The Key by the Library Window
At closing time, a librarian finds that the archive key was tucked beneath one of four reading desks. The desks stand in a straight row with fixed positions, so the closing notes can identify the hiding place without relying on a vague idea of distance.
Your task
Under which desk is the archive key?
- 1
From the stairs toward the far wall, the desks are ordered Stair, Clock, Plant, then Window.
- 2
The key was neither under the Clock desk nor at the desk farthest from the stairs.
- 3
The key was farther from the stairs than the Clock desk was.
Solution revealed
Solution
The answer: Plant desk
The fixed order makes the distances explicit: Stair is first, Clock second, Plant third, and Window fourth. A location farther from the stairs than Clock must therefore be Plant or Window. The key was not at the farthest desk, which rules out Window, and it was not under Clock. Stair also fails the farther-than-Clock condition. Plant is the only desk that satisfies all three clues.
Read the complete solution reasoning (spoiler)
Why this answer is the only fit
Plant desk is correct.
The fixed order makes the distances explicit: Stair is first, Clock second, Plant third, and Window fourth. A location farther from the stairs than Clock must therefore be Plant or Window. The key was not at the farthest desk, which rules out Window, and it was not under Clock. Stair also fails the farther-than-Clock condition. Plant is the only desk that satisfies all three clues.
Original RankDaily puzzle · Manually reviewed · Last updated 20 7 月, 2026