The Visit of the Magi

As Christmas approached in 1997, I placed the following little logic puzzle here to give people something to test their wits against over the Christmas holidays. The solution is given below.

The four wise men have arrived in Bethlehem and ... Sorry, did you say something? Oh, I see! Yes, well, I know that everyone talks about three wise men; but the Bible doesn't actually state that that's how many there were; so I'm saying that (for the purpose of this puzzle, at any rate) there were four. Ok?... Right, I'll start again!

The four magi have arrived in Bethlehem, but they are all staying at different inns in either North or South Bethlehem. That's not too surprising, given that the only thing they have in common is that each has followed the same star for a considerable distance to find out (a) where it leads and (b) who is the new-born king waiting for them at the end of the journey. Each, in fact, has a different field of expertise; each favours a different drink; and each has brought a different gift for the infant king when they find him. (The gifts they bring are, by the bye, not necessarily the gifts that St Augustine — and the popular carol — attributes to them).

1. Caspar likes neither wine nor beer.

2. The magus staying at the Rollicking Rook (which is on the other side of town to the Laughing Locust) has no time for philosophy.

3. The wise man bearing a gift of myrrh hates to drink water.

4. The wine-drinking magus has no interest in sociology.

5. The magus at the Giddy Goat (which is in South Bethlehem) thinks Melchior is a pompous ass.

6. The Staggering Starling is in North Bethlehem.

7. The wise man with a gift of frankincense is wishing he knew more about astronomy.

8. The spirit-drinker thinks theology is bunk, and the magus bearing a gift of myrrh thinks the same about sociology.

9. Caspar refused to stay at the Giddy Goat.

10. The philosopher owes Ptolemy fifty denarii.

11. The theologian has vowed never to drink wine, and wine gives the philosopher heartburn.

12. The Laughing Locust is in North Bethlehem and Melchior is older than the magus staying at that inn.

13. Ptolemy is much cleverer than the magus with a gift of rubies.

14. The spirit-drinker is younger than Caspar.

15. The magus with a gift of frankincense has never set foot in South Bethlehem.

16. Neither of the magi staying in North Bethlehem drinks spirits.

17. Balthasar has stabled his camel at the Staggering Starling which is the inn next door to the one at which he is staying.

18. The magus who only drinks water gets it from a nearby spring in South Bethlehem.

19. The wise man bringing gold is the cleverest of all the magi.

20. The beer-drinker rides a horse.

21. One of the magi is staying at the Dancing Donkey.

The questions you must answer are these. Which magus is at which inn? What is his specialist subject? What does he prefer to drink? And what gift has he brought for the Christ-child?

Answer!