I learned about this little puzzle thing called Petals Around the Rose yesterday (via BoingBoing). It’s sort of a dice game where you have to figure out how to solve the puzzle as you go, and once you know how, you can’t tell anybody else. It took me a while to figure it out, because I tried to over-analyze it. In fact, it’s almost an accident that I figured it out at all, considering the line of thought I was trying to follow. Of course, now I’m sworn to secrecy, so I can’t tell you what that line of thought was…
The name of the game is Petals Around the Rose, and that name is significant. Newcomers to the game can be told that much. They can also be told that every answer is zero or an even number. They can also be told the answer for every throw of the dice that are used in the game. And that’s all the information they get.
The javascript app on the page listed above didn’t work for me in Firefox. I had to use the sample dice rolls detailed in the story about Bill Gates in order to figure it out. As I mentioned before, I’m sworn to secrecy about how to get the answers. But I will say that a child in first or second grade (or even a bright pre-schooler) could give you the answers, once they know the method.
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211 Comments
Tee hee hee. It is frustrating until you realize it. I have used this at parties to torment people to know end. We actually called it “Polar Bears Around the Ice Hole”:
“Polar Bears Around the Ice Hole: Like petals around a rose”—[roll dice]—”how many polar bears do you see?”
When playing this in person, be sure to move very quickly for the first ten rolls or so. I usually play with a group of people watching and pick up the dice after the first right answer is voiced.
There have been times that groups haven’t figured it out and pestered me for days …
never got one wrong. guess im a genius.
I’m kidda real stupid and have been trying this for over 3 months. I do give up and would like someone to tell me the secret. Please help Confounded and confused. Skip
kinda funny. http://www.freeworldgroup.com/games/roses/
it says that the quicker you catch on to this, the dumber you really are. so i guess mr. ethan there is a ****** *******
[edited by admin]
If you catch onto the game fast it doesn’t mean your dumb. It just means you can think in a more abstract manner than others and/or you are more creative than the average person.
I coded this game to play online..
http://www.binaryelysium.com/game/bear.php
I HAVE JUST STATED THIG GAME AND I HATE IT. IT IS SO COMPETTIVE. I HATE WHEN I LOSE OR DONT GET SOMETHING. PLEASE GIVE ME INFO.
I played this game for a while to figure it out. How the clue was told to me is this: “The game is in the name and the name of the game is Polar Bears Around the Icehole and in the days of Ghangis Khan, Petals Around a Rose Tree.” I would love to tell the secret, but I am sworn to absolute secrecy in the Polar Bear Club.
There is an extension to this trick. I believe it’s called roots and petals. If you know this one and know the real name, I would appreciate it. An example roll of five die would be: 5, 2, 2, 3, 1
In petals around the rose, the answer would be 6.
In petals and roots, the answer is 8.
ITS BORING ONCE U HAVE IT
it been a month… haay… its so hard. can you guys give me a clue? anyone?
OK…cut the BS…what is the rule to this silly game…to hell with how I think…I just want to know…
Ed. note: minor profanity edit
Thank you for not giving the answer to the riddle! I have found out that other websites with the polar bear riddle are expressing the answer. As a very pround polar bear, I think that by posting the answer you are taking away the true pride and joy of hte game!
Okay, I get it. It’s really hard. But nobody as yet has given a clue. Anybody wanna help a non-out-of-the-box thinker some help?
Hi im 12. I need help. I have been thinking and thinking but cant work it out. Can you please just give me the answer. THIS IS SO STUPID!
Think outside the box, stop thinking in terms of numbers. All you have to do is add.
hi i am so cofused even with the adding i tried different ways but just cant seem to grasp the concept of it. HELP THE CONFUSED ONES OUT PLEASE!
Now i have played this game for so long! and everyone gives me the same BS clues. Now i know i am smart but god forbide u dumbies will give me a better clue then always even and it is in the name. I dont care if the name is terds in the toilet plz just emial me the answer at ratedr10110@yahoo.com
THERE WILL BE A CASH REWARD!
yea i definetly tried adding and it’s not working!!
Cash reward? Oh dear! You 12 year olds just don’t know when to quit, do you? … And gosh forbide your dumbies plz in the intellagence genious! ;D
[Ed note: Sorry foks, but this was just too much information.]
The solution to this puzzle has nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with the word “around”
I got this on the 2nd go… It is soooo easy.
Cipher’s theory works, but i see no relation to the word around.
Once you figure out what the ROSE is, it is very simple and cipher’s clue also makes sense.
Ha. A good way to torment people is get four regular dice and then one red or other colord one. It took me three days.
Okay, these clues are coming dangerously close to giving the answer away. I’ve already deleted a couple of comments that gave the answer outright. I’m currently debating about deleting some of the other comments.
1) Please don’t spoil the fun by giving too much of the answer away.
2) Don’t feel dumb if you haven’t figured it out.
It’s really only obvious after you know the answer. And trying to over-analyze it will just drive you nuts. Even after I had figured out the math part, it took a while for the meaning of the name to sink in. But if you figure out the meaning of the name first, the math part will just click.
I will say this: It helps to use real dice (or at least pictures that look like dice) as opposed to just writing down the numbers. That’s the biggest clue I’m willing to give.
i have finally figured it out!!! thank you soo much cipher. as soon as i started getting the right answer i figured what the “around the rose thing was too. but he/she forgot to mention another number. (that technically dosent matter tho)
I have been trying for months now, and I still haven’t figured it out. I feel so dumb
haha.. i got it.. the rose is [...deleted by admin...] hahaa.. im just helpin everyone that doesnt know it out.. so yeah dont be mad.. n if you are.. aim= marbinlilpunk
(Ed. note: didn’t I ask everyone not to give the answer away?)
This is so neat. I found it easy (luck I guess)
Oh and the answer is …. 42
Anyone got links to executable forms of this say a windows program ??
Thanks
Chris Taylor
http://www.nerys.com/
got it, look at [...deleted...]!!!!
i think cipher’s clue makes it really obvious/basically gives away the answer.
here’s my clue..
“every rose has it torn” but not every face of the dice have its rose
good luck to the rest..
hey i need some facts i tried to get the answrer out of my friend kyle but he had to keep the game promise
i’ve been playing for 30 minutes straight and it’s killing me
Oh heck this is driving me nuts!!!
We’ve got a competition on in our Gifted and Talented group for the first person to work out the answer, so far none of us except our tutor has got it!!!!
So I need to think about “around” and what the rose is……
NO WAIT I’VE GOT IT
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOO
cheers for the clues
Yeah, once you get it down, it’s all good.
hahahahaha. i was really pissed and annoyed cause i couldnt get it. played for an hour or so. anyway, those who still cant get the answer, it really has nothing complicated like multiplying or dividing. simple addition and oh, remember the name of the game AROUND the rose (: good luck.
I figured it out but people tell me there are TWO ways to find it. Challenge urself tofind the answer TWO different ways
I worked it out after about 45 minutes but it had nothing to do with the name of the game. I just counted. Sorry if that doesn’t help anyone but there you go.
Yeahhh….wohoooo.
after 4 days, I finally got it
excellent puzzle
kinda stupid if u already got the solution
but it’s cool
got it
took me about 30 mins…i started on a website which gave 3 different coloured dice, and was taking that into account, doing all sorts of calculations. prime factors, digital roots etc for quite a while – i always overcomplicate things
i can see some justification in saying that less academic people will get this quicker than the more mathematically/scientifically able. to get it quickly either requires a very creative, open mind or a very lucky guess. and as we all know, noone with any creative talent is good at maths – and vice versa
tip for anyone who has been stuck for ages: why the 1?
just to clarify on my first paragraph – there were 5 dice of 3 different colours
then again, thats irrelevant, isnt it.
Figured this out in about 10 minutes by writing down pictures of the different combinations and figuring out what was different. Just tried to remember it was SIMPLE!
This game had me hokked for like 2 months,IT WAS DRIVING ME MAD.
God damn how simple it is when you know the point tought.
it’s BRILLIANT!
got it
Hi…i just found this game out today and i read all of your guys comments. But it makes absolutely no sence. So let me get this straight. All the solutions have even numbers or zero, AROUND is a big clue for some reason, all you have to do is add, every rose has it torn†but not every face of the dice have its rose (whatever that means), use real dice, question: what is “pedals and roots” supposed to mean? and how can it have nothing to do with numbers if adding is the art of combining numbers. any way all of these clues are doing nothing and i know “you’ve sworn to secrecy” but still son’t say the exact solution but say something that win’t confuse ppl. it makes me feel stupider that i am…oh and what waz cypher’s that gave it away…it just says that “[Ed note: Sorry foks, but this was just too much information.]” ok well i’m gonna go give this thing another try,,,but i don’t see how it’s going to work. Oh and one more question…does it have anything to do with identical numbers in the set of rolled die? ex 54757
Crazy game… i was with three friends… two of them knew the game and my other friend and I didn’t. Took both of us around 2 hrs to figure it out. Even with sutile clues still couldn’t get it. Finally did after they told me to look at each individual dice. See it that helps. And remember the name of the game.
omg i still dont get it
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My brother is going to freak out when he reads this: Petals Around the Rose . Say it with me, Doug: “Polar Bears Around the Ice Hole: Like petals around a rose, how many polar bears do you see?†Doug tormented me off-and-on for a good week with this when I was 14 or 15. I
in order to figure it out. As I mentioned before, I’m sworn to secrecy about how to get the answers. But I will say that a child in first or second grade (or even a bright pre-schooler) could give you the answers, once they know the method. View source article
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Petals Around the Rose…
My brother is going to freak out when he reads this: Petals Around the Rose.
Say it with me, Doug: “Polar Bears Around the Ice Hole: Like petals around a rose, how many polar bears do you see?”
Doug tormented me off-and-on for a good week w…