THE CANTERBURY PUZZLES
the peculiar language of the heralds, " argent, semee of roses, gules,"
which means that on a white ground red roses were scattered or
strewn, as seed is sown by the hand. When this Knight was called
on to propound a puzzle, he said to the company, " This riddle a
wight did ask of me when that I fought with the lord of Palatine
against the heathen in Turkey. In thy hand take a piece of chalk
and learn how many perfect squares thou canst make with one of the
eighty-seven roses at each corner thereof." The reader may find it
an interesting problem to count the number of squares that may be
formed on the shield by uniting four roses.
5.—The Wife of Bath's Riddles.
The frolicsome Wife of Bath, when called upon to favour the
company, protested that she had no aptitude for such things, but
that her fourth husband had had a liking for them and she
remembered one of his riddles that might be new to her fellow
pilgrims. " Why is a bung that hath been made fast in a
barrel like unto another bung that is just falling out of a barrel ? "
As the company promptly answered this easy conundrum, the lady
went on to say that when she was one day seated sewing in her
private chamber her son entered. " Upon receiving," saith she,
" the parental command, * Depart, my son, and do not disturb me !'
he did reply, ' I am, of a truth, thy son, but thou art not my mother,
and until thou hast shown me how this may be I shall not go forth/ "
This perplexed the company a good deal, but it is not likely to give
the reader much difficulty.
6.—The Host's Puzzle.
Perhaps no puzzle of the whole collection caused more jollity or
was found more entertaining than that produced by the Host of
the " Tabard," who accompanied the party all the way. He
called the pilgrims together and spoke as follows : " My merry
masters all, now that it be my turn to give your brains a twist,
I will show ye a little piece of craft that will try your wits to their
full bent. And yet methinks it is but a simple matter when the
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