The Nun's Puzzle
"I trow there be not one among ye," quoth the Nun, on a later occasion, "that doth not know that many monks do oft pass the time in play at certain games, albeit they be not lawful for them...
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Those Fifteen Sheep.
A certain cyclopaedia has the following curious problem, I am told:
"Place fifteen sheep in four pens so that there shall be the same number
of sheep in each pen." No answer whatever is vouchsafed, so I thought...
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The Torn Number.
I had the other day in my possession a label bearing the number 3 0 2 5
in large figures. This got accidentally torn in half, so that 3 0 was on
one piece and 2 5 on the other, as shown on the illustration. On ...
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The Eight Engines.
The diagram represents the engine-yard of a railway company under
eccentric management. The engines are allowed to be stationary only at
the nine points indicated, one of which is at present vacant. It is
requi...
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The Bag Of Nuts.
Three boys were given a bag of nuts as a Christmas present, and it was
agreed that they should be divided in proportion to their ages, which
together amounted to 171/2 years. Now the bag contained 770 nuts, and...
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Concerning Wheels.
There are some curious facts concerning the movements of wheels that are
apt to perplex the novice. For example: when a railway train is
travelling from London to Crewe certain parts of the train at any given
m...
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A Charitable Bequest.
A man left instructions to his executors to distribute once a year
exactly fifty-five shillings among the poor of his parish; but they were
only to continue the gift so long as they could make it in different
w...
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The Costermonger's Puzzle.
"How much did yer pay for them oranges, Bill?"
"I ain't a-goin' to tell yer, Jim. But I beat the old cove down
fourpence a hundred."
"What good did that do yer?"
"Well, it meant five more oranges on every ten s...
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The Cyclists' Feast.
'Twas last Bank Holiday, so I've been told,
Some cyclists rode abroad in glorious weather.
Resting at noon within a tavern old,
They all agreed to have a feast together.
"Put it all in o...
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The Riddle Of The Crusaders
On another occasion a certain knight, Sir Ralph de Bohun, was a guest of the monks at Riddlewell Abbey. Towards the close of a sumptuous repast he spoke as follows:—
"My Lord Abbot, kno...
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The Wrong Hats.
"One of the most perplexing things I have come across lately," said Mr.
Wilson, "is this. Eight men had been dining not wisely but too well at a
certain London restaurant. They were the last to leave, but not o...
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The Haberdasher's Puzzle
Many attempts were made to induce the Haberdasher, who was of the party, to propound a puzzle of some kind, b...
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Immovable Pawns.
Starting from the ordinary arrangement of the pieces as for a game, what
is the smallest possible number of moves necessary in order to arrive at
the following position? The moves for both sides must, of course...
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The Crescent Puzzle.
Here is an easy geometrical puzzle. The crescent is formed by two
circles, and C is the centre of the larger circle. The width of the
crescent between B and D is 9 inches, and between E and F 5 inches. What
are...
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A Puzzle For Card-players.
Twelve members of a club arranged to play bridge together on eleven
evenings, but no player was ever to have the same partner more than
once, or the same opponent more than twice. Can you draw up a scheme
showi...
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Under The Mistletoe Bough
"At the party was a widower who has but lately come into these parts," says the record; "and, to be sure, he was an exceedingly melancholy man, for he did sit away from the company during t...
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The Two Trains.
I put this little question to a stationmaster, and his correct answer
was so prompt that I am convinced there is no necessity to seek talented
railway officials in America or elsewhere.
Two trains start at the ...
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Catching The Mice.
"Play fair!" said the mice. "You know the rules of the game."
"Yes, I know the rules," said the cat. "I've got to go round and round
the circle, in the direction that you are looking, and eat every
thirteenth m...
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The Christmas Geese
Squire Hembrow, from Weston Zoyland—wherever that may be—proposed the following little arithmetical puzzle, from which it is probable that several somewhat similar modern ones have been derive...
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Reaping The Corn.
A farmer had a square cornfield. The corn was all ripe for reaping, and,
as he was short of men, it was arranged that he and his son should share
the work between them. The farmer first cut one rod wide all rou...
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