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Title: Pictured Puzzles and Word Play: A Companion to the Twentieth Century Standard Puzzle Book
Author: Pearson, Cyril
Language: English
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Transcriber’s Notes
Text printed in italics have been transcribed _between underscores_,
underlined text =between equal signs=, and spaced out text ~between
tildes~. Small capitals have been changed to ALL CAPITALS.
More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text.
PICTURED PUZZLES AND WORD PLAY
_=BY THE SAME AUTHOR=_
UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
STANDARD PUZZLE BOOK
Crown 8vo. Cloth Extra. Gilt.
[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE
Can you discover by anagram what the ape is saying to the elephant, from
this descriptive sentence?
A sly tree-ape, he tries a rum telephone.
_Exactly the same letters must be used._]
PICTURED PUZZLES
AND
WORD PLAY
A COMPANION TO
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY STANDARD
PUZZLE BOOK
EDITED BY
A. CYRIL PEARSON, M.A.
AUTHOR OF
“100 CHESS PROBLEMS,” “ANAGRAMS, ANCIENT AND MODERN,” ETC.
_PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED_
[Illustration]
LONDON
GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS, LTD.
NEW YORK: E. P. DUTTON & CO.
CONTENTS.
FRONTISPIECE PUZZLE
PAGE
PICTURED PUZZLES AND WORD PLAY 1
ENIGMAS, CHARADES, PUZZLES, &C., &C. 130
ODDS AND ENDS 188
SOLUTIONS TO PICTURED PUZZLES 202
„ „ WORD PLAY 283
„ „ ODDS AND ENDS 375
PICTURED PUZZLES
No. I.--A GOOD SPECIMEN
Here is a nest of magic squares, seven of them within the four corners
of one diagram:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║149│ 16│ 33│196│ 47│197│ 44│208│ 42│203│ 57│194│ 38│ 54│217║
╟───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╢
║177┃ 62│183│ 52│213│ 59│160│ 15│161│ 85│156│190│105│ 28┃ 49║
╟───╂───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╂───╢
║ 56┃147┃201│146│ 75│155│ 2│220│ 3│153│ 53│ 26│209┃ 79┃170║
╟───╂───╂───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╂───╂───╢
║162┃ 76┃148┃180│ 83│187│ 41│104│ 22│195│145│ 60┃ 78┃150┃ 64║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╂───╂───╂───╢
║ 74┃176┃ 4┃124┃119│ 37│154│ 48│186│138│109┃102┃222┃ 50┃152║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╂───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╂───╂───╂───╂───╢
║221┃ 24┃175┃ 63┃ 86┃116│ 93│135│ 94│127┃140┃163┃ 51┃202┃ 5║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╢
║ 10┃215┃ 69┃159┃134┃ 95┃ 98│126│115┃131┃ 92┃ 67┃157┃ 11┃216║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───┼───┼───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╢
║219┃ 19┃165┃ 1┃136┃ 97┃130│113│ 96┃129┃ 90┃225┃ 61┃207┃ 7║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───┼───┼───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╢
║ 8┃205┃ 84┃191┃ 87┃158┃111│100│128┃ 68┃139┃ 35┃142┃ 21┃218║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╂───╂───╂───╂───╂───╢
║214┃ 34┃144┃ 27┃112┃ 99│133│ 91│132│110┃114┃199┃ 82┃192┃ 12║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╂───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╂───╂───╂───╂───╢
║ 14┃123┃ 55┃106┃117│189│ 72│178│ 40│ 88│107┃120┃171┃103┃212║
╟───╂───╂───╂───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╂───╂───╂───╢
║206┃ 89┃181┃166│143│ 39│185│122│204│ 31│ 81│ 46┃ 45┃137┃ 20║
╟───╂───╂───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╂───╂───╢
║ 58┃101┃ 17│ 80│151│ 71│224│ 6│223│ 73│173│200│ 25┃125┃168║
╟───╂───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╂───╢
║118┃198│ 43│174│ 13│167│ 66│211│ 65│141│ 70│ 36│121│164┃108║
╟───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╢
║ 9│210│193│ 30│179│ 29│182│ 18│184│ 23│169│ 32│188│172│ 77║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
As each border is removed a fresh magic square remains, in which the
numbers in the cells of each row, column, and diagonal add up to the
same sum, while each of these sums is a multiple of the central 113.
No. II.--A BORDERED DIAMOND
By G. Slater
┌
│
┌───┘
│ 91
┌───┘ ┌
│ 3 │
┌───┘ ┌───┘
│ 27 │ 25
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌
│156 │154 │
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│161 │ 15 │138
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌
│130 │153 │136 │
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│162 │147 │120 │ 69
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│ 39 │ 22 │ 55 │112
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│ 4 │152 │ 76 │ 57 56
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│168 │146 │139 │100 99
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│ 6 │ 21 │ 29 │ 45 44 43
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
│157 │ 80 │ 30 │ 88 87 86
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│ 53 │ 41 │134 │123 122 121
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│ 10 │132 │ 89 │ 74 73
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│105 │ 67 │ 35 │109 108
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│ 5 │116 │137 │ 60
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│144 │ 19 │107 │ 95
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│ 11 │106 │ 68 │
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └
│118 │ 77 │ 37
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐
│ 92 │ 38 │
└───┐ └───┐ └
│163 │148
└───┐ └───┐
│ 12 │
└───┐ └
│ 66
└───┐
│
└
───┐
1│
└───┐
117│
───┐ └───┐
20│ 160│
└───┐ └───┐
129│ 65│
───┐ └───┐ └───┐
42│ 38│ 165│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐
36│ 103│ 26│
───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
124│ 81│ 54│ 159│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
75│ 135│ 151│ 52│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
111 110│ 33│ 64│ 78│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
62 61│ 63│ 93│ 7│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
98 97 96│ 102│ 142│ 158│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
49 48 47│ 133│ 51│ 104│
└───┐ └───┐ └───┐ └───┐
85 84 83 82│ 140│ 90│ 13│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
127 126 125│ 52│ 145│ 79│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
72 71 70│ 34│ 16│ 167│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
114 113│ 50│ 155│ 143│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
59 58│ 115│ 17│ 14│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
101│ 94│ 23│ 9│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
46│ 31│ 148│ 40│
───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
41│ 18│ 8│
┌───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
128│ 24│ 131│
───┘ ┌───┘ ┌───┘
149│ 166│
┌───┘ ┌───┘
130│ 2│
───┘ ┌───┘
164│
┌───┘
169│
───┘
It is a perfect magic diamond as it stands, and equally perfect are the
diamonds that remain when each border of cells is removed, as is
indicated by the lines.
WORD PLAY
1. A PARADOX
Two words in our region of puzzledom pose,
And claim, through the passage of years
That neither the pages of Johnson disclose,
While either in Murray appears.
No. III.--A MULTIFOLD MAGIC SQUARE
Here is a magic square of 81 cells.
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐
│ 53│ 8│ 71│ 28│ 73│ 10│ 51│ 6│ 69│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 62│ 44│ 26│ 19│ 37│ 55│ 60│ 42│ 24│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 17│ 80│ 35│ 61│ 1│ 46│ 15│ 78│ 33│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 66│ 21│ 30│ 14│ 59│ 50│ 34│ 79│ 16│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 3│ 39│ 75│ 77│ 41│ 5│ 25│ 43│ 61│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 48│ 57│ 12│ 32│ 23│ 68│ 70│ 7│ 52│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 31│ 76│ 13│ 72│ 27│ 36│ 11│ 56│ 47│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 22│ 40│ 58│ 9│ 45│ 81│ 74│ 38│ 2│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 67│ 4│ 49│ 54│ 63│ 18│ 29│ 20│ 65│
└───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
If divided, as is shown, into 9 small squares, each of these is also a
magic square, and yet another magic square is formed by the totals of
these 9 squares arranged thus:--
┌───┬───┬───┐
│396│333│378│
├───┼───┼───┤
│351│369│387│
├───┼───┼───┤
│360│405│342│
└───┴───┴───┘
No. IV.--A MODEL MAGIC SQUARE
This magic square, which has in its cells the first sixteen numbers, is
so constructed that these add up to 34 in very many ways.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 4│ 15│ 14│ 1║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 9│ 6│ 7│ 12║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 5│ 10│ 11│ 8║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 16│ 3│ 2│ 13║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
How many of these, in addition to the usual rows, columns, and
diagonals, can you discover? They must, of course, be in some sort
symmetrical.
2. A PREDOMINANT VOWEL
Can you fill in the missing letters which are needed to turn the
oft-repeated “u” below into rhyming verse:--
.u.. .u.u. .u..u.., ..u...u. .u.. u..u..,
.u... .u.., .u. .u..u.. .u..u... ..u...u. ..u..;
...u.. .u...., .u.. .u..u.. ..u... .u... .u... u..u..,
U. .u...., .u.. ..u..-.u.u., .u..u.’. .u...u. .u..
No. V.--TESSELATED DIAMOND
By G. Slater
┏
┃
┏━━━╃
┃ 13│
┏━━━╃───┼
┃113│ │
┏━━━╃───┼───┼
┃ 12│ │110│
┌───╄━━━╅───┼───┼
│ 42│ ┃ 9│ │
┌───┼───┼───╄━━━╅───┼
│ 74│ │ 81│ ┃112│
┌───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━╅
│ 67│ │ 53│ │ 87│ ┃
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄
┃ 27┃ │ 49│ │ 50│ │ 35│
┏━━━╃───╄━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆
┃ 96│ │ 26┃ │ 46│ │ 72│ ┃
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───╄━━━╅───┼───┼───╆━━━╃
┃ 30│ │ 95│ │ 97┃ │ 76│ ┃ 75│
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━╅───╆━━━╃───┼
┃ 91│ │ 31│ │ 28│ │ 94┃ ┃ 40│ │
┗━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───╅━━━╃───╄━━━╅───┼
┃ 92│ │ 90│ │ 25┃ │ 64│ ┃ 89│
┗━━━╅───┼───┼───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───╄━━━╅
┃ 29│ │ 93┃ │ 58│ │ 62│ ┃
┗━━━╅───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄
┃ 32┃ │ 66│ │ 60│ │ 57│
┗━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆
│ 44│ │ 79│ │ 65│ ┃
└───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━╃
│ 51│ │ 38│ ┃104│
└───┼───┼───╆━━━╃───┼
│ 88│ ┃ 22│ │
└───╆━━━╃───┼───┼
┃ 99│ │ 23│
┗━━━╅───┼───┼
┃100│ │
┗━━━╅───┼
┃ 21│
┗━━━╅
┃
┗
━━━┓
106┃
───╄━━━┓
│109┃
───┼───╄━━━┓
16│ │ 14┃
───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
│107│ │ 15┃
───┼───┼───╆━━━╃───┐
11│ │100┃ │ 78│
───┼───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───┐
│ 10┃ │ 56│ │ 71│
───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
111┃ │ 83│ │43 │ │ 34│
━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━┓
│ 59│ │ 63│ │ 84│ ┃ 6┃
━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━╃───╄━━━┓
68┃ │ 39│ │ 37│ ┃115│ │ 7┃
───╄━━━┓───┼───┼───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
│ 33┃ │ 85│ ┃ 3│ │116│ │114┃
───┼───╄━━━╅───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
61│ │ 82┃ ┃120│ │ 2│ │ 5│ │117┃
───┼───╆━━━╃───╄━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
│ 47┃ │ 41│ ┃119│ │121│ │ 8┃
───╆━━━╃───┼───┼───╄━━━╅───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
54┃ │ 69│ │ 86│ ┃ 4│ │118┃
━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━╅───╈━━━┛
│ 73│ │ 52│ │ 80│ ┃ 1┃
━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━┛
19┃ │ 45│ │ 48│ │ 36│
───╄━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───┘
│ 18┃ │ 55│ │ 70│
───┼───╄━━━╅───┼───┼───┘
103│ │105┃ │ 77│
───┼───┼───╄━━━╅───┘
│ 20│ │102┃
───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
98│ │ 17┃
───┼───╆━━━┛
│101┃
───╆━━━┛
24┃
━━━┛
In this ingenious diamond all rows and both diagonals add up to 671; in
the four corner diamonds all add up to 244; and in the central diamond,
and the 16 rows of threes surrounding it, to 183.
3. AN ENIGMA
I see my first, I see my next,
And both I sigh and see
Joined to my third, which much perplexed
And sorely puzzled me.
’Twas fifty, and ’twas something more,
Reversed ’twas scarce an ell,
With first and next it forms a whole
Clear as a crystal bell.
What is my whole? A splendid tear
Upheld in cruel thrall;
Blow soft, ye gales, bright sun appear!
And bid me gently fall.
No. VI.--MAGIC SQUARE BY MULTIPLICATION
Here is a magic square, in which the rows, columns, and diagonals yield
the same product, 4096, by multiplication:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╗
║128| 1 | 32║
╟───┼───┼───╢
║ 4 | 16| 64║
╟───┼───┼───╢
║ 8 |256| 2 ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╝
It will be seen that the numbers in this square, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64,
128, 256, are in regular progression, and 4096 is also the cube of the
central 16.
No. VII.--ANOTHER BORDERED MAGIC SQUARE
Here is quite a good example of a bordered magic square of sixty-four
cells:--
┏━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┓
┃ 1│ 56│ 55│ 11│ 53│ 13│ 14│ 57┃
┠───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───┨
┃ 63┃ 15│ 47│ 22│ 42│ 24│ 45┃ 2┃
┠───╂───╆━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╅───╂───┨
┃ 62┃ 49┃ 25│ 40│ 34│ 31┃ 16┃ 3┃
┠───╂───╂───┼───┼───┼───╂───╂───┨
┃ 4┃ 48┃ 28│ 37│ 35│ 30┃ 17┃ 61┃
┠───╂───╂───┼───┼───┼───╂───╂───┨
┃ 5┃ 44┃ 39│ 26│ 32│ 33┃ 21┃ 60┃
┠───╂───╂───┼───┼───┼───╂───╂───┨
┃ 59┃ 19┃ 38│ 27│ 29│ 36┃ 46┃ 6┃
┠───╂───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───╂───┨
┃ 58┃ 20│ 18│ 43│ 23│ 41│ 50┃ 7┃
┠───╄━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━┿━━━╃───┨
┃ 8│ 9│ 10│ 54│ 12│ 52│ 51│ 64┃
┗━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┛
It is a perfect specimen itself, and as each border is removed a fresh
perfect magic square is revealed.
4. A CHARADE
Take for my first a quadruped,
Transpose one for my second;
My whole, a biped, quick or dead,
Is dainty reckoned.
5. BYRON’S ENIGMA
I am not in youth, nor in manhood, nor age,
But in infancy ever am known;
I’m a stranger alike to the fool and the sage,
And though I’m distinguish’d in history’s page
I always am greatest alone.
I am not in earth, nor the sun, nor the moon;
You may search all the sky--I’m not there;
In the morning and evening--though not in the noon--
You may plainly perceive me--for, like a balloon,
I am midway suspended in air.
Though disease may possess me, and sickness and pain,
I am never in sorrow nor gloom;
Though in wit and in wisdom I equally reign,
I’m the heart of all sin, and have long lived in vain,
Yet I ne’er shall be found in the tomb!
No. VIII.--A HARDY ANNUAL
A magic square can be formed with the 81 numbers from 172 to 252
inclusive, which in all its rows, columns, and diagonals will total
1908. It may interest our solvers to complete the square.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║216│175│224│ │ │ │240│199│248║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║247│215│174│ │ │ │190│239│207║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║206│246│214│ │ │ │230│198│238║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ │213│172│221│ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ │244│212│180│ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ │203│252│211│ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║186│226│194│ │ │ │210│178│218║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║217│185│234│ │ │ │250│209│177║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║176│225│184│ │ │ │200│249│208║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
We have filled in, as a solid start, 45 of the 81 cells.
No. IX.--ANOTHER “ANNO DOMINI”
This magic square adds up in rows, columns, and diagonals to 1908:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║469│484│472│483║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║481│474│478│475║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║482│471│485│470║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║476│479│473│480║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Can you decide in how many other symmetrical ways the same total is to
be made?
No. X.--A DOMINO MAGIC SQUARE
In this magic square the rows, columns, and diagonals add up always to
33.
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
Can you rearrange it so that the first stone (three-ace) shall occupy
the centre, now filled by the double six, and it shall still add up in
all ways to 33?
6. SHIFTING LETTERS
I am bright as a whole
Till you cut off my head;
Then as black as a coal,
Or a mortal instead.
Shaken up and recast
We with science are found,
Read us back from the last
And we live underground.
No. XI.--CHESS AND NUMBERS
The arrangement of numbers in the 36 cells of this square discloses a
very close affinity between chess and arithmetic.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 30│ 21│ 6│ 15│ 28│ 19║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 7│ 16│ 29│ 20│ 5│ 14║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 22│ 31│ 8│ 35│ 18│ 27║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 9│ 36│ 17│ 26│ 13│ 4║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 32│ 23│ 2│ 11│ 34│ 25║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 1│ 10│ 33│ 24│ 3│ 12║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Can you follow this out?
7. A GOOD CHARADE
_By Horace Smith, one of the authors of_
“_Rejected Addresses._”
In arts and sciences behold my first the watchword still,
All prejudice must bend the knee before its iron will;
Yet “Onward!” is the Briton’s cry--a cry that doth express
A holy work but half begun, and speaks of hopefulness.
In palace or in lonely cot its name alike is heard,
And in the Senate’s lordly halls sit my second and my third.
Strange paradox, though for my first my total is designed,
Sad marks of vice and ignorance we in that whole may find.
No. XII.--NUMBERS PATIENCE
Those who combine a fancy for “Patience” with some skill in numbers will
find amusement in filling the empty cells of this diagram with
appropriate numbers, each of which must consist of two figures:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 17│ │ │ │ 24║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ 32│ │ 46│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ 14│ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ 19│ │ 16│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 22│ │ │ │ 20║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
It is required that each of the rows across from side to side shall add
up, when all the cells are filled, to 143 exactly. No number must be
used more than once.
No. XIII.--THE WINDMILL
[Illustration]
Can you divide a square into 15 parts, which can be built up into this
windmill?
8. THRICE BEHEADED
Untouched I tell of budding growth and life;
Beheaded I lead upward more or less;
Again--with varied fragrance I am rife;
Again--but little value I express.
No. XIV.--A NEST OF RECTANGLES
In this nest of 49 squares it is possible to count a great number of
distinct and interlacing figures, whose opposite sides are equal, and
whose angles are all right angles.
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
└───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
Can you decide exactly the number of these rectangles, and say how many
of them are square?
9. AN ENIGMA
Search Holy Writ and you will see
A victory was won by me.
Behead me, and I may be found
In water or on hilly ground.
Behead again, and then transpose,
A snare my letters now disclose.
If yet again my head you sever,
No matter how sharp-set or clever
’Tis all in vain you look about,
For no one yet has found me out.
No. XV.--ANOTHER DOMINO MAGIC SQUARE
Can you, using all the dominoes except double five, five-six, and double
six, construct with the twenty-five stones a magic square that adds up
in all rows, columns, and diagonals to 27, and in which the stones in
the cells marked by the same figures in this diagram also add up to that
number?
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 2 │ │ 1 │ │ 2 ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ 4 │ 3 │ 4 │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 1 │ 3 │ │ 3 │ 1 ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ 4 │ 3 │ 4 │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 2 │ │ 1 │ │ 2 ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
No. XVI.--DOMINO PATIENCE
The problem is to construct, with all the twenty-eight stones, a domino
pyramid of seven stages, starting with a single stone, and adding one
stone on each successive stage.
The stones must be so arranged that the number of pips in any row or
column are in all cases exactly three times the number of half-dominoes
of which that line or column is composed. There are many solutions to
exercise the solver’s patience.
10. LEGAL PLEASANTRIES
Said a lawyer aside to his friend in the court,
“Now I’d bet, were we not in this place,
That my first is my second a bottle of port,”
Then bright with my whole shone his face.
11. RIVALS ON THE ROAD
Six horse buses and four motor buses travel each hour from Temple Bar to
the Bank. The horses take 15 minutes, and the motors 10 minutes on the
journey.
If I come to Temple Bar, and wish to reach the Bank as soon as possible,
shall I take the first horse bus that turns up, or wait for a motor? It
must be assumed that I can only see a bus as it actually passes me.
No. XVII.--A FRIENDLY HINT
The father of this venturesome lad, who was on the point of breaking out
of bounds, came on the scene just in time to warn him in a sentence of
nine words, five of which were “Never throw a leg, lad.”
[Illustration]
Can you supply the other four words, which are spelt with _exactly the
same letters?_
No. XVIII.--CATASTROPHE
In this picture we see that a cat has sprung upon the table to interview
the parrot.
[Illustration]
The title “Catastrophe” recast by anagram, tells the parrot’s happy
thought at this critical moment, and the appropriate sentence,
“New parrot-stand in a house,”
tells, also by anagram, how he put this into instant operation.
12. A HISTORICAL CHARADE
My first, if foolishly or rashly taken,
May mar the future prospects of your life.
My second, by her fickle lord forsaken
(Sad type of many a gentle, patient wife),
May toil and moil to feed his many babies,
While he goes flirting off with other ladies.
The thrifty monarch of a former age
My whole a place in Britain’s history fills.
Immortalised in Shakespeare’s magic pages
As one who’d fain reform his tailor’s bills!
No. XIX.--A PRECOCIOUS BOY
This is the picture of the first prize boy at a baby show. The judge,
noticing the position of one chubby fist, said to the proud mother,
“Your lad Tommy likes such tit-bits.”
[Illustration]
To his amazement the baby, removing the comforting hand, replied in
eight words composed of _exactly the same letters_, “So to-day, sir, .
.... .. ...... .....” Can you complete the sentence?
No. XX.--AGAINST THE COLLAR
The lady who is sitting at the back of this overloaded waggonette cries
out, in her sympathy with the struggling horse, “This big load quite
hinders his pull.”
[Illustration]
Her husband, full of holiday spirits and energy, answers her in a
sentence of mingled reproof and determination, which forms a perfect
anagram of the words of his wife, and describes his feelings and action.
Can you recast the letters?
No. XXI.--IN A BILLIARD-ROOM
At the moment when a burly and keen player was in this strange and
striking attitude,
[Illustration]
a bystander whispered to the marker, “Eh! what a stout player is
striking!”
Can you, using exactly the same letters, put into the mouth of the
marker a reply appropriate to the position?
13. A SAUCY MAIDEN
My _second_, worn with pompous pride,
My _first_ had dangling at his side,
On chain securely hooked.
My _first_ he came from o’er the sea,
A bundle of conceit looked he,
And he was all he looked.
She led him to the village green,
Where in desponding mood was seen
My _whole_, with drooping head.
“Behold,” she said, “a perfect, true,
And striking likeness, sir, of you!”
And, laughing, gaily fled.
No. XXII.--EVOLVING A PAINTER
There are two English words which are appropriate to this picture--
[Illustration]
One of them has as its anagram the very apposite sentence, “Or not a man
first;” the other treated in similar fashion becomes, “O I love nuts!”
What are the two words?
14. DOUBLETS
Who can turn WHEAT into BREAD with six links, changing one letter each
time, and preserving the general order of the letters throughout?
No. XXIII.--THE PICK OF THE PACK
How can we decide by anagram whether this is a fancy portrait of
“William or dear Jack?”
[Illustration]
Shake up and recast the words in inverted commas.
15. AN OLD ENIGMA
Can our readers solve this enigma, which was published in 1811, and to
which no answer seems to be known?
I’m one among a numerous host,
And very useful in my post;
There’s not a house in all the land
Without me properly can stand.
Though men disputed long ago
Whether I did exist or no,
Once more some thousands have been slain
Because they could not me attain.
No. XXIV.--A PICTURE PUZZLE
Take this picture in connection with the lines below it, and find out
what it represents.
[Illustration]
Begin with the end of my first,
then you will find out the rest;
For it all will appeal to your thirst,
Or point to a ponderous guest.
No. XXV.--AN ANXIOUS POSE
His wife, who chanced to see Jiggers at the trying moment here depicted,
said that he seemed to be in a “sad pet.”
[Illustration]
How was this literally true?
No. XXVI.--TOSS NEITHER HEAD NOR TAIL
Never was a cow so troublesome at milking-time.
[Illustration]
Our picture was taken at the moment when Farmer Hayseed was exclaiming,
as he held on behind, “See, we hold this cow’s horns and tail!”
The same letters, recast by anagram, form this sentence spoken by his
foreman--
“She cannot toss, ... .... .... .. ..”
Can you fill in the five missing words?
16. ANAGRAM PROVERBS
These grave lips chatter no ill.
or
Elephants, all to richest giver!
Can you recast the letters of these sentences so that either of them
forms the same homely proverb, to which the first anagram is most akin?
No. XXVII.--ACTION AND PASSION
This very resolute horse and his anxious driver take quite different
views of the situation shown in this picture.
[Illustration]
We can fancy that the fast trotter, if he could be endowed with speech,
would say, “I’m a train’d stepper!”
Can you take these same letters, and recast them into a sentence which
would seem to express the driver’s point of view?
17. A SHORT CHARADE
My first of rudeness has a sound;
The rest is in a city found;
My whole to win its way is bound.
No. XXVIII.--A FEAT WITHOUT ARMS
In this picture a clever artist who has no arms is seen calmly painting
with his feet.
[Illustration]
One onlooker says to another, “Why, now I see this fine artist has no
hand!” The other replies in a sentence which contains exactly the same
letters:
“He draws in any fashion .... ... ... ... .”
Can you fill in the four missing words?
No. XXIX.--NOT TAKING ANY
“This is a wine bottle, dear, on a lure,” said a crafty fisher of men to
his better half, who was helping him, as he showed her this illustration
of their aims.
[Illustration: 1834 PORT]
She knew, however, that the fish he sought to catch was not to be
tempted in this way, and she replied in words spelt with exactly the
same letters, “And see, he will not .... .. ... ....!”
Can you fill in the four missing words?
No. XXX.--MUSIC HATH CHARMS
This sturdy musical enthusiast, as he settled himself upon his chair,
said, “What shall I play?” and some one replied, “Any strains of
Beethoven, he charms all!”
[Illustration]
This suggestion, however, was not acceptable, and he, as he struck up a
piece after his own heart, exclaimed, in a sentence composed of exactly
the same letters--
“Nay, for this ’cello ...... .... . ......!”
Can you supply the missing words?
No. XXXI
This picture represents a parsnip lying across a sturdy swede.
[Illustration]
Can you so readjust them that they seem to suggest a successful
dramatist of the day? We give this broad hint by anagram--
“Here is our parsnip on swede.”
ANAGRAM
_Wise and superior person he!_
No. XXXII.--A GOOD LETTER PUZZLE
Can you fill the places of these 21 asterisks with only three different
letters, arranging them so that they spell a common English word in
twelve different directions?
● ● ● ● ●
● ● ● ●
● ● ●
● ● ● ●
● ● ● ● ●
18. A BURIED POTENTATE
My first is in cake, but not in bun;
My second in light, but not in sun;
My third is in night, but not in day;
My fourth is in game, but not in play;
My fifth is in head, but not in tail,
My sixth is in wind, but not in sail;
My seventh in wrong, but not in right,
My eighth is in battle, but not in fight;
My ninth is in sword, but not in knife,
My tenth is in lady, but not in wife;
My whole is a monarch at war with strife.
No. XXXIII.--ANAGRAM ARITHMETIC
First form a short sentence with the ten letters that are above the line
in this diagram:--
S B
R E
Y D
O T
U O
-------
O E E
=======
Next number the letters of the sentence consecutively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 0, and then work out a sum in addition with these numbers
substituted for the letters with which they correspond.
No. XXXIV.--A BUNCH OF FLOWERS
Find within these borders twelve specimens of flowers and foliage:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 ║
║ L│ L│ B│ H│ P│ E│ F║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 8 │ 9 │10 │11 │12 │13 │14 ║
║ L│ Y│ E│ L│ O│ R│ N║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║15 │16 │17 │18 │19 │20 │21 ║
║ I│ V│ B│ R│ I│ V│ K║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║22 │23 │24 │25 │26 │27 │28 ║
║ A│ L│ E│ T│ O│ N│ I║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║29 │30 │31 │32 │33 │34 │35 ║
║ C│ N│ A│ S│ U│ L│ P║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Move in any direction one square at a time, and so spell out their
names, using the same square only once in each case.
19. A CHARADE
My first except when it is old
Is never seen or heard;
When it is heard the sound is tolled
Out of a Jewish beard.
My next was in Imperial Rome,
It was her power and might;
Then you had but to write _you wish_,
And straightway ’twas in sight.
My whole was Frank
Of royal rank.
No. XXXV.--ON A BLACKBOARD
To test the powers of his young pupils, Dr Puzzlewitz set the following
little problem on his blackboard:--
┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
┃ ┃
┃ A - B = 4 ┃
┃ ┃
┃ A ÷ B = 4 ┃
┃ ┃
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
What are the values of A and of B, when 4 is the result of dividing A by
B, or of subtracting B from A?
20. RECAST
How great in olden days my power!
Oft have I saved a castle tower
From war’s invading tide.
Transpose me, and how great my fall!
I am then the smallest of the small,
That nothing can divide.
21. WORD-BUILDING
This compact Enigma take,
All apart its letters shake.
Let your 6, 3, 5 be high,
Like 5, 1, 2 do or die.
Who 4, 6, 5, 1 enjoys
More than 5, 6, 2 by boys?
While 5, 3, 2, 1 are mine,
May 4, 6, 3, 2 be thine.
4, 1, 5 is rich and rare,
6, 5, 1, 2 ends my prayer.
The figures indicate the position of the letters, which spell new words,
in the original six-letter word.
No. XXXVI.--SQUARING A DIAMOND
Can you fill in the empty cells with letters, so that they form English
words which read alike from top to bottom and from left to right?
┌───┐
│ s │
┌───┼───┼───┐
│ │ │ │
┌───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ │ │ │ │ │
┌───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ s │ │ │ u │ │ │ s │
└───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┘
│ │ │ │ │ │
└───┼───┼───┼───┼───┘
│ │ │ │
└───┼───┼───┘
│ s │
└───┘
22. AN ENIGMA
“Charles the First walked and talked,
Half an hour after his head was cut off.”
_Old Couplet_.
Cut off my head, I’m every inch a King,
A warrior formed to deal a heavy blow.
Halve what remains, my second is a thing
Which nothing but my third can e’er make go.
My third will vary as you take your line.
This less than human, that way all divine!
No. XXXVII.
Taking the letters as arranged on this diagram for a starting point, can
you place in some of the unoccupied cells five more of A, five of E,
five of I, and five of O, making eight in all of each letter, so that in
no case shall the same vowel be in the same row, column, or diagonal?
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | A | I | E | O | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | O | | | A | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | I | | | E | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | E | O | A | I | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Each vowel is to be regarded without any reference to the other vowels,
and, of course, only one may be placed in a cell.
No. XXXVIII.--AN ANAGRAM SQUARE
Mix together the letters which form the eight words on this draught
board--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║###│ V │###│ O │###│ T │###│ E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ W │###│ O │###│ V │###│ E │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ P │###│ R │###│ O │###│ W ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ C │###│ A │###│ L │###│ L │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ S │###│ T │###│ E │###│ W ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ N │###│ E │###│ W │###│ S │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ C │###│ O │###│ R │###│ E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ N │###│ A │###│ P │###│ E │###║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
and recast them so that they form eight fresh words, which when placed
in proper order on the white squares, are a word square in which each
word reads alike from left to right, or from top to bottom. The first of
the fresh words is CROW.
No. XXXIX.--ARITHMETIC BY ANAGRAM
Form a short sentence with the letters above the line in this diagram:--
D U
E H
E D
A P
S T
─────
D E A
═════
Number the letters consecutively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, and then
work a sum in addition, substituting these numbers for the letter with
which they correspond.
23. A LOGOGRAPH
Touch me not, I’m firm and sure;
Behead, I’m used by rich and poor;
In house and cottage, hut and hall,
I stand of service to them all.
Behead again, in time of need
I tell that strength and skill succeed.
No. XL.--ANAGRAMS SQUARED
Shake up the sixteen letters of these four words, and recast them into
four other words:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║###│ S │###│ E │###│ E │###│ K ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ S │###│ L │###│ A │###│ B │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ L │###│ E │###│ E │###│ K ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ M │###│ O │###│ A │###│ N │###║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
These fresh words, placed on the white squares, must read alike from
side to side, and zigzag from top to bottom. The first word is MASK.
24. A SINGLE ACROSTIC
What river is that, where it is found,
Which Pope says does with eels abound?
What Scottish lake, by high hills bounded,
Is with bright birch and oak surrounded?
What stream is said in Devon to run
Into the sea near Otterton?
What bay on Cuba’s distant coast
Is justly deemed its pride and boast?
The initials of these names will show
A Scotch reformer, who, we know,
Flourished three hundred years ago.
No. XLI.--A WORD SQUARE BY ANAGRAM
Take the letters which form the words in these sixteen cells--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ A │ F │ A │ R ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ T │ A │ S │ K ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ S │ E │ A │ T ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ L │ E │ A │ L ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
and recast them so that they form a perfect word square.
25. A CHARADE
My whole may be a mother, not a dad,
So former may, or latter;
But twist my tail, and I become as mad
As any hatter!
Behead me, and behold I am a man,
Who never was called mister;
Cut off my tail, and instantly I can
Become a sister!
No. XLII.--QUITE A NOVELTY
There are five English words in this square:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ c │ h │ e │ s │ s ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ g │ r │ e │ e │ d ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ c │ a │ n │ e │ s ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ r │ e │ a │ r │ s ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ c │ h │ e │ e │ r ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Can you shake up their letters, and recast them into five other words
which form a perfect word square, and read alike from top to bottom and
from left to right? The first fresh word is CRESS.
No. XLIII.--HIDDEN PROVERBS
Five familiar proverbs are hidden in this square of 169 letters,
R E N O W N E D T H A N W
S Y O U R C A K E A N D A
S T E T O B E F E A R H R
E A R K S S P O I L E A F
L E O O H E R S N T D V O
O T M O T L I N O H T E U
N O S C A L A G M E H I R
S N I Y G O R S O B A T S
E N G N E N O T S R N P A
I A O A M O O T S O A E W
R C D E V I L A H T D A S
O U O Y N O I L D A E C A
T C I V R E H H T A H E Z
The proverbs are arranged in a regular sequence.
26. RINGING SWEET CHANGES
We are familiar with the anagram that so charmingly points to the
ministrations on the battle-field of Florence Nightingale--_Flit on,
cheering angel_--but it is not so well known that her name can also be
recast with an appropriate wish for her continuance in our loving
memory. Can you frame this?
No. XLIV.--A CLEVER CRYPTOGRAM
A French sentence of 100 letters in twenty-two words is concealed in
these 100 cells.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ D │ L │ A │ N │ N │ E │ S │ M │ P │ A ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ L │ I │ R │ D │ L │ E │ E │ M │ L │ H ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I │ L │ U │ E │ E │ A │ I │ N │ T │ J ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ C │ U │ R │ S │ E │ M │ N │ T │ U │ P ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ E │ U │ É │ S │ N │ P │ R │ E │ O │ S ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ O │ L │ I │ É │ D │ X │ S │ M │ A │ N ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ U │ D │ E │ A │ E │ É │ I │ X │ N │ T ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ T │ E │ T │ P │ E │ D │ N │ U │ Q │ E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ B │ U │ U │ U │ F │ L │ I │ J │ I │ N ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ Z │ U │ E │ J │ I │ O │ E │ U │ N │ R ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
It can be deciphered by means of a cardboard mask of similar size, with
circular holes cut out in some of its cells. This is placed squarely
over the diagram, turned round in four successive positions. And thus
the sequence of letters is found, and falls into words.
No. XLV.--SAM LOYD’S PONY PUZZLE
The instant popularity of this clever puzzle was amazing, and its sale
is said to have run into millions years ago in America.
[Illustration: The Pony Puzzle]
Cut the pony into six pieces, as is indicated in the picture, and
rearrange these so that they show a trotting horse.
27. A REBUS
I am
a man
I rate you
a beast
You know me.
Can you put this into shape?
No. XLVI.--A CLEVER PUZZLE
Here is another of Sam Loyd’s famous trick pictures:--
[Illustration]
Can you rearrange the parts to show jockeys and horses in racing trim?
28. A CHARADE
(_With Latin parts._)
My first, thou knowest, was in ancient Rome,
Rome’s fate my next, and one that all may dread.
Long may it be before that fate shall come,
And sever with my whole thy life’s last thread!
No. XLVII.--A NICE BALANCE
This boy is sure that if he takes his time, and watches his opportunity,
he will be able to reach and secure with his mouth the sugar on the
chair. Will he?
[Illustration]
29. BURIED POETS
The names of eight famous British poets are buried in these lines--that
is to say, the letters that spell the names form in their proper order
parts of different words:--
The sun is darting rays of gold
Upon the moor, enchanting spot,
Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,
Up open to his shepherd cot.
And sundry denizens of air
Are flying--aye, each to his nest;
And eager make at such an hour
All haste to reach the mansions blest.
Can you dig them up?
No. XLVIII.--LEAF-FROG
Here are six little hoptoads, as our cousins across the water call them,
three white and three black, going in opposite directions. A frog may
jump, one, two, or three steps, but no two may be together at any time.
[Illustration]
In how few jumps can the black frogs be seated to the left of their
white brothers? It is obvious that one of the white frogs must jump
first to the stool marked 1.
30. AN ENIGMA
This multiplies me, I declare,
Though it reduces one;
A sty is foul if it is there,
By it a deed is done.
31. MISSING WORDS
Lennie ...... the words he read,
Studying ...... fable;
Lennie’s mother ...... the bread,
Sophy ...... the table.
“Work while you are ......,” they said
“...... while you are able!”
No. XLIX.--DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS
A very curious old print, of which this might well be the title, was
picked up on a bookstall. This picture shows clever designs for two of
the digits:
[Illustration:
1
_Se Pierot or Lun,
A Figure of One._
2
_Again he’s to view,
A Figure of Two._]
32. A CHARADE
When I write with my first in my second,
My whole is quite sure to be in.
Divided afresh, there is reckoned
A wit, or a something that’s thin.
Prefix a letter, and, as dear as paint,
You see the name of an old English Saint.
No. L.--DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS
Here is the second pair of this queer company:--
[Illustration:
3
_Now ’tis plain you may see,
He’s a Figure of Three._
4
_Behold him once more,
A Figure of Four._]
33. ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER
My first, though half a noisy bird,
To a slight noise may turn;
My second twist, a stately word,
And it will bend we learn.
34. AN ENIGMA
To half of ten add one,
Then half a score.
When this is duly done
Almost ten more.
This can be good for none,
But trial sore.
No. LI.--DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS
Here is the third pair of these quaint characters:--
[Illustration:
5
_Now here we contrive
To make him a Five_
6
_He’s a Six here complete,
With his hands to his feet_.]
35. A BURIED PROVERB
A proverb of eight words is buried here:--
I fancy this Tory outcry, this weary outrageous attempt to show
illegality, is as a cat chasing snow-flakes. I must be forgiven if I
shun his example.
36. MISSING WORDS
Quick ....... in action, now timid, now bold,
Like ....... of ropes far too rotten to hold,
....... a ....... ....... and disasters
For a State that ....... not incapable masters.
The six missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
No. LII.--DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS
Here is another pair of these quaint figures:--
[Illustration:
7
_With some alteration,
A Seven’s his station._
8
_Here not being strait,
He forms a good eight._]
37. A CHARADE
My first as an heir,
My second a snare,
My whole is the offspring of fancy,
Which I sent on its way
Last Valentine’s Day,
As a token of love to my Nancy.
38. A LOVER’S VOW
My love shall never know my first,
Shall never be my second;
It shall my all, come best, come worst,
Be surely reckoned.
No. LIII.--DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS
Here is the final pair:--
[Illustration:
9
_While drinking his Wine,
He appears like a nine._
0
_Nine Forms having past
He’s a Cypher at last._]
39. AN ENIGMA
I am a letter, and a word,
I am a tree, I am a name,
Cut me in pieces with a sword,
You and your act would be the same.
Thrice you must leave the aspirate in doubt,
And use it twice if you would find me out.
40. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
If you “resist disasters,” how may this affect one of your home circle?
No. LIV.--A FREAK OF FIGURES
1 × 8 + 1 = 9
12 × 8 + 2 = 98
123 × 8 + 3 = 987
1234 × 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 × 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 × 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 × 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 × 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 × 8 + 9 = 987654321
41. A CHARADE
My first the rainbow shows
When in rich hues it glows.
My next has vowels three;
My third was once a tree.
My fourth begins the year,
My whole the past makes clear.
42. ASK A SCHOOLBOY
If you tell a schoolboy that the longest side of a triangular field
measures 100 rods, and that each of the other sides measures 50 rods,
and ask him to estimate the value of its grass at £1 per acre, how
should he answer?
43. A WHOLE LESS THAN ITS PART
Less than my last, my whole has place
Between my first and second:
Second has body, arms and face;
First is by inches reckoned.
No. LV.--SPINNING WHEELS
What is the smallest number of straight lines which can be drawn within
this square so as to enclose each of the wheels within separate
boundaries?
[Illustration]
While solving this, rotate the paper in your hand, and see the wheels
spin.
44. A HISTORICAL CHARADE
My first at early morn the camp alarms,
And at its sound the soldier springs to arms;
My second nowadays fair ladies scorn,
Though in less dainty days it oft was worn.
My whole, a battle fought on Scottish ground,
With victory the rebel forces crowned.
No. LVI.--FOUR QUARTERS AMONG FIVE
A market gardener who has a large square plot of ground wishes to
reserve a fourth of it in the shape of a triangle for himself, as is
shown in the diagram--
[Illustration]
and to divide the remainder among his four sons, so that each shares
equally, with plots of similar shape. How did he mark it out for them?
This appears in a less perfect form in “The Twentieth Century Standard
Puzzle Book.”
No. LVII.--USE YOUR PENCIL
Here is a simple little puzzle which may amuse anyone who has paper and
pencil at hand:--
[Illustration]
Can you combine three figures similar to Fig. A with two similar to Fig.
B, so that a perfect Latin cross is formed?
It is, of course, an easier matter to cut out five such pieces in paper
or cardboard, and arrange them in the form required.
45. MISSING WORDS
I love strolling ....... that wander around,
Each ....... a ....... in versatile skill;
Each ....... so quaint, each idea so profound,
My barn’s at their service, whenever they will.
A company played there last night, but to-day
Ducks ......., and poultry have vanished away!
The missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
No. LVIII.--SUBTLE SELFISHNESS
Four poor men were living in the cottages shown in this diagram, round a
central lake well stocked with fish. Four rich men built their houses
further afield, and selfishly determined to exclude their neighbours
from access to the water.
[Illustration]
How could they do this effectually without cutting themselves off from
the lake?
46. AN ARITHMOREM
150 hat robe or tent
Can you form from this the name of a famous British author, treating the
150 as Roman numerals?
No. LIX.--FOR THE CHILDREN
Cut out in cardboard four pieces of the shape and size of each of the
large patterns, and two pieces of the small one:--
[Illustration]
Now arrange these ten pieces so that they form a perfect square.
47. SHEDDING LETTERS
I’m a worker most active, most useful, most known,
Of all that are busy in country and town.
Take from me one letter, and yet my good name
In spite of this loss will continue the same.
Take from me two letters, and still you will see
That precisely the same in effect I shall be.
Take from me three letters, or even take more,
Yet still I continue as sound as before.
No. LX.
The dotted lines in this diagram show how the figure can be divided into
nine parts by four straight cuts
[Illustration]
which can be reunited to form a perfect cross.
48. A SHARP BOY
Tom Larkins, proud of his prize for arithmetic, challenged his sisters
to show on a blackboard that if 50 is subtracted from the sum of the
nine digits, the result is equal to the number obtained by dividing
their sum by 3. How did he prove his point?
No. LXI.--AN EASY ONE
Take in paper or cardboard a figure made up of a square and half of a
similar square, thus:--
[Illustration]
How can you, in the simplest way, divide it into four equal and similar
parts by four straight cuts?
49. GEESE TO MARKET
B drove a goodly flock of geese,
And met with Farmer A;
Said Farmer A, “How much apiece
For this lot did you pay?”
Said B, “I paid for all I drive
Just six pounds and a crown,
And I am selling all but five
At the next market town.
If fifteen pence a head I charge
Beyond the price I paid.
I shall secure a sum as large
As he who sold all made.”
No. LXII
Can you draw twenty-two straight lines within this circle so that they
divide it into four similar parts, each having three of the dots within
its borders?
[Illustration]
Each line must be at right angles to another.
50. A QUAINT CHARADE
When second held first
For best or for worst,
I thought myself happy to win her.
But what could I say
When the very next day
She gave me the whole for my dinner?
No. LXIII
[Illustration: _Cut up this triangle into 5 parts_,]
[Illustration: _which can be reassembled to form this triangle_.]
No. LXIV.--ARITHMETICAL TRIANGLE
The peculiar series of numbers, as arranged in this triangular form, is
said to have been perfected by Pascal.
┌───┐
│ 1│
├───┼───┐
│ 2│ 1│
├───┼───┼───┐
│ 3│ 3│ 1│
├───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ 4│ 6│ 4│ 1│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ 5│ 10│ 10│ 5│ 1│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ 6│ 15│ 20│ 15│ 6│ 1│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ 7│ 21│ 35│ 35│ 21│ 7│ 1│
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ 8│ 28│ 56│ 70│ 56│ 28│ 8│ 1│
└───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
It has the property of showing, without calculation, how many selections
or combinations can be made at a time out of a larger number. Thus to
find how many selections of 3 at a time can be made out of 8 we look for
the third number on the horizontal row that commences with 8, and find
the answer 56.
The series is formed thus: Set down the numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., as far as
you please, in a vertical row. To the right of 2 place 1, add them
together, and set 3 under the 1. Then add 3 to 3, and set the result
below, and so on, always placing the sum of two numbers that are side by
side below the one on the right.
No. LXV.--MULTIPLICATION NO VEXATION
This diagram shows an ancient and curious method of multiplication,
which will be novel to most of our readers.
^
╱│╲
2╱ │ ╲5
╱ │ ╲
╱ 1 │ 0 ╲
╱│╲ │ ╱│╲
4╱ │ ╲ │ ╱ │ ╲3
╱ │ ╲│╱ │ ╲
╱ 2 │ 0 ╳ 0 │ 6 ╲
╱│╲ │ ╱│╲ │ ╱│╲
3╱ │ ╲ │ ╱ │ ╲ │ ╱ │ ╲4
╱ │ ╲│╱ │ ╲│╱ │ ╲
│ 1 │ 5 ╳ 1 │ 2 ╳ 0 │ 8 │
╲ │ ╱│╲ │ ╱│╲ │ ╱
╲ │ ╱ │ ╲ │ ╱ │ ╲ │ ╱
╲│╱ │ ╲│╱ │ ╲│╱
╲ 0 │ 9 ╳ 1 │ 6 ╱
╲ │ ╱│╲ │ ╱
╲ │ ╱ │ ╲ │ ╱
╲│╱ │ ╲│╱
╲ 1 │ 2 ╱
╲ │ ╱
╲ │ ╱
╲│╱
v
─────────────────────────
1 8 2 6 2 8
─────────────────────────
In this instance 534 is multiplied by 342. Draw a square of nine cells
with diagonals, fill the three top cells, as is shown, by multiplying
the 5 by the 3, the 4 and the 2. Then multiply in similar way the 3 and
the 4 by these same figures. Turn the square round so that the diagonals
are upright, and add. Of course, placing the numbers thus is the same
practically as carrying them by our ordinary rule.
No. LXVI
In this diagram 27 counters are arranged in 9 rows, with 6 in each row.
*
╱ ╲
╱ ╲
╱ ╲
* *
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ * ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╲
*───────*───────*───────*───────*───────*
╲ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╱
╲ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╱
╲ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╱
* ╱ ╲ *
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ * * ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
*───────*───────*───────────────*───────*───────*
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
*───────*───────────────*───────*───────────────*───────*
╲ ╱
╲ ╱
╲ ╱
*
Can you rearrange them so that with similar conditions they all fall
within the borders of one equilateral triangle?
51. A BURIED ADAGE
The bees’ blithe vernal love-songs softly hum,
Blending so sweetly with the restful air;
The noiseless, deep-laced twilight shadows come,
And well I ken the lass who meets me there.
Can you discover a very familiar saying that is buried in these lines?
No. LXVII.--AN EIGHT-CARD PUZZLE
Place eight cards of two different colours alternately in one row, then
with four moves bring all of one colour together.
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ A │ │ 2 │ │ 3 │ │ 4 │ │ 5 │ │ 6 │ │ 7 │ │ 8 │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ♠ │ │ ♡ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♢ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♢ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♡ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘
Two cards (without altering their relative position) are to be moved at
a time, and placed somewhere in the same line, one of them at least
touching another card.
52. MUTILATIONS
A little beast without its head
Becomes a mighty beast instead;
But then the subject of my riddle
Is cut asunder in the middle;
And nothing this division gains,
Though unknown quantity remains.
53. MISSING WORDS
Mary sat with ..... in hand
Writing ..... dramatic.
Did she ..... the plots she planned?
Negative emphatic!
..... to us the ..... may be
But at ..... they’re new to she!
The missing words are spelt with the same five letters.
No. LXVIII.--THOUGHT READING
Cut out this diagram, and paste it on a card. Hand it to anyone, and ask
him to fix upon whichever number he pleases, and merely to tell you in
which columns this appears.
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐║
║│ I. ││ II. ││ III. ││ IV. │║
║│ ││ ││ ││ │║
║│ 1 33 65 97││ 2 34 66 98││ 4 36 68 100││ 8 40 72 104│║
║│ 3 35 67 99││ 3 35 67 99││ 5 37 69 101││ 9 41 73 105│║
║│ 5 37 69 101││ 6 38 70 102││ 6 38 70 102││ 10 42 74 106│║
║│ 7 39 71 103││ 7 39 71 103││ 7 39 71 103││ 11 43 75 107│║
║│ 9 41 73 105││ 10 42 74 106││ 12 44 76 108││ 12 44 76 108│║
║│ 11 43 75 107││ 11 43 75 107││ 13 45 77 109││ 13 45 77 109│║
║│ 13 45 77 109││ 14 46 78 110││ 14 46 78 110││ 14 46 78 110│║
║│ 15 47 79 111││ 15 47 79 111││ 15 47 79 111││ 15 47 79 111│║
║│ 17 49 81 113││ 18 50 82 114││ 20 52 84 116││ 24 56 88 120│║
║│ 19 51 83 115││ 19 51 83 115││ 21 53 85 117││ 25 57 89 121│║
║│ 21 53 85 117││ 22 54 86 118││ 22 54 86 118││ 26 58 90 122│║
║│ 23 55 87 119││ 23 55 87 119││ 23 55 87 119││ 27 59 91 123│║
║│ 25 57 89 121││ 26 58 90 122││ 28 60 92 124││ 28 60 92 124│║
║│ 27 59 91 123││ 27 59 91 123││ 29 61 93 125││ 29 61 93 125│║
║│ 29 61 93 125││ 30 62 94 126││ 30 62 94 126││ 30 62 94 126│║
║│ 31 63 95 127││ 31 63 95 127││ 31 63 95 127││ 31 63 95 127│║
║└───────────────┘└───────────────┘└───────────────┘└───────────────┘║
║ ┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐ ║
║ │ V. ││ VI. ││ VII. │ ║
║ │ ││ ││ │ ║
║ │ 16 48 80 112││ 32 48 96 112││ 64 80 96 112│ ║
║ │ 17 49 81 113││ 33 49 97 113││ 65 81 97 113│ ║
║ │ 18 50 82 114││ 34 50 98 114││ 66 82 98 114│ ║
║ │ 19 51 83 115││ 35 51 99 115││ 67 83 99 115│ ║
║ │ 20 52 84 116││ 36 52 100 116││ 68 84 100 116│ ║
║ │ 21 53 85 117││ 37 53 101 117││ 69 85 101 117│ ║
║ │ 22 54 86 118││ 38 54 102 118││ 70 86 102 118│ ║
║ │ 23 55 87 119││ 39 55 103 119││ 71 87 103 119│ ║
║ │ 24 56 88 120││ 40 56 104 120││ 72 88 104 120│ ║
║ │ 25 57 89 121││ 41 57 105 121││ 73 89 105 121│ ║
║ │ 26 58 90 122││ 42 58 106 122││ 74 90 106 122│ ║
║ │ 27 59 91 123││ 43 59 107 123││ 75 91 107 123│ ║
║ │ 28 60 92 124││ 44 60 108 124││ 76 92 108 124│ ║
║ │ 29 61 93 125││ 45 61 109 125││ 77 93 109 125│ ║
║ │ 30 62 94 126││ 46 62 110 126││ 78 94 110 126│ ║
║ │ 31 63 95 127││ 47 63 111 127││ 79 95 111 127│ ║
║ └───────────────┘└───────────────┘└───────────────┘ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
You can then in a moment, and at a glance, pick out the number that is
chosen.
No. LXIX.--FROM PILLAR TO POST
Let us suppose that these black dots represent a succession of pillar
boxes. It will be seen that a postman, starting from the circle, and
going along the dotted lines, turns round 18 corners.
●┅┅┅● ●┅┅┅● ●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ● ● ●┅┅┅● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ● ○ ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ●┅┅┅● ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ●┅┅┅●┅┅┅● ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅● ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅● ●┅┅┅●
Can he take a course which involves fewer turnings?
No. LXX.--TRANSFORMATIONS
Here is an ingenious paper and scissors puzzle:--
[Illustration: 1.]
[Illustration: 2.]
[Illustration: 3.]
Divide a square card into three pieces, so that these can be reunited to
form No. 2 or No. 3 of this diagram.
54. COUNTING THE GEESE
(_From an old Sanscrit source, quoted by Longfellow in his “Kavanagh.”_)
Ten times the square root of a flock of geese, seeing the clouds
collect, flew to the Manus lake. One-eighth of the whole flew from the
edge of the water among a tangle of water lilies, and three couples were
seen playing in the water. Tell me, my young girl with beautiful locks,
what was the whole number of geese?
55. A THIRD IS A HALF
Six hundred and sixty so ordered may be
That if you divide the whole number by three
You find the result will exactly express
The half of six hundred and sixty, no less.
No. LXXI.--A PUZZLE WITH CHESS PIECES
┏━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┓
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │###│ │#♚#│ │###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃#♖#│ │###│ │###│ │#♘#│#♖#┃
┗━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┛
Leaving the Black King in his position, place the three white men so
that he stands checkmated.
56. PRESS PARODIES
An American paper published the following:--
There was a young damsel, oh, bless her!
It cost very little to dress her;
She was sweet as a rose
In her everyday clothes,
But had no young man to caress her.
Next day this parody appeared in a rival paper:--
There was a young ......, oh, bless her!
It cost very little to dress her;
Some ........... and .....
About Thanksgiving time,
And they ... the last bit from the ....... .
Can you fill in the missing words?
No. LXXII.--HEXAGONAL ILLUSIONS
If we look with one eye only, or with eyes half-closed, at these groups
of circular dots, they assume the appearance familiar to us in
honeycomb. This is an effect of the contrast and opposition of the black
and white in the sensation of the retina.
[Illustration]
Although the black and the white circles are of the same diameter the
irradiation is in their case so intense that the white circles appear to
be larger than the black.
No. LXXIII.--AN ILLUSION OF ARCHES
This excellent illusion appeared in a recent number of the “Strand
Magazine”:--
[Illustration]
Most persons will at first see the passages under these arches as
running upwards from left to right, but presently, as their line of
vision shifts, the arches will take a downward course from right to
left. This very curious effect will well repay a little patience, if it
is not realised at once.
57. WHERE WAS THE WEDDING?
She loses her head when she joins the brides,
He joins them after tea;
But both are swept by ruthless tides
Away on the western sea.
58. ON A BANANA BARROW
I have 91 bananas on my barrow, of two qualities; some I sell at four a
penny, and the better sort at three a penny. If I had sold them in mixed
lots at seven for twopence, I should have made a penny more. How many
were there of each quality?
No. LXXIV.--IN THE TRAIN
The Puzzle Problem--
A passenger in a first-class railway carriage notices that the top of
a factory window due S.W. of him coincides with a mark on the carriage
window, and does not move from it while the train is running five and
a half miles.
[Illustration]
At the end of that distance the compass bearing of the chimney is due
N.W. How far was the passenger from the chimney when he first noticed
it?
is solved by 3¹⁄₂ miles.
We give a diagram to make the points clear.
As the chimney top does not move from its place on the window, it is
clear that the train is running on a segment of a circle having the
chimney for its centre. It follows that the observer’s distance
throughout is equal to the radius of that circle, and the radius of a
circle of which the quadrant measures 5¹⁄₂ miles is 3¹⁄₂ miles within
about 11 ft.
No. LXXV.--MENDING THE FLAG
The cross had been taken out from the centre of this flag, and its
owner, who had an ingenious turn of mind, found that by cutting what
remained into two pieces, and rejoining them, he could make it into a
perfect flag without any waste of material.
[Illustration]
How did he accomplish this?
No. LXXVI.--FOR THE CHILDREN
Add two more pieces similar in shape and size to that marked A, and one
similar to B, C, and D respectively, and then readjust the eleven parts
so that they form a perfect square.
[Illustration]
59. MISSING WORDS
How does the sluggard’s garden grow?
When ..... are high results are low.
His borders ..... and bindweed spoil,
No careful culture ..... the soil;
But weeds that ..... are all alive
Where ..... pink or rose should thrive.
The missing words are spelt with the same letters.
No. LXXVII.--AN EASY MATCH PUZZLE
This is a simple arrangement of eight matches, by which two squares and
four similar triangles are formed.
[Illustration]
60. WHAT AM I?
Correctly drawn results I yield.
Varied, but welcome everywhere;
But met with in the open field
I’m banned if frequent, blest if rare.
To this peculiar difference the clue
Is called with much significance the cue.
61. BURIED TOWNS
Wait while I think the matter over,
On holiday intent;
The best I’ve seen is surely Dover,
That pretty port of Kent.
Three towns are buried in these lines.
No. LXXVIII.--WALKING THE ROUNDS
A hospital was built in six detached blocks, and it was the duty of the
night watchman to go completely round every block at fixed hours to see
that all was safe.
[Illustration]
What was his shortest course?
62. THE ARAB AND HIS ASS
An Arab came to the river side
With a donkey bearing an obelisk,
But he did not venture to ford the tide,
For he had too good an *.
So he camped all night by that river side,
Secure till the tide had ceased to swell,
For he knew that whenever the donkey died
No other could be its ‖.
No. LXXIX
Can you rearrange the twelve counters on this board of 36 squares so
that there are two counters on each row, column, and diagonal?
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ ◎ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
There must not be more than these two counters in the same straight
line.
63. A CHARADE
What ho, my jolly _second!_ never say my _first_
While my final you can find in Amsterdam.
Think how a sound _whole_ stays your hunger and your thirst,
Deftly readjusting bread and meat and jam.
No. LXXX.--THE QUEEN’S TOUR
This is a course by which the queen on a chessboard, starting from K R
sq., passes over every square in fourteen moves.
[Illustration]
64. AFTER THE MATCH
“Did you score a score?” said Funniman to his schoolboy nephew, after a
local cricket match. “No, uncle,” said the youngster, “but if I had made
as many more runs, half as many more, and two runs and a half, I should
have made my twenty.” How many runs did he get?
No. LXXXI.--A NEST OF TRIANGLES
In the “Twentieth Century Standard Puzzle Book” we gave a figure similar
to this, in which there were 653 interlacing triangles in four tiers of
this character.
[Illustration]
We now add a fifth tier at the base, and ask our solvers to determine
how many triangles of all shapes and sizes can be counted within its
enlarged borders.
65. AN ENIGMA
Six letters spell the happy state
Of two in love made one.
The same six letters tell the fate
Of marriage ties undone.
No. LXXXII.--A SIMPLE MATCH PUZZLE
Place eight matches in a row, about an inch apart, as indicated in the
diagram.
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
The puzzle is to form these into four pairs in four moves, by moving one
match clear over two matches every time.
66. A TOPICAL RIDDLE
My First’s a bond, my Seconds weigh;
These own the Rest of all my lay;
Busy my Third; Fourth like the Pole,
Whose opposite my Fifth makes goal.
67. MISSING WORDS
For two months at the .... we played,
Ere we were .... to Lord’s;
Alas! the score our champion made
Was what a .... affords!
The crowd in .... of thousands came
But took scant notice of the game.
No. LXXXIII.--A MATCH PUZZLE
Place twelve matches, as is shown in the diagram, so that they form four
squares.
══════ ══════
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
═══════ ══════
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
══════ ══════
Now remove three of the matches, and readjust the nine that remain so
that they represent three squares.
68. MARCONIGRAMS
Edwin and Angelina were far apart, when this message, with its touch of
jealous resentment, reached her on the wings of a Marconigram--
“No fickle girl is bonnie to my mind!”
Quite equal to the occasion, she flashed back the reply--
“In love inconstant I no pleasure find!”
How did these messages reveal the places from which they were
despatched?
No. LXXXIV.--MATHEMATICS WITH MATCHES
In the four corner and four central cells of this nest of squares four
matches are so placed as to represent ¹⁄₂, 1, 4, ¹⁄₅₀, 11, 12, 41, and
49.
│ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╳ │ = 1
│ ╱ ╲ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ = 4
│ │ │ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
─── = 11
│
│
│
╲ ╱ │ │
╳ │ │ = 12
╱ ╲ │ │
╱│ │
─+─ │ = 41
│ │
│ │
│ ─── │ = 49
│___ │
Can you, still using only four matches in each case, fit different whole
numbers or fractions in similar fashion into the other 28 cells?
69. EASY MENTAL ARITHMETIC
Set down three figures in a line,
Then multiply by four;
This, if you use the proper sign,
Makes five and nothing more.
No. LXXXV.--MANY READINGS
Can you complete the top and bottom rows, the two side columns, and the
two diagonals of this square by forming in each of them the same
sentence so that it can be read in twenty different directions?
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ R | I | | | | | V | | | | | I | R ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I | I | | | | | | | | | | I | I ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ V | | | | | | V | | | | | | V ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ | | | | | | | | | | | | ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I | | | | | | | | | | | I | I ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I | | | | | | V | | | | | I | R ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
There are four words in the sentence of thirteen letters.
No. LXXXVI.--TOLD AT A GLANCE
Ask anyone to fix upon a number between 1 and 60 inclusive, and to point
out to you the square or squares in which it appears:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗ ╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 3│ 5│ 7│ 9│ 11│ 1║ ║ 9│ 10│ 11│ 12│ 13│ 8║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 13│ 15│ 17│ 19│ 21│ 23║ ║ 14│ 15│ 24│ 25│ 26│ 27║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 25│ 27│ 29│ 31│ 33│ 35║ ║ 28│ 29│ 30│ 31│ 40│ 41║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 37│ 39│ 41│ 43│ 45│ 47║ ║ 42│ 43│ 44│ 45│ 46│ 47║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 49│ 51│ 53│ 55│ 57│ 59║ ║ 56│ 57│ 58│ 59│ 60│ 13║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝ ╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗ ╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 17│ 18│ 19│ 20│ 21│ 16║ ║ 5│ 6│ 7│ 13│ 12│ 4║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 22│ 23│ 24│ 25│ 26│ 27║ ║ 14│ 15│ 20│ 21│ 22│ 23║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 28│ 29│ 30│ 31│ 48│ 49║ ║ 28│ 29│ 30│ 31│ 36│ 37║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 50│ 51│ 52│ 53│ 54│ 55║ ║ 52│ 38│ 39│ 44│ 45│ 46║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 56│ 57│ 58│ 59│ 30│ 60║ ║ 47│ 53│ 54│ 55│ 60│ 13║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝ ╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗ ╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 3│ 6│ 7│ 10│ 11│ 2║ ║ 33│ 34│ 35│ 36│ 37│ 32║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 14│ 15│ 18│ 19│ 22│ 23║ ║ 38│ 39│ 40│ 41│ 42│ 43║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 26│ 27│ 30│ 31│ 34│ 35║ ║ 44│ 45│ 46│ 47│ 48│ 49║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 38│ 39│ 42│ 43│ 46│ 47║ ║ 50│ 51│ 52│ 53│ 54│ 55║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢ ╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 50│ 51│ 54│ 55│ 58│ 59║ ║ 56│ 57│ 58│ 59│ 60│ 41║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝ ╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
You can find the number at a glance, by simply adding together the
numbers in _the right-hand top corner cells_ of the square indicated.
Thus, if 45 has been chosen, 32 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 45.
No. LXXXVII.
Here is a little subtraction sum, which is not quite so simple as it
appears to be:--
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║miles furlongs rods yards feet inches║
║ 1 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 ║
║ 7 „ 39 „ 5 „ 1 „ 5 ║
║ ─────────────────────────────────────────── ║
║ ║
║ ═══════════════════════════════════════════ ║
║ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Try it as it stands, without reducing the distance to inches.
70. A DOUBLET BY MISSING WORDS
Can you, by supplying the missing words, turn a grilse into a salmon?
One letter is changed each time, and, except in one case, the order of
the letters varies:--
To silver Tweed, or broader Spey,
The _grilse_ of ......, ...... gay,
Glides on; the ...... ...... draws
When _salmon_ follows Nature’s laws.
71. AN ENIGMA
I never move, and yet I run
From place to place all day;
Some loving swain, hot foot for fun,
Sees Dora in my way.
No. LXXXVIII.--RANGING THE DIGITS
These are the arrangements of the nine digits, by which they add up
alike in rows, columns, and diagonals in a square; on all sides in a
triangle; and from top to bottom and from side to side in a cross:--
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ ┌───┬───┬───┐ ┌───────────┐ ┌───────────┐ ║
║ │ 8 │ 1 │ 6 │ │ 5 │ │ 5 │ ║
║ ├───┼───┼───┤ │ 3 7 │ │ 4 │ ║
║ │ 3 │ 5 │ 7 │ │ 4 6 │ │ 3 6 9 7 2 │ ║
║ ├───┼───┼───┤ │ 8 1 9 2 │ │ 8 │ ║
║ │ 4 │ 9 │ 2 │ │ │ │ 1 │ ║
║ └───┴───┴───┘ └───────────┘ └───────────┘ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════╝
The totals are 15, 20, and 27 respectively.
72. WHAT IS THIS WORD?
HAATTCEUMSSSS
73. MULTUM IN PARVO
Seven words in one of letters five we fix,
Five English, and one Latin;
No need to twist them, or afresh to mix,
If puzzles you are pat in.
74. THE GENTLE CRAFT
The question was asked in a puzzle competition--“Why is every angler
ipso facto an Ananias?” Although no such method was asked for or
expected, we find that the very letters of the question can be recast
into a most apposite reply. Our answer by anagram runs thus--
A liar, .. ..... gay fancies to a ..... ....
Can you complete the sentence by filling in the missing words?
No. LXXXIX.--NO TWO IN A ROW
On a board of sixty-seven squares, arranged as is shown in the diagram,
place nine counters, so that no two are in the same row, column, or
diagonal.
┏━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┓
┃###| |###| |###| |###| |###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ |###| |###| |###| |###| ┃
┗━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
┃ |###| |###| |###| ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###| |###| |###| |###┃
┗━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
┃###| |###| |###┃
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
┃###| |###| |###| |###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ |###| |###| |###| ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###| |###| |###| |###┃
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
┃###| |###| |###| |###| |###┃
┗━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┛
The indentations do not affect the simple conditions.
75. A QUAINT RIDDLE
Peter White
Will never go right;
Shall I tell you the reason why?
Wherever he goes,
He follows his nose;
And that stands all awry!
If this appendage had slanted more
Why would it serve a hole to bore?
No. XC.--EXACT ALIGNMENT
Can you arrange these nine cards so that they form ten rows with three
cards in each row?
┌───┐
│ A │
│ │
│ ♣ │
└───┘
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ A │ │ 1 │ │ A │
│ │ │ 0 │ │ │
│ ♢ │ │ ♡ │ │ ♠ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ Q │ │ K │ │ K │ │ J │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ♠ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♢ │ │ ♢ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘
┌───┐
│ K │
│ │
│ ♡ │
└───┘
This may, of course, be done with any nine cards.
76. A MISSING LETTER
Thieaonunhinemileuchtormapa
Aitutoaeucceorlo;
Pringweetnetillpoeemoygra,
Aummertreemaofthadeacro.
Separate these strings of letters into words that scan and rhyme, adding
the same missing letter in 55 places.
No. XCI.--AT A FANCY BALL
Two ladies and their squires, here represented by the White Knights and
the Black, were dressed to impersonate Light, Liberty, Love, and
Learning, and took their places on the corners of a pavement chequered
to represent a chessboard, as is shown below:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ ♘ │###│ │###│ │###│ │#♞#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║#♞#│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ♘ ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
They undertook to step a figure which should exhibit at each pause a
revolving square, and in three paces bring them together in the centre,
by a course traced upon the lines of their combined monograms. What were
their successive steps?
No. XCII.--PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY IN CELLS
Can you disentangle all this good advice?
╔════════╤════════╤════════╤════════╤════════╤════════╗
║ │ │ │ │ │ he ║
║ tell │you know│ tells │ knows │ tells │ should ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ not ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ you │ │ thinks │ │ is ║
║ do │ think │ does │ of │ does │ not ║
║ │ of │ │ │ │ good ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ believe│you hear│believes│ hears │believes│is false║
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ spend │you have│ spends │ has │ spends │he needs║
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ is ║
║ judge │ you see│ judges │ sees │ judges │ not ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ there ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ never │ all │ he who │ all he │ often │ what ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╚════════╧════════╧════════╧════════╧════════╧════════╝
It forms 5 excellent maxims in its 36 cells.
77. THRICE DOCKED
Protected, open, plain,
Without my tail I’m flat;
I’m round curtailed again;
Again, you have me pat.
No. XCIII.--A DISLOCATED CIRCLE
Study this quaint figure carefully, and try to discover how it can be
divided into two pieces, so that these can be reunited to form a perfect
circle.
[Illustration]
78. A LOGOGRIPH
When all are gay this holds the sway,
But take a letter out,
That change of fare is ruling there,
You see, without a doubt.
Behead me twice; it is not nice
To have this in your skin;
Lop head and tail, and find a nail
Or tack to drive it in.
Behind his right, and in your sight
A little word you find;
But you will never make it out,
Though it is in your mind.
No. XCIV.
When Tommy was offered all the money by his uncle if he could place 15
half-crowns and 15 pennies in such order in a circle that, counting
always by nines, and starting at a fixed point, he came always upon a
penny, and removed it from the circle, he found the key to success in
this Latin line, given to him by a school friend, who shared the
spoil--“Populeam virgam mater regina ferebat.” The vowels, from a to u,
are numbered from 1 to 5, and when they are thus marked in the
sentence--
“Populeam virgam mater regina ferebat,”
4 5 21 3 1 1 2 2 3 1 2 2 1
they show the necessary sequence of half-crowns and pennies.
[Illustration]
Start counting with the half-crown marked _a_, and remove each penny as
you come to it on counting up to nine, and the conditions are fulfilled.
No. XCV.--A BUSINESS ANAGRAM
This smart advertisement of a polish known as “Old Dutch Cleanser”
appeared in an American paper:--
[Illustration:
Cleans
Scrubs
Scours
Polishes
Old Dutch Cleanser]
If the eyes of the proprietor should fall upon this column, he will be
surprised to find that his catch words _Cleans_, _Scrubs_, _Scours_,
_Polishes_, can be recast into a perfect anagram, singularly appropriate
to the powder advertised.
The opening words of the anagram are “O rub on, sir.”--Can our solvers
complete the sentence?
No. XCVI.--A NEW CHESS PUZZLE
By Henry E. Dudeney.
Replace all these 51 pieces on the chessboard, so that no Queen attacks
another Queen, no Rook another Rook, no Bishop another Bishop, and no
Knight another Knight.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ Q │#Q#│ Q │#Q#│ Q │#Q#│ Q │#Q#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ B │#B#│ B │#B#│ B │#B#│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │#B#│ │###│ │###│ B │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ B │#B#│ B │#B#│ B │#B#│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ R │#R#│ R │#R#│ R │#R#│ R │#R#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ N │#N#│ N │#N#│ N │###│ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ N │#N#│ N │#N#│ N │#N#│ N │#N#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║#N#│ N │#N#│ N │#N#│ N │#N#│ N ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
No account is to be taken of the intervening pieces, but each type of
piece is to be considered as if it stood alone upon the board.
No. XCVII.--A GOOD KNIGHT’S TOUR
Here is a beautifully symmetrical specimen of the Knight’s tour:--
[Illustration]
No. XCVIII.--A KNIGHT’S TOUR
Here is another beautifully symmetrical Knight’s tour:--
[Illustration]
It starts from the corner square, and the second half of the course has
dotted lines.
79. MISSING WORDS
He ...... himself much on his skill,
In many a burglary tried;
But when he ...... open the till
There was only a ...... inside.
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
No. XCIX.--A KNIGHT’S TOUR
Here is quite a curious pattern described by another Knight’s tour:--
[Illustration]
80. AN ENIGMA
Three-fourths of me an act display,
Three-fourths a bed for man;
Three-fourths have legs that cannot stray,
Three-fourths have legs that can.
I have a back without a spine;
An arm without a bone is mine.
81. A CHARADE
My first is the French for my second,
My whole a narcotic is reckoned.
No. C.--A GOOD PATTERN
Here is a very symmetrical Knight’s tour, in which half of the moves are
indicated by dotted, and half by unbroken lines:--
[Illustration]
82. PALINDROME WORDS
The letters of this sentence “Arrive to vote at it,” can be so recast as
to form two palindrome words, or words that read alike from either end.
What are they?
No. CI.--A KNIGHT’S TOUR
Here is another specimen of the Knight’s tour, which is beautifully
symmetrical--
[Illustration]
Half of the course is marked with dotted lines.
83. AN ENIGMA
Sweet till I lose my head,
Sweet-hearted then I show;
Decapitate again, I spread,
And cannot be below.
Served so once more, I am not dead,
But with fresh beauty glow.
No. CII.--A KNIGHT’S POETIC TOUR
On the board below a verse of eight lines runs on the course of a
Knight’s move from square to square:--
╔══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╗
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ sor │ to │ king │ good │ say │ luck │ loy │ eth ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ and │ moth │ a │ soon │ dis │ our │ to │ bad ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ place│ ry │church│ his │ force│ is │ hat │ al ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ er │ queen│ him │ wight│ he │ to │ may │ truth║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ man │ his │ and │ and │ chess│ es │knight│ op’s ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ a │ sneer│ the │ and │ un │ lawn │ of │ tates║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ cas │ that │ at │ less │ pawn │ no │ bish │ lant ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ eth │ faith│ tles │ hath │ the │ gal │ in │ love ║
╚══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╝
Can you disentangle the little poem?
84. TOMMY’S MONEY BOX
“Dad,” said little Tommy, “give me as much as I have in my purse, and I
will put a shilling in my money-box.” This was done, and the process was
repeated for three more days. How much had Tommy originally in his
purse, which was now quite empty?
No. CIII.--THE MANX RABBITS
This is the way to draw three rabbits so that they have but three ears
among them all:--
[Illustration]
85. AN ENIGMA
Two articles of English make,
And three from foreign source.
All these together you must take
Where dramas run their course.
No. CIV.--SCORING A CENTURY
On this table is shown in ten different ways how exactly 100 can be
arrived at by the use of the nine digits, each appearing only once.
╔══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╗
║ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 │ 8 │ 9 ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 1 │ 1 │ 4 │ 95³⁄₇│ 56 │ 98 │ 6 │ 15 │ 15 ║
║ 3 │ 45 │ 53 │4¹⁶⁄₂₈│ 34 │ 1 │ 2 │ 2 │ 36 ║
║ 5 │ 7 │ 6 │ │ 7 │ ³⁄₆ │ -- │ 79 │ 47 ║
║ 8 │ 9 │ 8 │ │ 1 │ ²⁷⁄₅₄│ 8 │ ⁸⁄₄ │ -- ║
║ 9 │ -- │ -- │ │ -- │ │ 9 │ ⁶⁄₃ │ 98 ║
║ -- │ 62 │ 71 │ │ 98 │ │ 1 │ │ 2 ║
║ 26 │ 38 │ 29 │ │ 2 │ │ 3 │ │ ║
║ 74 │ │ │ │ │ │ 4 │ │ ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ │ 75 │ │ ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 100 │ 100 │ 100 │ 100 │ 100 │ 100 │ 100 │ 100 │ 100 ║
╠══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╣
║9 × 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 100. ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
86. IF WE COULD CHOOSE
“If it were possible, I should choose,” said young Hopeful, “a life
double as long.”
“Yes,” said old Sobersides, “and you might turn it to better account if
it was also begun old.”
How did their actual words bear this out?
No. CV.--SEEING THROUGH A VEIL
On a piece of clear tracing paper draw with pen and ink a close network
of lines, such as is shown in this diagram, near enough together to
conceal type of ordinary size.
[Illustration]
Place this on the page of a book, and challenge any one to read a
sentence, or even a word, through it, saying that you can do so easily.
How can you succeed?
87. A CHARADE
Lop head and tail, and you will find
I have both tail and head.
Or if for spirits you’ve a mind
Set my tail first instead.
Life, as “a vapour full of woes,”
With many a darker page,
My whole in picture will disclose,
For “all the world’s a stage!”
No. CVI.--THE PAPER RINGS
In the diagram a strip of paper is shown (1), with its ends simply
gummed together; (2), with a single twist; and (3), with a double twist.
Can you decide, without actual experiment, what will be the result in
each case if these are cut completely round, as is indicated by the
dotted lines?
[Illustration]
88. MISSING WORDS
A glowing ........ window, graced
With ........ that true art has traced.
89. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
How do the actual letters of these words in their union prove that
anæsthetics are “blessed in pain?”
No. CVII.--THE MAGIC BUTTONS
Make two parallel cuts with a penknife along the centre of a slip of
leather or other material, and below them a hole of the same width. Pass
a piece of string under the slit, and through the hole, and tie two
buttons, each much larger than the hole, to the ends of the string.
[Illustration]
How can the string be released without removing either of the buttons?
No. CVIII.--THE CAPTIVE SCISSORS
Fasten a pair of scissors securely with a piece of string to some
convenient article, as is shown in this diagram:--
[Illustration]
Can you release them without cutting or unfastening the string?
90. A BURIED QUOTATION
“What sin was it, sonny?” said an American negress to her lover, when
she sat on his best hat, which was flattened. Wearily he heard her
musical laugh, and arose to go. His hobby was botany, but not hers, for
she was then a merry girl. “Bother the flowers! I would prefer this
mellow pine-apple, Leonidas,” she said; “I guess we Ethiopians just love
fruit!”
No. CIX.--A PRIMITIVE TRAP
This diagram represents in the simplest outline a primitive wolf-trap.
[Illustration]
The dotted line is a gate opening into a circular enclosure. How was the
trap set and the wolf caught?
91. LADIES AT A SALE
They .... the dress with grip so keen
That half the .... gives way;
And home return with purses lean
To .... of “bargain-day!”
What are the missing words?
No. CX.--A SPINNING NEEDLE
To balance a needle on the head of a pin, push the pin into the cork of
a wine bottle, and the needle into a separate cork.
[Illustration]
With the aid of three forks, as is shown in the picture, the needle may
be balanced and spun round on the head of the pin.
92. MISSING WORDS
Air--“_Three fishers went sailing_.”
Three ...... went sailing out into the west,
Out into the west as the sun sank low;
Each thought as they ...... of the lad she loved best,
For they all had ......, and each had a beau.
But seas will rise, and spirits will sink,
And they all were too ill of ...... to think,
So these ...... ...... back moaning.
Each missing word has the same six letters.
No. CXI.--AFTER DINNER
This diagram shows how, as an after-dinner trick, four similar
wineglasses can be placed on the table
[Illustration]
so that the centres of the lowest parts of their stems are equidistant
from each other.
93. A CHARADE
Lurking in riddles oft my first is found;
My second should in ample stores abound,
Or help to make the sweetest songster heard.
Peculiar, and quite proper, is my third.
My whole has found with England’s monarch grace,
The verdant home of many a goodly race.
No. CXII.--SECOND SIGHT
Ask any one, with this diagram to work upon, to think of any number
between 5 and 15, and, while your back is turned, to count up to it,
beginning at the lowest step, and saying one, two, three, four, and so
on, as each step of cards or single card is reached in the direction
indicated by the arrow. When the number thought of has been thus arrived
at, tell him to stop, and beginning afresh on that card, to count one,
two, three, etc., _backwards_, this time _skipping over the double six_
and the 3 steps until he again reaches the number thought of, and
notices which card he has touched last.
[Illustration]
How can you, without having seen any of his movements, at once find that
card?
No. CXIII.--AN AFTER DINNER TRICK
Cut a wedge out of an apple, as is indicated in the diagram, and make
six gashes as is shown.
[Illustration]
When this has been done, challenge anyone to divide the apple into six
pieces by only two straight cuts, so that there shall be one of the
gashes in each piece.
94. ALIKE TO THE EYE
Accent my head,
An opening I appear
In other fashions said
I charm all far and near.
No. CXIV.--A TOY BOOMERANG
Cut out in cardboard a boomerang as nearly as possible of the size and
pattern given here:--
[Illustration: BOOMERANG]
Place it flat on the back of the first three fingers of the left hand,
sloping them upward; then flick it smartly with the second finger of the
right hand. It will fly off and return to your lap. Try it.
95. LONDON BY ANAGRAM
Here are two simple sentences:--
A lamp shines out for thee.
Win me best by tears.
Can you recast the letters, so that they form the names of two of the
most important buildings in London?
96. HEARD ON THE BRIGHTON BEACH
It was low tide; two children were throwing pebbles into the sea, and
sending their excited collie in pursuit of them. The Puzzle Editor, who
was on holiday, quickened perhaps by the salt air, bethought him of this
appropriate riddle:--What is the difference between that dog and a
hungry man?
No. CXV.--IN THE GRIP OF A RADISH
Cut a radish in half, press the lower surface firmly against a plate, as
is shown in the diagram:--
[Illustration]
and you can lift the plate, to which it clings as closely as a boy’s wet
leather disc to the pavement.
97. FIND THE ANIMAL
A part of me in rain,
A part in hail must be,
A part belongs to pain,
A part in bones we see,
A part in gleaming gold,
A part in common copper.
A part in peace behold,
A part in any topper;
Two parts are heard in sound,
And in our finals found.
No. CXVI.--ELASTIC PAPER
The countryman who cut one hole in his door for the cat and another for
the kitten would find it difficult to pass a penny through a hole the
size of a shilling cut in a stout piece of paper.
This diagram shows how easily it can be done:--
[Illustration]
Fold the paper across the centre of the hole, place the penny in the
fold, and bend the lower corners of the paper upwards. This elongates
the opening, and the coin falls through.
98. A SMART ENIGMA
Men commonly say I am clever,
Book-learning I never could boast;
Yet I turn the leaves inside the cover,
And when I am found I am lost.
99. MISSING WORDS
.... is like a ..... or what is most
Comparative, a ..... is like a . ...;
For when their substances in liquor sink
Both properly are said to be in drink.
One of the letters of the two short words is used twice in the longer
word.
No. CXVII.--THE NIMBLE SIXPENCE
Place a sixpence on the tablecloth, and over it set a tumbler, as is
shown in the picture below.
[Illustration]
How can you pocket the sixpence without removing the glass, or having it
removed?
100. A PIED PROVERB
~abdeefiinnnoopprrrsssttuw~
101. SELF-DEFINED
A wordy warfare waged with wit,
In youth its joys none need descry;
But where our elders take to it
Its name points loss of dignity.
No. CXVIII.--HOW TO DRAW A SPIRAL
How can you draw such a spiral as this with very simple appliances?
[Illustration]
This spiral is drawn rapidly without removing the pencil from the paper.
102. FIND THE HERO
My first’s in garb, but not in dress;
My next’s in praise, but not in bliss;
My third’s in man, but not in miss;
My fourth’s in we.
My fifth’s in boar, but not in hog;
My sixth’s in cat, but not in dog;
My next’s in calm, but not in fog;
My eighth’s in we.
My ninth’s in rope, but not in twine;
My tenth’s in light, but not in shine;
My next’s in four, but not in nine;
My twelfth’s in we.
No. CXIX.--FOR HANDY FINGERS
Take a piece of stout paper or thin cardboard, about 10 in. by 8 in.,
and cut it as is shown below, removing the parts that are shaded in the
diagram.
[Illustration]
If you hold this between a plain wall, or other surface, and a strong
light, you will, with a little practice, be able to cast a shadow
similar to one or other of these Madonna heads, which will vary in
intensity and expression with the positions of the paper and the light.
No. CXX.--THE FOUR KINGS
This excellent and easy little card trick will commend itself for
fireside use in the long evenings.
Take the four Kings from a pack, and two other cards. Hold the Kings
thus, in the form of a fan--
[Illustration]
hiding the two other cards behind the King of Diamonds.
After showing them, place the six cards at the bottom of the pack. Now
move the lowest card to the top, and the two next cards to any part of
the pack, apparently leaving but one King at the bottom. Ask some one to
cut the pack, and all the Kings will be found together. Some appropriate
patter will help the effect.
103. PROVERB BY ANAGRAM
Can you recast this sentence--
A defeat whose test is very sure--
so that the same letters form an appropriate proverb?
No. CXXI.--DOMINO SQUARE
Its cells add up in columns and rows to 22, and those of the corner
squares add up to 10 and 12 respectively.
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐
│ 6 │ 2 2 │ 0 6 │ 5 1 │
├ ┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ 1 │ 5 │ 4 │ │ 3 │ 3 │ 6 │
├───┼ ┼ ┤ ├ ┼ ┼ ┤
│ 3 │ 3 │ 4 │ │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │
├ ┼───┴───┘ └───┴───┼───┤
│ 0 │ │ 0 │
├───┼───┬───┐ ┌───┬───┼ ┤
│ 2 4 │ 6 │ │ 5 4 │ 1 │
├───┼───┼ ┤ ├───┼───┼───┤
│ 4 │ 2 │ 6 │ │ 2 5 │ 3 │
├ ┼ ┼───┼───┼───┼───┼ ┤
│ 6 │ 6 │ 0 0 │ 3 1 │ 6 │
└───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
104. PHONETIC MISSING WORDS
’Tis ..... that no one takes a .....
To .... a .... of ....s;
A .... may often take a ....
To .... away the ....s.
No. CXXII.--THE TALKING HEAD
This, though quite an old illusion, may be a mystery to some of our
readers, so we give it a place among our many curiosities.
[Illustration]
The table is placed on the middle of a platform, well away from the
background, and the head, which is very much alive, is prepared to
answer questions, or to whistle, or to sing, at the will of the
audience. “How it is done” will be explained.
105. A QUEER OBSTACLE
I’m in everyone’s way,
Yet no one I stop.
My four horns each day
Horizontally play,
And my head is nailed on at the top.
No. CXXIII.--A GENERAL OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
[Illustration]
With a little ingenuity, and by slightly warming the wax, and shredding
the matches for some effects, all sorts of comical figures can be
contrived, similar in character to this dignified general on his
high-stepping charger.
106. AN OLD ENIGMA
(By a former Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin.)
Take five from five, and then
Put fifty in the middle;
Twice ten times five times ten
Will finish off my riddle,
And bring it to your ken
As fit as any fiddle!
No. CXXIV.--ANOTHER BOOMERANG
Cut out in cardboard a cross similar to that shown in this diagram:--
[Illustration]
Place one of its limbs under the thumbnail of the left hand, and give
the next projecting limb a sharp flick with the middle finger of the
right hand. The little boomerang will fly sharply forward, and
invariably return rapidly on its tracks. Try it.
107. PHONETIC GAPS
Can you fill these gaps with words of similar sound?
No ..... will ..... before the wind
A ..... will ... before it;
We cannot .... the ...., or find
That earthly powers ..... o’er it.
The gaps in line 1 take words that sound alike; so do those in line 2;
and so do the other three in lines 3 and 4.
No. CXXV.--A PICTURE CHARADE
Can you fill in the missing words so as to complete this picture
charade?
[Illustration]
My first may .... candle ...,
My second then ..... ..;
My whole in ..... moves .....
....... an oar or ...
108. SOUND SENSE
We seem to sound a note of lavish bounty;
Reverse us, and we indicate a county.
109. A CRYPTOGRAM
~FTHNMLKBRNGSLLCTTN~
~LLSKMTMXTTLLTSTHN!~
Can you so deal with this as to form a rhyming couplet?
No. CXXVI.--WALNUTS AND COBS
_A good after dinner trick_
Place four walnuts and four cobnuts in a row, as indicated on the
diagram.
[Illustration]
Now, moving always two that stand together, transfer them to some other
positions along the line, and in four such moves leave them so that the
large and small nuts range alternately. It may, of course, be done with
large and small coins, or with other things that are at hand.
110. A BURIED PROVERB
Yet I see them all! on golden wings that fly
Old memories steal anew;
With a tear, with a sigh, with an old, old cry
They return in ghostly hue!
111. DOUBLETS
Here is another exercise in Doublets, from Lewis Carroll’s book on the
subject:--
Turn ELM into OAK by seven links, introducing the name of another tree
as one of them.
No. CXXVII.--A PICTURE RIDDLE
Can you read in this picture the question of our riddle?
[Illustration]
112. TWO POSERS
1.
My dear Mr Bird,
We are giving a ball;
First second we third,
Pray give us your all.
2.
Second, I did my first and last,
Till I became my whole;
And told the tale of my repast,
A sad and greedy soul.
No. CXXVIII.--BUY A BROOM
Here is an excellent example of how a characteristic figure may be
contrived by shredding, warming, and uniting a few wax matches:--
[Illustration]
Many similar figures can be made by handy fingers.
113. A CHARADE
My whole, industrious, wends his way
His daily task to meet;
Behead, transpose, and lo! a sound
Of music soft and sweet;
Behead again, I make my way
With swiftness past belief;
Again, and where the fields are gay
My bounty brings relief.
No. CXXIX.--JEU DE PARQUET
(_For the children_)
An old book, published more than 100 years ago, gives the following
samples of patterns which may be formed with very simple materials:--
[Illustration]
All that is needed for this pastime is a set of 128 coloured triangles,
64 of each colour, with which an endless variety of patterns can be
arranged by the exercise of taste and ingenuity.
114. LINES BY AN OLD OXBRIDGE DON
’Tis an absurdity to say
Women should try for a B.A.
To College honours forward looking;
They’d best confine themselves to cooking!
How could a Girton girl retort, using the same words?
115. LESS AND MORE
Eight letters (start with b)
Three syllables contain;
Take one away, and see
Four syllables remain!
116. BURIED BEASTS
Can you dig out nineteen beasts that are buried in these lines?--
Ireland’s lot heals slowly. Troubles came long ago--at times in
battalions--to attack and harass her. Ambitious democrats now
countermine famous enthusiasts nearly akin to heroes. Anarchy enables
cowards to sow hot terror and all amazement.
117. PALINDROMIC VERSE
Can you recast the following sentences so that their words form a verse
of four lines, which makes good sense, with lines that rhyme
alternately, when read from either end?:--
Fading slowly day dies, mournful winds sigh, Stars are waking brightly;
owlet holding high revel flies hooting, breaking nightly silence.
118. AN ANAGRAM IN THE MAKING
“The Observatory at Greenwich, in England,” has been turned into an
excellent anagram, which starts--_On landing here begin_--Can you
complete it?
119. AN ENIGMA
No man at all am I
And, if you turn me round,
To hear my warning cry
Not any men are found.
120. ASK A SAILOR
How can our sailors fare the best
When times are harder?
How do they greet with merry jest
An empty larder?
121. AN ENIGMA
I lose my head when I am here,
Transpose me I am three;
Look in a book, you find me there,
And with me her and he.
122. MISSING WORDS
Jack did ....... that he could square
The circle to a .......;
His friends ....... that a brain so rare
Required attention ........
The missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
123. A HUMAN PRODIGY
My father is my son,
And I’m my mother’s mother;
My daughter and sister are one,
I’m grandam to my brother!
How was this?
124. A CHARADE
Catch my first with nimble wit,
Add a simple word;
Then my whole may help a bit
Opportunely heard.
125. A PARADOX
My mate and I from home did start,
Some little space we were apart.
When we had run a mile or more
We kept our distance, as before;
Shade of Colenso! could this be,
When twice as fast as I ran he?
126. AN ENIGMA
(_From Lewis Carroll’s Papers_.)
A monument all men agree
Am I in all sincerity,
Half cat, half hindrance made.
If head and tail removed should be,
Then most of all you strengthen me.
Replace my head, the stand you see
On which my tail is laid.
127. A CHARADE
I’m known to the poorest and worst,
And my worth by a child may be reckoned;
The least thing in nature is double my first,
And my whole is just half of my second.
128. WHAT IS IT?
My first without its head and tail
Is one and undivided;
My second shows its teeth, is frail,
And as a rule one-sided.
The two to hold my first avail,
My busy toil provided.
129. BURIED TOWNS
In each of these sentences a town is buried:--
His sister played the piano while we sang.
I saw Nell out here last evening.
The general rode a large black mare.
I have ordered a cab at half-past one.
Meet me in the lane at half-past nine.
Can you dig them out?
130. A GOOD ANAGRAM
“The leaning tower of Pisa, in Tuscany, Italy.” The first seven words of
its anagram are “A funny spot in a sweet city.” Can you complete the
anagram by adding four more appropriate words?
131. MISSING WORDS
When they found that catacomb
Near the ....... at Rome
’Twas the ....... discussion of the season;
But the ....... effect
Of the skeletons select
Deprived the poor Professor of his reason!
132. A CHARADE
My first is pretence,
My second a dandy;
When fogs are most dense
My whole will be handy.
133. A DECISIVE ANAGRAM
Can you prove by anagram that, whatever may be true of other plays
accredited to Shakespeare, Bacon had certainly no hand in “Much Ado
About Nothinge,” if we adopt the old spelling of the final word?
134. RATHER OBSCURE
Use all your wits to guess my all,
Can any guess it right?
Transposed, and never seen at all,
It still is felt in sight.
Behead, transpose, then let it be,
And you at last a clue may see.
135. SHUFFLE THE LETTERS
Can you recast “Insanitary” and “Sanitary Reform” so as to form two very
appropriate anagrams?
136. A CHARADE
Let my second cut my first
When I come to table;
Though I cannot quench your thirst
Eat me--you are able.
137. MISSING LETTERS
whtmrslndsosdlyswr?
whtdyssdrksdysthtwrslrm?
lssknyskthndfr,
llshllcllwrhrssndhrm.
whycllsblldstlkthtghstlyrt
llgllntctsgrndndmntyprt?
Can you supply the missing letters?
138. A CHARADE
To me when whole, for I am sweet,
The moon fresh brightness brings;
Cut off my tail, I’m blunt, but meet
To sharpen other things.
Behead me twice, and I have led
Soldiers to face the foe;
Headless and tailless, one remains
Though all the rest may go.
139. IS IT BANTING?
We start when the ninth hour is past,
Then there’s an end of you.
A vengeful goddess shows at last
What Antifat will do.
140. A CHARADE
When on charades intent I take my pen,
To seek some hidden goal,
Over my first my second comes, and then
Quite overcomes my whole.
141. A PRIZE CRYPTOGRAM
The following cryptic lines were sent as a reliable tip before a race in
which Petronel was to run:--
“Tell me, Ben, who tore it
Seek a plant for it, see Bob.”
Can you discover their hidden meaning?
142. AN ENIGMA
I have no form, I have no friend,
From me all come, in me all end.
And it is strange but very true
That I am here and nowhere too.
143. FACING BOTH WAYS
Can you fill in this broken sentence, first to describe a curse, and
then to proclaim its cure:--
A sed end ought eat ease ain.
using 16, and then 17, extra letters.
144. A CHARADE
My first is a cover,
My second a city;
The whole you discover
With this if you’re witty.
145. BURIED RIVERS
The deaf and dumb girl began gesticulating with a message, and her
delivery was ever neat, with graceful pose in every attitude.
Four rivers are buried here.
146. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
If the “shingle” on the beach at Brighton could speak, what would be its
boast?
147. A SIMPLE RECIPE
She is as deaf as any post,
Incurable I fear;
She is my guest, I am her host,
How can I make her hear?
148. THE PLAINT OF THE REJECTED
_A May-Day Dirge_
Refused, rejected as before!
Yes,[A] ... .. I know of yore.
..... of youth, and deadly foe
To genius. Eastward then I go
With ..... undaunted, and my name
Through ..... shall yet resound with fame;
And subjects shall be mine by scores
From far ..... to Ganges’ shores.
[A] More than one word.
149. “BETA IN GREEK MEANS LETTER B.”
The clever play-writer who suggested these words as a phonetic excuse
for wife-beating might in another fashion invite a man to beat his wife
by merely calling him. What would he say?
150. A REBUS
storm? an umbrella with all
a th me who alls mud.
151. BONES OF A PALINDROME
NRNRMMHDLVLDHMMRNRN.
Can you, keeping these consonants in their order, fill in vowels so as
to form a sentence which is a perfect palindrome, and reads alike from
either end?
152. A NICE POINT
“Can you tell me,” said an undergraduate to his tutor, who was great at
Ecclesiastical Law, “whether the Pope would be allowed to bury the
Archbishop of Canterbury?” As some slight stress was laid on the
syllables _Canterbury_, the tutor for a moment suspected some trick, but
being assured that it was quite a serious question, promised to consider
the point. What should he reply?
153. A BURIED PROVERB
While there are very many as kind as this, they know no task unkind. Can
you dig a proverb out from this sentence?
154. IN THE OPEN
Kate gathers me where children three,
Tom, Jane, and Mary, chatter;
He leads the way, and then we see
The other two come at her!
155. A BURIED QUOTATION
(_From Shakespeare_)
Strange weather! What could equal it? Yesterday sunshine and soft
breezes, to-day a summer cyclone raging noisily; then other changes, as
floods of fiercest rain eddy beneath the blast.
156. PALINDROME ON A BEETROOT
Fill in the necessary vowels, and form thus with these consonants in
their present order a perfect palindrome:--
~RDRTPTPTRDR~
It must read alike from either end.
157. A CHARADE
My _first_ we all do when we fail;
My _next_ is heard in rain or hail;
My _fourth_ a sheep of gender male;
My _third_ is one without its tail;
My _whole_ for foreign countries sail.
158. AMBIGUOUS
On the outer wall of a Western college this was written: “Young women
should set a good example, for young men .... ...... ....!” What three
words will give a most ambiguous sense to the inscription?
159. AN ENIGMA
I’m but a little letter, still
I have my duties to fulfil;
If off you take
My tail, and make
An alteration in my lot,
Though I seem shorter I am not.
160. DIABOLUS!
Says Tom to Bill, “Pray tell me, sir,
Why is it that the devil,
In spite of all his naughty ways,
Can never be uncivil?”
Says Bill to Tom, “The answer’s plain
To any mind that’s bright;
Because the ... .’ ........, sir,
Cannot be ... .’ .....!”
Can you supply the missing words?
161. MISSING WORDS
Beneath the ..... which shade the lawn
Her bicycle she mounted,
And with a ....., ere she had gone
An hour, ten ..... she counted.
It rained, it snowed, but nought could stop her,
Till in the ..... she came a cropper!
162. AN INSCRIPTION WITH A POINT
On the comparatively new organ at Ober Ammergau, on a brass plate above
the keyboard, is the following Latin inscription:--
QVI CHRISTI LAVDES CANTANT
SANCTÆ PASSIONIS SVÆ VIRTVTE
IN IPSO ET PATRE VNVM SINT
which may be freely rendered--“May those who sing the praises of Christ
be, by virtue of His Sacred Passion, one in the Father and in Him.”
These lines contain a hidden point, beyond their obvious interpretation.
Can you discover it?
163. BY ANAGRAM
A woman’s name
Of foreign fame,
Hers was a noble mind.
Now, sir, transpose,
And I suppose
No smaller thing you’ll find.
164. A FRENCH CHARADE
Pour avoir mon _premier_
Femme qui cache mon _dernier_
Manque souvent mon _entier_.
165. A CHARADE
Let go! let go! you naughty first,
Or you will make my second;
A stream of words will then outburst,
Swift as my whole is reckoned.
166. OUT OF DATE
My first is first when cruisers charge in line,
And oft in frosty skies is seen to shine.
Don’t spare my second if you would suggest
To an impulsive child the way that’s best.
My sporting whole, though now neglected grown,
Travelled by tube before the tube was known.
167. AN ENIGMA
First of men we lead a measure,
Last we end the same.
Starting merrily, our pleasure
Is to finish lame.
168. TESTED BY DICTATION
Tom, home for the holidays, and in teasing mood, declared that he could
give his sister quite a simple sentence of seven common words of one
syllable, which she could not produce with her new typewriter. What was
his sentence?
169. ASCRIBED TO VOLTAIRE
This French charade, ascribed by some to Lady Waterford, and by others
to Voltaire, has neat points:--
Mon premier est un tyran, mon second un horreur,
Mon tout est le diable lui-même.
Mais si mon premier est bon, mon second ne fait rien,
Et mon tout est le bonheur suprême.
170. AT THE GUILDHALL
Sydney Smith, when questioned as to the value and satisfaction of a City
feast, said: “I cannot wholly value a dinner by the .... ... ..” Can you
supply the finish of his witty reply?
171.
In youth exalted high in air,
Or bathing in the streamlet fair,
Nature to form me took delight
And clothed my body all in white;
My person tall and slender waist
On either side with fringes graced;
Till me that tyrant Man espied,
And dragg’d me from my mother’s side.
No wonder that I look so thin,
The monster stripp’d me to the skin;
My body flay’d, my hair he cropp’d,
And head and foot both off he lopp’d;
And then, with heart more hard than stone,
Pick’d all the marrow from my bone.
To vex me more, he took a freak
To slit my tongue, and make me speak.
But that which wonderful appears,
I speak to eyes and not to ears.
All languages I now command
Yet not a word I understand.
172. A YOUNG SHAVER
Happy in the possession of a KEEN KUT, the newest form of safety razor,
and meeting a friend whose chin bore painful traces of a less trusty
blade, an undergraduate who had a turn for puzzles propounded this
riddle: “What is the difference between my razor and yours?” Can you
answer it?
173. DECAPITATIONS
The ship rode in an ....... bay,
Asleep ...... the master lay.
A ..... and rugged man was he
And, like a .... at home at sea.
Like swooping ... he caught his prey
Whene’er an .. came his way.
But while due . the needle kept
He in his cabin lay and slept.
The missing word in the first line has seven letters; its first letter
is cut off to form the second missing word, and this process is repeated
throughout the seven lines.
174. A CHARADE
When the tempest roars the loudest
Oft my first a shelter proves.
Say what fair one, though the proudest,
Spurns my next from one she loves?
When the storms of life are past
Earth provides my whole at last.
175. SHUFFLE THE LETTERS
One syllable, I help to turn the scale
Of party strife or faction;
Recast me, and two syllables avail
To stop all further action.
176. FILL IN THE VOWELS
Lines to an owl:--
~HNLDTWRSTHGLMWL~
~THLVSTTHTTHLVSTTHWL~
~RNLDKSRHLLWTN~
~SLSTSSLMNSNDSLN~
~SMRNFLNNLVSTG~
~RFRHTNGHWLSTKNW~
As a hint, the last line is:--
Or of your hooting howls to know.
177. ARMY ANAGRAMS
Here is an excellent little exercise for patient or quick-witted
solvers:--
I’m free to-day, the _old sire_ said,
_O no cell_ now have I to dread;
For this one happy day to me
_Are glen_ and hill and forest free.
I, if I will, can ride, or fish,
_A pit can_ enter, if I wish,
In search of chalk or sand.
In peace alone I now can dine,
And sing to Anna’s _lute at nine_,
Nor fear a reprimand.
Each word or group of words in italics forms, when the letters are
shuffled and recast as an anagram, a military title. Can you decipher
them?
178. A CHARADE
My first transposed becomes a name
Which may quite mean be reckoned,
Two syllables combine the same,
With one or two for second.
My whole when fields are fresh and green,
And softly blows the wind,
Where the first signs of spring are seen
Within the woods we find.
179. AN ANAGRAM ENIGMA
Silent long is the wood-bird’s song,
Bare is the woodland bough;
For waving trees in wintry breeze
Have “no buds now.”
Can you recast the three words at the end, so that their letters form a
word descriptive of the scene?
180. A QUESTION OF TIME
A farmer with children sixteen
Killed the fattest young lamb of his flock.
To divide it these children between,
What must be the time by the clock?
181. A DONKEY DRIVE
To the far end of any train
Hitch on a pair of neddies;
Then you will hear, like steps of Cain,
The threat that in their tread is.
182. EATING BY ALPHABET
Take all the alphabet and cast
Its final letter out;
Then set the first where was the last,
And this you bring about:
Without a cook, without a fire,
A dainty dish which men desire.
183. A CHARADE
My second with my first we greet;
My whole in earlier days
Gave understanding to the feet
That moved in tragic plays.
184. PROVERB ANAGRAM
Here is another proverb in anagram:--
Behest on thy lips, Society!
Can you recast it, and so recover the proverb, with which it is quite in
keeping?
185. WHAT’S IN A NAME?
An epidemic of anagrams broke out in a public school, and eight of the
prefects, having turned their Christian names into other words,
fashioned from them this sentence, which contains them all in order.
“I, thy Tom, am sober and lie or live in dew, but her brain sinned.”
Can you decipher them?
186. AN ENIGMA
In any coward’s company you find
That I have place.
Cut off my head, and from your mind
All wrong erase.
187. A DOUBLE ACROSTIC
(From _Punch_, 1875)
My first elect among the few,
Chooses my second to expose his view.
1. Of various colours, changed at will,
I sit or stand for good or ill.
2. I rule alone from noon till night,
And when I am not am is right.
188. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
Why should a man in a rage go to a “shooting gallery?” Each word has its
complete anagram.
189. QUITE A BEATITUDE
Let her be or beat her,
Give her little ease;
Then in safety seat her
All among the bees!
190. CLEARING IT UP
“We,” cried my first and second,
“Are not quite satisfied.”
“The story may be reckoned
Imperfect,” fourth replied.
Said third, “The fact indeed I tell,”
And so at last all ended well.
191. PROVERB IN ANAGRAM
“I dare not admit faint women.”
Can you recast these words so that their letters form a well-known
proverb?
192. A CHARADE
My first and second are as best they should be,
My third in Latin mouth is what it would be.
My whole would soon be ashes if it could be.
193. MISSING WORDS
Since Spooks, a ...... man is he,
...... this haunted house to me,
In ...... funk I ...... round,
And fear a ghost in every sound!
The missing words are spelt with the same letters.
194. WHAT IS IT?
What is that which is found in the centre of Australia and of America,
and in no other place?
195. GRANDFATHER’S TURN
“It’s grandfather’s turn,” cried the children at a Christmas party where
jokes and riddles have been rife.
With a quiet twinkle in his eye, the old man said, “Do you know why is
the fourth of July?” Not one of them could understand or answer his
question, which seemed to lack finish and grammar. Can you?
196. A CHARADE
My _first_ is never far away,
My _next_ in Latin found;
My _third_ may rage by night or day;
_All_ make melodious sound.
197. MISSING WORDS
Through the ...... trees
Softly coo the doves;
Let a ...... breeze
...... youthful loves!
198. AN ENIGMA
At starting, half your income take,
Then for my second write;
And let your table help to make
The total cosy quite.
199. A CHARADE
My whole is a circle complete,
Beheaded I fall to your feet.
Behead me again and I fry,
Or am baked in a savoury pie.
200. ANAGRAM WORDS
Can you recast these short sentences into six single words?
See a pug dog. Red paper.
Fat reward.
Stay, O morn. Set on a dish.
201. AN ENIGMA
If my whole by my second and first you divide,
One more than ten thousand it gives.
In the land of my birth I have dwindled and died,
In museums my memory lives.
202. A PARADOX
Though never present, I appear,
Of perfect form a token;
And all that centres round my ear
Is heard, though never spoken.
203. BEST WHEN BEHEADED
Behead me twice, and it shall be
That I my perfect self regain;
Restore both heads and you shall see
That most perfect I remain.
204. MISSING WORDS
Grant, lady, grant your ..... his whim,
And give the coming ..... to him,
For this will ..... his jealous heart,
Stricken so sore by Cupid’s dart.
If not he ..... his hands of you,
To seek fresh ..... and pastures new.
205. A SEASONABLE PUZZLE
(_Quite an ice one_)
“Yes, yes, I know,” said Jack to Jill,
“That thirty-two is freezing-point;
And I can tell you, if you will,
Exactly what is squeezing-point!”
206. ILLUMINATING FIGURES
To fifty add a third of one,
A third to five attach;
You have the means, when this is done,
To kindle any match.
207. MISSING WORDS
The untrained .......... in the City
Is robbed by .......... without pity.
The missing words are spelt with the same ten letters.
208. A CHRISTMAS CRACKER
Comes Christmas merry? Hungry birds; no bright berries; rents high, not
paid; long bills; empty barns; no peace and prosperity.
How can we amend this gloomy forecast?
209. ANAGRAM FLOWERS
Six common plants are concealed by anagram in the following sentence.
The letters which spell each plant follow each other, but are in
disorder.
O rise love it lad never let this lamb chase trains.
210. AN ENIGMA
My first is quite a sin by name,
My third its simple cure;
My second puts an end to fame,
My whole of ease is sure.
211. A PARADOX
Cut off my head, it is unshaken,
Cut off my tail, you turn it round;
But if both head and tail are taken,
Unconquered still I hold my ground.
212. WHAT ARE THEY?
Why should we quarrel, First and Third,
With nought between us but a word?
Let Third leave Second unessayed
To heal the breach these letters made.
If your solution be but fair
You find my whole disjointed there.
213. A CRYPTIC ADDRESS
“Next week,” wrote Funniboy from Naples to his friend, “I am going to
‘plant onions, etc.’ Let me hear from you.” How did his friend gather
his destination from these words?
214. AMONG THE GHOSTS
In haunted house to sleep I tried
My dread _first_ was my chum.
“With _second_ of my _first_,” I cried,
“My _whole_ I should become.”
215. AN ENIGMA
My first is possessive and second;
My second possessive and first.
Such banks most attractive are reckoned
By those for rich treasure athirst.
216. BONES OF A PALINDROME
~RPLVLSLVLPR~
Can you insert the missing letters, and complete the palindrome so that
it reads alike from either end?
217. A WORD AND A BLOW
“Now, dad,” said Tom Pickles to his father in the Christmas holidays,
“take this bottle in your left hand, and when I say ‘three!’ try how far
you can blow the cork into it.”
The cork, smaller than the neck of the bottle, was placed just inside,
and as Tom cried, “One, two, three!” his father gave a lusty blow. What
was the result?
218. A GOOD RIDDLE
When are acorns as strong as oaken posts?
219. THE BONES OF A PALINDROME
PTTPBTNTNTBPTTPBTNTNTBPTTP.
Can you add the vowels, and make a palindrome that reads alike from
either end?
220. MISSING WORDS
The ..... of Shakespeare and of song
Have fair and dainty features;
But she I ..... my hopes upon
Excels those lovely creatures.
From ..... she ..... her name so dear,
She lives on ..... and honey;
She cannot ..... but she can steer,
And Madeline has money.
221. A NOVEL ANAGRAM
A politician used a high-flown phrase, which implied inaccurate wording,
though some spoke of it as dust thrown in people’s eyes. Can you recover
the _two long words_ which he used, by anagram, from this sentence?
Axiomatic intelligence, or dust.
222. A CHARADE
My first your bosom friend, or man or maid,
Whom you can trust, secure and unafraid.
My second, sounded double, tells of fate,
Or sounded single puts an end to hate.
My whole a hall’s arched roof, or soft or hard,
That lies beyond the gate with ivory barr’d.
223. IS THIS TRUE?
Woman without her man would be helpless.
224. SOME ANAGRAMS
Can you recast these short sentences so that each of them forms a single
word?
A moment’s cure. The old rocks.
Cod is nice. It lures a cat.
225. AN ENIGMA
Without my head I circulate
With speed and inclination;
Without my tail, at any rate,
I still have circulation.
Transpose three letters, in unbroken state,
I then receive the ashes of the great.
226. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
Many will remember how often the great tenor, Sims Reeves, was prevented
from singing by his delicate throat. An excellent anagram can be evolved
from his name which, with some exaggeration, proclaims this. Can you
discover it?
227. MISSING WORDS
Consuming lust for ....., now so rife,
Like ..... ..... mars both love and life.
228. FROM BEDLAM
Here are the bones of a palindrome sentence that might be spoken by some
unhappy criminal lunatic. Can you clothe them with their vowels, so that
the sentence reads alike from either end?
~MNCLVDDVLCNM.~
229. FRUITS AND FLOWERS.
And as trim bees rise or go,
A long aim I’d say, a libel O!
Fruit and flowers are hidden here in anagrams, each in its order
separately.
230. ANSWERS BY ANAGRAM
NOW ONE OLD FORT.
What place is this?
RABID OWL.
Change this bird into a beast.
231. CHARADE
By W. M. Praed
Alas, for that forgotten day
When chivalry was nourish’d,
When none but friars learn’d to pray,
And beef and beauty flourish’d;
And fraud in kings was held accursed,
And falsehood sin was reckon’d,
And mighty chargers bore my _first_,
And fat monks wore my _second_!
Ah, then I carried sword and shield
And casque with flaunting feather,
And earn’d my spurs in battle-field,
In winter and rough weather;
And polish’d many a sonnet up
To ladies’ eyes and tresses;
And learn’d to drain my father’s cup,
And loose my falcon’s jesses!
But dim is now my grandeur’s gleam,
The mongrel mob grows prouder;
And everything is done by steam,
And men are kill’d by powder;
And now I feel my swift decay,
And give unheeded orders;
And rot in paltry state away
With sheriffs and recorders.
232
My _first_ you oft savagely pierce through and through;
My _next_ harbours nonsense, and wisdom, and dust;
But, oh! what disaster might chance to accrue,
Should my _whole_, from my _second_, step into my _first_!
233. DECAPITATION
My whole describes the action of a gale,
Decapitation makes an organ play.
Behead again, it sounds o’er hill and vale;
Again, it tells of what we do not pay.
Take nothing off, it is an eagle’s sail.
Again behead, and half a string denote;
Again, and lo! a horse’s head and tail;
And last of all on music’s notes I float.
234. A BURIED PROVERB
Society--how her enthusiasts worship at her Juggernaut car. Cases exist
here, proving how illogical are these eagle-sighted, place-hunting
beings, scoffing at hereditary position, yet striving to get her smile.
A well-known proverb is buried in this sentence. Can you dig it out?
235. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
What should we put on a bird’s tail to catch it without a _steel trap_?
236. AN ENIGMA
By Praed
Across my _first_, with flash and roar,
The stately vessel glides alone.
And mournful on the crowded shore
There stands an aged crone,
Watching my _second’s_ parting smile,
As he bids farewell to his native isle.
My _whole_ comes back to other eyes,
With beauteous change of fruit and flowers,
But dim to her are those bright skies,
And sad those joyous hours;
For, alas! my _first_ is dark and deep,
And my _second_ cannot hear her weep.
237. THE ARAB AND HIS ASS
THE SEQUEL
When morning dawned, and the tide was out,
The pair crossed over ’neath Allah’s ..........,
And the Arab was happy beyond a doubt,
For he had the best donkey in all that §.
You are wrong! They were drowned in crossing over,
Though the donkey was bravest of all his ....;
He luxuriates now in perpetual clover,
And his master has gone to the prophet’s em⏞.
238. MISSING WORDS
A ..... ..... on ....’. strands
Caught Pat’s heart in her meshes;
He left the ..... in Cupid’s hands,
And watched her ..... her tresses;
Tresses of ..... coloured gold,
Veiling, like any frock,
A tail which, as it did unfold,
Gave to poor Pat a shock.
239. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
Where can you be “in a stone-pine garden”?
240. MISSING WORDS
No ..... sympathy was ever shown,
Than when ..... news from Kingston ..... was known.
The three missing words are spelt with the same five letters.
241. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
What bodily discomfort follows an _ague-fit_?
242. A TANGLED SQUARE
Can you readjust the 16 letters in this square so that they form a
perfect word square?
I E I T
I S A S
A S I S
E D E D
243. RIVERS IN ANAGRAM
What European rivers are concealed in these eight anagrams:--Set in red
robe Henri Le Roi O sell me red pine nerves biter.
244. A PIED PALINDROME
Rearrange these letters so that they form a palindrome, or sentence that
reads alike from either end:--
F PPPP RRRR SSSS TT
EEEEII OOOO
245
What political parrot cry can be evolved by anagram from this sentence,
which condemns it?
O fool! O musty cry! O lurid woe!
246. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
What statesman’s name was a “terrible poser?”
247. A PROVERB IN ANAGRAM
Can you recast the letters of this sentence into a well-known English
proverb?
Yea, a glad sun rose red.
248. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
Has there been a poet of unusual _solemnity?_
249. ANAGRAM ENIGMA
No, no, I hardly ever touch
The thing which many love so much.
It has a place within these lines,
But is taboo where Delia dines.
250. HE SQUARED THE CIRCLE
“Yes,” said young Biceps of St Boniface, who had failed to satisfy the
examiners, “they have ploughed me in Euclid, and yet if I had half a
chance I could teach them how to square a circle!”
“Bravo, Biceps!” cried his chum, who was helping him to drown dull care
in fruity port, “don’t keep the great secret to yourself!” And so he
told him--what?
251. TO EXTRACT A CIRCLE FROM A GIVEN SQUARE
When his friend had recovered from the shock of the atrocity described
in our last, he retaliated by assuring Biceps that he could extract a
circle from a given square. What was his method?
252. MISSING WORDS
He said, “You ......” when one lied,
He said, “Don’t ......” when one sped,
His glass held ...... at his side;
He can ...... what he denied.
As all your wits “entranced” you bend
To find the key omit the end.
253. A CHARADE
My captive _second_, sulking in my _first_,
Might surlily bemoan his fate accurst;
Bemoan, or as alternative you find
My _whole_ the word that fits his state of mind.
For meet enclosure, you can take a score
Of captive _seconds_, first deducting four.
254. A CIPHER ADVERTISEMENT
~THGLBDWNWSLLLDSTFTHLT,~
~MNFTNRDRNRGTNNTHSPT.~
Add two vowels alternately to complete the couplet.
255. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
Can you discover by anagram what his brother was when he put “Tim in a
pet?”
256. MISSING WORDS
Who knows the .... a land may know
Famed for its ...., and long ago
A .... of sage and seer.
The native there, so full of tricks,
To .... his hunger .... with sticks,
Nor knows his ways are queer!
257. A CHARADE
If doubled you would see my first
Let third and second be reversed.
But if my last you would behold
Increase my first a hundredfold.
Combine them all, and you can trace
The four within an empty space.
258. IN THE HAY-FIELD
In the words welcome to a thirsty toiler, “Mower, I will tap the cask!”
are hidden by anagram the names of an English poet and of one of his
poems. Can you discover them?
259. A CHARADE
My _first_ is small, and seldom reverential;
My next not large enough to heed or prize;
My _whole_ is altogether consequential;
My third, though small, is counted very wise.
260. A LETTER PUZZLE
To be
a a a a a a a a a a
t C r I i O f U l S e s
standing
is the mark of a mean
261. WITH IVORY LETTERS
Can you recast the letters that spell RED NUTS AND GIN so that they form
one long word?
262. A HIDDEN NOVEL
Can you rearrange these letters so that they form the title of a
well-known novel by Charles Dickens?
~CDEHHIILOOOPRSSTTUY~
263. “COME OUT, ’TIS NOW SEPTEMBER!”
--_Old Song._
In swift ...... the beaters add
Fresh ...... to the heaps of slain;
And still, with lust of slaughter mad,
The ...... plies his hand amain!
The missing words are spelt with the same six letters.
264. A CHARADE
My first is nothing but a name,
My second still more small,
My whole shows such a lack of fame
It has no name at all.
265. A BREAKFAST TABLE PUZZLE
“If father gives us a new dog, it will wake the lazy ones!” Can you
discover from these words which of his children were often late for
breakfast?
266. A CIPHER
~NGOTRDSREAOHR
ETNSVEENUDOEO~
Can you decipher the common proverb here concealed?
267. AN UNKNOWN NAME
Well known by story, not by name,
I died a death unknown before,
Nor ever to corruption came;
My shroud the waves cast on the shore.
268. UNDA WATER
How might an oyster, if it could speak, and knew that unda is Latin for
wave or water, complain in similar phonetic iteration when disturbed by
thunder under unda?
269. MISSING WORDS
When ....., our puppy, sets out for a run,
Over ..... he ....., all frolic and fun;
For no whistle ..... he in his desperate hurry,
The slow sheep to ....., and the old cow to worry.
The five missing words are spelt with the same five letters.
270. FIND THE GIRLS
Bad hero set by thy door hurt me ma. Army may get ruder daily.
Ten girls’ names are here in anagrams.
271. A GOOD DESCRIPTION
Lord Beaconsfield’s statue,
True as old -- -- --
Can you can complete this anagram?
272. SHAKESPEARE ANAGRAMS
These three lines are perfect anagrams of three consecutive lines in
“Romeo and Juliet,” Act II., Scene V.:--
The tub sold has old rough shelves.
And e’en this fisherman caught best white smelts.
A living lord’s black dress, worn high, I vow!
Can you discover the original lines?
273. MISSING WORDS
That mystical gnome never flinches from toil
Who ...... the ...... in Orient soil;
Yet ...... mortals will ever abound
To ...... all the soil till the treasure is found.
274. A PUZZLE ACROSTIC
My feathered first has wings and sings,
Unfledged my second swings its wings;
My third on blackest pinions flies,
My fourth can float beneath the skies.
The letters to my first that fall
Are the initials of them all.
◯ ◯ ◯ ◯
◯ ● ● ●
◯ ● ● ●
◯ ● ● ●
Can you substitute words which fulfil the conditions?
275. DROP LETTER PUZZLE
My first was of the ...... breed,
Their ..... captain, hot and riled,
To .... his men found vain indeed,
They only ... and smoked, and smiled!
One letter is dropped each time.
276. DOUBLETS
Can you convert HARE into SOUP, using not more than six links, changing
only one letter with each link, and preserving the order of the letters
from link to link?
277. A NEW ENIGMA
Putting two small beasts that you take
To the beginning of an end,
A pointed weapon you will make
To wound a foe or praise a friend.
278. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
If a “newspaper” could speak, what might it say of the general work of
its staff?
279. BY RULE OF THUMB
How can you turn the positive quantity 1011 into a negative?
280. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
What one word can you form from the sentence--
“O, I’m man’s trial!”
281. A REBUS
EEE and xxx URXXI XXX and eee.
282. A RIDDLE
Why may not the owner of a pine forest fell his timber?
283. MISSING WORDS
He ....... to be ....... as a wonderful shot
But he potted the dog, and ....... was his lot!
The missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.
284. DOUBLETS
Can you change ARMY into NAVY with seven links, changing one letter
every time, and preserving their sequence?
285. BY ANAGRAM
‘I excel not by a pun’--
Turn these six words into one.
286. CAN SUCH THINGS BE?
When is an onion like music?
287. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM
What is the bitter cry of “Christianity?”
288. NO TURNCOAT
Show by anagram that a Conservative is constant to his cause.
289. WHY NOT?
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall as a rule upon the same day of the
week. Can any ingenious reader discover why they will not fall upon the
same day of the week in the year 1910.
290
“War is a game which, were their subjects wise,
Kings would not play at,” wrote the poet’s pen;
But in war’s issue will be staked the prize,
While kings and subjects are but erring men;
So Britain--native empress of the seas--
On ocean cradled, by her storm-king nursed--
Friend of the fallen, guardian of the free,
Rests on her well-tried _last_ and trusty _first_.
Her _first_ alone can well maintain her right,
Unscathed by any threat or mutinous blast;
And though, when needed, foremost in the fight,
Her _first_ (strange paradox!) is always _last_!
But should the tide of war approach the shore
And threaten to engulf her island seat,
My _whole_, replying with defiant roar,
Would crash the audacious foe beneath her feet!
291. AN EASY CHARADE
My first is flogged to make it move the faster,
And turns at once to satisfy its master.
My next will ripen as a pleasant fruit,
For those whose simple taste its flavours suit.
My whole, when breezes blow and pennons fly,
Stands up aloft and points us to the sky.
292. NOT BY CANNING
A noun there is, of plural number,
In daily use from here to Humber.
Now almost any noun you take
By adding “S” you plural make;
But if you add an “S” to this,
Strange is the metamorphosis!
Plural is plural now no more;
Useless what useful was before.
293
First, a semi-circle make,
Add to this another
Figure of two little lines
Meeting with each other;
Then a perfect circle form,
Truly, neat, compactly,
Add another form to these,
Like the first exactly;
Then, to make it all complete,
Form a kind of angle,
With a straight line, that should meet
In a kind of tangle;
When you this have rightly done
(’Tis the truth I’m telling),
You will get an article
Useful in a dwelling:
Should you this decapitate,
You may have another
Article, which, in its place,
Is useful as the other.
294. A CHARADE
Veiling the leas, my first may steep
Late autumn’s listless air;
And with my tainting second creep
On idle spade and share.
When happy days link soul to soul,
And sunny faces shine,
May both combined, a subtle whole,
Be far from me and mine!
295. A CHARADE
By Mark Lemon
Old Charlie Brown, who a big rogue was reckoned,
Was brought up at my first for making my second;
He was fined, and because he no money would pay
Had to work with my whole on the King’s highway.
296
Complete, I grow within a field
And pleasant pasture often yield;
Behead me once, a suitor then
Is quickly brought before your ken;
Behead again, I am a word
That on the cricket-ground is heard.
Restore my heads, cut off my tail,
To name a spice you’ll not then fail;
Behead me now, and you will find
The master passion left behind.
Put on my head, my tail restore,
Complete me as I was before,
My second letter take away,
An envelope I am, you’ll say;
But now curtail me just once more,
I am an inlet on the shore.
297
My _second_ is double my _first_,
My _first_ is but half of my _second_;
And I’m sure you’ll admit that my _whole_
Is ten times the latter when reckon’d.
298
My _first_ I went the other day,
And pretty surely reckon’d
A basket of fine fish to catch,
With hook and rod and _second_.
But I was out in reckoning;
A very pretty she
Of her fair face show’d just my _whole_--
And pretty soon hook’d _me_.
299
Of mirth the parent, though the child of art,
A stranger to myself in every part;
Each India has a native in my breast,
The West my sweetness, and my fire the East.
While milder climes my virtue to complete,
Quicken my softness, and correct my heat;
My dearest friends upon my vitals prey,
And as they see me sinking, grow more gay.
300. A FLIGHT OF FANCY
When my whole takes a flight in the air you will find
That my next is not left a great distance behind;
But join them together, and plain to your view
It all is as firm and as tight as a screw.
301
To three-fourths of a cross, add a circle complete;
Then, let two semi-circles a perpendicular meet;
Next, add a triangle that stands on two feet;
Then, two semi-circles, and a circle complete.
302. A CHARADE
Leader of Vandals and of vice
My head is reckoned;
A Turkish captain will suffice
To be my second.
My third is firm if well selected;
My whole a wanderer neglected.
303
One thousand, two hundred,
Nothing, and one,
Transposed, give a word
Expressive of fun.
304. A CHARADE
By Praed
My _first_ was creeping on his way
Through the mists of a dull October day,
When a minstrel came to its muddy bed,
With a harp on his shoulder, a wreath on his head;
“And how shall I reach,” the poor boy cried,
“To the courts and the cloisters on t’other side?”
Old Euclid came, and he frown’d a frown,
And he dash’d the harp and the garland down;
Then he led the bard, with a stately march,
O’er my _second’s_ long and cellar’d arch;--
“And see,” said the sage, “how every ass
Over the sacred stream must pass!”
The youth was mournful, the youth was mute,
He sigh’d for his laurel, he sobb’d for his lute;--
The youth took comfort, the youth took snuff,
And follow’d the lead of that teacher gruff;
And he sits, ever since, in my _whole’s_ kind lap,
In a silken gown and a trencher cap.
305
Upright and honest is my _first_;
My _second_ you may see
Upon the frozen lake or stream;
My _whole_ is equity.
306
Never wearied, see us stand,
A glittering and a stately band--
Of sturdy stuff, but graceful form,
In summer cold, in winter warm;
From hottest duty never swerving,
Night and day our place preserving;
Each serving to a different use,
Not to be changed without abuse.
And, pray, mark well another fact--
In unison we never act,
Except, as on occasion dread,
We watch the ashes of the dead;
When we are ranged, as you may see
As awful sentries, one, two, three.
307. A CHARADE
My first, though naught, with others is a fruit,
My next is vital to both man and brute.
It should be dear to all who hate the devil,
For it is ever the reverse of evil.
My all, when whole, is eloquent of peace,
Divided it invokes to life that will not cease.
308. A CHARADE
_In English Sapphics_
Guess at my first, ’tis easy to discover,
Covered with rings, and whiskered like a dandy.
Wrapped up in furs, ’tis often on the housetop,
Oft in the chimney!
See where my second, scorning to be hidden,
Stands at the head of quite a band of others,
Like a virago, straddling with feet apart,
And arms akimbo.
Surely my next is happy in its office,
Parting the lovelocks on Neæra’s forehead;
Setting the golden lines wherewith she angles
For the unwary.
If by my whole at any time you pass, you
Tread on the dust of holy saints and martyrs,
Holy the place, may holy thoughts attend you,
Peacefully dreaming!
309
Offspring of nature and of art, I stand
Chief ’midst the monuments of every land;
I may not lengthen life, but I
For centuries forbid to die.
The greatest truth in me you meet
Is but deception most complete.
Unchanged I last the changing crowds among,
And as I older grow, I grow too young.
310
Pronounced as one letter, and written with three,
Two letters there are, and two only in me;
I’m double, I’m single, I’m black, blue, and gray,
I’m read from both ends, and the same either way.
311
My _first_ is false as false can be;
My _next_ old ladies wear;
My _whole’s_ my _first_, as you will see,
As false, I do declare.
312. SHUFFLED LETTERS
When whole I am indeed a thing
To puzzle you a bit;
Though parts of me are hard, at Bridge
The others make a hit;
Or you may make a car of some,
And fix a head to it.
313. FIVE VOWELS
A word of nine letters explains
How to mitigate bodily pains;
The five vowels are there,
And four consonants share
This function for medical brains.
314. A CHARADE
My second guides my first and third
For pleasure, trade, and war;
My first and second by my third
Are oft transported far.
But when my first my third doth pull,
’Tis then his lot is worst;
And should my second lack my whole,
He’s apt to leave my first.
315. MISSING WORDS
It is a ...... fact that neither ...... nor ...... grow .. .....
316. THE BONES OF A PALINDROME
~DRWNDRRDNWRD~.
Insert the missing letters, and so form a perfect palindrome, which
reads alike from either end.
317
The schoolboy likes me well,
For healthful sport I bring,
Yet I can harm create,
Though such a little thing:
Connubial bliss is form’d by me;
My nature is equality.
318. A RIDDLE
What person’s name is doubly evil?
The answer may be given in a line that rhymes.
319
I’m a district near London;
If made wrong, I come undone;
O’er sweet strings I swift run,
Or appear with the bright sun,
And though by me fights were won,
I can greet you every one.
320. A CHARADE
I am my first when seen with you,
My next is always bad.
A rogue in grain much harm may do
And make the farmer mad.
321. A CHARADE
When winter comes with frost and cold,
My first is welcome, as of old;
And though its grip may make you thinner,
It helps to cook your Christmas dinner.
Let me but hear my next rejoice
At early dawn with cheerful voice,
I haste to find, with eager pleasure,
Some specimen of hidden treasure.
A traveller my whole may find
Far from his English kith and kind;
Though some at home, to England’s shame,
Are this in fact, if not in name.
322.
It was to-morrow, and
It will be yesterday;
Now it is near at hand
What is it? Who can say?
323. A CHARADE
My first doth fill with light his father’s eyes,
The second shadows all the mother’s brow;
My whole all men, all women, girls and boys,
Have had, and long to lose, and lost for ever now;
But know not, nor can know, when it was lost, and how.
324. ON THE BLOCK
Complete, though not of human race,
A soul in me may dwell;
Behead, I held a higher place,
Until, like man, I fell.
Again behead, and in the song
Of Burns I’m all your own;
Behead once more, it would be wrong
To find me out when known.
325. AN ENIGMA
With head good for naught,
And with tail always drunk,
You know well what to say
Of the worth of my trunk.
First cut off my tail,
I am Greek, and I’m not;
Then cut off my head,
And some Latin you’ve got.
Lopping both you know best
What remains, as I said,
For I really am you
If I lose tail and head!
326. AN ENIGMA
One guiding eye I need
In running through the gaps;
My tail, as on I speed,
Is caught in many traps.
327. A CHESS CHARADE
By H. J. C. Andrews
In the ’seventies no one was more popular at Simpson’s Chess Room in the
Strand than the gentle and brilliant subject of these lines, a clever
water-colourist. The charade is by his friend, the well-known problem
composer. Both have passed away, but they are not forgotten by those who
had the happiness to know them:--
Of all the birds that ever sought a mate,
My first is to but one appropriate,
So speak the word! nor silence shyly woo.
To find my next, go! wander in the Zoo!
My whole is a magician of the squares,
But Art, with Chess, his best affections shares,
So this, indeed, to him may be a law
When _winning_’s hopeless, grandly still to _draw_.
328. WHAT AM I?
Though poor and humble was my birth
I sit enthroned on high;
My footsteps far above the earth,
My canopy the sky.
O’er toiling subjects thus in state
I bear despotic sway;
Yet on them hand and foot I wait
At break and close of day.
329.
I am not of flesh and blood,
Yet have I many a bone;
No limbs, except one leg,
And can’t stand on that alone.
My friends are many, and dwell
In all lands of the human race;
But they poke my poor nose into the mud,
And shamefully spatter my face.
Thrust me into each other’s ribs,
Stick me in gutter and rut;
I have never a window, and never a door,
Yet I often open and shut.
330. AN ENIGMA
Before the crown descended on
The head of England’s Queen,
Four Kings upon that royal throne
Of the same name had been.
Now if the signs which marked their name
Be joined unto a beast,
We have a food on which the same
(A quadruped) will feast.
331. AN OLD ENIGMA
By _Charles James Fox_
I am pretty, and useful in various ways,
Though I tempt some poor mortals to shorten their days;
Behead me, and then in my place will appear
What youngsters admire every day in the year;
Behead me once more, and without any doubt,
You must be what is left if you don’t find it out.
332. A CHARADE
My first, when skilfully performed
(Its doer by applauses warmed),
Bespeaks both skill and vigour.
When with my whole, so soft and light,
I saw my second gay bedight,
She made a splendid figure.
333. MISSING WORDS
The man who ..... the common .....
Above the ..... chaste,
..... as he may, the world declares
Is not a man of taste.
And though my sympathy he shares,
No ..... on him I waste!
334. A CHARADE
When a monk in old times, unexpectedly heated,
Endangered the peace of his soul,
To atone for my second my first he repeated
Quite ten times a day on my whole.
335. AN ENIGMA
An insect small and fell
Makes a weird sound,
If, as its name you spell,
You turn it round.
One letter cast, and still
Shift what remains,
Another insect will
Reward your pains.
336. A DECAPITATION
Where head and body duly meet
I am as slender as a bee;
Whether I stand on head or feet
My figure shows its symmetry.
But when my head is cut away
The metamorphosis is strange;
Though both of them unaltered stay,
Body and head to nothing change.
337. A NUT TO CRACK
First is in coast, second in ghost,
Third must be reckoned part of second;
Fourth in boat, fifth in float,
Sixth you will find within your mind.
Seventh in blue, eighth in true,
These letters tell a fruit that they spell.
338.
The hunter and his steed are known
My first to see.
Though men may call my next a stone,
Wood it may be.
My whole, an exile from his home,
Is doomed from place to place to roam.
339. A CHARADE
My first expresses power to do,
My next that it is done.
To be my whole belongs to few,
And perfectly to none.
340. A CHARADE
In my first, as in a shell,
All the sweetest sounds may dwell;
In my second, shells abound
That can catch no sort of sound;
In my whole securely rest
Those who neither jeer nor jest.
341. A CHARADE
My first, though of the feathered kind
Is never known to fly;
My next all who improve their mind
Seize as it passes by.
My whole may much occasion find
To make the truthful lie.
342. AN ENIGMA
Divide a piece of beef or pork
Without the aid of knife and fork;
It gives a shelf, rejoined with skill,
Where you may set this if you will.
Strike off instead the end, its place
Is plain as nose upon your face.
Cut this asunder in your mind,
And what is first put now behind;
Part of our foot you thus discover,
And in a measure all is over.
343. A CHARADE
Seen as a whole, my form is now
Akin to strife and malice;
Split, it may grace a princely brow,
Or crown the curls of Alice.
Recast my letters, and I tell
That nourishment is lacking;
Stir them afresh until they spell
The needle’s help in tacking.
344. AN ENIGMA
If I write with my first in my second
My whole you can never find out;
Add a letter, and all will be reckoned
A patron of water devout.
345. WHAT DID THE COLONEL SAY?
After officers’ mess, when cigars were well alight, the old conundrum
was propounded, “What is most like a cornet of horse?” A sharp sub. was
ready with the reply, “A hornet, of course”; it was presently capped by
this variant which occurred to a married captain, “a corset of horn”;
and yet another reading was suggested by the deaf old colonel, “How much
did you say the ..............” Can you complete this?
346. WHERE WAS IT?
Loss of love between us
Never can be nice;
Yet we live where Venus
Changes us to ice.
347. A LOVER TO HIS LASS
Tell me, my sweet,
Why are your feet
Like fairy tales?
348. MISSING WORDS
Our parson ....... every man who has leisure
To study ....... windows, the glory of fanes;
And ....... of devoting his income to pleasure,
Our ....... old dean spends his money on panes.
349. AN EASY ONE
Though much attached to merriment,
Or crime for a variety,
To prison I am never sent,
But sparkle in society.
350. A CHARADE
Without my first and second’s aid
No pudding worth its sauce is made.
Take on my third, my fourth I am,
My fifth includes myself and Sam.
My whole describes the royal fiddler Nero,
And shows him as an unheroic hero.
351. BURIED PLACES
What geographical names are buried in these lines?
He has my R. N. as a monogram
I am her stupid sister.
The calmest man is sometimes made irate.
352.
My first’s a fruit of foreign clime,
Sweet to the taste, in price not dear;
My second does my first produce,
And yet my whole my first doth bear.
353. AN ENIGMA
A thing of beauty, scattered by a breath,
My firm embrace is harbinger of death;
Not made by hands, a work of wondrous art,
Complete and perfected in every part;
Crush me to-day with all-determined care,
Then look to-morrow, and I shall be there!
354. AN ENIGMA
Six letters in my name are found,
Though only three we see and sound;
The shepherd by the running river
May hear me where the rushes quiver;
And should a stroke my whole divide,
Leaving but half on either side,
These, backward read, will surely tell
What many a toper loves too well.
355. A RIDDLE
Upon a battle-field of learned men
Hundred and fifty were by none divided.
“Now,” said the bishop, “add two-thirds of ten
And so you’ll guess the riddle just as I did.”
356.
Though the stations of mortals are many
And the _last_ is the head of his race;
Yet he, just as often as any,
Is won by my _first’s_ fell embrace;
Yet we most of us apt are to fall,
When our heads cease our hearts to control,
Let us hope that not one of us all
May be e’er in the state of my _whole_.
357. WHAT IS IT?
My whole is no matter,
And light as the air,
Yet it is good on the platter,
And excellent fare.
Curtail and transpose,
And a lady you see,
Who will flatter and pose,
And with many do me.
358. WHAT IS IT?
My first, for ages out of mind,
All men have always worn behind;
And yet alike by sea and land
They carry it upon their hand.
My second, carefully matured,
Is never ill but often cured.
My whole, within unchanging lines
Black men and white alike confines.
359. WHAT IS THIS?
“We westand fall.”
360. A CHARADE
My second is pressed tightly round
To guard from any ill;
And when preparing to engage,
Men find it useful still.
My first against attraction set
Will neutralise its power;
Aided by it, with bargains, some
May spend a happy hour.
You find my whole by careful search
Which must not be forsaken;
It stands before what comes beyond,
Which may from it be taken.
361. A GOOD ANAGRAM
George Thompson, the zealous anti-slavery advocate, was asked to go into
Parliament, the better to press his point and cause. When he hesitated a
friend produced, as a conclusive reason, this anagram, spelt with the
letters of his name--“O go, the negro’s M.P.!”
362. WHAT AM I?
Scorned by the meek and humble mind,
And often by the vain possessed,
Heard by the deaf, seen by the blind,
I give the troubled spirit rest.
ODDS AND ENDS
1. A SUM WITHOUT FIGURES
Here is a long-division sum without figures:--
UGI)GEVPPNDO(IDTPO
GVNI
----
DNTP
UGI
-----
NETN
NEOT
------
DUDO
DUDO
=====
These letters form a sentence of three words .... .... .., and represent
the figures 1234 5678 90; the puzzle is to discover this key sentence,
by working out the sum in the corresponding figures.
2. A DAY’S SPORT
At the invitation of a farmer in the country I went out with my gun for
a day’s shooting on his farm. “What sport had you?” said a friend
afterwards at the Club. “I shot only birds and rabbits,” was my reply,
“and the bag showed 36 heads and 100 feet.” How many birds were there,
and how many bunnies?
3. THE SQUAREST WORD
D E L F
E V I L
L I V E
F L E D
How many distinct readings of these four words can you find, taking
their letters in any “go as you please” direction, without jumping over
any letter?
4. A CROSS PURPOSE
Can our readers rearrange these letters in the form of a similar cross,
so that they form two words familiar to us all?
A
A
E
D N R E G D N
I
T
V
S
One of the letters, to be placed where the lower E now stands, is common
to both words.
5.
“Take this sovereign, my boy,” said a man to his son who had a turn for
arithmetic, “and buy for yourself and for your three sisters the best
present possible for each, of different values, expending in each case
an aliquot part of the pound, that is to say, a fraction of it whose
numerator is one. If there is any change you can give it to the Fresh
Air Fund.” How was this commission carried out?
6. A WORD SQUARE
Can you complete this word-square?
. E . A .
E . A . E
. A . . E
A . . E .
. E E . .
7. VERBAL ARITHMETIC
First find a word that is spelt with the ten letters above the line, and
number its letters consecutively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0.
A I
L C
P R
U N
B E
_____
E C C
Substitute the corresponding figures for the letters, and then work out
the addition sum which they represent.
8. A WORD SQUARE
Can you complete this word square?
T . . . T
. T . . .
. . O . .
. E . S .
T . . . S
9.
Take the twelve first prime numbers, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23,
29, 31, which have no factors but themselves and unity, and write down
the value of their product, using no figures but 0, 1, 2, and 3, and of
these using 2 and 3 only once.
10. AT THE WASH
Six collars seven cuffs there be
When pence we charge you thirty-three;
Seven collars and six cuffs to do
The charge is only thirty-two;
The work is good and up-to-date,
So figure out in pence the rate.
11. GAPS TO FILL
Can you complete this word square?
W . E . S
. . . . .
E . U . E
. . . . .
S . E . R
12. IS IT POSSIBLE?
Fill a wineglass with water to the brim, and set it on the corner of a
table-napkin, which should be in immediate contact with the polished
surface of a table, allowing the rest of the napkin to fall over the
edge. Can you remove the napkin without touching the glass or spilling
any of the water?
13. A NICE CALCULATION
My third and fourth are a quarter of my first and second; my fourth is
half of them, and my third is half. What am I?
14. FOR THE CHILDREN
A London firm, having sent an order by telegram to a manufacturer in
Paris for 480 sets of Diabolo, received to their amazement a huge
consignment of 6336 sets. How did this mistake arise?
15. A WINTER VALENTINE
Thy heart is like some icy lake
On whose cold brink I stand;
On my sore plight sweet pity take,
And lead me by the hand.
Then buckle on my spirit’s skate
Where all the ice is thin,
That it may break beneath my weight,
And let a lover in!
16. A QUESTION OF AGES
“My husband’s age,” said Mrs Evergreen, “is represented by the figures
of my age reversed. He is older than I am, and the difference between
our ages is one-eleventh of their sum.” What were their respective ages?
17. MISSING FIGURES
Can you complete this multiplication sum?
4 * *
3 *
-------
3 6 * *
* * 7 * *
---------
* * 3 * *
18. STRANGE ADDITION
Add 3 to 10, and then divide
Till 8 the sum has satisfied.
19. BEDDING OUT
I bought less than 100 plants for my new rosery, and found that if I set
them 3 in a row there would be one over; if 4 in a row there would be
two over; if 5 in a row, three over; and if 6 in a row, four over. How
many rose trees did I buy?
20.
Can you arrange three nines so that they represent exactly 20?
21.
A house has nine windows on its front. How many signals can be given by
merely leaving one or more of them open?
22. ON MY BIRTHDAY
(By Sir John Evans)
“Reader, whether man or woman,
Write my age in figures Roman.
My first divided by my second
Will make my third, if rightly reckoned;
Ten times the whole, and then you see
My university degree.”
23. MOSAIC VERSE
The heath this night must be my bed, (Scott)
Ye vales, ye streams, ye groves, adieu! (Pope)
Farewell for aye; e’en love is dead; (Proctor)
Would I could add remembrance too! (Byron)
24. SIGNS AND SEASONS
The springs spring forth in spring, and shoots
Shoot forward one and all;
Though summer kills the flowers, it leaves
The leaves to fall in fall!
25. THE TEN DIGITS
This arrangement of the digits represents 20, one being a whole number,
the others a fraction:--
13258
6----- = 20
947
26. CHRONOGRAM
The battle of Montl’héry was fought in 1465. Its date can be committed
to memory in the sentence which might have been a battle-cry--“A cheval,
à cheval, gendarmes, à cheval!” For it is arrived at by the addition of
the Roman numerals which this contains, thus:--
C = 100
V = 5
L = 50
C = 100
V = 5
L = 50
M = 1000
C = 100
V = 5
L = 50
----
Total = 1465
27. A TOUR DE FORCE
In this most remarkable sentence of only twenty-eight letters, every
letter of the alphabet is used--
IF JACK QUIZ BALD NYMPHS GROW VEXT.
28. AN OLD TALE OF A TUB
Tom Hood, seeing over the door of a public-house BEAR SOLD HERE, said
that it was rightly spelt if it was the landlord’s _own bruin_!
29. ALL THE ALPHABET
Here is an ingenious rhyming couplet of only 33 letters, in which every
letter of the alphabet is used--
Quick! go on, Jim! why
Stop lazy fox? Drive by!
30. AN IMPERIAL ANAGRAM
A sa Majesté impériale le Tsar Nicolas, souverain et autocrate de
toutes les Russies.
The same letters exactly spell--
O, ta vanité sera ta perte. O, elle isole la Russie; tes successeurs
te maudiront à jamais!
This most remarkable anagram was published in the early days of the
Crimean war.
31. A FOURFOLD ANAGRAM
“Notes and Queries.”
_A question sender.
Enquires on dates.
Reasoned inquest.
I send on a request._
32. A GOOD ANAGRAM
The name of John Abernethy, a very brusque doctor of bygone days, lends
itself to this most apposite anagram--_Johnny the bear!_
33. TWO EXCELLENT ANAGRAMS
(After the Irish famine.)
Duchess of Marlborough.
_She labours much for God._
Or,
The Duchess of Marlborough.
_Lo, she sought much for bread._
34. “ENGLISH AS SHE IS SPOKE”
French guest to his host after a big shoot:--
“How many braces have you to your bags?”
35. A PRIZE ANAGRAM
It would be difficult to find a more ingenious and appropriate anagram
than this, which took a prize in “Truth” in 1902, and connects the
King’s recovery with the Coronation.
The sentence set was--
“God save our newly crowned King and Queen! Long life to Edward and
Alexandra!”
The letters of this were recast thus--
Can we wonder an anxious devoted England followed drear danger
quakingly?
36. A PRIZE ANAGRAM
“Truth” offered a prize for the best anagram on the sentence--“‘Truth’
Toy and Doll Fund, Christmas, nineteen hundred and seven.” The winning
anagram, by the Editor of these pages, was, “A sunny tender mind
understands that the children do love fun!”
37. TAKE CARE OF THE PENCE
In a moment of economy I told my wife that I would put by a farthing the
first week of the New Year, a halfpenny the second week, a penny the
third, and so on, doubling the sum each week to the end of the year. She
had a turn for figures, and staggered me by showing that I should have
to provide £4,691,249,611,844, 5s. 3³⁄₄d. to carry out my plan!
38
Now that Ellen Terry has written “The Story of My Life,” this anagram
has a special interest:--
LYCEUM THEATRE, STRAND.
_Teach and melt us, Terry!_
38a. RING OUT, WILD BELLS!
More startling than the well-known calculation of payment by
continuously doubling the farthing given for the first nail in a horse’s
shoe, is the fact that the possible changes on a peal of 24 bells would
not be exhausted if every minute of 4000 years were prolonged to a
period of 10,000 years!
39. A SCHOLAR AT PLAY
Erasmus himself was responsible in one of his lighter moments for the
following ingenious play upon his name:--
Quæritur unde mihi sit nomen Erasmus, _eras mus_;
Si _sum mus_ ego, te judice, _summus_ ero!
40. QUITE AN EYESORE!
“Well!” cried an agitated carpenter to his mate, “of all the saws that I
ever saw saw, I never saw a saw saw as this saw saws!”
41. THE PUNSTER’S LAMENT
If I be duly punished
For every foolish pun I shed,
I shall not find one puny shed
In which to hide my punnish head!
42. A GOOD ANAGRAM
CONFESSIONS OF AN OPIUM EATER.
The same letters recast spell--
_If so, man, refuse poison at once!_
43. A TOUR DE FORCE
The following curiosity, constructed some years ago for prize purposes
by the Editor, shows how, in word or letter juggling, difficulties can
be overcome:--
A sentence in which each letter of the alphabet is used exactly twice:
“XLV gruff nymphs jerk XLV jaws,” quoth wag B. Dick, Q.C., to Ben Dizzy,
M.P.
44. THE MISSING LINK
If anagrams count, our “ancestor” was not a monkey but a _Norse cat_!
45. A STRIKING ANAGRAM
The name of Randle Holmes, author of a notable book on heraldry, was so
recast that it formed the words: “Lo, men’s herald!”
46. A CURIOUS PALINDROME
Dog as a devil deified lived as a god.
47. AFTER THE EVENT
_An Anagram._
The Oxford and Cambridge annual Boat-race.
_Cantab blue had raced in an extra good form._
48. TO FIND THE GOLD
Tell a person who holds a sovereign in one hand and a shilling in the
other to reckon 4 for the gold, and 3 for the silver. Then bid him
triple what is in the right hand, and double what is in the left, and
give you the added product. If this is an _even_ number the gold is in
the right hand, if _odd_ it is in the left.
49. A MUSICAL ANAGRAM
ADELINA PATTI.
_Adept Italian._
50. A HAPPY THOUGHT
Sir Charles Napier’s witty despatch, “Peccavi!” “I have Scinde!” is
familiar to us. Not so well known is the happy phrase attributed to Sir
Colin Campbell, “Nunc sum fortunatus!” “I am in Lucknow!”
51. A CLEVER TRIPLE ANAGRAM
Owen, the Welsh epigrammatist, composed this very clever Latin line:--
In _verbis, ubi res_ postulat, esto _brevis_.
(“In words, where the matter requires it, be brief.”)
The words in italics are spelt with the same six letters.
52. CAN SUCH THINGS BE?
Take a long strip of paper, say 9 in. by 2 in., which will have, of
course, an upper and an under surface and two edges along its length.
How can you arrange this strip, by quite a simple method so that it will
have only _one_ surface and _one_ edge?
53.
Can you divide nine into two parts which are together equal to ten?
54. FOLDING A FLOCK
A shepherd had a flock of sheep in a fold enclosed by 100 hurdles. His
master made a large purchase at the annual fair, and required him to pen
some pigs with 16 of the hurdles, and to arrange the remainder so that
they could accommodate nine times as many sheep as the 100 hurdles had
contained. How was this possible?
55. A NEAT TRICK
Here is a neat final trick, if you have some reputation for sleight of
hand. Place three biscuits on the table in a row, and cover each of them
with a borrowed hat. Raise each hat in turn, gravely eat the biscuit,
and replace the hat. Then undertake that the three biscuits shall be
under whichever hat is selected. How can you contrive this?
56. VERY SMALL CHANGE
In how many different ways can 7s. 3d. be paid away in current coin of
the realm, without ever using exactly the same set of coins a second
time?
SOLUTIONS
FRONTISPIECE
The words which describe this picture can be recast, letter for letter,
into the perfect anagram--
[Illustration: “Please, Mister Elephant, are you there?”]
No. IV.
It is said that there are 86 ways in which the numbers in this model
magic square can be added up so that they make 34.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 4│ 15│ 14│ 1║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 9│ 6│ 7│ 12║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 5│ 10│ 11│ 8║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 16│ 3│ 2│ 13║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
It is not difficult to discover more than half this number that are
symmetrical, including, of course, the 4 rows, 4 columns and 2
diagonals. Here are a dozen samples, from which others can be seen--
4, 1, 16, 13.
15, 14, 3, 2.
14, 12, 5, 3.
6, 7, 10, 11.
15, 8, 9, 2.
1, 6, 11, 16.
14, 8, 9, 3.
9, 15, 2, 8.
4, 5, 12, 13.
4, 5, 11, 14.
4, 9, 8, 13.
9, 14, 3, 8.
No. VIII
Here is the completed magic square--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║216│175│224│183│232│191│240│199│248║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║247│215│174│223│182│231│190│239│207║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║206│246│214│173│222│181│230│198│238║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║237│205│245│213│172│221│189│229│197║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║196│236│204│244│212│180│220│188│228║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║227│195│235│203│252│211│179│219│187║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║186│226│194│243│202│251│210│178│218║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║217│185│234│193│242│201│250│209│177║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║176│225│184│233│192│241│200│249│208║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Every row, column and diagonal adds up to exactly 1908.
No. IX
This up-to-date magic square adds up to 1908 in quite 56 different
symmetrical ways.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║469│484│472│483║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║481│474│478│475║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║482│471│485│470║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║476│479│473│480║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Here are 44 of them--
Rows 4
Columns 4
Diagonals 2
The corners 1
Corners of squares of 9 cells 4
Squares of 4 cells 9
Opposite pairs of outside cells 6
Opposite pairs of short diagonals
Such combinations as 469, 481, 485, 473 8
Such combinations as 482, 484, 472, 470
--
Total 44
There are a dozen other ways, more or less symmetrical, such as 481,
474, 483, 470; or 474, 485, 470, 479.
No. X
This is the rearrangement of the domino magic square--
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● ● │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ● ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ● ● │
│ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
The three-ace, which was a corner stone in the former diagram now
occupies the centre, and the rearrangement was effected by first
transferring the two bottom rows to the top, and then the fourth and
fifth columns to the extreme left. This method of shifting the stones
does not affect the magic quality of the square.
No. XI
The affinity between chess and numbers is well illustrated by the
Knight’s tour on this diagram--
[Illustration]
The Knight starts from the square marked 1, and returns at last to it.
The constant difference between any opposite and corresponding numbers
in cells that are equidistant from the centre is 18.
No. XII
Here are the cells in the diagram of our Numbers Patience, so filled in
that each of the rows across from side to side adds up exactly to 143.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 17│ 30│ 41│ 31│ 24║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 18│ 32│ 13│ 46│ 34║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 11│ 12│ 14│ 50│ 56║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 51│ 19│ 42│ 16│ 15║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 22│ 21│ 35│ 45│ 20║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Each cell contains, in accordance with the conditions, a different
number.
No. XIII
This is the division of a square into fifteen parts, which will form the
windmill:--
[Illustration]
This puzzle may, of course, be reversed, the parts of the square being
given, and the solver asked to form with them a symmetrical windmill.
No. XIV
In this nest of 49 squares it is possible to count 784 distinct
interlacing figures, whose opposite sides are equal, and whose angles
are all right angles.
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
└───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
Of these 784 rectangles 140 are squares.
No. XV
This is the domino magic square, in which all the stones are used except
double-six, double-five and six-five.
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ │
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
│ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● ● │
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │
│ ● ● │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │
├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤ ├─────┤
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
│ │ │ ● │ │ │ │ │ │ ● │
│ ● ● │ │ │ │ ● ● │ │ ● │ │ ● ● │
└─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘
All rows, columns and diagonals add up to 27, as do the stones in the
four corner cells and the four central border cells of the full square,
and of the square of nine cells in the middle.
No. XVI
Those to whom games of Patience appeal will find an interesting and
pretty form of it in the construction of a pyramid with a complete set
of dominoes.
┌───┬───┐
│ 5 1 │
└───┴───┘
┌───┬───╥───┬───┐
│ 3 1 ║ 5 3 │
└───┴───╨───┴───┘
┌───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───┐
│ 2 ║ 3 3 ║ 6 4 │
└───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───┘
┌───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───┐
│ 2 1 ║ 5 6 ║ 1 ║ 5 4 │
└───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───┘
┌───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───┐
│ 3 4 ║ 2 6 ║ 6 ║ 4 ║ 2 3 │
└───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───┘
┌───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───┐
│ ║ 5 5 ║ 2 2 ║ 4 4 ║ 1 1 ║ 6 6 │
└───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───┘
┌───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───╥───┬───┐
│ 3 6 ║ 6 1 ║ 5 2 ║ 4 2 ║ 4 ║ 5 ║ 3 │
└───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───╨───┴───┘
Solvers may like to study the position given, which is one of many that
are possible, and to discover for themselves the ruling conditions which
are its characteristics.
No. XVII
When the boy’s father came up just in time to stop him from breaking out
of bounds, and said, “Never throw a leg, lad,”
[Illustration]
the rest of the sentence, spelt with _exactly the same letters_, was
“over the garden wall!”
No. XVIII
“Catastrophe,” the title of the tragedy foreshadowed, can be recast into
“_A cat! stop her!_” By similar process the words, “New parrot stand in
a house,” become “_He turns on a soda-water tap!_”
[Illustration]
The parrot’s ready resource and triumph is depicted here with striking
effect.
No. XIX
When the judge at a baby show said to the mother of the small boy whose
thumb was in his mouth, “Your lad Tommy likes such tit-bits,” the
precocious child replied, as he removed his comforting hand, in a
sentence spelt with _exactly the same letters_, “So to-day, sir, I suck
my little thumb.”
[Illustration]
No. XX
When the lady sitting at the back of this overloaded wagonette said to
her husband, “This big load quite hinders his pull,” in her sympathy
with the struggling horse,
[Illustration]
he made this very practical reply, in a sentence spelt with _exactly the
same letters_: “Do sit quiet, girl; I shall push behind!”
No. XXI
When a bystander whispered to the marker, “Eh! what a stout player is
striking!”
[Illustration]
an appropriate reply, spelt with _exactly the same letters_, would have
been: “He plays without taking a rest, sir.”
No. XXII
The two English words appropriate to this picture--
[Illustration]
which have as their anagrams “Or not a man first,” and “O I love nuts!”
are _Transformation and Evolutions_.
No. XXIII
This is a fancy portrait of William--
[Illustration]
We decide by anagram whether this is _William or dear Jack_, for these
words, when recast, spell “I am Will, a card joker!”
No. XXIV
The word indicated by this picture in combination with the lines below
it--
[Illustration]
Begin with the end of my first,
And then you will find out the rest;
For it all will appeal to your thirst,
Or point to a ponderous guest.
is _Stout_.
No. XXV
The words of Jigger’s wife, when she said that he seemed to be in a “sad
pet,” were true by anagram.
[Illustration]
His ball hugs the cushion so closely as to be completely _pasted_.
No. XXVI
When, as they held on to the fractious cow, the farmer exclaimed, “See,
we hold this cow’s horns and tail,”
[Illustration]
his foreman, using exactly the same letters in his sentence, said--
“She cannot toss, her wild head is low.”
No. XXVII
While the horse shown in this picture might be saying, if it could
speak, “I’m a train’d stepper!”--
[Illustration]
the driver, from his point of view, might say, as he held him in check,
“Spirit and a temper!” making use in his words of _exactly the same
letters_.
No. XXVIII
When one onlooker, seeing the artist working with his feet, said--
“Why, now I see this fine artist has no hand!”
[Illustration]
the other replied, using exactly the same letters,
“He draws in any fashion with his ten toes!”
No. XXIX
When her husband, showing this picture
[Illustration]
said to his wife, “This is a wine bottle, dear, on a lure,” she, knowing
that temptation in this form would fail, said, as she glanced at his
illustration of their aims, in words spelt with exactly the same
letters:--
“And see, he will not rise at our bait!”
No. XXX
The sturdy musician, who had said, “What shall I play?” to which some
one replied, “Any strains of Beethoven, he charms all!” as this was not
an acceptable suggestion, struck up a piece after his own heart.
[Illustration]
He said, as he struck the strings, in a sentence composed of exactly the
same letters--“Nay, for this ’cello heaven sent a Brahms!”
No. XXXI
Here is the picture of a parsnip lying across a swede readjusted and
reversed.
[Illustration]
We gave as a clue the anagram--
“Here is our parsnip on swede.”
ANAGRAM
_Wise and superior person he!_
but this is now hardly needed to show who is thus represented in
friendly caricature: (With apologies to G. B. S.)
No. XXXII
The letter puzzle is solved thus--
L E V E L
E E E E
V V V
E E E E
L E V E L
Within this square the word LEVEL runs in twelve different directions,
being itself a palindrome.
No. XXXIII
The sentence formed with the ten letters above the line, which is the
key to this sum, is _Do your best_. If these letters are numbered
consecutively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, and the corresponding
figures are substituted for the letters, the sum works out as is shown
in the second diagram--
S B 9 7
R E 6 8
Y D 3 1
O T 4 0
U O 5 2
------ -----
O E E 2 8 8
===== =====
No. XXXIV
The twelve names of flowers and foliage that may be gathered within
these borders, by moving in any direction one square at a time,
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ 1 │ 2 │ 3 │ 4 │ 5 │ 6 │ 7 ║
║ L│ L│ B│ H│ P│ E│ F║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ 8 │ 9 │10 │11 │12 │13 │14 ║
║ L│ Y│ E│ L│ O│ R│ N║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║15 │16 │17 │18 │19 │20 │21 ║
║ I│ V│ B│ R│ I│ V│ K║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║22 │23 │24 │25 │26 │27 │28 ║
║ A│ L│ E│ T│ O│ N│ I║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║29 │30 │31 │32 │33 │34 │35 ║
║ C│ N│ A│ S│ U│ L│ P║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
are 18, 26, 32, 24, _Rose_; 25, 33, 34, 28, 35, _Tulip_; 35, 28, 27, 21,
_Pink_; 31, 32, 25, 24, 18, _Aster_; and, in similar ways, _Verbena_;
_Salvia_; _Ivy_; _Lily_; _Lilac_; _Heliotrope_; _Fern_; and _Bell_.
No. XXXV
The solution of this little problem, set by Dr Puzzlewitz on his
blackboard to test the powers of his young pupils--“What are the values
of A and B, when 4 is the result of dividing A by B, or of subtracting B
from A?”--
┏━━━━━━━━━━━━━┓
┃ ┃
┃ A - B = 4 ┃
┃ ┃
┃ A ÷ B = 4 ┃
┃ ┃
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
is that A = 5¹⁄₃ and B = 1¹⁄₃.
No. XXXVI
This is the diamond squared:--
┌───┐
│ s │
┌───┼───┼───┐
│ h │ i │ s │
┌───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ h │ i │ n │ t │ s │
┌───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┐
│ s │ i │ n │ u │ o │ u │ s │
└───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┘
│ s │ t │ o │ r │ m │
└───┼───┼───┼───┼───┘
│ s │ u │ m │
└───┼───┼───┘
│ s │
└───┘
in which the words read alike from top to bottom, and from left to
right.
No. XXXVII
This is the arrangement of the 32 letters in the 64 cells--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ │ A │ │ E │ I │ │ O │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ E │ O │ │ │ │ │ A │ I ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ A │ I │ E │ O │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I │ │ O │ │ │ A │ │ E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ O │ │ I │ │ │ E │ │ A ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ E │ O │ A │ I │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ A │ I │ │ │ │ │ E │ O ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ E │ │ A │ O │ │ │ I ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
No A is in the same column, row, or diagonal with another A, no E with
another E, no I with another I, and no O with another O.
No. XXXVIII
This is the anagram square, with the letters, which in the former
diagram spelt the words _vote_, _wove_, _prow_, _call_, _stew_, _news_,
_core_, _nape_, recast into fresh words which now read alike from top to
bottom and from left to right of the square.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║###│ C │###│ R │###│ O │###│ W ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ C │###│ L │###│ A │###│ W │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ L │###│ O │###│ V │###│ E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ R │###│ O │###│ P │###│ E │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ A │###│ P │###│ E │###│ S ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ O │###│ V │###│ E │###│ N │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ W │###│ E │###│ N │###│ T ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ W │###│ E │###│ S │###│ T │###║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
The empty squares and diagonal setting are necessary for this particular
puzzle, as the words would not form a word square if their letters were
placed below one another in the usual way.
No. XXXIX
The sentence formed with the ten letters above the line, which is the
key to this sum, is--_Add these up_. If these letters are numbered
consecutively 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0, and the corresponding
figures are substituted for the numbers, the sum works out as is shown
below.
D U 2 9
E H 6 5
E D 8 3
A P 1 0
S T 7 4
----- -----
D E A 2 6 1
===== =====
No. XL
The four words, seek, slab, leek, moan, which were placed on the white
squares when recast form the following combination:--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║###│ M │###│ A │###│ S │###│ K ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ A │###│ B │###│ L │###│ E │###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║###│ S │###│ L │###│ O │###│ E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ K │###│ E │###│ E │###│ N │###║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
These fresh words read alike from side to side, and zigzag from top to
bottom.
No. XLI
These are the four words, recast by anagram from afar, task, seat, leal,
and which now form a perfect word square.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ F │ A │ S │ T ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ A │ R │ E │ A ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ S │ E │ A │ L ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ T │ A │ L │ K ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
No. XLII
The word square is recast thus--
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ c │ r │ e │ s │ s ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ r │ e │ a │ c │ h ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ e │ a │ g │ e │ r ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ s │ c │ e │ n │ e ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ s │ h │ r │ e │ d ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Its words are spelt with the same letters as the words _chess_, _greed_,
_canes_, _rears_, _cheer_, which formed the original square, but did not
read alike from top to bottom, and from left to right, as these do.
No. XLIII
The five familiar proverbs hidden in this square of 169 letters are: A
rolling stone gathers no moss. Too many cooks spoil the broth. A live
dog is more to be feared than a dead lion. You cannot eat your cake and
have it. Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war.
R E N O W N E D T H A N W
S Y O U R C A K E A N D A
S T E T O B E F E A R H R
E A R K S S P O I L E A F
L E O O H E R S N T D V O
O T M O T L I N O H T E U
N O S C A L A G M E H I R
S N I Y G O R S O B A T S
E N G N E N O T S R N P A
I A O A M O O T S O A E W
R C D E V I L A H T D A S
O U O Y N O I L D A E C A
T C I V R E H H T A H E Z
No. XLIV
[Illustration]
If the shaded circles are cut out and the diagram is placed squarely
over the jumbled letters, with the I., II., III., IV. in turn at the top
left-hand corner, this sentence is disclosed--
Le premier Supplément du Journal de la Jeunesse a été publié dans le
Numéro du Dix-neuf Juin Mil huit cent soixante-quinze.
No. XLV
This is the way to reconstruct Sam Loyd’s black pony--so that, while its
legs and tail are strangely misplaced, they form the spirited outline of
a white galloping horse.
[Illustration]
No. XLVI
Here is the key to Sam Loyd’s ingenious puzzle--
[Illustration]
which shows the jockeys and horses in full racing trim.
No. XLVII
This is the inevitable result of the boy’s attempt to annex with his
mouth the sugar on the chair--
[Illustration]
No. XLVIII
The leap-frog puzzle is solved in nine hops thus:--
[Illustration]
First jump from stool 2, then from 5, 3, 6, 7, 1, 3, and 6 in turn to
the vacant stools.
No. LV
This diagram shows that the seven wheels, which spin so merrily when the
paper is rotated in the hand, can be divided off into separate
enclosures by only three straight lines--
[Illustration]
No. LVI
The diagram below shows how the market-gardener, keeping one-fourth of
his square field for himself in the shape of a triangle, was able to
divide the remainder so that each of his four sons had an equal portion
of similar shape--
[Illustation]
No. LVII
Here is a drawing of the perfect Latin cross--
[Illustation]
The position of the two long pieces does not readily suggest itself to
those who try to arrange the five on paper with a pencil.
No. LVIII
This diagram shows the effectual means taken by four rich men, whose
houses were further afield, to exclude four poor men from all access to
a central lake, that they might reserve the fishing for themselves.
[Illustration]
They built a high wall on the lines that are indicated which, while it
left a way for each of them to the water, altogether shut it away from
their poor neighbours.
No. LIX
This is the square that can be formed with the ten pattern pieces
given--
[Illustration]
No. LX
The dotted lines in this diagram show how the figure can be divided into
nine parts by four straight cuts
[Illustration]
which can be reunited to form a perfect cross.
No. LXI
This is a simple way by which the figure given can be divided by four
straight cuts into four equal and similar parts--
[Illustration]
No. LXII
This is the way to draw twenty-two straight lines within the circle at
right-angles to each other, so that they divide it into four similar
parts--
[Illustration]
and each part has three dots within its borders.
No. LXIII
These diagrams show how the upper triangle is divided into five parts,
which can be rearranged to form the equilateral triangle below.
[Illustration]
The originator of this ingenious novelty says, “The method of
construction is not shown, but its application is general, and the
result is easily verified by measurement.”
No. LXVI
This is an arrangement of the twenty-seven counters in nine rows, six in
a row, within the borders of an equilateral triangle.
*
╱ ╲
╱ ╲
* *
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
* * *
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╱ * * ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╲ ╱ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ * ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╲
╱ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╲
*─────*─────*───────*─────*─────*
╱ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╲
*─────*─────*───────────*─────*─────*
╱ ╱ ╱ ╲ ╲ ╲
*─────*─────*───────────────*─────*─────*
No. LXVII
All the cards of one colour, when placed alternately, can be brought
together in four moves, two at a time, thus--
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ A │ │ 2 │ │ 3 │ │ 4 │ │ 5 │ │ 6 │ │ 7 │ │ 8 │
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ ♠ │ │ ♡ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♢ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♢ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♡ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘ └───┘
Place two and three beyond eight; Place five and six between one and
four; Place eight and two between four and seven; Place one and five
between seven and three.
No. LXVIII
You can in a moment tell the number chosen on these cards, when you are
told on which of them it appears,
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐║
║│ I. ││ II. ││ III. ││ IV. │║
║│ ││ ││ ││ │║
║│ 1 33 65 97││ 2 34 66 98││ 4 36 68 100││ 8 40 72 104│║
║│ 3 35 67 99││ 3 35 67 99││ 5 37 69 101││ 9 41 73 105│║
║│ 5 37 69 101││ 6 38 70 102││ 6 38 70 102││ 10 42 74 106│║
║│ 7 39 71 103││ 7 39 71 103││ 7 39 71 103││ 11 43 75 107│║
║│ 9 41 73 105││ 10 42 74 106││ 12 44 76 108││ 12 44 76 108│║
║│ 11 43 75 107││ 11 43 75 107││ 13 45 77 109││ 13 45 77 109│║
║│ 13 45 77 109││ 14 46 78 110││ 14 46 78 110││ 14 46 78 110│║
║│ 15 47 79 111││ 15 47 79 111││ 15 47 79 111││ 15 47 79 111│║
║│ 17 49 81 113││ 18 50 82 114││ 20 52 84 116││ 24 56 88 120│║
║│ 19 51 83 115││ 19 51 83 115││ 21 53 85 117││ 25 57 89 121│║
║│ 21 53 85 117││ 22 54 86 118││ 22 54 86 118││ 26 58 90 122│║
║│ 23 55 87 119││ 23 55 87 119││ 23 55 87 119││ 27 59 91 123│║
║│ 25 57 89 121││ 26 58 90 122││ 28 60 92 124││ 28 60 92 124│║
║│ 27 59 91 123││ 27 59 91 123││ 29 61 93 125││ 29 61 93 125│║
║│ 29 61 93 125││ 30 62 94 126││ 30 62 94 126││ 30 62 94 126│║
║│ 31 63 95 127││ 31 63 95 127││ 31 63 95 127││ 31 63 95 127│║
║└───────────────┘└───────────────┘└───────────────┘└───────────────┘║
║ ┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐┌───────────────┐ ║
║ │ V. ││ VI. ││ VII. │ ║
║ │ ││ ││ │ ║
║ │ 16 48 80 112││ 32 48 96 112││ 64 80 96 112│ ║
║ │ 17 49 81 113││ 33 49 97 113││ 65 81 97 113│ ║
║ │ 18 50 82 114││ 34 50 98 114││ 66 82 98 114│ ║
║ │ 19 51 83 115││ 35 51 99 115││ 67 83 99 115│ ║
║ │ 20 52 84 116││ 36 52 100 116││ 68 84 100 116│ ║
║ │ 21 53 85 117││ 37 53 101 117││ 69 85 101 117│ ║
║ │ 22 54 86 118││ 38 54 102 118││ 70 86 102 118│ ║
║ │ 23 55 87 119││ 39 55 103 119││ 71 87 103 119│ ║
║ │ 24 56 88 120││ 40 56 104 120││ 72 88 104 120│ ║
║ │ 25 57 89 121││ 41 57 105 121││ 73 89 105 121│ ║
║ │ 26 58 90 122││ 42 58 106 122││ 74 90 106 122│ ║
║ │ 27 59 91 123││ 43 59 107 123││ 75 91 107 123│ ║
║ │ 28 60 92 124││ 44 60 108 124││ 76 92 108 124│ ║
║ │ 29 61 93 125││ 45 61 109 125││ 77 93 109 125│ ║
║ │ 30 62 94 126││ 46 62 110 126││ 78 94 110 126│ ║
║ │ 31 63 95 127││ 47 63 111 127││ 79 95 111 127│ ║
║ └───────────────┘└───────────────┘└───────────────┘ ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
by adding together the numbers at the top left-hand corner of these.
No. LXIX
This diagram shows that the postman can take a course which involves
fewer turnings than that indicated, when he had to pass round eighteen
corners.
●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●
┇ ┇
● ●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ●┅┅┅○ ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
● ● ● ● ● ●┅┅┅● ●
┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇ ┇
●┅┅┅● ●┅┅┅● ●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●┅┅┅●
It will be seen that he has to turn only fifteen times.
No. LXX
This shows how a square can be divided into three parts, so that these
can be reunited to form No. 2 and No. 3 of the diagram.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: 1.]
[Illustration: 2.]
[Illustration: 3.]
Try it with scissors and paper or cardboard.
No. LXXI
┏━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┓
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │#♘#│ ♖ │#♚#│ ♖ │###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │###│ │###│ │###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ │###│ │###│ │###│ │###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###│ │###│ │###│ │# #│###┃
┗━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┛
This position fulfils the conditions of the puzzle. Obviously it could
not occur in actual play.
No. LXXV
The dotted lines in this diagram show where the flag with a cross taken
out from its centre must be cut, so that the two pieces can be rejoined
to form a perfect flag.
[Illustration]
The piece on the right is moved upward, and to the left.
No. LXXVI
This is a way in which the eleven parts can be readjusted to form a
square:--
[Illustration]
No. LXXVIII
This shows the shortest course--
[Illustration]
This track takes him completely round every block, passing only once
round four of them.
No. LXXIX
Here is a very simple and symmetrical arrangement, by which on a board
of 36 squares twelve counters are so placed that there are two, and two
only, on each line, column, and diagonal.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ ◎ │ │ │ │ │ ◎ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ ◎ │ │ │ ◎ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ ◎ │ │ │ ◎ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ │ │ ◎ │ ◎ │ │ ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ ◎ │ │ │ │ │ ◎ ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
There are other arrangements which fulfil the conditions.
No. LXXXI
In this nest of triangles of five tiers there are 1196 separate
triangles, or nearly double the number (653) of a similar nest of four
tiers.
[Illustration]
In such a figure with 10,000 tiers there would be 6,992,965,420,332
different triangles!
No. LXXXII
The match puzzle, in which eight matches set in a row are to be
rearranged in four pairs, by passing one match over two four times--
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║
is solved, if the matches are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, by moving
4 to 7, 6 to 2, 1 to 3, and 5 to 8.
No. LXXXIII
The lower diagram shows how, when three matches are removed from the
four squares, the remaining nine can be readjusted to represent three
squares--
══════ ══════
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
═══════ ══════
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║
══════ ══════
/-----\/-----\
/-----\
═════ ═════
║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║ ║ ║ ║ ║
═════ ═════
No. LXXXIV
This diagram shows how different arrangements of four matches are
possible in all the thirty-six cells of the square.
│ ╲ ╱ │
│ ╳ │ = 1
│ ╱ ╲ │
│ │ │
│ │ ── │ = 1
│ │ │
___
╱ │
╲ ╱ │ = 1
V │
│ │ │
│ ──+── │ = 2
│ │ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
─── = 2
│
│
│
│ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ = 4
│ │ │ │
╲ ╱ │
╲ ╱ ── │ = 4
V │
╲ ╱
╲ ╱
V
───── = 5
│
│
│
___
╱ │
╱ ── │ = 6
╱ │
___
╱
╱
╱
─── = 7
│
│
│
╲ ╱ │ │
╲ ╱ │ │ = 7
V │ │
╲ ╱ │
╳ ── │= 9
╱ ╲ │
│ │ │
│ │ ── │ = 10
│ │ │
╲ ╱
╳
╱ ╲
─── = 10
│
│
│
│ │
│ │
│ │
─── = 11
│
│
│
╲ ╱ │ │
╳ │ │ = 12
╱ ╲ │ │
│ ╱│
│ ─┼─ = 14
│ │
╲ ╱ ╲ ╱
╳ ╲ ╱ = 15
╱ ╲ V
╲ ╱ ╲ ╱
╳ ╳ = 20
╱ ╲ ╱ ╲
╲ ╱ │
╳ │ = 40
╱ ╲ │___
╱│ │
─+─ │ = 41
│ │
│ │
│ ─── │ = 49
│___ │
│
│
│___
───── = 50
│
│
│
│ │ │
│ │ │ = 52
│___ │ │
│ ╲ ╱
│ ╳ = 60
│___ ╱ ╲
___
│ │ ╱
│ │ ╱ = 117
│ │ ╱
___
│ ╱ │
│ ╱ │ = 171
│ ╱ │
___
╱ │ │
╱ │ │ = 711
╱ │ │
│╲ ╱│
│ V │ = 1000
│ │
────
│ │
│ │ = 0
│ │
────
│
│
│ 1
─── = ───
│ │ 2
│ │
│ │
│
│
│ 1
───── = ───
╲ ╱ 5
╲ ╱
V
│
│
│ 1
──── = ───
___ 7
╱
╱
╱
│
│
│ 1
─── = ───
╲ ╱ 10
╳
╱ ╲
│
│
│ 1
─── = ───
│ │ 11
│ │
│ │
│
│
│ 1
──── = ───
│ 50
│
│__
In every case a whole number or a fraction is represented, with such
signs or lines as are necessary, and only four matches are used.
No. LXXXV
It will be seen from the diagram below that the sentence, when filled in
as required, is “Rise to vote, sir.”
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ R | I | S | E | T | O | V | O | T | E | S | I | R ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I | I | | | | | | | | | | I | I ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ S | | S | | | | | | | | S | | S ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ E | | | E | | | | | | E | | | E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ T | | | | T | | | | T | | | | T ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ O | | | | | O | | O | | | | | O ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ V | | | | | | V | | | | | | V ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ O | | | | | O | | O | | | | | O ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ T | | | | T | | | | T | | | | T ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ E | | | E | | | | | | E | | | E ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ S | | S | | | | | | | | S | | S ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ I | I | | | | | | | | | | I | I ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╢
║ R | I | S | E | T | O | V | O | T | E | S | I | R ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
As this sentence is a perfect palindrome, and reads alike from either
end, it can be traced in a great number of different directions.
No. LXXXVII
This subtraction sum may be very neatly worked, without reducing the
distances to inches, thus:--
╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║miles furlongs rods yards feet inches║
║ 1 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 ║
║ 7 „ 39 „ 5 „ 1 „ 5 ║
║ ─────────────────────────────────────────── ║
║ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 0 „ 1 ║
║ ═══════════════════════════════════════════ ║
║ ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Instead of borrowing one foot, we borrow half-a-foot--_i.e._, 6 inches;
taking 5 from the 6 we have 1 as a remainder; now carrying the 6 inches
to the 1 foot, and borrowing half a yard, and subtracting, we have 0 as
remainder; carrying the half-yard to the 5 yards, we borrow the full
5¹⁄₂ yards, which are one rod, and proceed in the usual manner
afterwards, with the result that is shown.
No. LXXXIX
This is an arrangement of nine counters on the irregular board of 67
squares.
┏━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┯━━━┓
┃###| |###| |###| |###| |#●#┃
┗━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
┃###| |#●#| |###| |###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ ● |###| |###| |###| ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###| |###| |###| ● |###┃
┗━━━╅───┼───┼───┼───┼───╆━━━┛
┃#●#| |###| |###┃
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
┃###| |###| |#●#| |###┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃ |###| |###| |###| ● ┃
┏━━━╃───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───╄━━━┓
┃ ● │###| |###| |###| |###│ ┃
┠───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┨
┃###| |###| |#●#| |###| |###┃
┗━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┷━━━┛
No two counters are in the same row, column, or diagonal.
No. XC
This is the arrangement of nine cards in ten rows, three in each row--
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ K │ │ Q │ │ K │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ♢ │ │ ♠ │ │ ♡ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ A │ │ A │ │ A │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│ ♣ │ │ ♢ │ │ ♠ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘
┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐
│ 1 │ │ K │ │ J │
│ 0 │ │ │ │ │
│ ♡ │ │ ♣ │ │ ♢ │
└───┘ └───┘ └───┘
No. XCI
The following diagram shows how the two ladies and their squires
represented by white Knights and black, and dressed to impersonate
Light, Liberty, Love, and Learning, started from the four comer squares,
and stepped a figure which exhibited at each pause a revolving square,
and in three paces came together in the centre, by a course traced upon
the lines of their combined monograms.
[Illustration]
No. XCII
The 5 maxims in these 36 cells--
╔════════╤════════╤════════╤════════╤════════╤════════╗
║ │ │ │ │ │ he ║
║ tell │you know│ tells │ knows │ tells │ should ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ not ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ you │ │ thinks │ │ is ║
║ do │ think │ does │ of │ does │ not ║
║ │ of │ │ │ │ good ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ believe│you hear│believes│ hears │believes│is false║
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ spend │you have│ spends │ has │ spends │he needs║
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ is ║
║ judge │ you see│ judges │ sees │ judges │ not ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ there ║
╟────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────╢
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
║ never │ all │ he who │ all he │ often │ what ║
║ │ │ │ │ │ ║
╚════════╧════════╧════════╧════════╧════════╧════════╝
are disentangled by reading the lowest line with each of the upper ones
in turn. Thus the first maxim runs:--“Never tell all you know, he who
tells all he knows often tells what he should not,” and so on
throughout.
No. XCIII
The dislocated circle is solved by making a single cut through the
dotted line shown in the diagram below, and join up the pieces.
[Illustration]
The second diagram shows how this figure is arrived at, by drawing three
similar and intersecting circles, which have their centres at the angles
of an equilateral triangle. The piece cut off by the dotted line
corresponds to the section that completes the circle below.
No. XCV
The catch-words Cleans, Scrubs, Scours, Polishes, which proclaim the
merits of an “Old Dutch Cleanser” on the sails of this windmill,
[Illustration]
can be recast so that the same letters form the singularly appropriate
sentence--
“O rub on, sir, success spells cash!”
No. XCVI
The following diagram shows the solution of this new chess puzzle, and
fulfils its conditions that no Queen should attack a Queen, no Rook a
Rook, no Bishop a Bishop, and no Knight a Knight.
╔═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╤═══╗
║ B ║#B#║ B ║#B#║ Q ║#R#║ B ║#B#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║###║ N ║#R#║ N ║###║ N ║###║ Q ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║ N ║#R#║ N ║#Q#║ N ║###║ N ║#B#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║#Q#║ N ║###║ N#║ R#║ N ║###║ B ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║ B ║###║ N ║###║ N ║###║ Q ║#R#║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║#B#║ Q ║###║ N ║###║ N ║#R#║ N ║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║ N ║###║ N ║#R#║ N ║#Q#║ N ║###║
╟───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───║
║#R#║ B ║#Q#║ N ║#B#║ B ║#B#║ N ║
╚═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╧═══╝
Mr Dudeney explains that only 8 Queens or 8 Rooks can be thus placed
upon the board, while the greatest number of Bishops is fourteen, and of
Knights thirty-two. But as all Knights must be placed on squares of the
same colour, while the Queens occupy four of each colour, and the
bishops seven of each colour, it follows that only twenty-one Knights
can be placed, and the arrangement shown above contains the maximum
number of these pieces under the conditions.
No. CII
This diagram shows the order in which the syllables or words of the
eight-line verse are to be read on the course of a Knight’s moves at
chess--
╔══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╤══════╗
║ 14 │ 55 │ 22 │ 37 │ 12 │ 51 │ 18 │ 35 ║
║ sor │ to │ king │ good │ say │ luck │ loy │ eth ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 23 │ 38 │ 13 │ 54 │ 17 │ 36 │ 11 │ 50 ║
║ and │ moth │ a │ soon │ dis │ our │ to │ bad ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 56 │ 15 │ 40 │ 21 │ 52 │ 9 │ 34 │ 19 ║
║ place│ ry │church│ his │ force│ is │ hat │ al ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 39 │ 24 │ 53 │ 16 │ 33 │ 20 │ 49 │ 10 ║
║ er │ queen│ him │ wight│ he │ to │ may │ truth║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 2 │ 57 │ 28 │ 41 │ 8 │ 61 │ 32 │ 47 ║
║ man │ his │ and │ and │ chess│ es │knight│ op’s ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 25 │ 42 │ 1 │ 60 │ 29 │ 48 │ 7 │ 62 ║
║ a │ sneer│ the │ and │ un │ lawn │ of │ tates║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 58 │ 3 │ 44 │ 27 │ 64 │ 5 │ 46 │ 31 ║
║ cas │ that │ at │ less │ pawn │ no │ bish │ lant ║
╟──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────╢
║ 44 │ 26 │ 59 │ 4 │ 45 │ 30 │ 63 │ 6 ║
║ eth │ faith│ tles │ hath │ the │ gal │ in │ love ║
╚══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════╝
They run thus:--
The man that hath no love of chess,
Is, truth to say, a sorry wight;
Disloyal to his King and Queen,
A faithless and ungallant Knight.
He hateth our good mother Church,
And sneereth at the bishop’s lawn;
May bad luck force him soon to place
His castles and estates in pawn!
No. CV
If such a network as is shown in the diagram below is drawn on clear
tracing-paper and placed on the page of a book, it will conceal the
words beneath it.
[Illustration]
But if, while lying close to the page, it is moved quickly round and
about, the letters and words will be distinctly seen, just as objects on
the other side of close lattice-work become visible as we pass them
quickly in a train.
No. CVI
These are the results of cutting, in the direction of the dotted lines,
completely round a simple paper ring, a ring with one twist, and a ring
with a double twist.
[Illustration]
We have (1) two simple rings; (2) one large-twisted ring; (3) two rings
linked together. If a third twist is given before cutting, a curious
knot is formed.
CVII
The string when it has been placed in the position shown in the diagram,
and two buttons larger than the hole have been fixed upon its ends can
be easily removed if the narrow slip of the leather is drawn through the
hole.
[Illustration]
CVIII
The scissors, when securely fastened, as is shown in the diagram,
[Illustration]
can be easily released by passing the loop upward through the handle,
and then completely over them.
CIX
The primitive wolf-trap consisted of two circular fences higher than a
wolf could scale, with a gate as was shown on the former diagram. To set
the trap a lamb was placed in the safe centre, and the gate was opened
as is shown below--
[Illustration]
Attracted by the bleating of the lamb, the wolf entered the outer
circle, made his way round, and presently pushed aside the gate, which
closed with a spring, and shut off all escape.
No. CXII
When you have told someone to think of a number between 5 and 15, and
while you are not looking, to count upwards from the lowest card step,
and round in the direction indicated by the arrow, until that number is
reached, and then, starting afresh with “one” on that card to count
backwards round the semi-circle, this time _not including the central
upright or the steps below it_, until the number thought of is again
reached, you can tell at once which is the final card arrived at, for it
will be as many places _upwards on the left_ as there are _step cards
and their upright_.
[Illustration]
Thus if there are 3 steps, it must always be the fourth card upwards on
the left of the semi-circle. To keep up the puzzle, the number of steps
should each time be changed, on the pretext that their number does not
signify.
No. CXIII
This diagram shows how the apple may be divided into six pieces by two
straight cuts, so that there shall be a gash in each piece.
[Illustration]
First cut the apple through the dotted line, then place the upper piece
shown at the side of the larger piece, and make the second cut straight
through, where the line is drawn.
No. CXVII
The sixpence under the middle of the tumbler can be easily removed
thus--
[Illustration]
Slip larger coins under opposite edges of the tumbler to raise it
slightly, and then scratch firmly on the cloth, from just outside the
rim, in the direction you wish the sixpence to take. It will at once
respond, and makes its own way gradually outside the circle that had
surrounded it.
No. CXVIII
This is the way to draw the spiral--
[Illustration]
Tie a piece of strong thread with a loop at its end round the upper part
of the windings of a screw. Drive the screw into a board, through the
middle of a card, wind the thread down the screw so that its loop just
reaches the card, place a pencil in this loop, and draw the spiral
freely, unwinding the thread from the grooves of the screw, and keeping
it always taut. A perfect spiral is the result.
No. CXXII.
The secret of the talking head is simple indeed when you know it.
[Illustration]
Between the front and two side legs of the table mirrors are fixed,
which reflect the similar surroundings, so that the performer, kneeling
behind these, and putting his head through a hole in the table top,
completely conceals his body and limbs from the audience.
No. CXXV
The picture charade is completed thus--
[Illustration]
My first may blow the candle out,
My second then comes in;
My whole in water moves about
Without an oar or fin--
and is solved by _Puffin_.
No. CXXVI
When the walnuts and cobnuts have been arranged as is shown on the
diagram--
[Illustration]
they can be shifted so that they stand alternately, by moving two that
are close together at a time, in four moves, as follows:--
(1) Move 2 and 3 beyond 8.
(2) Move 5 and 6 between 1 and 4.
(3) Move what are now 6th and 7th in the gap.
(4) Move what are now 1st and 2nd in the gap, and the alternate
arrangement is complete.
No. CXXVII
The question suggested by this picture riddle is: Why is a waiter like a
racehorse? And the solution is: Because he runs for cups and plates.
[Illustration]
WORD PLAY SOLUTIONS
1
The paradox--
Two words in our region of puzzledom pose,
And claim, through the passage of years,
That neither the pages of Johnson disclose,
While either in Murray appears.
is solved by the lines--
This key unlocks our puzzle-box,
Johnson and Murray both give “neither,”
While, to complete the paradox,
Murray and Johnson both give “either!”
2
The verse is completed thus--
Rude Eurus murmurs, trustful buds uncurl,
Bulbs push, due culture nurtures fruitful flush;
Thrush builds, full sunhued plumes furze tufts unfurl,
Up bursts, pure flute-fugue, Bulbul’s tuneful gush.
3
The enigma--
I see my first, I see my next,
And both I sigh and see
Joined to my third, which much perplexed
And sorely puzzled me.
’Twas fifty, and ’twas something more,
Reversed ’twas scarce an ell,
With first and next it forms a whole
Clear as a crystal bell.
What is my whole? A splendid tear
Upheld in cruel thrall;
Blow soft, ye gales, bright sun, appear!
And bid it gently fall.
is solved by ICICLE.
4
The charade--
Take for my first a quadruped,
Transpose one for my second;
My whole, a biped, quick or dead
Is dainty reckoned.
is solved by _Pigeon_ (_one_ becomes _eon_).
5
Byron’s enigma--
I am not in youth, nor in manhood, nor age,
But in infancy ever am known;
I’m a stranger alike to the fool and the sage,
And though I’m distinguish’d in history’s page
I always am greatest alone.
I am not in earth, nor the sun, nor the moon;
You may search all the sky--I’m not there;
In the morning and evening--though not in the noon--
You may plainly perceive me--for, like a balloon,
I am midway suspended in air.
Though disease may possess me, and sickness and pain,
I am never in sorrow nor gloom;
Though in wit and in wisdom I equally reign,
I’m the heart of all sin, and have long lived in vain,
Yet I ne’er shall be found in the tomb!
is solved by the letter I.
6
I am bright as a whole
Till you cut off my head;
Then as black as a coal,
Or a mortal instead.
Shaken up and recast
We with science are found,
Read us back from the last
And we live underground.
is solved by _Star_, _tar_, _arts_, _rats_.
7
Horace Smith’s charade--
In arts and sciences behold my first the watchword still,
All prejudice must bend the knee before its iron will;
Yet “Onward!” is the Briton’s cry--a cry that doth express
A holy work but half begun, and speaks of hopefulness.
In palace or in lonely cot its name alike is heard,
And in the Senate’s lordly halls sit my second and my third.
Strange paradox, though for my first my total is designed,
Sad marks of vice and ignorance we in that whole may find.
is solved by _Reformatory_.
8
Untouched I tell of budding growth and life;
Beheaded I lead upward more or less;
Again--with varied fragrance I am rife;
Again--but little value I express.
is solved by _Nascent_, _ascent_, _scent_, _cent_.
9
The enigma--
Search Holy Writ and you will see
A victory was won by me.
Behead me, and I may be found
In water or on hilly ground.
Behead again, and then transpose,
A snare my letters now disclose.
If yet again my head you sever,
No matter how sharp-set or clever,
’Tis all in vain you look about,
For no one yet has found me out.
is solved by _Sling_, _ling_, _gin_, _in_.
10
The charade--
Said a lawyer aside to his friend in the court,
“Now I’d bet, were we not in this place,
That my first is my second a bottle of port,”
Then bright with my whole shone his face.
is solved by _Pleasure_.
11
The answer to the problem--
Six horse ’buses and four motor ’buses travel each hour from Temple
Bar to the Bank. The horses take 15 minutes, and the motors 10 minutes
on the journey.
If I come to Temple Bar, and wish to reach the Bank as soon as
possible, shall I take the first horse ’bus that turns up, or wait for
a motor? It must be assumed that I can only see a ’bus as it actually
passes me--
is (1) Take a motor if it comes first.
(2) Take a horse ’bus if it comes first, and comes within 2¹⁄₂ minutes
of waiting.
(3) Wait for a motor if a horse ’bus comes first, but does not come
till after 2¹⁄₂ minutes.
As I may have to wait 0 minutes or 15 minutes, the average time of
waiting will be 7¹⁄₂ minutes.
If I wait _x_ min., and a horse ’bus arrives, I should reach the Bank in
15 mins, if I took it.
If I waited longer for a motor, which, on the average, will now turn up
in 7¹⁄₂ - _x_ mins., I should reach the Bank in 17¹⁄₂ - _x_ mins.
If, therefore, _x_ is greater than 2¹⁄₂, the motor is the quicker.
12
The historical charade--
My first, if foolishly or rashly taken,
May mar the future prospects of your life.
My second, by her fickle lord forsaken
(Sad type of many a gentle, patient wife).
May toil and moil to feed his many babies,
While he goes flirting off with other ladies.
The thrifty monarch of a former age
My whole a place in Britain’s history fills.
Immortalised in Shakespeare’s magic pages
As one who’d fain reform his tailor’s bills!
is solved by _Stephen_ (Step-hen).
13
My _second_, worn with pompous pride,
My _first_ had dangling at his side,
On chain securely hooked.
My _first_ he came from o’er the sea,
A bundle of conceit looked he,
And he was all he looked.
She led him to the village green,
Where in desponding mood was seen
My _whole_, with drooping head.
“Behold,” she said, “a perfect, true
And striking likeness, sir, of you!”
And, laughing, gaily fled.
is solved by _Donkey_.
14
Lewis Carroll turns WHEAT into BREAD, changing one letter each time, and
preserving their general order throughout, thus--
WHEAT; cheat; cheap; cheep; creep; creed;
breed; BREAD.
15
_Unity_ is a probable solution of the old enigma, part of which
evidently refers to “a house divided against itself”--
I’m one among a numerous host,
And very useful in my post;
There’s not a house in all the land
Without me properly can stand.
Though men disputed long ago
Whether I did exist or no,
Once more some thousands have been slain
Because they could not me attain.
16
The anagram proverbs, “These grave lips chatter no ill,” and “Elephants,
all to richest giver,” are both founded on _Little pitchers have long
ears_, and spelt with exactly the same letters.
17
The charade--
My first of rudeness has a sound;
The rest is in a city found;
My whole to win its way is bound.
is solved by _Pertinacity_.
18
The buried potentate in the lines--
My first is in cake, but not in bun;
My second in light, but not in sun;
My third is in night, but not in day;
My fourth is in game, but not in play;
My fifth is in head, but not in tail;
My sixth is in wind, but not in sail;
My seventh in wrong, but not in right;
My eighth is in battle, but not in fight;
My ninth is in sword, but not in knife,
My tenth is in lady, but not in wife;
My whole is a monarch at war with strife.
is _King Edward_.
19
The charade--
My first except when it is old
Is never seen or heard;
When it is heard the sound is tolled
Out of a Jewish beard.
My next was in imperial Rome,
It was her power and might;
Then you had but to write _you wish_,
And straightway ’twas in sight.
My whole was Frank
Of royal rank.
is solved by _Clovis_ (_vis_ in Latin is both _power_ and _you wish_).
20
How great in olden days my power,
Oft have I saved a castle tower
From war’s invading tide.
Transpose me, and how great my fall!
I am then the smallest of the small,
That nothing can divide.
is solved by _Moat_--_atom_.
21
The puzzle--
This compact Enigma take,
All apart its letters shake.
Let your 6, 3, 5 be high,
Like 5, 1, 2 do or die.
Who 4, 6, 5, 1 enjoys
More than 5, 6, 2 by boys?
While 5, 3, 2, 1 are mine,
May 4, 6, 3, 2 be thine.
4, 1, 5 is rich and rare,
6, 5, 1, 2 ends my prayer.
is solved by the word Enigma, from which are formed, as is indicated,
the words _aim_, _men_, _game_, _man_, _mine_, _gain_, _gem_, and
_amen_.
22
The enigma--
“Charles the First walked and talked,
Half an hour after his head was cut off.”
_Old Couplet_.
Cut off my head, I’m every inch a King,
A warrior formed to deal a heavy blow.
Halve what remains, my second is a thing
Which nothing but my third can e’er make go,
My third will vary as you take your line,
This less than human, that way all divine!
is solved by _Dog_ (Og, go, dog, God).
23
The logograph--
Touch me not, I’m firm and sure;
Behead, I’m used by rich and poor;
In house and cottage, hut and hall,
I stand of service to them all.
Behead again, in time of need
I tell that strength and skill succeed.
is solved by _Stable_, _table_, _able_.
24
The names that satisfy the conditions of this Single Acrostic--
What river is that, where it is found,
Which Pope says does with eels abound?
What Scottish lake, by high hills bounded,
Is with bright birch and oak surrounded?
What stream is said in Devon to run
Into the sea near Otterton?
What bay on Cuba’s distant coast
Is justly deemed its pride and boast?
The initials of these names will show
A Scotch reformer, who, we know,
Flourished three hundred years ago.
are _Kennet_, _Ness_, _Otter_, _Xagua_, which give _Knox_.
25
The charade--
My whole may be a mother, not a dad,
So former may, or latter;
But twist my tail, and I become as mad
As any hatter!
Behead me, and behold I am a man,
Who never was called mister;
Cut off my tail, and instantly I can
Become a sister!
is solved by _Madam_ (_ma_, _dam_, _mad_, _Adam_, _Ada_).
26
In addition to the singularly appropriate anagram that has been so
happily attached to the name of Florence Nightingale, _Flit on, cheering
angel_, the same group of letters can be recast as an aspiration for her
continuance in our loving memory, so that they form the sentence, _Cling
on, feeling heart_.
27
The rebus--
I am
a man
I rate you
a beast
You know me
reads thus:--I rate you lower than a man, above a beast. Know between
you and me I am above the rest.
28
The charade--
My first, thou knowest, was in ancient Rome,
Rome’s fate my next, and one that all may dread.
Long may it be before that fate shall come
And sever with my whole thy life’s last thread!
is solved by _Scissors_ (Lat. _scis_, thou knowest; _sors_, a lot).
29
The poets’ names buried in the lines--
The sun is darting rays of gold
Upon the moor, enchanting spot;
Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,
Up open to his shepherd cot.
And sundry denizens of air
Are flying--aye, each to his nest;
And eager make at such an hour
All haste to reach the mansions blest.
are Gray, Moore, Byron, Pope, Dryden, Gay, Keats and Hemans.
30
The enigma--
This multiplies me, I declare,
Though it reduces one;
A sty is foul if it is there,
By it a deed is done.
is solved by the letter _n_ (_me_ becomes _men_; _one_, _none_; _a sty_,
_nasty_.)
31
Lennie _parsed_ the words he read,
Studying _Praed’s_ fable;
Lennie’s mother _rasped_ the bread,
Sophy _drapes_ the table.
“Work while you are _spared_,” they said,
“_Spread_ while you are able!”
The words in italics have the same letters.
32
The charade--
When I write with my first, in my second,
My whole is quite sure to be in.
Divided afresh, there is reckoned
A wit, or a something that’s thin.
Prefix a letter, and, as clear as paint,
You see the name of an old English Saint,
is solved by _Within_ (Swithin).
33
The puzzle lines--
My first, though half a noisy bird,
To a slight noise may turn;
My second-twist, a stately word,
And it will bend we learn.
are solved by _Pardon_ (rap-nod).
34
The enigma--
To half of ten add one
Then half a score.
When this is duly done
Almost ten more.
This can be good for none,
But trial sore.
is solved by _Vixen_.
35
The buried proverb--
I fancy this Tory outcry, this weary outrageous attempt to show
illegality, is as a cat chasing snow-flakes. I must be forgiven if I
shun his example--is--
_If you swear you will catch no fish_.
36
Quick _veerers_ in action, now timid, now bold,
Like _reevers_ of ropes far too rotten to hold,
_Reserve_ a _severer reverse_ and disasters
For a State that _reveres_ not incapable masters.
The six words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
37
My first is an heir,
My second a snare,
My whole is the offspring of fancy,
Which I sent on its way
Last Valentine’s Day,
As a token of love to my Nancy.
is solved by _Sonnet_.
38
The lover’s vow--
My love shall never know my first,
Shall never be my second;
It shall my all, come best, come worst,
Be surely reckoned.
is solved by _Endless_.
39
The enigma--
I am a letter, and a word,
I am a tree, I am a name,
Cut me in pieces with a sword,
You and your act would be the same.
Thrice you must leave the aspirate in doubt,
And use it twice if you would find me out.
is solved by U, You, Hugh, Yew, How.
40
If you “resist disasters,” this may, by anagram, _distress a sister_.
41
The charade--
My first the rainbow shows
When in rich hues it glows.
My next has vowels three;
My third was once a tree.
My fourth begins the year,
My whole the past makes clear.
is solved by _Archæology_.
42
If you ask a schoolboy to estimate the value of the grass in a
triangular field, of which the longest side measures 100 rods, and each
of the other sides 50 rods, at £1 per acre, it may take him some little
time to see that he is being sold, since the condition is not fulfilled
that any two sides of a triangle _must be greater than the third side_.
43
Less than my last, my whole has place
Between my first and second:
Second has body, arms and face;
First is by inches reckoned.
is solved by _waistcoat_.
44
The historical charade--
My first at early morn the camp alarms,
And at its sound the soldier springs to arms;
My second nowadays fair ladies scorn,
Though in less dainty days it oft was worn.
My whole, a battle fought on Scottish ground,
With victory the rebel forces crowned.
is solved by the battle of _Drumclog_.
45
I love strolling _troupes_ that go wandering round,
Each _spouter_ a _Proteus_ in versatile skill;
Each _posture_ so quaint, each idea so profound,
My barn’s at their service, whenever they will.
A company played there last night, but to-day
Ducks, _pouters_, and poultry have vanished away!
The five words in italics are spelt with the same seven letters.
46
The Arithmorem “150 hat robe or tent” forms the name Charlotte Bronte.
47
The Shedding Letters enigma--
I’m a worker most active, most useful, most known,
Of all that are busy in country and town.
Take from me one letter, and yet my good name
In spite of this loss will continue the same.
Take from me two letters, and still you will see
That precisely the same in effect I shall be.
Take from me three letters, or even take more,
Yet still I continue as sound as before.
is solved by _The Postman_!
48
When Tom Larkins challenged his sisters to prove on a blackboard that if
50 is subtracted from the sum of the nine digits the result equals the
number obtained by dividing their sum by 3, he showed them that the sum
of the digits may be written thus: XLV, and that if the L, which
represents 50, is removed, XV, or 15, the third of 45, remains.
49
In the “Geese to Market” problem--
B drove a goodly flock of geese,
And met with Farmer A;
Said Farmer A, “How much apiece
For this lot did you pay?”
Said B, “I paid for all I drive
Just six pounds and a crown,
And I am selling all but five
At the next market town.
If fifteen pence a head I charge
Beyond the price I paid,
I shall secure a sum as large
As he who sold all made.”
B bought 25 geese at 5s. each, and proposed to sell 20 of them at 6s.
3d.
50
The charade--
When second held first
For best or for worst,
I thought myself happy to win her.
But what could I say
When the very next day
She gave me the whole for my dinner?
is solved by _Herring_.
51
In the lines--
The bees’ blithe vernal love-songs softly hum,
Blending so sweetly with the restful air;
The noiseless, deep-laced twilight shadows come,
And well I ken the lass who meets me there--
the familiar adage, “Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home”
is buried.
52
The mutilations in--
A little beast without its head
Becomes a mighty beast instead:
But then the subject of my riddle
Is cut asunder in the middle;
And nothing this division gains,
Though unknown quantity remains.
are _Fox_, _ox_, _o_, _x_.
53
Mary sat with _slate_ in hand,
Writing _tales_ dramatic.
Did she _steal_ the plots she planned?
Negative emphatic!
_Stale_ to us the _tales_ may be,
But at _least_ they’re new to she!
54
The old Sanscrit problem, quoted by Longfellow in his “Kavanagh,”
Ten times the square root of a flock of geese, seeing the clouds
collect, flew to the Manus lake. One-eighth of the whole flew from the
edge of the water among a tangle of water lilies, and three couple
were seen playing in the water. Tell me, my young girl with beautiful
locks, what was the whole number of geese?
is solved by 144.
55
The enigma--
Six hundred and sixty so ordered may be
That if you divide the whole number by three
You find the result will exactly express
The half of six hundred and sixty, no less--
is solved by turning the sixes of 660 upside down, when it becomes 990,
and satisfies the conditions.
56
The press parody ran thus--
There was a young turkey, oh, bless her!
It cost very little to dress her;
Some breadcrumbs and thyme
About Thanksgiving time,
And they ate every bit from the dresser!
57
She loses her head when she joins the brides,
He joins them after tea;
But both are swept by ruthless tides
Away on the western sea.
is solved by _Hebrides_.
58
If I have 91 bananas on my barrow, and find, when I have sold one
quality at four a penny, and the other at three a penny, that in mixed
lots at seven for twopence I should have made a penny more, I had 64 of
inferior and 27 of better sort.
59
The words in italics have the same letters--
How does the sluggard’s garden grow?
When _rates_ are high, results are low.
His borders _tares_ and bindweed spoil,
No careful culture _tears_ the soil;
What weeds that _stare_ are all alive
Where _aster_, pink, or rose should thrive.
60
Correctly drawn results I yield,
Varied, but welcome everywhere;
But met with in the open field
I’m banned if frequent, blest if rare.
To this peculiar difference the clue
Is called with much significance the cue.
is solved by _Cheque_, _check_ (the letter Q).
61
The three towns buried in the lines--
Wait while I think the matter over,
On holiday intent;
The best I’ve seen is surely Dover,
That pretty port of Kent.
are _Leith_, _Thebes_, _St Ives_.
62
An Arab came to the river side,
With a donkey bearing an obelisk;
But he did not venture to ford the tide,
For he had to good an ass to risk (_asterisk_).
So he camped all night by that river side,
Secure till the tide had ceased to swell,
For he knew that whenever the donkey died,
No other could be its _parallel_ (‖).
63
The charade--
What ho, my jolly _second!_ never say my _first_
While my final you can find in Amsterdam.
Think how a sound _whole_ stays your hunger and your thirst,
Deftly readjusting bread and meat and jam.
is solved by _Dietary_ (Amsterdam is on the River Y).
64
The schoolboy who calculated that if he had made as many more runs at a
cricket match, and half as many more, and two runs and a half, he would
have made a score, scored seven runs.
65
The enigma--
Six letters spell the happy state
Of two in love made one.
The same six letters tell the fate
Of marriage ties undone.
is solved by _United_, _untied_.
66
The riddle--
My first’s a bond, my second’s weigh;
These own the rest of all my lay;
Busy my third; fourth like the pole,
Whose opposite my fifth makes goal.
is solved by _Shackle_, _Tons_, _Ant_, _Arctic Expedition_.
[Lieutenant Ernest H. Shackleton, R.N., leader of his South Polar
Expedition.]
67
For two months at the _nets_ we played,
Ere we were _sent_ to Lord’s;
Alas! the score our champion made
Was what a _nest_ affords.
The crowd in _tens_ of thousands came,
But took scant notice of the game.
The words in italics have the same letters.
68
When Edwin and Angelina received these mutual Marconigrams--
“No fickle girl is bonnie to my mind.”
“In love inconstant I no pleasure find,”
he was at Lisbon and she was at Constantinople, as is indicated by the
fact that the names of these places are “buried” in the messages.
69
The Mental Arithmetic--
Set down three figures in a line,
Then multiply by four;
This, if you use the proper sign,
Makes five, and nothing more.
is solved by 1.25. In 1¹⁄₄ the figures are not _in a line_.
70
The doublet by missing words, in which a grilse is turned into a salmon,
is solved thus--
To silver Tweed, or broader Spey,
The _grilse_ of _silver_, _sailer_ gay,
Guides on; the _sailor morals_ draws
When _salmon_ follows Nature’s laws.
One letter is changed in each link.
71
The enigma--
I never move, and yet I run
From place to place all day;
Some loving swain, hot foot for fun,
Sees Dora in my way--
is solved by _Road_, which spells also _Dora_.
72
The Letters--
~HAATTCEUMSSSS~
form the name of the State _Massachusetts_.
73
The enigma--
Seven words in one of letters five we fix,
Six English, and one Latin;
No need to twist them, or afresh to mix,
If puzzles you are pat in.
is solved by _There_: the words are--_there_, _here_, _her_, _the_,
_ere_, _he_, _re_.
74
The full solution of the answer by anagram to the question, “Why is
every angler ipso facto an Ananias?” is--
A liar, he spins gay fancies to a woven yarn.
Question and answer are spelt with _the same letters_.
75
The quaint riddle--
Peter White
Will never go right;
Shall I tell you the reason why?
Wherever he goes,
He follows his nose,
And that stands all awry!
If this appendage had slanted more.
Why would it serve a hole to bore?
is solved thus--It would be _Askewer_ (a skewer!)
76
“S” is the missing letter which occurs 55 times, and these are the four
lines:--
This season’s sunshine smiles, such storms as pass
Assist us to assess success or loss.
Spring’s sweetness still possesses mossy grass,
As summer’s tresses mass soft shades across.
77
The enigma--
Protected, open, plain,
Without my tail I’m flat;
I’m round, curtailed again;
Again, you have me pat!
is solved by _Patent_, _paten_, _pate_, _pat_.
78
The logogriph--
When all are gay this holds the sway,
But take a letter out,
That change of fare is ruling there,
You see, without a doubt.
Behead me twice; it is not nice
To have this in your skin;
Lop head and tail, and find a nail
Or tack to drive it in.
Behead this right, and in your sight
A little word you find;
But you will never make it out,
Though it is in your mind.
is solved by _feasting_, _fasting_, _sting_, _tin_, _in_.
79
He _prides_ himself much on his skill,
In many a burglary tried;
But when he _prised_ open the till
There was only a _spider_ inside.
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
80
The enigma--
Three-fourths of me an act display,
Three-fourths a bed for man;
Three-fourths have legs that cannot stray,
Three-fourths have legs that can.
I have a back without a spine,
An arm without a bone is mine.
is solved by _Coat_.
81
The charade--
My first is the French for my second,
My whole a narcotic is reckoned
is solved by _Lethe_.
82
The two palindrome words which can be formed from the letters of the
sentence “Arrive to vote at it,” are _Rotator_ and _Evitative_.
83
The enigma--
Sweet till I lose my head,
Sweet-hearted then I show;
Decapitate again, I spread,
And cannot be below.
Served so once more, I am not dead,
But with fresh beauty glow.
is solved by _Clover_, _lover_, _over_, _ver_ (Latin for Spring).
84
When Tommy undertook to put a shilling in his money-box if his father
would give him as much as he had in his purse, and after repeating the
process for three more days found himself penniless, he had elevenpence
farthing in his purse at first.
85
Two articles of English make,
And three from foreign source.
All these together you must take
Where dramas run their course.
is solved by _Theatres_ (_tres_, Latin for _three_).
86
When young Hopeful said, “If it were possible I should choose a life
double as long,” and old Sobersides answered, “Yes, and you might turn
it to better account if it was also begun old,” and the fact that their
actual words “double as long,” and “also begun old,” were spelt with
_exactly the same letters_, gave emphasis to the reply.
87
The charade--
Lop head and tail, and you will find
I have both tail and head.
Or if for spirits you’ve a mind
Set my tail first instead.
Life, as “a vapour full of woes,”
With many a darker page,
My whole in picture will disclose,
For “all the world’s a stage!”
is solved by _Drama_, _ram_, _a dram_.
88
A glowing _transept_ window, graced
With _patterns_ that true art has traced.
The words in italics have the same letters.
89
The proof by anagram that the words of commendation “blessed in pain,”
are properly applied to anæsthetics, is that exactly the same letters
spell _indispensable_.
90
The quotation buried in the sentence--
“What sin was it, sonny?” said an American negress to her lover, when
she sat on his best hat, which was flattened. Wearily he heard her
musical laugh, and arose to go. His hobby was botany, but not hers,
for she was then a merry girl. “Bother the flowers! I would prefer
this mellow pineapple, Leonidas,” she said; “I guess we Ethiopians
just love fruit!”
is “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would
smell as sweet.”
91
They _grab_ the dress with grip so keen
That half the _garb_ gives way:
And home return with purses lean
To _brag_ of “bargain-day”!
The words in italics are spelt with the same four letters.
92
Three _ladies_ went sailing out into the West,
Out into the West as the sun sank low;
Each thought as she _sailed_ of the lad she loved best
For they all had _ideals_, and each had a beau.
· · · · · · ·
But seas will rise, and spirits will sink,
And they all were too ill of _ideals_ to think,
So these _ladies sailed_ back moaning!
The words in italics have the same six letters.
93
The charade--
Lurking in riddles oft my first is found;
My second should in ample stores abound,
Or help to make the sweetest songster heard.
Peculiar, and quite proper, is my third.
My whole has found with England’s monarch grace,
The verdant home of many a goodly race,
is solved by _Punchestown_.
94
The enigma--
Accent my head,
An opening I appear;
In other fashion said
I charm all far and near--
is solved by _Entrance_.
95
The two sentences--
A lamp shines out for thee,
Win me best by tears,
are anagrams of _The Houses of Parliament_ and _Westminster Abbey_.
96
When on the Brighton beach an excited collie in pursuit of stones thrown
into the sea, suggested the riddle, “What is the difference between that
dog and a hungry man?” The appropriate answer was, “The one stops and
shakes himself; the other chops and steaks himself!”
97
The hidden animal in--
A part of me in rain,
A part in hail must be,
A part belongs to pain,
A part in bones we see,
A part in gleaming gold,
A part in common copper.
A part in peace behold,
A part in any topper,
Two parts are heard in sound,
And in our finals found.
is _Rhinoceros_.
98
The smart enigma--
Men commonly say I am clever,
Book-learning I never could boast;
Yet I turn the leaves inside the cover,
And when I am found I am lost.
is solved by _A Fox_.
99
_A sot_ is like a _toast_, or what is most
Comparative, a _toast_ is like _a sot_;
For when their substances in liquor sink
Both properly are said to be in drink.
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters, the _t_ being
repeated in _toast_.
100
The pied proverb is “Fine words butter no parsnips.”
101
The puzzle verse--
A wordy warfare waged with wit,
In youth its joys none need descry;
But where our elders take to it
Its name points loss of dignity,
is solved by _Badinage_ (bad in age).
102
The hero’s name, hidden in--
My first’s in garb, but not in dress;
My next’s in praise, but not in bliss;
My third’s in man, but not in miss;
My fourth’s in we.
My fifth’s in boar, but not in hog;
My sixth’s in cat, but not in dog;
My next’s in calm, but not in fog;
My eighth’s in we.
My ninth’s in rope, but not in twine;
My tenth’s in light, but not in shine;
My next’s in four, but not in nine;
My twelfth’s in we.
is _General Wolfe_.
103
Here is the sentence given with its appropriate and perfect anagram--
A defeat whose test is very sure.
_Sweet are the uses of adversity._
104
The phonetic missing words are given in italics:--
’Tis _plain_ that no one takes a _plane_
To _pare_ a _pair_ of _pears_;
A _rake_ may often take a _rake_
To _tear_ away the _tares_.
105
The queer obstacle--
I’m in everyone’s way,
Yet no one I stop.
My four horns each day
Horizontally play,
And my head is nailed on at the top.
is _A turnstile_.
106
The old enigma--
Take five from five, and then
Put fifty in the middle;
Twice ten times five times ten
Will finish off my riddle,
And bring it to your ken
As fit as any fiddle!
is solved thus--
When Jacky Barrett, learned Don,
Composed his famous riddle,
His thoughts, perhaps, were resting on
The strings of his old FIDDLE.
107
The phonetic gaps are filled thus--
No _quail_ will _quail_ before the wind,
A _bough_ will _bow_ before it;
We cannot _rein_ the _rain_, or find
That earthly powers _reign_ o’er it.
108
We seem to sound a note of lavish bounty;
Reverse us, and we indicate a county--
is solved by X S--S X.
109
The cryptogram--
~FTHNMLKBRNGSLLCTTN
LLSKMTMXTTLLTSTHN!~
is solved by inserting the letter “I” throughout, when this rhyming
couplet is formed--
If thin milk brings illicit tin,
I’ll skim it, mix it, till it’s thin!
110
The buried proverb in--
Yet I see them all! on golden wings that fly
Old memories steal anew;
With a tear, with a sigh, with an old, old cry
They return in ghostly hue!
is _’Tis a long lane that has no turning_.
111
Lewis Carroll’s doublet, which changes ELM into OAK by seven links,
introducing the name of another tree as one of them, is solved thus by
him--
ELM, ELL, ALL, AIL, AIR, FIR, FAR, OAR, OAK.
A shorter solution is by these six links--_Ely_, _sly_, _say_, _bay_,
_bat_, _oat_; and one of these (_bay_) is also a tree, as was _fir_, so
that the conditions given are fulfilled.
112
My dear Mr Bird,
We are giving a ball;
First second we third,
Pray give us your all.
is solved by _attendance_.
Second, I did my first and last,
Till I became my whole,
And told the tale of my repast,
A sad and greedy soul.
is solved by _satiate_.
113
The charade--
My whole, industrious, wends his way
His daily task to meet;
Behead, transpose a, lo! a sound
Of music soft and sweet;
Behead again, I make my way
With swiftness past belief;
Again, and where the fields are gay
My bounty brings relief.
is solved by _Artisan_, _strain_, _train_, _rain_.
114
The lines by an old Oxbridge don--
“’Tis an absurdity to say
Women should try for a B.A.
To College honours forward looking;
They’d best confine themselves to cooking!”
can be happily met by this retort in the same words, recast by a Girton
girl--
“Women should try for a B.A.,
To College honours forward looking;
’Tis an absurdity to say
They’d best confine themselves to cooking!”
115
The enigma--
Eight letters (start with b)
Three syllables contain;
Take one away, and see
Four syllables remain!
is solved by _Beautify_, _Beatify_.
116
The beasts buried in the lines--
Ireland’s lot heals slowly. Troubles came long ago--at times in
battalions--to attack and harass her. Ambitious democrats now
countermine famous enthusiasts nearly akin to heroes. Anarchy enables
cowards to sow hot terror and all amazement, are--
eland, sloth, camel, goat, bat, lion, stoat, ass, ram, fat, ermine,
mouse, yak, roe, hyena, cow, sow, otter and llama.
117
This is the palindrome verse that reads and rhymes from either end--
Dies slowly fading day, winds mournful sigh,
Brightly stars are waking;
Flies owlet hooting, holding revel high,
Nightly silence breaking.
118
The anagram recast from “The Observatory at Greenwich in England” is
completed thus--
_On landing here begin to watch every star._
119
The enigma--
No man at all am I,
And, if you turn me round,
To hear my warning cry
Not any men are found.
is solved by _Nemo_, _omen_, _o men_.
120
The question--
How can our sailors fare the best
When times are harder?
How do they greet with merry jest
An empty larder?
is solved thus--
FOWL IS FARE.
Wind that blows foul and chops about,
With lighter puffs,
And finds the thirsty sailor stout,
Brings food enough!
121
The enigma--
I lose my head when I am here,
Transpose me I am three;
Look in a book, you find me there,
And with me her and he--
is solved by _There_.
122
Jack did _declaim_ that he could square
The circle to a _decimal_;
His friends _claimed_ that a brain so rare
Required attention _medical_.
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
123
A Mr Harwood had two daughters by his first wife, the elder of these was
married to John Coshick. This Coshick had a daughter by his first wife,
whom old Harwood married. Thus Harwood’s daughter could say--
My father is my son,
And I’m my mother’s mother;
My daughter and sister are one,
I’m grandam to my brother!
124
The charade--
Catch my first with nimble wit,
Add a simple word;
Then my whole may help a bit
Opportunely heard.
is solved by _Catchword_.
125
The paradox--
My mate and I from home did start,
Some little space we were apart.
When we had run a mile or more
We kept our distance, as before;
Shade of Colenso! could this be,
When twice as fast as I ran he?
is solved by the fact that the lines apply to the large and small wheels
of a bicycle.
126
The enigma from Lewis Carroll’s Papers--
A monument all men agree
Am I in all sincerity,
Half cat, half hindrance made.
If head and tail removed should be,
Then most of all you strengthen me.
Replace my head, the stand you see
On which my tail is laid.
is solved by _Tablet_.
127
The charade--
I’m known to the poorest and worst,
And my worth by a child may be reckoned;
The least thing in nature is double my first,
And my whole is just half of my second.
is solved by _Halfpenny_.
128
My first without its head and tail
Is one and undivided;
My second shows its teeth, is frail,
And as a rule one-sided.
The two to hold my first avail,
By busy toil provided.
is solved by _Honeycomb_.
129
The towns buried in the sentences--
His sister played the piano while we sang.
I saw Nell out here last evening.
The general rode a large black mare.
I have ordered a cab at half-past one.
Meet me in the lane at half-past nine.
are _Lewes_, _Louth_, _Deal_, _Bath_ and _Neath_.
130
The anagram on “The leaning tower of Pisa, in Tuscany, Italy,” is
completed thus--
A funny spot in a sweet city; _I o’erhang it all_.
131
When they found that catacomb
Near the _Capitol_ at Rome
’Twas the _topical_ discussion of the season;
But the _optical_ effect
Of the skeletons select
Deprived the poor Professor of his reason!
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
132
The charade--
My first is pretence,
My second a dandy;
When fogs are most dense
My whole will be handy.
is solved by _Flambeau_.
133
If we adopt the old spelling of the final word, we can prove by anagram
that Bacon had no hand at anyrate in Shakespeare’s play “Much Ado About
Nothinge,” for the same letters exactly spell “_Bacon? O, naught due to
him!_”
134
Use all your wits to guess my all,
Can any guess it right?
Transposed, and never seen at all,
It still is felt in sight.
Behead, transpose, then let it be,
And you at last a clue may see.
is solved by _Left_, _felt_, _let_.
135
“Insanitary” and “sanitary reform” are very happily recast by anagram
thus--_In nasty air; Former air nasty_.
136
The charade--
Let my second cut my first
When I come to table;
Though I cannot quench your thirst
Eat me--you are able.
is solved by _Cutlet_.
137
These are the completed lines--
What mars a land so sadly as a war?
What days as dark as days that wars alarm?
Alas! ask any, ask at hand, afar,
All shall call war a harass and a harm.
Why call, as ballads talk, that ghastly art
All gallant acts--a grand and manly part?
It will be seen that “a” was the only missing letter.
138
The charade--
To me when whole, for I am sweet,
The moon fresh brightness brings;
Cut off my tail, I’m blunt, but meet
To sharpen other things.
Behead me twice, and I have led
Soldiers to face the foe;
Headless and tailless, one remains
Though all the rest may go.
is solved by Honey (honey-moon; hone; Ney; one).
139
The enigma--
We start when the ninth hour is past,
Then there’s an end of you.
A vengeful goddess shows at last
What Antifat will do.
is solved by _Attenuate_:--at ten, u, Ate, goddess of Revenge.
140
The charade--
When on charades intent I take my pen,
To seek some hidden goal,
Over my first my second comes, and then
Quite overcomes my whole.
is solved by _Overcomes_.
141
The cryptogram which was sent as a reliable tip before a race in which
Petronel was to run--
Tell me, Ben, who tore it.
Seek a plant for it, see Bob.
is deciphered thus--
Take every third letter, and you arrive at Lenortepnoteb. Read this
backwards, and you have the tip, “Bet on Petronel!”
142
The enigma--
I have no form, I have no friend,
From me all come, in me all end.
And it is strange but very true
That I am here and nowhere too--
is solved by _Nothing_.
143
The broken sentence--
A sed end ought eat ease ain.
is thus filled in to describe a curse and to proclaim its cure--
A cursed fiend brought death, disease and pain;
A blessed friend brought breath and ease again.
144
The charade--
My first is a cover,
My second a city;
The whole you discover
With this if you’re witty.
is solved by _Capacity_.
145
The four rivers buried in the sentence--
The deaf and dumb girl began gesticulating with a message, and her
delivery was ever neat, with graceful pose in every attitude.
are _Ganges_, _Thames_, _Severn_ and _Seine_.
146
If the “shingle” on the Brighton beach could speak, it might boast by
anagram, “I am _English_!”
147
The enigma--
She is as deaf as any post,
Incurable I fear;
She is my guest, I am her host,
How can I make her hear?
is solved by adding an a to _her_, which becomes _hear_.
148
The missing words in the “Plaint of the Rejected” are--_The R.A._,
_hater_, _heart_, _earth_, _Herat_.
149
The man who could attach a phonetic meaning to the words “Beta in Greek
means letter B,” could in another fashion invite others to beat his wife
by merely calling them and saying, “_Hither!_” (hit her).
150
The rebus--
storm? an umbrella with all
a th me who alls mud
is solved thus--Who follows me under an umbrella, with overalls all over
mud, after a thunderstorm?
151
This is the completed palindrome:--
Nor I nor Emma had level’d a hammer on iron.
It reads alike from either end.
152
The tutor came to the conclusion that there is nothing in Ecclesiastical
Law to prevent the Pope from burying the Archbishop of Canterbury, but
the undergraduate who had proposed the question demurred to this reply;
pressed for his reason he said, as his face broke into a smile, “He
cannot do so, because _the Archbishop is not dead_!”
153
The proverb buried in the sentence, “While there are very many as kind
as this, they know no task unkind,” is, “_Let every man skin his own
skunk_.”
154
Kate gathers me where children three,
Tom, Jane, and Mary, chatter;
He leads the way and then we see
The other two come at her!
is solved by _Heather_ (he, at her).
155
The quotation from Shakespeare buried in--
Strange weather! What could equal it? Yesterday sunshine and soft
breezes, to-day a summer cyclone raging noisily; then other changes,
as floods of fiercest rain eddy beneath the blast.
is “The quality of mercy is not strained.”
156
The beetroot palindrome, which reads alike from either end is--
RED ROOT PUT UP TO ORDER
157
My _first_ we all do when we fail;
My _next_ is heard in rain or hail;
My _fourth_ a sheep of gender male;
My _third_ is one without its tail;
My _whole_ for foreign countries sail.
is solved by _Missionaries_.
158
The words written on the walls of a Western college gained their
ambiguous sense from the three final words, printed in italics--“Young
women should set a good example, for young men _will follow them_!”
159
The enigma--
I’m but a little letter, still
I have my duties to fulfil;
If off you take
My tail, and make
An alteration in my lot,
Though I seem shorter I am not.
is solved by _Note_.
160
This is the full text--
Says Tom to Bill, “Pray tell me, sir,
Why is it that the devil,
In spite of all his naughty ways
Can never be uncivil?”
Says Bill to Tom, “The answer’s plain
To any mind that’s bright;
Because the _imp o’ darkness_, sir,
Cannot be _imp o’ light_!”
161
Beneath the _limes_ which shade the lawn
Her bicycle she mounted;
And with a _smile_, ere she had gone
An hour, ten _miles_ she counted.
It rained, it snowed, but nought could stop her,
Till in the _slime_, she came a cropper!
The words in italics have the same letters.
162
The date of the new organ given by the English is concealed in the lines
of this inscription above its keyboard at Ober Ammergau--
QVI CHRISTI LAVDES CANTANT
SANCTÆ PASSIONIS SVÆ VIRTVTE
IN IPSO ET PATRE VNVM SINT.
If the Roman numerals that occur in the words are added together, they
amount to 1894, the date of its completion.
163
A woman’s name
Of foreign fame,
Hers was a noble mind.
Now, sir, transpose,
And I suppose
No smaller thing you’ll find.
is solved by _Stael_, _least_.
164
The French charade--
Pour avoir mon _premier_
Femme qui cache mon _dernier_
Manque souvent mon _entier_.
is solved by _Mari-age_.
165
The charade--
Let go! let go! you naughty first,
Or you will make my second;
A stream of words will then outburst,
Swift as my whole is reckoned.
is solved by _Current_.
166
My first is first when cruisers charge in line,
And oft in frosty skies is seen to shine.
Don’t spare my second if you would suggest
To an impulsive child the way that’s best.
My sporting whole, though now neglected grown,
Travelled by tube before the tube was known.
is solved by _Ramrod_.
167
The enigma--
First of men we lead a measure,
Last we end the same.
Starting merrily, our pleasure
Is to finish lame.
is solved by the letters _me_.
168
When Tom declared that he could give his sister quite a simple sentence
of seven common English words of one syllable, which she could not
produce on her typewriter, he had in his mind, “We can spell (to, too,
two) in three ways,” which cannot, of course, be expressed in seven
written words.
169
The French charade--
Mon premier est un tyran, mon second un horreur,
Mon tout est le diable lui-même.
Mais si mon premier est bon, mon second ne fait rien,
Et mon tout est le bonheur suprême.
is solved by _Mariage_.
170
Sydney Smith’s conclusion as to the value and satisfaction of a City
dinner was completed thus:--“I cannot wholly value a dinner by the _test
you do_!” (Turtle, in Latin, _testudo_).
171
DEAN SWIFT’S ENIGMA--
In youth exalted high in air,
Or bathing in the streamlet fair,
Nature to form me took delight
And clothed my body all in white;
My person tall and slender waist
On either side with fringes graced;
Till me that tyrant Man espied,
And dragg’d me from my mother’s side.
No wonder that I look so thin,
The monster stripp’d me to the skin;
My body flay’d, my hair he cropp’d,
And head and foot both off he lopp’d;
Pick’d all the marrow from my bone.
And then, with heart more hard than stone,
To vex me more, he took a freak
To slit my tongue, and make me speak.
But that which wonderful appears,
I speak to eyes and not to ears.
All languages I now command
Yet not a word I understand.
is solved by _A Goose-quill_.
172
The answer to the riddle propounded by the possessor of a new KEEN KUT
razor to his friend whose chin was disfigured by scars, “What is the
difference between my razor and yours?” is--“Mine cuts thoroughly; yours
also cuts, tho’ roughly!”
173
The decapitated words are in italics--
The ship rode in an _eastern_ bay,
Asleep _astern_ the master lay,
A _stern_ and rugged man was he,
And, like a _tern_, at home at sea.
Like swooping _ern_ he caught his prey
Whene’er an _R.N_. came his way;
But while due _N_. the needle kept
He in his cabin lay and slept.
The ern, or erne, is the sea-eagle.
174
When the tempest roars the loudest
Oft my first a shelter proves.
Say what fair one, though the proudest,
Spurns my next from one she loves?
When the storms of life are past
Earth provides my whole at last.
is solved by _Covering_.
175
One syllable, I help to turn the scale
Of party strife or faction;
Recast me, and two syllables avail
To stop all further action.
is solved by _vote_, _veto_.
176
The lines to an owl are filled in thus--
Oh, on old towers, thou gloomy owl,
Thou lovest to hoot, thou lovest to howl.
Or on old oaks your hollow tone
So lost, so solemn, sounds alone,
So mournful no one loves to go
Or of your hooting howls to know.
The vowel “o” occurs forty-six times in the six lines.
177
In the Army anagram--
I’m free to-day, the _old sire_ said,
_O no cell_ now have I to dread;
For this one happy day to me
_Are glen_ and hill and forest free,
I, if I will, can ride, or fish,
_A pit can_ enter, if I wish,
In search of chalk or sand.
In peace alone I now can dine,
And sing to Anna’s _lute at nine_,
Nor fear a reprimand.
the words in italics spell also _soldier_, _colonel_, _general_,
_captain_, and _lieutenant_.
178
My first transposed becomes a name
Which may quite mean be reckoned,
Two syllables combine the same,
With one or two for second.
My whole when fields are fresh and green,
And softly blows the wind,
Where the first signs of spring are seen
Within the woods we find.
is solved by _Anemone_, the _wind_ flower (name, mean, anem, one, o,
ne).
179
The anagram enigma--
Silent long is the wood-bird’s song,
Bare is the woodland bough;
For waving trees in wintry breeze
Have “no buds now.”
is solved by _snowbound_, which contains exactly the same letters as “no
buds now.”
180
The question of time--
A farmer with children sixteen
Killed the fattest young lamb of his flock.
To divide it these children between,
What must be the time by the clock?
is solved by _a quarter to four_.
181
The Donkey drive--
To the far end of any train
Hitch on a pair of neddies;
Then you will hear, like steps of Cain,
The threat that in their tread is.
is solved by _Ass-ass-in_.
182
The “Eating by Alphabet” enigma--
Take all the alphabet, and cast
Its final letter out;
Then set the first where was the last,
And this you bring about:
Without a cook, without a fire,
A dainty dish which men desire.
is solved by A past Y (a pasty).
183
The charade--
My second with my first we greet;
My whole in earlier days
Gave understanding to the feet
That moved in tragic plays.
is solved by _Buskin_.
184
The sentence--
Behest on thy lips, Society;
forms an Anagram of the proverb
“Honesty is the best policy.”
185
This sentence, fashioned by eight schoolboys as anagrams on their
Christian names, arranged in order--
“I thy Tom am sober and lie or live in dew, but her brain sinned”--
reveals, when deciphered, the names Timothy, Ambrose, Daniel, Oliver,
Edwin, Hubert, Brian and Dennis.
186
The enigma--
In any coward’s company you find
That I have place.
Cut off my head, and from your mind
All wrong erase.
is solved by _Fright_.
187
The double acrostic--
From “Punch,” 1875.
My first, elect among the few,
Chooses my second to expose his view.
1. Of various colours, changed at will,
I sit or stand for good or ill.
2. I rule alone from noon till night,
And when I am not am is right.
is solved
M. P.
P. M.
188
A man in a rage should go to a “shooting gallery,” because by its
Anagram it is _largely soothing_.
189
The beatitude--
Let her be or beat her,
Give her little ease;
Then in safety seat her
All among the bees,
is solved by _A Queen Bee_. The _Bee_ is made up of the _letter b_ (let
her be), in Greek called Beta (beat her), and two little _e_’s (ease).
190
The puzzle-lines--
“We,” cried my first and second,
“Are not quite satisfied.”
“The story may be reckoned
Imperfect,” fourth replied.
Said third, “The fact indeed I tell,”
And so at last all ended well.
are cleared up by _Satisfactory_.
191
The English proverb which is concealed under its anagram--
“I dare not admit faint women,”
is _Time and tide wait for no man_.
192
The charade--
My first and second are as best they should be,
My third in Latin mouth is what it would be,
My whole would soon be ashes if it could be.
is solved by _Asbestos_ (_os_ is Latin for _mouth_).
193
Since Spooks, a _subtle_ man is he,
_Sublet_ this haunted house to me,
In _bluest_ funk I _bustle_ round,
And fear a ghost in every sound.
The four words in italics have the same letters.
194
That which is found in the centre of Australia and of America, and in no
other place, is the letter “r” (no othe_r_ place).
195
Grandfather’s riddle, “Do you know why is the fourth of July?” is solved
by the fact that the fourth letter of that word is y!
196
My _first_ is never far away,
My _next_ in Latin found;
My _third_ may rage by night or day;
_All_ make melodious sound.
is solved by _Nightingale_.
197
Through the _forest_ trees
Softly coo the doves;
Let a _softer_ breeze
_Foster_ youthful loves!
The words in italics have the same letters.
198
The enigma--
At starting half your income take,
Then for my second write;
And let your table help to make
The total cosy quite.
is solved by _Comfortable_.
199
The charade--
My whole is a circle complete,
Beheaded I fall to your feet.
Behead me again and I fry,
Or am baked in a savoury pie.
is solved by _Wheel_, _heel_, _eel_.
200
The anagram sentences are recast thus into single words--
See a pug dog.
_Pedagogues._
Stay, O morn.
_Astronomy._
Fat reward.
_Afterward._
Red paper.
_Prepared._
Set on a dish.
_Astonished._
201
The enigma--
If my whole by my second and first you divide,
One more than ten thousand it gives.
In the land of my birth I have dwindled and died,
In museums my memory lives.
is solved by _Do-do_.
202
The paradox--
Though never present, I appear,
Of perfect form a token;
And all that centres round my ear
Is heard, though never spoken.
is solved by the word _heard_.
203
The enigma--
Behead me twice, and it shall be
That I my perfect self regain;
Restore both heads, and you shall see
That most imperfect I remain.
is solved by _Incomplete_.
204
Grant lady, grant your _slave_ his whim,
And give the coming _valse_ to him,
For this will _salve_ his jealous heart,
Stricken so sore by Cupid’s dart.
If not, he _laves_ his hands of you,
To seek fresh _vales_ and pastures new.
The words in italics have the same letters.
205
“Yes, yes, I know,” said Jack to Jill,
“That thirty-two is freezing point:
And I can tell you, if you will,
Exactly what is squeezing-point!”
is solved by _Two in the shade!_
206
The puzzle--
To fifty add a third of one,
A third to five attach;
You have the means, when this is done,
To kindle any match.
is solved by _Love_.
207
The missing words are in italics--
The untrained _speculator_ in the City
Is robbed by _peculators_ without pity.
208
Read backwards it becomes--
Prosperity and peace; no barns empty; bills long paid; not high rents;
berries bright; no birds hungry; merry Christmas comes.
209
The anagram plants concealed in the sentence--O rise love it lad never
let this lamb chase trains, are: Osier, violet, lavender, thistle, balm,
china asters.
210
The enigma--
My first is quite a sin by name,
My third its simple cure;
My second puts an end to fame,
My whole of ease is sure.
is solved by _Sinecure_.
211
The paradox--
Cut off my head, it is unshaken,
Cut off my tail, you turn it round,
But if both head and tail are taken,
Unconquered still I hold my ground.
is solved by TIT.
212
The charade--
Why should we quarrel, first and third,
With nought between us but a word?
Let third leave second unessayed
To heal the breach these letters made.
If your solution be writ fair
You find my whole disjointed there.
is solved by I.O.U.
213
When Funniboy wrote from Naples to his friend, “Next week I am going ‘to
plant onions, etc.,’” it was an intimation by anagram that he was bound
for Constantinople.
214
In haunted house to sleep I tried,
My dread _first_ was my chum.
“With _second_ of my _first_,” I cried,
“My _whole_ I should become.”
is solved by _Fearless_.
215
The enigma--
My first is possessive and second:
My second possessive and first.
Such banks most attractive are reckoned
By those for rich treasure athirst.
is solved by _Thymy_ (_thy_, _my_).
216
This is the completed palindrome--
REPEL EVIL AS A LIVE LEPER,
which reads alike from either end.
217
When Tom Pickles’s father tried with a lusty puff to blow the small cork
into the bottle, the sudden compression of the air inside, followed by
its expansion, drove the cork in an unexpected direction, so that it
flew out and struck him sharply on the mouth.
218
Acorns are as strong as oaken posts when they _propagate_ (prop-a-gate).
219
The completed palindrome runs thus--
“Put it up but not on tub, put it up but not on tub, put it up,” which
reads alike from either end.
220
The _Kates_ of Shakespeare and of song
Have fair and dainty features;
But she I _stake_ my hopes upon
Excels those lovely creatures.
From _Keats_ she _takes_ her name so dear,
She lives on _steaks_ and honey:
She cannot _skate_, but she can steer,
And Madeline has money.
The words in italics have the same letters.
221
The two long words used recently by a politician which can be recast by
anagram to form the sentence, “Axiomatic intelligence, or dust” are--
TERMINOLOGICAL INEXACTITUDES.
222
My first your bosom friend, or man or maid,
Whom you can trust, secure and unafraid.
My second, sounded double, tells of fate,
Or sounded single puts an end to hate.
My whole a hall’s arched roof, or soft or hard,
That lies beyond the gate with ivory barr’d.
is solved by _Palate_ (Até, goddess of fate).
223
The sentence “Woman without her man would be helpless” takes on a
distinct meaning if the words “without her” are read together, and a
comma is placed after “woman.” Thus--“Woman, _without her_ man would be
helpless.”
224
The short sentences are recast into single words thus--
A moment’s cure.
_Commensurate._
Cod is nice.
_Coincides._
The old rocks.
_Stockholder._
It lures a cat.
_Articulates._
225
The enigma--
Without my head I circulate
With speed and inclination.
Without my bait, at anyrate,
I still have inclination.
Transpose three letters, in unbroken state
I then receive the ashes of the great.
is solved by _Hearth_, _earth_, _heart_ (transpose _eat_ to _ate_).
226
Here is a metrical account of the anagram which, with some exaggeration,
proclaims that Sims Reeves was often prevented from singing by his
delicate throat--
The audience in wrapt impatience sits;
Comes an excuse, and disappointment hisses,
Strange that _Sims Reeves_, whose singing ever _hits_,
By a mere shift of letters _ever misses_!
227
Consuming lust for _lucre_, now so rife,
Like _cruel_ _ulcer_ mars both love and life.
The words in italics have the same letters.
228
This is the completed palindrome--
I maniac lived, a devil Cain am I.
229
The lines--
And as trim bees rise or go,
A long aim I’d say, a libel O!
contain in anagram and in proper order the fruits _tamarinds_,
_gooseberries_, and the flowers _magnolia_, _daisy_, _lobelia_.
230
These are the anagrams--
Now one old fort
_Tower of London_.
Rabid owl
_Wild Boar_.
231
Alas, for that forgotten day
When chivalry was nourish’d,
When none but friars learn’d to pray,
And beef and beauty flourish’d;
And fraud in kings was held accursed,
And falsehood sin was reckon’d,
And mighty chargers bore my _first_,
And fat monks wore my _second_!
Ah, then I carried sword and shield
And casque with flaunting feather,
And earn’d my spurs in battle-field,
In winter and rough weather;
And polish’d many a sonnet up
To ladies’ eyes and tresses;
And learn’d to drain my father’s cup,
And loose my falcon’s jesses!
But dim is now my grandeur’s gleam,
The mongrel mob grows prouder;
And everything is done by steam,
And men are kill’d by powder;
And now I feel my swift decay,
And give unheeded orders;
And rot in paltry state away
With sheriffs and recorders.
is solved by _Knighthood_.
232
My _first_ you oft savagely pierce through and through;
My _next_ harbours nonsense, and wisdom, and dust;
But, oh! what disaster might chance to accrue,
Should my _whole_, from my _second_, step into my _first_!
is solved by _Earwig_.
233
My whole describes the action of a gale,
Decapitation makes an organ play.
Behead again, it sounds o’er hill and vale;
Again, it tells of what we do not pay.
Take nothing off, it is an eagle’s sail.
Again behead, and half a string denote;
Again, and lo! a horse’s head and tail;
And last of all on music’s notes I float.
is solved by _A’blowing_ (n-a-g).
234
The proverb buried in the sentence--
Society--how her enthusiasts worship at her Juggernaut car. Cases
exist here, proving how illogical are these eagle-sighted,
place-hunting beings, scoffing at hereditary position, yet striving to
get her smile.
is “Where the carcase is there will the eagles be gathered together.”
235
The answer by anagram to--What should we put on a bird’s tail to catch
it without a _steel-trap_? is _Saltpetre_.
236
The charade--
Across my _first_, with flash and roar,
The stately vessel glides alone.
And mournful on the crowded shore
There stands an aged crone,
Watching my _second’s_ parting smile,
As he bids farewell to his native isle.
My _whole_ comes back to other eyes,
With beauteous change of fruit and flowers,
But dim to her are those bright skies,
And sad those joyous hours;
For, alas! my _first_ is dark and deep,
And my _second_ cannot hear her weep.
is solved by _Season_.
237
The sequel to the Arab and his ass runs thus--
When morning dawned, and the tide was out,
The pair crossed over ’neath Allah’s _protection_,
And the Arab was happy beyond a doubt,
For he had the best donkey in all that _section_.
You are wrong! They were drowned in crossing over,
Though the donkey was bravest of all his _race_;
He luxuriates now in perpetual clover,
And his master has gone to the prophet’s _embrace_.
238
A _siren_, _risen_ on _Erin’s_ strands,
Caught Pat’s heart in her meshes;
He left the _reins_ in Cupid’s hands,
And watched her _rinse_ her tresses;
Tresses of _resin_ coloured gold,
Veiling, like any frock,
A tail which, as it did unfold,
Gave to poor Pat a shock.
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
239
The answer by anagram to “Where can you be ‘in a stone-pine garden’?” is
_Pontresina, Engadine_.
240
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters--
No _wider_ sympathy was ever shown
Than when _weird_ news, from Kingston _wired_, was known.
241
According to its anagram, the bodily discomfort which follows an
_ague-fit_ is _fatigue_.
242
This is the adjustment of the tangled square--
I S I S
S I D E
I D E A
S E A T
243
The European rivers concealed in the eight anagrams: Set in red robe
Henri Le Roi O sell me red pine nerves biter, are Dniester, Ebro, Rhine,
Loire, Moselle, Dnieper, Severn, Tiber.
244
The palindrome runs thus--
STOP ROSE, I PREFER PIES OR POTS.
245
“Your food will cost you more!”
is the political parrot cry which can be evolved by anagram from--
_O fool! O musty cry! O lurid woe!_
246
Sir Robert Peel was the statesman from whose name a “terrible poser” is
formed by anagram.
247
The letters of the sentence, “Yea, a glad sun rose red” can be recast
into the well-known proverb _Delays are dangerous_.
248
The question, “Has there been a poet of unusual solemnity?” is answered
by “_Yes, Milton_.”
249
The anagram enigma--
No, no, I hardly ever touch
The thing which many love so much,
It has a place within these lines,
But is taboo where Delia dines.
is solved by _Onion_ (no, no, I).
250
When young Biceps, who had been plucked in Euclid declared that he could
teach the examiners how to square a circle, this was his tricky
method:--A circle may be aptly described as a “copper” or “Brown.”
Having at hand your “copper” (P. C. Brown), when he has caught you on
his rounds, proceed to square him in the customary way.
251
As Biceps could not tell how to extract a circle from a square, his
friend gave him the following solution: “Let the given square be Sloane
Square; find the Inner Circle, and take its lines to any point, at any
distance from that square, paying the proper fare. That’s the ticket!”
252
Every _Cretan_ is said to lie,
And steeds that _canter_ pant.
The gods drank _nectar_, old and dry,
And all men may _recant_.
Finally this key extend
Take from _en(trance)d_ the _end_.
253
The charade--
My captive _second_, sulking in my _first_,
Might surlily bemoan his fate accurst;
Bemoan, or as alternative you find
My _whole_ the word that fits his state of mind.
For meet enclosure, you can take a score
Of captive _seconds_, first deducting four.
is solved by _Denounce_ (16 ozs. = 1 _Pound_).
254
The cipher--
~THGLBDWNWSLLLDSTFTHLT;
MNFTNRDRNRGTNNTHSPT.~
becomes by the addition of E and O alternately--
The “Globe” do we now sell, oldest of the lot;
Men often order one, or get one on the spot.
255
When his brother put “Tim in a pet,” the explanation by anagram is that
he was _impatient_.
256
Who knows the _East_ a land may know
Famed for its _teas_, and long age
A _seat_ of sage and seer.
The native there, so full of tricks,
To _sate_ his hunger _eats_ with sticks,
Nor knows his ways are queer.
The missing words are in italics.
257
The charade--
If doubled you would see my first
Let third and second be reversed.
But if my last you would behold
Increase my first a hundredfold.
Combine them all, and you can trace
The four within an empty space.
is solved by _Void_.
258
In the words spoken in the hay-field to a thirsty toiler, “Mower, I will
tap the cask!” are concealed by anagram the poet and his poem--_William
Cowper, The task._
259
The charade--
My _first_ is small, and seldom reverential;
My next not large enough to heed or prize;
My _whole_ is altogether consequential;
My third though small is counted very wise--
is solved by _Important_.
260
To be
a a a a a a a a a a
t C r I i O f U l S e s
standing
is the mark of a mean
is solved by _To be tenacious in the midst of trifles is the mark of a
mean understanding_.
261
The letters which spell RED NUTS AND GIN can be recast to form the one
word UNDERSTANDING.
262
The novel by Charles Dickens hidden in the pied letters--
~CDEHHIILOOOPRSSTTUY~
is _The Old Curiosity Shop_.
263
In swift _relays_ the beaters add
Fresh _layers_ to the heaps of slain;
And still, with lust of slaughter mad,
The _slayer_ plies his hand amain!
The words in italics have the same six letters.
264
The charade--
My first is nothing but a name,
My second still more small,
My whole shows such a lack of fame
It has no name at all.
is solved by _Nameless_.
265
When one of the children said, “If father gives us a new dog it will
wake the lazy ones”--the words pointed to Susan and Ethel, whose names
are buried in the sentence.
266
The cipher--
~NGOTRDSREAOHR
ETNSVEENUDOEO~
is solved by starting with last letter of the second line, followed by
the first letter of the first line, and so on throughout, taking always
the last and first unused letters alternately, and forming thus the
proverb “_One good turn deserves another!_”
267
The enigma--
Well known by story, not by name,
I died a death unknown before,
Nor ever to corruption came;
My shroud the waves cast on the shore.
is solved by _Lot’s wife_.
268
The question--
How might an oyster, if it could speak and knew that unda is Latin for
wave or water, complain in similar phonetic iteration when disturbed
by thunder under unda?
is answered thus--
He could exclaim, “a noise annoys an oyster!”
269
The words in italics have the same five letters--
When _Cesar_, our puppy, sets out for a run,
Over _acres_ he _races_, all frolic and fun.
For no whistle _cares_ he, in his desperate hurry,
The slow sheep to _scare_, and the old cow to worry.
270
The girls’ names shown by anagram in the sentence--“Bad hero set by thy
door hurt me ma. Army may get ruder daily,” are Deborah, Betsy, Dorothy,
Ruth, Emma, Mary, Amy, Gertrude, Lydia.
271
The anagram is completed thus--
“Lord Beaconsfield’s statue.”
_True as old Ben’s stolid face!_
272
The Shakespeare anagrams--
The tub sold has old rough shelves.
And e’en this fisherman caught best white smelts.
A living lord’s black dress, worn high, I vow!
are formed, letter for letter and line for line, from this passage in
“Romeo and Juliet”--
“Love’s heralds should be thoughts,
Which ten times faster glide than the sun’s beams,
Driving black shadows over low’ring hills.”
273
The mystical gnome never flinches from toil
Who _buries_ the _rubies_ in Orient soil;
Yet _busier_ mortals will ever abound,
Who _bruise_ all the soil till the treasure is found.
The words in italics are spelt with the same six letters.
274
The Puzzle acrostic--
My feathered first has wings and sings,
Unfledged my second swings its wings;
My third on blackest pinions flies,
My fourth can float beneath the skies.
The letters to my first that fall
Are the initials of them all.
is solved thus--
O O O O L A R K
O ● ● ● A R M Y
O ● ● ● R O O K
O ● ● ● K I T E
275
My first was of the _pirate_ breed,
Their _irate_ captain, hot and riled,
To _rate_ his men found vain indeed,
They only _ate_ and smoked, and smiled!
One letter is dropped each time.
276
In the doublets puzzle HARE is made into SOUP by the following six
links, changing one letter each time, and preserving their order--
HARE, hark, hack, sack, sock, soak, soap, SOUP.
277
The enigma--
Putting two small beasts that you take
To the beginning of an end,
A pointed weapon you will make
To wound a foe or praise a friend.
is solved by _Epigram_.
278
If a “newspaper” could speak, it might say by anagram of the general
work of its staff, _We pen pars_.
279
The positive quantity 1011 is turned into a negative thus:--
NO.
280
The one word formed by anagram from “O, I’m man’s trial” is
_Matrimonials_.
281
The rebus--
EEE and xxx URXXI XXX and eee.
is solved by “Great ease and small crosses before you are twenty-one,
great crosses and little ease after that.”
282
The answer to the riddle “Why may not the owner of a pine forest fell
his timber?” is--Because no one is allowed to _cut_ when it is his own
_deal_.
283
He _aspired_ to be _praised_ as a wonderful shot,
But he potted the dog, and _despair_ was his lot!
The words in italics are spelt with the same letters.
284
In the doublet, as solved by Lewis Carroll, ARMY is changed into NAVY
with seven links, and preserving the sequence while changing a letter
every time--thus: ARMY, arms, aims, dims, dams, dame, name, nave, NAVY.
285
The anagram puzzle--
‘I excel not by a pun’
Turn these six words into one!
is solved by _Unexceptionably_, which contains exactly the same letters.
286
The answer to the strange riddle, “When is an onion like music?” is
“_When you find it smell odious!_” (it’s melodious).
287
The bitter cry of Christianity is, by its anagram: _I cry that I sin_.
288
That a Conservative is constant to his cause is shown by the anagram:
_Not vice versâ_.
289
As a rule Christmas Day and New Year’s Day fall upon the same day of the
week, but they will not fall upon the same day of the week in 1910 (or
indeed in any year), because the New Year’s Day must be _after_ the
Christmas Day to fulfil the conditions!
290
“War is a game which, were their subjects wise,
Kings would not play at,” wrote the poet’s pen;
But in war’s issue will be staked the prize,
While kings and subjects are but erring men;
So Britain--native empress of the seas--
On ocean cradled, by her storm-king nursed--
Friend of the fallen, guardian of the free,
Rests on her well-tried _last_ and trusty _first_.
Her _first_ alone can well maintain her right,
Unscathed by any threat or mutinous blast;
And though, when needed, foremost in the fight,
Her _first_ (strange paradox!) is always _last_!
But should the tide of war approach the shore
And threaten to engulf her island seat,
My _whole_, replying with defiant roar,
Would crash the audacious foe beneath her feet!
is solved by _Armstrong_.
291
My first is flogged to make it move the faster,
And turns at once to satisfy its master.
My next will ripen as a pleasant fruit,
For those whose simple taste its flavours suit.
My whole, when breezes blow and pennons fly,
Stands up aloft and points us to the sky.
is solved by _Top-mast_.
292
A noun there is, of plural number,
In daily use from here to Humber.
Now almost any noun you take
By adding “S” you plural make;
But if you add an “S” to this,
Strange is the metamorphosis!
Plural is plural now no more;
Useless what useful was before.
is solved by _Needles_, _needless_.
293
First, a semi-circle make,
Add to this another
Figure of two little lines
Meeting with each other;
Then a perfect circle form,
Truly, neat, compactly,
Add another form to these,
Like the first exactly;
Then, to make it all complete,
Form a kind of angle,
With a straight line, that should meet
In a kind of tangle;
When you this have rightly done
(’Tis the truth I’m telling),
You will get an article
Useful in a dwelling:
Should you this decapitate,
You may have another
Article, which, in its place,
Is useful as the other.
is solved by _Clock_, _lock_.
294
Veiling the leas, my first may steep
Late autumn’s listless air;
And with my tainting second creep
On idle spade and share.
When happy days link soul to soul,
And sunny faces shine,
May both combined, a subtle whole,
Be far from me and mine!
is solved by _Mistrust_.
295
Mark Lemon’s charade--
Old Charlie Brown, who a big rogue was reckoned,
Was brought up at my first for making my second;
He was fined, and because he no money would pay
Had to work with my whole on the King’s highway.
is solved by _Barrow_.
296
Complete, I grow within a field
And pleasant pasture often yield;
Behead me once, a suitor then
Is quickly brought before your ken;
Behead again, I am a word
That on the cricket-ground is heard.
Restore my heads, cut off my tail,
To name a spice you’ll not then fail;
Behead me now, and you will find
The master passion left behind.
Put on my head, my tail restore,
Complete me as I was before,
My second letter take away,
An envelope I am, you’ll say;
But now curtail me just once more,
I am an inlet on the shore.
is solved by _Clover_, _lover_, _over_, _clove_, _love_, _cover_,
_cove_.
297
My _second_ is double my _first_,
My _first_ is but half of my _second_;
And I’m sure you’ll admit that my _whole_
Is ten times the latter when reckon’d.
is solved by _Ten score_.
298
My _first_ I went the other day,
And pretty surely reckon’d
A basket of fine fish to catch,
With hook and rod and _second_.
But I was out in reckoning;
A very pretty she
Of her fair face show’d just my _whole_--
And pretty soon hook’d _me_.
is solved by _Outline_.
299
Of mirth the parent, though the child of art,
A stranger to myself in every part;
Each India has a native in my breast,
The West my sweetness, and my fire the East.
While milder climes my virtue to complete,
Quicken my softness, and correct my heat;
My dearest friends upon my vitals prey,
And as they see me sinking, grow more gay.
is solved by _Punch_.
300
When my whole takes a flight in the air you will find
That my next is not left a great distance behind;
But join them together, and plain to your view
It all is as firm and as tight as a screw.
is solved by _Dovetail_.
301
To three-fourths of a cross, add a circle complete;
Then, let two semi-circles a perpendicular meet;
Next, add a triangle that stands on two feet;
Then, two semi-circles, and a circle complete.
is solved by _Tobacco_.
302
Leader of Vandals and of vice
My head is reckoned;
A Turkish captain will suffice
To be my second.
My third is firm if well selected;
My whole a wanderer neglected.
is solved by _Vagabond_.
303
One thousand, two hundred,
Nothing, and one,
Transposed, give a word
Expressive of fun.
is solved by COMIC.
304
Praed’s charade--
My _first_ was creeping on his way
Through the mists of a dull October day,
When a minstrel came to its muddy bed,
With a harp on his shoulder, a wreath on his head;
“And how shall I reach,” the poor boy cried,
“To the courts and the cloisters on t’other side?”
Old Euclid came, and he frown’d a frown,
And he dash’d the harp and the garland down;
Then he led the bard, with a stately march,
O’er my _second’s_ long and cellar’d arch;--
“And see,” said the sage, “how every ass
Over the sacred stream must pass!”
The youth was mournful, the youth was mute,
He sigh’d for his laurel, he sobb’d for his lute;--
The youth took comfort, the youth took snuff,
And follow’d the lead of that teacher gruff;
And he sits, ever since, in my _whole’s_ kind lap,
In a silken gown and a trencher cap.
is solved by _Cambridge_.
305
Upright and honest is my _first_;
My _second_ you may see
Upon the frozen lake or stream;
My _whole_ is equity.
is solved by _Justice_.
306
Never wearied, see us stand,
A glittering and a stately band--
Of sturdy stuff, but graceful form,
In summer cold, in winter warm;
From hottest duty never swerving,
Night and day our place preserving;
Each serving to a different use,
Not to be changed without abuse.
And, pray, mark well another fact--
In unison we never act,
Except, as on occasion dread,
We watch the ashes of the dead;
When we are ranged, as you may see
As awful sentries, one, two, three.
is solved by _Fire-irons_.
307
My first, though naught, with others is a fruit,
My next is vital to both man and brute.
It should be dear to all who hate the devil,
For it is ever the reverse of evil.
My all, when whole, is eloquent of peace,
Divided it invokes to life that will not cease.
is solved by _Olive_.
308
Guess at my first, ’tis easy to discover,
Covered with rings, and whiskered like a dandy.
Wrapped up in furs, ’tis often on the housetop,
Oft in the chimney!
See where my second, scorning to be hidden,
Stands at the head of quite a band of others,
Like a virago, straddling with feet apart,
And arms akimbo.
Surely my next is happy in its office,
Parting the lovelocks on Neæra’s forehead;
Setting the golden lines wherewith she angles
For the unwary.
If by my whole at any time you pass, you
Tread on the dust of holy saints and martyrs,
Holy the place, may holy thoughts attend you,
Peacefully dreaming!
is solved by _Catacomb_.
309
Offspring of nature and of art, I stand
Chief ’midst the monuments of every land;
I may not lengthen life, but I
For centuries forbid to die.
The greatest truth in me you meet
Is but deception most complete.
Unchanged I last the changing crowds among,
And as I older grow, I grow too young.
is solved by _A portrait_.
310
Pronounced as one letter, and written with three,
Two letters there are, and two only in me;
I’m double, I’m single, I’m black, blue, and gray,
I’m read from both ends, and the same either way.
is solved by _Eye_.
311
My _first_ is false as false can be;
My _next_ old ladies wear;
My _whole’s_ my _first_, as you will see,
As false, I do declare.
is solved by _Falsehood_.
312
When whole I am indeed a thing
To puzzle you a bit;
Though parts of me are hard, at Bridge
The others make a hit;
Or you may make a car of some,
And fix a head to it.
is solved by _Charade_.
313
A word of nine letters explains
How to mitigate bodily pains;
The five vowels are there,
And four consonants share
This function for medical brains.
is solved by _Inoculate_.
314
My second guides my first and third
For pleasure, trade, and war;
My first and second by my third
Are oft transported far.
But when my first my third doth pull,
’Tis then his lot is worst;
And should my second lack my whole,
He’s apt to leave my first.
is solved by _Horsemanship_.
315
It is a fact that neither _melons_ nor _lemons_ grew _on elms_.
The words in italics have the same letters.
316
The completed palindrome, which reads alike from either end, is--
DRAW NO DRAY A YARD ONWARD.
317
The schoolboy likes me well,
For healthful sport I bring,
Yet I can harm create,
Though such a little thing:
Connubial bliss is form’d by me;
My nature is equality.
is solved by _Match_.
318
What person’s name is doubly evil?
_Sinbad_ reminds us of the devil.
319
I’m a district near London;
If made wrong, I come undone;
O’er sweet strings I swift run,
Or appear with the bright sun,
And though by me fights were won,
I can greet you every one.
is solved by _Bow_.
320
I am my first when seen with you,
My next is always bad.
A rogue in grain much harm may do
And make the farmer mad.
is solved by _Weevil_.
321
When winter comes with frost and cold,
My first is welcome, as of old;
And though its grip may make you thinner,
It helps to cook your Christmas dinner.
Let me but hear my next rejoice
At early dawn with cheerful voice,
I haste to find, with eager pleasure,
Some specimen of hidden treasure.
A traveller my whole may find
Far from his English kith and kind;
Though some at home, to England’s shame,
Are this in fact, if not in name.
is solved by _Heathen_.
322
It was to-morrow, and
It will be yesterday;
Now it is near at hand
What is it? Who can say?
is solved by _To-day_.
323
My first doth fill with light his father’s eyes,
The second shadows all the mother’s brow;
My whole all men, all women, girls and boys,
Have had, and long to lose, and lost for ever now;
But know not, nor can know, when it was lost, and how.
is solved by _Childhood_.
324
Complete, though not of human race,
A soul in me may dwell;
Behead, I held a higher place,
Until, like man, I fell.
Again behead, and in the song
Of Burns I’m all your own;
Behead once more, it would be wrong
To find me out when known.
is solved by _Train_, _rain_, _ain_, _in_.
325
With head good for naught,
And with tail always drunk,
You know well what to say
Of the worth of my trunk.
First cut off my tail,
I am Greek, and I’m not;
Then cut off my head,
And some Latin you’ve got.
Lopping both you know best
What remains, as I said,
For I really am you
If I lose tail and head!
is solved by _Out_.
326
One guiding eye I need
In running through the gaps;
My tail, as on I speed,
Is caught in many traps.
is solved by _A Needle_.
327
The Chess charade--
Of all the birds that ever sought a mate,
My first is to but one appropriate,
So speak the word! nor silence shyly woo.
To find my next, go! wander in the Zoo!
My whole is a magician of the squares,
But Art, with Chess, his best affections shares,
So this, indeed, to him may be a law
When _winning’s_ hopeless, grandly still to _draw_.
is solved by _Boden_.
328
Though poor and humble was my birth
I sit enthroned on high;
My footsteps far above the earth,
My canopy the sky.
O’er toiling subjects thus in state
I bear despotic sway;
Yet on them hand and foot I wait
At break and close of day.
is solved by _A coachman_.
329
I am not of flesh and blood,
Yet have I many a bone;
No limbs, except one leg,
And can’t stand on that alone.
My friends are many, and dwell
In all lands of the human race;
But they poke my poor nose into the mud,
And shamefully spatter my face.
Thrust me into each other’s ribs,
Stick me in gutter and rut;
I have never a window, and never a door,
Yet I often open and shut.
is solved by _An umbrella_.
330
Before the crown descended on
The head of England’s Queen,
Four Kings upon that royal throne
Of the same name had been.
Now if the signs which marked their name
Be joined unto a beast,
We have a food on which the same
(A quadruped) will feast.
is solved by _Grass_.
331
Fox’s enigma--
I am pretty, and useful in various ways,
Though I tempt some poor mortals to shorten their days;
Behead me, and then in my place will appear
What youngsters admire every day in the year;
Behead me once more, and without any doubt,
You must be what is left if you don’t find it out.
is solved by _Glass_, _lass_, _ass_.
332
My first, when skilfully performed
(Its doer by applauses warmed),
Bespeaks both skill and vigour.
When with my whole, so soft and light,
I saw my second gay bedight,
She made a splendid figure.
is solved by _Feather_.
333
The man who _rates_ the common _tares_
Above the _aster_ chaste.
_Stare_ as he may, the world declares
Is not a man of taste.
And, though my sympathy he shares,
No _tears_ on him I’ll waste.
The words in italics have the same letters.
334
When a monk in old times, unexpectedly heated,
Endangered the peace of his soul,
To atone for my second my first he repeated
Quite ten times a day on my whole.
is solved by _Average_.
335
An insect small and fell
Makes a weird sound,
If, as its name you spell,
You turn it round.
One letter cast, and still
Shift what remains,
Another insect will
Reward your pains.
is solved by _Gnat_, _tang_, _ant_.
336
Where head and body duly meet
I am as slender as a bee;
Whether I stand on head or feet
My figure shows its symmetry.
But when my head is cut away
The metamorphosis is strange;
Though both of them unaltered stay,
Body and head to nothing change.
is solved by _The figure_ 8.
337
First is in coast, second in ghost,
Third must be reckoned part of second;
Fourth in boat, fifth in float,
Sixth you will find within your mind.
Seventh in blue, eighth in true,
These letters tell a fruit that they spell.
is solved by _Cocoanut_.
338
The hunter and his steed are known
My first to see.
Though men may call my next a stone,
Wood it may be.
My whole, an exile from his home,
Is doomed from place to place to roam.
is solved by _Runagate_.
339
My first expresses power to do,
My next that it is done.
To be my whole belongs to few,
And perfectly to none.
is solved by _Candid_.
340
In my first, as in a shell,
All the sweetest sounds may dwell;
In my second, shells abound
That can catch no sort of sound;
In my whole securely rest
Those who neither jeer nor jest.
is solved by _Earnest_.
341
My first, though of the feathered kind,
Is never known to fly;
My next all who improve their mind
Seize as it passes by.
My whole may much occasion find
To make the truthful lie.
is solved by _Bed-time_.
342
Divide a piece of beef or pork
Without the aid of knife and fork;
It gives a shelf, rejoined with skill,
Where you may set this if you will.
Strike off instead the end, its place
Is plain as nose upon your face.
Cut this asunder in your mind,
And what is first put now behind;
Part of our foot you thus discover,
And in a measure all is over.
is solved by _Chine_, _niche_, _chin_, _inch_.
343
Seen as a whole, my form is now
Akin to strife and malice;
Split, it may grace a princely brow,
Or crown the curls of Alice.
Recast my letters, and I tell
That nourishment is lacking;
Stir them afresh until they spell
The needle’s help in tacking.
is solved by _Hatred_, _hat red_, _dearth_, _thread_.
344
If I write with my first in my second
My whole you can never find out;
Add a letter, and all will be reckoned
A patron of water devout.
is solved by _Within_, _Swithin_.
345
After officers’ mess, when cigars were well alight, the old conundrum
was propounded, “What is most like a cornet of horse?” A sharp sub. was
ready with the reply, “A hornet, of course”; it was presently capped by
this variant which occurred to a married captain, “a corset of horn”;
and yet another reading was suggested by the deaf old colonel, “How much
did you say the ‘horse ate of corn’?”
346
Loss of love between us
Never can be nice;
Yet we live where Venus
Changes us to ice.
is solved by _Venice_ (Ven_us_ changes to Ven_ice_).
347
The very prosaic reply to the dainty lines--
“Tell me, my sweet,
Why are your feet
Like fairy-tales?”
is: Because they are leg ends (legends)!
348
Our parson _detains_ every man who has leisure
To study _stained_ windows, the glory of fanes;
And _instead_ of devoting his income to pleasure,
Our _sainted_ dean spends his money on panes.
The words in italics have the same letters.
349
Though much attached to merriment,
Or crime for a variety,
To prison I am never sent,
But sparkle in society.
is solved by _The letter E_.
350
Without my first and second’s aid
No pudding worth its sauce is made.
Take on my third, my fourth I am,
My fifth includes myself and Sam.
My whole describes the royal fiddler Nero,
And shows him as an unheroic hero.
is solved by _Suetonius_.
351
The geographical names buried in the sentences--
He has my R.N. as a monogram on all his paper.
I am her stupid sister.
The calmest man is sometimes made irate--
are Smyrna; Amherst; and Madeira.
352
My first’s a fruit of foreign clime,
Sweet to the taste, in price not dear;
My second does my first produce,
And yet my whole my first doth bear.
is solved by _Date-palm_.
353
A thing of beauty, scattered by a breath,
My firm embrace is harbinger of death;
Not made by hands, a work of wondrous art,
Complete and perfected in every part;
Crush me to-day with all-determined care,
Then look to-morrow, and I shall be there!
is solved by _A spider’s web_.
354
Six letters in my name are found.
Though only three we see and sound;
The shepherd by the running river
May hear me where the rushes quiver;
And should a stroke my whole divide,
Leaving but half on either side,
These, backward read, will surely tell
What many a toper loves too well.
is solved by _Murmur_.
355
Upon a battle-field of learned men
Hundred and fifty were by none divided.
“Now,” said the bishop, “add two-thirds of ten
And so you’ll guess the riddle just as I did.”
is solved by _Colenso_.
356
Though the stations of mortals are many
And the _last_ is the head of his race;
Yet he, just as often as any,
Is won by my _first’s_ fell embrace;
Yet we most of us apt are to fall,
When our heads cease our hearts to control,
Let us hope that not one of us all
May be e’er in the state of my _whole_.
is solved by _Sinking_.
357
My whole is no matter,
And light as the air,
Yet it is good on the platter,
And excellent fare.
Curtail and transpose,
And a lady you see,
Who will flatter and pose,
And with many do me.
is solved by _trifle_, _flirt_.
358
My first, for ages out of mind
All men have always worn behind,
And yet alike by sea and land
They carry it upon their hand.
My second, carefully matur’d,
Is never ill but often cured.
My whole, within unchanging lines,
Black men and white alike confines.
is solved by _Backgammon_.
359
The Rebus--“We westand fall,”--is solved by _United we stand, divided we
fall_.
360
My second is pressed tightly round
To guard from any ill;
And when preparing to engage
Men find it useful still.
My first against attraction set
Will neutralise its power;
Aided by it, with bargains, some
May spend a happy hour.
You find my whole by careful search,
Which must not be forsaken;
It stands before what comes beyond,
Which may from it be taken.
is solved by _Counterfoil_.
362
Scorned by the meek and humble mind,
And often by the vain possessed,
Heard by the deaf, seen by the blind,
I give the troubled spirit rest.
is solved by _Nothing_.
ODDS AND ENDS
SOLUTIONS
1
Here is both the sum without figures, and its counterpart in numbers:--
UGI)GEVPPNDO(IDTPO
GVNI
----
DNTP
UGI
----
NETN
NEOT
----
DUDO
DUDO
====
956)58700312(61402
5736
----
1340
956
----
3843
3824
----
1912
1912
====
The key sentence is: DON’T GIVE UP, the letters of which correspond to
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0.
2
When I shot only birds and rabbits, and my bag at the end of the day
showed 36 heads and 100 feet, I had killed 22 birds and 14 rabbits.
3
There are no fewer than 40 distinct readings of the four words which
form the square--
D E L F
E V I L
L I V E
F L E D
DELF and FLED have each four straight readings, while EVIL and LIVE can
each be traced in 16 different ways, and the four words run straight
from every side of the square.
4
A S
A T
E A
D N R E G D N E V E N IN G
I D
T A
V R
S D
5
When a man gave a sovereign to his son to be spent on presents of
different values for him and his three sisters, each to cost an aliquot
part of the pound, and each to be as good as possible; and told him to
give the change to the Fresh Air Fund, the presents cost ¹⁄₃, ¹⁄₄, ¹⁄₅,
¹⁄₆ of a pound respectively, or 6s. 8d., 5s., 4s., and 3s. 4d., and
there was a shilling over for the Fresh Air Fund.
6
This is the complete word-square--
M E T A L
E R A S E
T A S T E
A S T E R
L E E R S
7
The key word to the addition sum is REPUBLICAN. It works out thus--
REPUBLICAN
1234567890
A I 9 7
L C 6 8
P R 3 1
U N 4 0
B E 5 2
----- -----
E C C 2 8 8
8
The word square is completed thus--
T O A S T
O T T E R
A T O N E
S E N S E
T R E E S
9
The product of the first twelve prime numbers, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13,
17, 19, 23, 29, 31, can be written down by using no figures but 0, 1, 2,
and 3, and of these 2 and 3 once only, thus--
10 × 1001 × 2001 × 10013:--
or 10 = 1 × 2 × 5
1001 = 7 × 11 × 13
2001 = 3 × 23 × 29
10013 = 17 × 19 × 31
10
The question--
Six collars seven cuffs there be
When pence we charge you thirty-three;
Seven collars and six cuffs to do,
The charge is only thirty-two;
The work is good and up-to-date,
So figure out in pence the rate.
is answered by--Collars, 2d. Cuffs, 3d.
11
The word square is completed thus--
W E E K S
E L L E N
E L U D E
K E D G E
S N E E R
12
To remove the table-napkin on a corner of which a wine-glass full of
water stands near the edge of a polished table, take hold with the left
hand of the part that hangs over the edge and raise it to a horizontal
position. Then strike hard downward with the right hand, at about six
inches from the table, and the cloth will come away, leaving the
wineglass altogether undisturbed--an illustration of what is known as
the _vis inertiæ_.
13
My third and fourth are a quarter of my first and second; my fourth is
half of them, and my third is half. What am I?
is solved by _Twopence-half-penny_.
14
The London firm who had sent a telegram to Paris for 480 sets of
Diabolo, and received to their surprise a huge consignment of 6336 sets,
had worded their order thus: “Send us twenty two-dozen cases of
Diabolo,” knowing that they were put up two dozen in a case. The
wholesale firm read the order as twenty-two dozen cases--_i.e._, 264
cases of 24 in a case!
16
When Mrs Evergreen said: “My husband’s age is represented by the figures
of mine reversed; he is older than I am, and the difference between our
ages is one-eleventh of their sum,” he was 54, and she was 45.
17
This is the completed multiplication sum--
4 * * 4 5 7
3 * 3 8
------ ------
3 6 * * 3 6 5 6
* * 7 * 1 3 7 1
--------- ---------
* * 3 * * 1 7 3 6 6
18
Add 3 to 10, and then divide
Till 8 the sum has satisfied--
is solved by writing 13 in Roman numerals, XIII.; and then drawing a
line across their middle, so that the upper half forms VIII.
19
I bought fifty-eight plants for my new rosery, when I found that if I
set them three in a row there would be one over; if four in a row two
over; if five in a row three over; and if six in a row four over.
20
Three nines arranged thus represent 20--
9 + 9
-----
·9
21
If a house has nine windows on its front, as many as 511 signals can be
given by merely leaving one or more of them open, including the case in
which all are left open.
22
The birthday puzzle by Sir John Evans is solved thus--
“Reader, whether man or woman,
Write my age in figures Roman (LXV.).
My first, divided by my second,
Will make my third, if rightly reckoned,
Ten times the whole, and then you’ll see
My university degree (D.C.L.).”
52
This is the way to arrange a strip of paper 9 in. by 2 in. so that it
has only _one surface_ and _one edge_.
Gum the ends together with _a half twist_ in the slip. If a continuous
line is now drawn along the middle of the band it will traverse the
whole length of the paper and finish at its starting point. Again, if a
mark is made on the edge, and the finger or a pencil starting from this
runs along the edge, it also will return to its starting point.
53
To divide nine into two parts which shall be together equal to ten,
write IX in bold Roman numerals on a sheet of paper, and fold this
across the middle of the figures, thus--
IV
IX -- ----
IɅ
This gives a six on one side of the fold and a four upon the other side.
54
The shepherd who had folded his flock with 100 hurdles, and whose master
bade him the next day use 16 of these to pen some pigs, and to enclose
nine times as many sheep with the remaining 84 as the 100 had contained,
had originally placed the hurdles in two rows of 49 each, with one
hurdle at each end. He made room for nine times as many sheep within 84
hurdles by arranging them in a square, with 21 on every side, thus
increasing the area ninefold.
55
When you have lifted three hats that cover three biscuits in a row,
eaten the biscuits and replaced the hats, you can carry out your
undertaking that the three biscuits shall be under whichever hat is
selected by solemnly placing that hat upon your head!
56
The number of different ways in which 7s. 3d. can be paid away in
current coin of the realm, without ever using exactly the same set of
coins a second time, is 1,062,102!
PRINTED AT THE MERCAT PRESS, EDINBURGH.
Transcriber᾿s Notes
Inconsistent spelling, hyphenation, capitalisation, etcetera have been
retained, unless listed under Changes below.
Unless listed below, the riddles, puzzles and tricks and their
solutions are given here as printed in the source document, even
though some of them arguably contain ambiguities, errors and/or
misprints. Inconsistencies in lay-out between the puzzles and their
solutions have not been standardised.
The source document has several pages that contain a Pictured Puzzle
at the top (Roman numerals) and one or more Word Play puzzles or jokes
(Latin numerals). This has been retained in this text; any
auto-generated Tables of Contents may therefore look jumbled up with
intermixed Roman and Latin numerals.
Depending on the hard- and software used to read this text and on
their settings, not all elements may display as intended. The larger
diagrams may be illegible on small screens or in small windows.
Where possible and relevant, illustrations have been “transcribed”,
occasionally discarding some of the ornamentation. In this e-text for
chess boards and the like, # indicates a dark square; dominoes are
represented either by the pattern of the pips or by the number of
pips. The transcribed illustrations usually give but a very simple
impression of the actual illustration. For reference and for the sake
of completeness, images of the transcribed illustrations have been
provided at the end of this e-book, with hyperlinks (“Image”) pointing
to them. Hyperlinks from these images point back to the riddle,
puzzle, etc. (“Return to description”) or to its solution (“Return to
solution”). In addition, hyperlinks are provided from the puzzles etc.
to their solutions (“Solution”) and from the solutions back to the
puzzle etc. (“Return to description”).
Table of Contents, page 130: The Enigmas, Charades, Puzzles, &c., &c.
do not actually start on this page (they start on page 2), but there
are no more Pictured Puzzles and Word Play from this page on.
Page 49, Se Pierot or Lun: possibly an error for See Pierot or L’un or
Le Pierot or L’un.
Page 60, No. LX: the description is confusing, as the puzzle consists
of drawing the four dotted lines, and they are therefore not given.
Page 89 and 263, Pictured puzzle LXXXIX and solution: either the
puzzle or the solution has been printed upside-down in the source
document.
Page 114, ... as nearly as possible of the size and pattern ...: based
on the size of the physical book (around 7″ or 18 cm tall), the
boomerang’s width would be some 3″ or 7.5 cm.
Page 149, ... six single words: the solution provided gives five
single words.
Page 205, Solution IX: the table as printed lacks values for Opposite
pairs of short diagonals (of which there are four) and Such
combinations as 482, 484, 472, 470 (of which there ought to be two in
order to reach the given total).
Changes made
In the source document, jokes, riddles and puzzles may be split over
multiple pages (for example, Word Play 5 may be found on page 7 (first
part) and page 9 (second part)). In this e-text, the second part has
been re-combined with the first, and references to the separate first
and second parts have been deleted.
Some minor obvious typographical errors have been corrected silently.
Similarly, minor discrepancies (such as the number of blanks or
x
periods) have been rectified silently. Fractions (the forms x/y, ---
y
and x-y all occur in the source document) have (bar a single
exception) been standardised to x/y.
Unless they fitted better within the text paragraphs, illustrations,
verses, diagrams, etc. have been moved out of the text paragraphs. The
footnote has been moved to directly underneath the Word Play in which
it is referenced.
In some chessboard based riddles the symbol for knight has been
changed from Kt to N.
In some of the diagrams bold, italics or small capital mark-up of
individual words and letters has been removed due to the limited width
available. Large diagrams have been split to fit the available width.
Page 10: ... cut of my head; changed to ... cut off my head;
Page 62: ... thought myself happy to win her ... changed to ... I
thought myself happy to win her ... (cf. solution).
Page 84 and 260, Pictured Puzzle LXXXIV and solution: the examples
mentioned and the solution given have been transcribed as separate
elements, the 6 × 6 grid being too wide to be included.
Page 89: ... indentations do not effect ... changed to ...
indentations do not affect ....
Page 93: the logogriph has been laid out as in the solution on page
305.
Page 110-111: Word Play 92 in this text (Missing Words) was
erroneously numbered 93 (first part) and 39 (second part) in the
source document.
Page 130: “Tis an absurdity to say ... changed to ’Tis an absurdity to
say ....
Page 139: !” inserted after the dots cf. solution.
Page 144, Nr. 176, last line: space inserted between F and R in R FR
H; H T G changed to H T N G.
Page 152: ... his destination from these words.” changed to ... his
destination from these words?
Page 196: ... sa Majéste impériale ... changed to ...sa Majesté
impériale ...; ... a jamais! changed to ... à jamais!
Page 197-198: Odds and Ends 38 appears twice; the second one has been
renamed 38a.
Page 201: ... a flock of sheep in a fold enclosed by 10 hurdles ...
changed to ... a flock of sheep in a fold enclosed by 100 hurdles ....
Page 294: Number 34 inserted before first solution.
Page 309: _The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey_ changed to
_The Houses of Parliament_ and _Westminster Abbey_.
Page 310: The words italics are spelt ... changed to The words in
italics are spelt ....
Page 379: vis inertiœ changed to vis inertiæ.
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