This clever riddle occasionally makes its way around the internet and is often used as an interview question to test logical thinking and problem-solving skills. At first, it sounds like a simple counting exercise, but the answer requires understanding how pages are arranged in a book.

Here is the challenge: A boy was playing with a book and tore out pages numbered 7, 8, 100, 101, 222, and 223. How many pages did he actually remove? Most people would immediately answer six, assuming each number represents a separate sheet of paper. However, the trick is in how books are printed.

Each sheet of paper contains two numbered pages, one on each side. Even-numbered pages are generally printed on the left, while odd-numbered pages appear on the right. This means pages 7 and 8 are actually printed on opposite sides of the same sheet. Similarly, pages 99 and 100 share one sheet, while pages 101 and 102 share another. The same principle applies to pages 221–222 and 223–224.

Once you group the numbers correctly, the answer becomes clear. The boy removed five sheets of paper in total, not six. It’s a simple but clever example of how looking beyond the obvious can completely change the way we approach a problem.