A Mad Tea Party

There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it. A Dormouse was fast asleep, and the other  were using it as a cushion resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head.

'Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,'  thought Alice; 'only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.'

The table was a large one, but they cried out 'No room! No room!' when they saw Alice coming.

'There's plenty of room!' said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair.

'Have some wine,' the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. 'I don't see any wine,' she remarked.

'There isn't any,' said the March Hare.

'Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily.

'It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,' said the March Hare.

'I didn't know it was your table,' said Alice; 'it's laid for a great many more than three.'

'I want a clean cup,' said the Hatter abruptly 'let's all move.'

Everyone moved on as he spoke. The Hatter was the only one who got any advantage from the change, and Alice was a good deal worse off than before.

The Mad Tea Party table is round, and has eight chairs, one at each of the cardinal and intermediate directions (N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW) like so:


Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Dormouse and the March Hare are seated in the chairs at the cardinal directions (i.e. they are sitting in the North, East, South and West chairs, although not necessarily in that order).

The Mad Hatter suddenly proposes that everyone move, so the following actions take place in the following order:

  1. Alice moves to the seat directly between the Mad Hatter and the March Hare;
  2. Then the Mad Hatter moves to the seat directly between the Dormouse and the March Hare;
  3. Then the Dormouse moves to the next seat clockwise from the chair the Mad Hatter just vacated;
  4. Then the March Hare moves to the Southeastern chair.
After everyone has moved, Alice realizes that although they all occupy new chairs, the order of the party, going clockwise around the table, hasn't changed.  In other words, the next person clockwise around the table from Alice is the same as it was before they moved, and the next person clockwise from him  is the same, and so on.

First Number
The first digit = the March Hare's chair before the move
the second digit = the Dormouse's chair after the move

Second Number
The first digit = the Dormouse's chair before the move
the second digit = the Mad Hatter's chair after the move

Third Number
The first digit = the Mad Hatter's chair before the move
the second digit =Alice's chair before the move

To Open the Lock

1. Turn the dial right three complete turns, then stop at the first number;
2. Turn dial left one complete turn, the continue on to the second number;
3. Turn dial right to the third number.  Pull lock downwards.

Clue 5 Solution