This classic trick question says: Tom’s father has three sons. Two of them are named John and Mike. What is the name of the third son?
The answer is Tom.
The clue is given at the very beginning: the man is described as “Tom’s father.” That means Tom is one of his sons. So if the other two sons are John and Mike, the third son must be Tom.
The riddle works because your attention is pulled toward the list of names at the end, and many people start trying to guess another name. But no guessing is needed. The answer is already hidden in the first few words.
It is a good reminder that in simple riddles, the most important clue may appear before the question itself.
