Part 9 (1/2)
”Here is a little puzzle,” said a Parson, ”that I have found peculiarly fascinating It is so simple, and yet it keeps you interested indefinitely”
The reverend gentleman took a sheet of paper and divided it off into twenty-five squares, like a square portion of a chessboard Then he placed nine almonds on the central squares, as shown in the illustration, where we have represented nu the solution
”Now, the puzzle is,” continued the Parson, ”to reht of the almonds and leave the ninth in the central square Youone al off the one juhts, only here you can juonally only The point is to do the thing in the fewest possible moves”
The following speci clear Jump 4 over 1, 5 over 9, 3 over 6, 5 over 3, 7 over 5 and 2, 4 over 7, 8 over 4 But 8 is not left in the central square, as it should be Remember to remove those you jump over Any number of jumps in succession with the same almond count as one move
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230--THE TWELVE PENNIES
Here is a pretty little puzzle that only requires twelve pennies or counters Arrange them in a circle, as shown in the illustration Now take up one penny at a ti it over two pennies, place it on the third penny Then take up another single penny and do the sa, and so on, until, in six such moves, you have the coins in six pairs in the positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 You can move in either direction round the circle at every play, and it does not matter whether the two jumped over are separate or a pair This is quite easy if you use just a little thought
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231--PLATES AND COINS
Place twelve plates, as shown, on a round table, with a penny or orange in every plate Start fro in one direction round the table, take up one penny, pass it over two other pennies, and place it in the next plate Go on again; take up another penny and, having passed it over two pennies, place it in a plate; and so continue your journey Six coins only are to be removed, and when these have been placed there should be two coins in each of six plates and six plates eo round the table as few times as possible It does not matter whether the two coins passed over are in one or two plates, nor how many eo in one direction round the table and end at the point frooes steadily forward in one direction, without everbackwards
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232--CATCHING THE MICE
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”Play fair!” said the ame”
”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 mouse, but I must keep the white mouse for a tit-bit at the finish Thirteen is an unlucky nue you”
”Hurry up, then!” shouted the mice
”Give a fellow time to think,” said the cat ”I don't knohich of you to start at I ure it out”
While the cat orking out the puzzle he fell asleep, and, the spell being thus broken, the mice returned home in safety At which mouse should the cat have started the count in order that the white mouse should be the last eaten?
When the reader has solved that little puzzle, here is a second one for him What is the smallest number that the cat can count round and round the circle, if hethat ”one” in the count) and still eat the white mouse last of all?
And as a third puzzle try to discover what is the smallest number that the cat can count round and round if shethat ”one”) and make the white mouse the third eaten
233--THE ECCENTRIC CHEESEMONGER
[Illustration]
The cheeseer depicted in the illustration is an inveterate puzzle lover One of his favourite puzzles is the piling of cheeses in his warehouse, an aood exercise for the body as well as for the ht row and then makes them into four piles, with four cheeses in every pile, by always passing a cheese over four others If you use sixteen counters and number them in order from 1 to 16, then you may place 1 on 6, 11 on 1, 7 on 4, and so on, until there are four in every pile It will be seen that it does notalone or piled; they count just the same, and you can always carry a cheese in either direction There are a greatit in twelve ame of ”patience” to try to solve it so that the four piles shall be left in different stipulated places For example, try to leave the piles at the extreme ends of the row, on Nos 1, 2, 15 and 16; this is quite easy Then try to leave three piles together, on Nos 13, 14, and 15 Then again play so that they shall be left on Nos 3, 5, 12, and 14
234--THE EXCHANGE PUZZLE
Here is a rather entertaining little puzzle withcounters You only need twelve counters--six of one colour, marked A, C, E, G, I, and K, and the other six raet theular alphabetical order, as follows:-- A B C D E F G H I J K L Theon the sae places, or F and A, but you cannot exchange G and C, or F and D, because in one case they are both white and in the other case both black Can you bring about the required arrangees?
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It cannot be done in fewer moves The puzzle is really much easier than it looks, if properly attacked
235--TORPEDO PRACTICE
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If a fleet of sixteenat anchor and surrounded by the eneht be sunk if every torpedo, projected in a straight line, passed under three vessels and sank the fourth? In the diagraed the fleet in square formation, where it will be seen that as many as seven shi+psthe torpedoes indicated by arrows Anchoring the fleet as we like, to what extent can we increase this number? Remember that each successive shi+p is sunk before another torpedo is launched, and that every torpedo proceeds in a different direction; otherwise, by placing the shi+ps in a straight line, welittle study in naval warfare, and eminently practical--provided the enee his fleet for your convenience and pro!
236--THE HAT PUZZLE
Ten hats were hung on pegs as shown in the illustration--five silk hats and five felt ”bowlers,” alternately silk and felt The two pegs at the end of the roere empty
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The puzzle is to res, then two other adjoining hats to the pegs now unoccupied, and so on until five pairs have beenin an unbroken row, but with all the silk ones together and all the felt hats together
Reuous ones, and you s without reversing their relative position You are not allowed to cross your hands, nor to hang up one at a time
Can you solve this old puzzle, which I give as introductory to the next? Try it with counters of two colours or with coins, and res must be left at one end of the row
237--BOYS AND GIRLS
If you mark off ten divisions on a sheet of paper to represent the chairs, and use eight nu pastiirls, or you can use counters of two colours, or coins
The puzzle is to re chairs and place thee sides_; then re chairs and place thee sides; and so on, until all the boys are together and all the girls together, with the two vacant chairs at one end as at present To solve the puzzle you must do this in five moves The two children must always be taken from chairs that are next to one another; and ree sides, as this latter is the distinctive feature of the puzzle By ”change sides” I simply mean that if, for example, you first move 1 and 2 to the vacant chairs, then the first (the outside) chair will be occupied by 2 and the second one by 1
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238--ARRANGING THE JAMPOTS
I happened to see a little girl sorting out so each different kind of preserve apart on the shelves I noticed that she took a pot of daooseberry in the other and ed a strawberry with a raspberry, and so on It was interesting to observe what a lot of unnecessary trouble she gave herself by es than there was any need for, and I thought it would work into a good puzzle
It will be seen in the illustration that little Dorothy has to eon-holes She wants to get them in correct numerical order--that is, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 on the top shelf, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 on the next shelf, and so on Now, if she always takes one pot in the right hand and another in the left and es will be necessary to get all the jae the 1 and the 3, then the 2 and the 3, when she would have the first three pots in their places Hoould you advise her to go on then? Place some numbered counters on a sheet of paper divided into squares for the pigeon-holes, and you will find it an a puzzle
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UNICURSAL AND ROUTE PROBLEMS
”I see the way” REGINALD HEBER
It is reasonable to suppose that froes one man has asked another such questions as these: ”Which is the nearest way home?” ”Which is the easiest or pleasantest way?” ”How can we find a way that will enable us to dodge the et there without ever crossing the track of the enemy?” All these are eleood puzzles by the introduction of some conditions that complicate matters A variety of such co examples I have also included some enumerations of more or less difficulty These afford excellent practice for the reasoning faculties, and enable one to generalize in the case of symmetrical forms in a manner that is most instructive
239--A JUVENILE PUZZLE
For years I have been perpetually consulted by my juvenile friends about this little puzzle Most children seeh, they are invariably unacquainted with the answer The question they always ask is, ”Do, please, tell me whether it is really possible” I believe Houdin the conjurer used to be very fond of giving it to his child friends, but I cannot say whether he invented the little puzzle or not No doubt a large nulad to have the y for introducing this old ”teaser”
The puzzle is to draith three strokes of the pencil the diagra in the illustration Of course, youa stroke or go over the saood deal of the figure with one continuous stroke, but it will always appear as if four strokes are necessary