Popular Science Monthly 



589 



Juggling the Digits 

 ''T^HE schoolmistress set a \ ery pretty 

 X problem in simple addition for her 

 class when she 

 said, "I want you 

 to arrange th^ 

 digits 1,2,3,4,5, 

 6, 7, 8 and 9 and 

 o in a sum which 

 will total 191 6. 

 The use of frac- 

 tions, proper or 

 improper, is per- 

 missible so long 

 as the sum total, 

 when finished, will be exactly 1916." 



Can you juggle the digits into the de- 

 sired arrangement? 



How Old Was Jimmie ? 



OX registration day in the public 

 schools Jimmie Jones, brother of 

 the famous Ann, smoothed down his hair 

 and looked somewhat (juizzically at the 

 teacheriwhen she asked him how old he 

 was. Finally he replied: 



"When I was born my sister was one- 

 fourth the age of mother; sister is now 

 one-third as old as father and I am one- 

 fourth of mother's age. In four years I 

 shall be one-fourth as (jld as father." 



How old was Jimmie Jones? 



Dividing the Farm 



FOUR heirs to a [)iece of land formed 

 like the accompanying outline of 

 the letter T , 



brought their 

 plans to a sur- 

 veyor's office for 

 instructions in 

 carrying out pro- 

 x'isionsof the will, 

 which were that 

 each heir was to 

 receive a piece of 

 land of a luiiform 

 shape and si/e. The surveyor gave them 

 the startling information that it was im- 

 possible to divide the actual land accord- 

 ing to the terms of the will, but that he 

 could divide the i)aj)er plan of the proper- 

 ty so that it would conform to the terms, 

 that is, he could cut the diagram intcj 

 four pieces of the same shape and size. 

 Can y(iu show how he accomplished 

 this task? 



On the African Firing Line 



THE Zulu Chief found a cocoanut 

 and threw it at the monkey. Said 

 the monkey as he 

 threw two in re- 

 turn, "I can't 

 catch but I am 

 great on the 

 pitch." 



Every time the 

 Zulu threw one 

 cocoanut the 

 monkey tossed 

 back two. 



Since all the 

 cocoanuts used in 

 the engagement can be seen in the pic- 

 ture, who can tell just how many cocoa- 

 nuts the Zulu had thrown when the 

 artist snapshot him? 



Answers to March Puzzles 

 THE PRESIDENTIAL PUZZLE 

 Candidate D jumps to square 7, re- 

 moving man A; E jumps to square 8, 

 removing B; C jumps to square 4, re- 

 moving E and C again jumps to 10, re- 

 moving D ; F then jumps over C and lands 

 in the White House on square 5. 



PUZZLING KUGELSPIEL 

 Analysis will show that the first player 

 must knock one pin from the 8 group, 

 leaving groups of 7, 3, 4. He will then 

 be able in successive plays to leave the 

 following winning positions against his 

 opponent: (2, 4, 6) (i, 4, 5) (i, 2, 3) 

 (i , I , I ) or the doubles (4, 4) (3, 3) (2, 2). 



THE COST OF A VILLA 



The Smiths' new home cost $2,253. 

 The paper-hanger's bill was $148; the 

 painter's, $230; the plumber's, $260; 

 the mason's, $420, and the carpenter's, 

 $444, a total of $1 502 . The lot cost $75 1 . 



AN ELEPHANT ON HIS HANDS 

 The data of that unconsummated ele- 

 phant deal reveals the fact that the 

 would-be seller asked five rupees for his 

 animal, and that the prospective buyer's 

 best offer was less than nothing, for he 

 asked a bonus of three rupees to take 

 the beast, which you see would be eight 

 rupees less than asking price. Then the 

 seller came down twent\- per cent to 

 four rupees, but there remained a differ- 

 ence of seven rupees between them and 

 no deal. 



