please help me with this riddle.

[mowgli]

ok, this is an old riddle. its about a thousand years old. it is documented in most modern cultures.

here goes...

a farmer has a fox, a goose & a bag of beans. he needs to get across a river, but the boat can only carry him & one other item... obviously, he can't leave the fox & goose together, or the goose will die. also he can't leave the goose & beans together, or the beans will get eaten...

what is the smallest number of trips he can take to cross the river with all three ???

I am asking this because I saw it on a tv show last week (death in paradise), and me & the kids had some fun with it.. I then went on wiki & corrected the 'official' answer.. I have been having a running battle for the last week with this person who thinks that because I can't find 'my' solution printed in some encyclopaedia, it is not a real answer...

so folks, give it a little time & some thought & lets see what you come up with

thanks..

[Peredur]

I come up with 7 crossings

Goose over
Back empty
Fox over
Goose back
Beans over
Back empty
Goose over

[SGA33]

I get 7 crossings as well but your edit on wiki had me laughing.

[bazzap8389]

I come up with 7 crossings

You mean wikipedia came up with 7 crossings

[mowgli]

I came up with a lot less than 7, so keep working...

[SGA33]

Bag of beans thrown over then fox over then goose over so thats 3.
Even the misses is trying to work out ways.

[bazzap8389]

Throw the beans, make the goose fly over and take the fox on the boat.

[Stuart]

I see no wiki edit.

id love to see your "lot" less than 7

[mowgli]

i'll keep it going for a while longer......

[Jack]

Surely the farmer would shoot the fox?