Post by brimfin on Oct 4, 2017 1:33:29 GMT
For #2: well, gee whiz. As you once told me, "I frankly can't think of any explanation that anyone could come up with that wouldn't have flaws in it. I just did it for the fun and the challenge. If I were writing a novel or short story with this premise, then I'd want to delve into how I could change the narrative until it was something as plausible as I could get." It's just a puzzle, and all puzzles ask for some degree of suspension of disbelief, especially in solution; certainly, every single one posted on here has done so.
And, by the by, I've worked with kids that age, and--in my experience--they would try something very similar. They've certainly tried it before on me. "Oh, no, we never did that... You've gotta be remembering it wrong." I didn't do what the teacher did, of course, but the point stands.
Correct on #3.
While I thought that premise was a little over the top, admittedly one of my guesses (about the kids breaking into the teacher's office) was more based on TV shows kids than real life. I don't doubt that kids would try to con the teacher on some points; I just thought they would know that trying such a con on an important assignment like that was doomed to failure. But then, according to your riddle, that exactly what happened to them. I also grant that since you were a teacher once that does give you some insight I wouldn't have in the matter. Maybe it wasn't as far fetched a premise as I thought.