284. When he is caught stealing, what does he catch?
285. How many feet ought a thief to have?
286. Why is Tom Tumbledown like Adam when he saw the apple?
287. A friend asserted to me a day or two since, that forty horses only had eighty-four legs. How did it come?
A RIDDLE WITHIN A RIDDLE.
288.
Moce ye inugeison nose hist dilerd suesg
Ti si ton cufidlift ouy liwl socfens,
Thaw si hatt burmen—hiwhc fi ouy ivdedi,
Ouy hent liwl hington veale no theire dies?
289. Our family is large, but not much more than one third as large as that of Jacob when he went to live in Egypt. But, like the family of that ancient patriarch, we often migrate to other countries. We do not keep together, whether at home or abroad; we are scattered about in every direction,—at once masters, servants, and slaves to forty-four millions of people. Not a book is printed without our aid; and, what is stranger still, we are all found at the same time in every book in every library and country where the English language is spoken; and on almost every page. Sometimes, though rarely, two of us stand side by side. It is still more rare for us all to appear together arranged in the same order. Nothing is more common with people than to place us in rows or platoons; but whether in militia, army, or navy—for some of us are employed in all these—we are seldom arranged twice alike. Sometimes one of us stands first; sometimes another. Sometimes a row or platoon consists of only two or three of us; at others of many more; and occasionally of twelve, fifteen, or twenty; and, strangest to relate of all, we can be so placed as to make out about 50,000 rows, no two of which will be exactly alike. Must we not, then, be a useful family? And what, think you, is our family name?
290. | | | | | | . Add five more marks to these six, so as to make nine.