Frodo ventures into a thick fog where he is to meet his three companions: Sam, Merry, and Pippin. He can tell they are standing in a row before him – one on the left, one in the middle, and one on the right – but he cannot see who is who. To help, he asks each of them to speak.
Remember: Sam always lies, Merry always tells the truth, and Pippin sometimes lies and sometimes tells the truth.
Here is what Frodo hears:
The one on the left says: “Merry is next to me.”
The one on the right says: “The person who just spoke is Pippin.”
The one in the middle says: “On my left is Sam.”
Can you work out who is standing on Frodo’s left, in the middle, and on the right?