THE CANTERBURY PUZZLES
" His arrows drooped not with feathers low ; And in his hand he
bare a mighty bow." When a halt was made one day at a wayside
inn, bearing the old sign of the " Chequers," this yeoman consented
to give the company an exhibition of his skill. Selecting nine good
arrows, he said, " Mark ye, good sirs, how that I shall shoot these
nine arrows in such manner that each of them shall lodge in the
middle of one of the squares that be upon the sign of the
' Chequers,' and yet of a truth shall no arrow be in line with any
other arrow." The diagram will show exactly how he did this,
and no two arrows will be found in line, horizontally, vertically, or
diagonally. Then the Yeoman said : " Here then is a riddle for
ye. Remove three of the arrows each to one of its neighbouring
squares, so that the nine shall yet be so placed that none thereof
may be in line with another." By a " neighbouring square" is
meant one that adjoins, either laterally or diagonally.
11.—
The Nuns Puzzle.
"
I trow there be not one among ye," quoth the Nun, on a later
occasion, " that doth not know that many monks do oft pass the
time in play at certain games, albeit they be not lawful for them.
These games, such as cards and the game of chess, do they
cunningly hide from the abbot's eye by putting them away in holes
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