THE MERRY MONKS OF RIDDLEWELL
community, the others being always free to cap it with another if
disposed to do so. Abbot David was, undoubtedly, the puzzle
genius of the monastery, and everybody naturally bowed to his
decision. Only a few of the Abbey riddles have been preserved,
and I propose to select those that seem most interesting. I shall try
to make the conditions of the puzzles perfectly clear, so that the
modern reader may fully understand them, and be amused in trying
to find some of the solutions.
41.—
The Riddle of the Fish-pond.
At the bottom of the Abbey meads was a small fish-pond where
the monks used to spend many a contemplative hour with rod and
line. One day, when they had had very bad luck and only caught
twelve fishes amongst them, Brother Jonathan suddenly declared that
as there was no sport that day he would put forth a riddle for their
entertainment. He thereupon took twelve fish baskets, and placed
them at equal distances round the pond, as shown in our illustration,
with one fish in each basket.
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