Mixed-category word puzzle (sparrows–pigeons–ducks): Compute the total birds from “all … but six” clues. A shooter says: “There were all sparrows but six , all pigeons but six , and all ducks but six in the bag.” Treat the …

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Mixed-category word puzzle (sparrows–pigeons–ducks): Compute the total birds from “all … but six” clues. A shooter says: “There were all sparrows but six, all pigeons but six, and all ducks but six in the bag.” Treat the birds as only three types: sparrows, pigeons, ducks. How many birds are there in total? Choose the correct number.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 9

Explanation:

Let totals be

Total = T; counts: S (sparrows), P (pigeons), D (ducks).

Translate statements
“All sparrows but six” ⇒ non-sparrows = 6 ⇒ T − S = 6.Similarly, T − P = 6 and T − D = 6.Hence S = P = D = T − 6 (all three equal).

Compute
T = S + P + D = 3(T − 6) ⇒ T = 3T − 18 ⇒ 2T = 18 ⇒ T = 9.

Final Answer
9

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