THE CANTERBURY PUZZLES
separately placed in them. By placing the cup that holds one
lump inside the one that holds two lumps, it can be correctly stated
that every cup contains an odd number of lumps. One cup holds
seven lumps, another holds one lump, while the third cup holds
three lumps. It is evident that if a cup contains another cup it also
contains the contents of that second cup.
57.—
The Christmas Geese.
Farmer Rouse sent exactly 101 geese to market. Jabez first sold
Mr. Jasper Tyler half of the flock and half a goose over (that is
50i + J, or 51 geese, leaving 50) ; he then sold Farmer Avent a
third of what remained and a third of a goose over (that is 161 +
i,
or 17 geese, leaving 33) ; he then sold Widow Foster a quarter of
what remained and three-quarters of a goose over (that is 8s + i or
9 geese, leaving 24) ; he next sold Ned Collier a fifth of what
he had left and gave him a fifth of a goose " for the missus " (that is
4i + i, or 5 geese, leaving 19). He then took these 19 back to his
master.
58.—
The Chalked Numbers.
This little jest on the part of Major Trenchard is another trick
puzzle, and the face of the roguish boy on the extreme right, with
the figure 9 on his back, showed clearly that he was in the secret,
whatever that secret might be. I have no doubt (bearing in mind
the Major's hint as to the numbers being "properly regarded")
that his answer was that depicted in the illustration, where boy No.
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