As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits:
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were there going to St. Ives?
Hints for Solving the Riddle:
Hint 1: Focus on the very first line and think about who is definitely mentioned as traveling to St. Ives. It’s important to note the direction of travel.
Hint 2: Consider the encounter described in the riddle. Was it mentioned that the man with the wives (and all that followed) was also heading to St. Ives, or could they have been going somewhere else?
Hint 3: Reflect on the purpose of the description of wives, sacks, cats, and kits. Could these details be a distraction from the main point of the riddle?
Hint 4: This riddle is known for its tricky nature. Are the numbers important to solving it, or are they there to lead you astray?
Hint 5: Think about the simplest answer that could be true based on the information explicitly given. What is the minimum number of people you know for certain are going to St. Ives?
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