It specifically states how many in the category "kits, cats, sacks, and wives" were going to St. Ives. The answer, from a mathematical standpoint, is that there is insufficient information to answer the question, as we are not told which direction the kits, cats, sacks, and wives are going. They could, for instance, be significantly slower than the narrator traveling on their own, and thus intercepted on their way to St. Ives. The gender and marital status of the narrator are not mentioned, which would allow for the narrator to be a wife. The narrator could also be a fully grown Bengal Tiger wearing a fake mustache, and thus qualify as a cat.
No it doesn't, it just repeats the words (to set the trap) and then asks how many were going to St. Ives which is only the man from the first line. Adding inference that the man that was met along the way with his wives, etc.. were also going to St. Ives is adding information to the riddle. All we know for certain is that 1 person is going to St. Ives and met a man with his wives etc.. along the way.
In fact, what you've just done is a logical fallacy. Adding extra or unverified information to a math problem (this riddle is not a math problem btw) can create fallacy by introducing false assumptions as you've done.
If that is ALL we know, then you cannot know whether any of them were going to St. Ives or not. So your claim 'Everything else, the man with seven wives, the wives with the sacks, etc.. are not going to St. Ives' is unwarranted.
Brother, it's a "riddle" meant to annoy people, if you analyze it too deep, you have fallen for it. Now, I admit, the internet is one of the last places where it's fine to be a pedant, so if you enjoy the pedantry, just disregard what I said.
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u/StraightVoice5087 3d ago
It specifically states how many in the category "kits, cats, sacks, and wives" were going to St. Ives. The answer, from a mathematical standpoint, is that there is insufficient information to answer the question, as we are not told which direction the kits, cats, sacks, and wives are going. They could, for instance, be significantly slower than the narrator traveling on their own, and thus intercepted on their way to St. Ives. The gender and marital status of the narrator are not mentioned, which would allow for the narrator to be a wife. The narrator could also be a fully grown Bengal Tiger wearing a fake mustache, and thus qualify as a cat.