MISCELLANEOUS PUZZLES
84.—772e
Japanese Ladies and the Carpet
Three Japanese ladies possessed a square ancestral carpet of con-
siderable intrinsic value, but treasured also as an interesting heirloom
in the family. They decided to cut it up and make three square rugs
of it, so that each should possess a share in her own house.
One lady suggested that the simplest way would be for her to
take a smaller share than the other two, because then the carpet
need not be cut into more than four pieces.
There are three easy ways of doing this, which I will leave the
reader for the present the amusement of finding for himself, merely
saying that if you suppose the carpet to be nine feet square, then one
lady may take a piece two feet square whole, another a two feet
square in two pieces, and the third a square foot whole.
But this generous offer would not for a moment be entertained by
101
