

M and N are Honestants (2 Honestants).

M is an Honestant, while N is a Swindlecant (1 Honestant).

M is a Swindlecant, while N is an Honestant (1 Honestant).

M and N are Swindlecants (no Honestant).

The first 3-possibilities fulfill requirement for a “Yes” answer. But, what did they actually answer? And who answered?

Now, let’s guess that they might answer:

We don’t know who the gringo asked, whether M or N. so, there are 8 possibilities of answers.

From the table we can see that 6 of 8 might answer “Yes” no matter who he is (an Honestant or a Swindlecant). It must make the gringo confused. Now, let’s see the other 2 possibilities which the answers are “No”. And we know that “No” answers came out from a Swindlecant only. It’s the only one reason why the gringo felt no doubt anymore. He knew that one of them is an Honestant and another one is a Swindlecant, and the Swindlecant must be the one who answered.

Finally, we know who they are, a combination of Honestant and Swindlecant. And the one who answered is the Swindlecant.

P.S.: This brain teaser I copied from Brain Teasers (http://brainden.com/logic-problems.htm). Just on click on that link, then you’ll get more brain teasers to tease your brain or even just to ease your boring day. When you get stuck, you can visit brain teasers forum to get extra “clues” from them whom have tried to solve it (but for me, it’s better to do it by myself as I did in solving this quiz).