BUYING CHESTNUTS.
(
Money Puzzles)
Though the following little puzzle deals with the purchase of chestnuts,
it is not itself of the "chestnut" type. It is quite new. At first sight
it has certainly the appearance of being of the "nonsense puzzle"
character, but it is all right when properly considered.
A man went to a shop to buy chestnuts. He said he wanted a pennyworth,
and was given five chestnuts. "It is not enough; I ought to have a
sixth," he remarked! "But if I give you one chestnut more." the shopman
replied, "you will have five too many." Now, strange to say, they were
both right. How many chestnuts should the buyer receive for half a
crown?
Answer:
In solving this little puzzle we are concerned with the exact
interpretation of the words used by the buyer and seller. I will give
the question again, this time adding a few words to make the matter more
clear. The added words are printed in italics.
"A man went into a shop to buy chestnuts. He said he wanted a
pennyworth, and was given five chestnuts. 'It is not enough; I ought to
have a sixth _of a chestnut more_,' he remarked. 'But if I give you one
chestnut more,' the shopman replied, 'you will have _five-sixths_ too
many.' Now, strange to say, they were both right. How many chestnuts
should the buyer receive for half a crown?"
The answer is that the price was 155 chestnuts for half a crown. Divide
this number by 30, and we find that the buyer was entitled to 5+1/6
chestnuts in exchange for his penny. He was, therefore, right when he
said, after receiving five only, that he still wanted a sixth. And the
salesman was also correct in saying that if he gave one chestnut more
(that is, six chestnuts in all) he would be giving five-sixths of a
chestnut in excess.
