ANSWERS TO PRACTICAL PUZZLES.
Reading edition
1. THE CHINESE CROSS ANSWER.
Place Nos. 1 and 2 close together, as in Fig. 1; then hold them together with the finger and thumb of the left hand horizontally and with the square hole to the right. Push No. 3—placed in the same position facing you (a) in No. 4—through the opening at K, and slide it to the left at A, so that the profile of the pieces should be as in Fig. 2. Now push No. 4 partially through the space from below upwards, as seen in f, Fig. 2. Place No. 5 cross-ways upon the part Y, so that the point R is directed upwards to the right hand side; then push No. 4 quite through, and it will be in the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. All that now remains is to push No. 6—which is the key—through the opening M and the cross is completed as in Fig. 3.
2. ANSWER TO THE "PARALLELOGRAM."
Divide the piece of card into five steps, and by shifting the position of the pieces, the desired figures may be obtained.
3. THE DIVIDED GARDEN ANSWER.
4. ANSWER TO THE ENDLESS STRING.
The string must be put through the armhole, and over the head, then through the opposite armhole; then the hand must be put up underneath the waistcoat, and the string drawn down around the body until the former drops down about the waist, when the experimenter may jump out of it and claim his coat.
5. ANSWER TO THE CHINESE MAZE.
KOONG-SEE'S WHISPERS.
A Why linger near the fence? a word or two Would kindle up a flame for ever true. B Beware of rivals—mischief hovers near; Or, worse mischance, parental frowns appear. C Favored indeed, the open door to gain— Let no dishonor now your conduct stain. E The ground is rough, and difficult the road; But, faint not, thou shalt reach thy love's abode! F Against thy course runs the opposing tide, And waves of trouble cast thy hopes aside. G A modest competence thy lot will be; But richer joys than wealth are stored for thee. A Take heed! take heed! a strange transforming doom May fix thy love, but never let it bloom. J Be not too rash—nor leap the Bridge of Love, Leaving fond eyelids, moist with tears, above. K What dost thou on the house top? do not steal Thy love, but win by dutiful appeal! L A barren path this way thy footsteps tread; Thy heart will soon grow cold, thy love be fled. M Thou hast a friend can help thy onward way— And such a friend will ne'er thy trust betray. D Joy! thou hast reached, at length, the wedding ring; Let white-robed maidens orange blossoms bring; Oh may your years of happy wedlock be Bright as your hopes, and from misgiving free.
6. ANSWER TO VERTICAL LINE PUZZLE.
7. THE THREE RABBITS, ANSWER.
8. THE ACCOMMODATING SQUARE.
9. ANSWER TO THE CIRCLE PUZZLE.
Thrust it upwards from the other side.
10. ANSWER TO THE CUT CARD PUZZLE.
Double the cardboard or leather lengthways down the middle, and then cut first to the right, nearly to the end, (the narrow way,) and then to the left, and so on to the end of the card; then open it and cut down the middle, except the two ends. The diagram shows the proper cuttings. By opening the card or leather, a person may pass through it. A laurel leaf may be treated in the same manner.
11. ANSWER TO THE BUTTON PUZZLE.
Draw the narrow slip of the leather through the hole, and the string and buttons may be easily released.
12. ANSWER TO THE QUARTO PUZZLE.
Divide the figure in the direction shown by the lines, and you will have four pieces of the same size and shape.
13. ANSWER TO THE PUZZLE OF FOURTEEN.
14. ANSWER TO THE SQUARE AND CIRCLE PUZZLE.
15. THE SCALE AND RING PUZZLE.
The puzzle consists in releasing the ring; to effect which, you have only to reverse the former process, by passing the loop through the holes D, C, B, and A, in the manner before described.
16. ANSWER TO THE HEART PUZZLE.
Loosen the string, and draw the loop through the hole No. 2; pass it behind, and bring it through No. 1, and slip it over the smaller heart; then the string may be easily drawn out.
17. ANSWER TO THE CROSS PUZZLE.
18. ANSWER 10 THE YANKEE SQUARE.
Arrange the pieces as shown in the figure above.
19. ANSWER TO THE CARD PUZZLE.
In order to take the pipe off, the card must be doubled (as in Fig. 2), the slip passed through it, until there is sufficient of the loop below the pipe to allow one of the square ends of the slip (Fig. 3) being passed through it. Fig. 3 is then to be taken away, and the pipe slipped off. The card for this puzzle must be cut very neatly, the puzzle handled gently, and great care taken that, in doubling the card to put on the pipe no creases are made in it, as they would in all probability spoil your puzzle, by betraying to an acute spectator the mode of operation.
20. ANSWER TO THE THREE SQUARE PUZZLE.
Takeaway the pieces numbered 8, 10, 1, 3, 13, and three squares only will remain.
21. ANSWER TO THE CYLINDER PUZZLE.
Take a round cylinder of the diameter of the circular hole, and of the height of the square hole. Having drawn a straight line across the end, dividing it into two equal parts, cut an equal section from either side to the edge of the circular base, a figure like that represented by the woodcut in the margin would then be produced, which would fulfill the required conditions.
22. ANSWER TO THE FOUR TENANTS.
My ground is divided, My tenants at work, And he'll profit most Who does not labor shirk So let them toil on Till cabbages rise, And carrots and turnips To gladden their eyes. Gooseberries and currants, And raspberries too, Shall amply repay The work they may do.
23. THE PUZZLE WALL.
24. ANSWER TO THE NUN'S PUZZLE.
25. HORSE SHOE PUZZLE.
By cutting off the upper circular part containing two of the pins, and by changing the position of the pieces, another cut will divide the horse shoe into six portions, each containing one pin.
26. ANSWER TO CARD SQUARE PUZZLE.
27. THE DOGS PUZZLE ANSWERED SEE DOTTED LINES.
28. PUZZLE OF THE TWO FATHERS.
The first father divided the land in this way:
The second father divided the land in the following manner:
The different colors represent the several sons' portions.
29. THE TRIANGLE PUZZLE.
The solution of this puzzle may be easily acquired by observing the dotted lines in the engraving; by which it will be seen that four triangles are to be placed at the corners, and a small square made in the center. When this is done, the rest of the square may be quickly formed.
30. ANSWER TO CUTTING OUT A CROSS PUZZLE.
Take a piece of writing paper about three times as long as it is broad, say six inches long and two wide. Fold the upper corner down, as shown in Fig. 1; then fold the other upper corner over the first, and it will appear as in Fig. 2; you next fold the paper in half lengthwise, and it will appear as in Fig. 3. Then the last fold is made lengthwise also, in the middle of the paper, and it will exhibit the form of Fig. 4, which, when cut through with the scissors in the direction of the dotted line, will give all the forms mentioned.
31. ANSWER TO ANOTHER CROSS PUZZLE.
32. ANSWER TO THE FOUNTAIN PUZZLE.
33. ANSWER TO THE STAR PUZZLE.
Good-tempered friends! here nine stars see: Ten rows there are, in each row three!
34. THE COUNTER PUZZLE ANSWER.
Place 4 on 7, 6 on 2, 1 on 3, and 8 on 5; or, 5 on 2, 3 on 7, 8 on 6, 4 on 1, &c.
35. ANSWER TO THE JAPAN SQUARE.
36. ANSWER TO THE CABINET MAKERS' PUZZLE.
The cabinet-maker must find the center of the circle, and strike another circle, half the diameter of the first, and having the same center. Then cut the whole into four parts, by means of two lines drawn at right angles to each other, then cut along the inner circle, and put the pieces together as in the above diagram.
37. ANSWER TO THE STRING AND BALLS PUZZLE.
Draw the loop well down, slipping either ball through it. Push it through the hole at the extremities, pass it over the knot, and draw it through again. The same process must be repeated with the other ball; the loop can then be drawn through the hole in the center, and the ball will slide along the cord until it reaches the other side. The string is then replaced, having both balls on the same side.
There is another and perhaps a neater way of performing this trick. Draw the loop through the central hole, and bring it through far enough to pass one of the balls through. Having done this, draw the string back, and both balls will be found on the same side.
38. ANSWER TO THE DOUBLE-HEADED PUZZLE.
Arrange them side by side in the short arms of the cross, draw out the center piece, and the rest will follow easily. The reversal of the same process will put them back again.
39. ARITHMETICAL PUZZLE.
The four figures are 8888, which being divided by a line drawn through the middle, become 0000/0000, the sum of which is eight 0s, or nothing.
40. GRAMMATICAL PUZZLE.
Take away L in the subjunctive "Let" at the beginning of the first line, and substitute S, and so turn it into the imperative "Set," when the changes which necessarily follow will be immediately apparent.
41. ANSWER TO THE TREE PUZZLE.
42. ANSWER TO AN EPITAPH ON ELLINOR BACHELLOR, AN OLD PIE WOMAN.
Beneath in the dust The mouldy old crust Of Nell Bachellor lately was shoven: Who was skilled in the arts Of pies, custards, and tarts, And knew every use of the oven. When she'd liv'd long enough, She made her last puff, A puff by her husband much prais'd: Now here she doth lie, To make a dirt pie, In hopes that her crust will be rais'd.
43. ANSWER TO A CURIOUS LETTER.
"Sir, between friends, I understand your overbearing disposition; a man even with the world is above contempt, whilst the ambitious are beneath ridicule."
44. ANSWER TO THE PUZZLE INSCRIPTION.
By the use of the single vowel E, the following couplet was formed,
PERSEVERE YE PERFECT MEN, EVER KEEP THESE PRECEPTS TEN.
