Touch me not, I’m firm and sure;
 Behead, I’m used by rich and poor;
 In house and cottage, hut and hall,
 I stand of service to them all.
 Behead again, in time of need
 I tell that strength and skill succeed.

Solution

No. XL.—ANAGRAMS SQUARED

Shake up the sixteen letters of these four words, and recast them into four other words:—

  S   E   E   K
S   L   A   B  
  L   E   E   K
M   O   A   N  

Image

These fresh words, placed on the white squares, must read alike from side to side, and zigzag from top to bottom. The first word is MASK.

Solution

24. A SINGLE ACROSTIC

What river is that, where it is found,
 Which Pope says does with eels abound?
 What Scottish lake, by high hills bounded,
 Is with bright birch and oak surrounded?
 What stream is said in Devon to run
 Into the sea near Otterton?
 What bay on Cuba’s distant coast
 Is justly deemed its pride and boast?
 The initials of these names will show
 A Scotch reformer, who, we know,
 Flourished three hundred years ago.

Solution

No. XLI.—A WORD SQUARE BY ANAGRAM

Take the letters which form the words in these sixteen cells—

A F A R
T A S K
S E A T
L E A L

Image

and recast them so that they form a perfect word square.

Solution

25. A CHARADE

My whole may be a mother, not a dad,
 So former may, or latter;
 But twist my tail, and I become as mad
 As any hatter!
Behead me, and behold I am a man,
 Who never was called mister;
 Cut off my tail, and instantly I can
 Become a sister!

Solution

No. XLII.—QUITE A NOVELTY

There are five English words in this square:—

c h e s s
g r e e d
c a n e s
r e a r s
c h e e r

Image

Can you shake up their letters, and recast them into five other words which form a perfect word square, and read alike from top to bottom and from left to right? The first fresh word is CRESS.

Solution

No. XLIII.—HIDDEN PROVERBS

Five familiar proverbs are hidden in this square of 169 letters,

R E N O W N E D T H A N W
S Y O U R C A K E A N D A
S T E T O B E F E A R H R
E A R K S S P O I L E A F
L E O O H E R S N T D V O
O T M O T L I N O H T E U
N O S C A L A G M E H I R
S N I Y G O R S O B A T S
E N G N E N O T S R N P A
I A O A M O O T S O A E W
R C D E V I L A H T D A S
O U O Y N O I L D A E C A
T C I V R E H H T A H E Z

Image

The proverbs are arranged in a regular sequence.

Solution

26. RINGING SWEET CHANGES

We are familiar with the anagram that so charmingly points to the ministrations on the battle-field of Florence Nightingale—Flit on, cheering angel—but it is not so well known that her name can also be recast with an appropriate wish for her continuance in our loving memory. Can you frame this?

Solution

No. XLIV.—A CLEVER CRYPTOGRAM

A French sentence of 100 letters in twenty-two words is concealed in these 100 cells.

D L A N N E S M P A
L I R D L E E M L H
I L U E E A I N T J
C U R S E M N T U P
E U É S N P R E O S
O L I É D X S M A N
U D E A E É I X N T
T E T P E D N U Q E
B U U U F L I J I N
Z U E J I O E U N R

Image

It can be deciphered by means of a cardboard mask of similar size, with circular holes cut out in some of its cells. This is placed squarely over the diagram, turned round in four successive positions. And thus the sequence of letters is found, and falls into words.

Solution

No. XLV.—SAM LOYD’S PONY PUZZLE

The instant popularity of this clever puzzle was amazing, and its sale is said to have run into millions years ago in America.

Donkey puzlle

Cut the pony into six pieces, as is indicated in the picture, and rearrange these so that they show a trotting horse.

Solution

27. A REBUS

I am
a man
I rate you
a beast
You know me.

Can you put this into shape?

Solution

No. XLVI.—A CLEVER PUZZLE

Here is another of Sam Loyd’s famous trick pictures:—

Puzzle

Can you rearrange the parts to show jockeys and horses in racing trim?

Solution

28. A CHARADE
(With Latin parts.)

My first, thou knowest, was in ancient Rome,
 Rome’s fate my next, and one that all may dread.
 Long may it be before that fate shall come,
 And sever with my whole thy life’s last thread!

Solution

No. XLVII.—A NICE BALANCE

This boy is sure that if he takes his time, and watches his opportunity, he will be able to reach and secure with his mouth the sugar on the chair. Will he?

Balancing chair

Solution

29. BURIED POETS

The names of eight famous British poets are buried in these lines—that is to say, the letters that spell the names form in their proper order parts of different words:—

The sun is darting rays of gold
 Upon the moor, enchanting spot,
 Whose purpled heights, by Ronald loved,
 Up open to his shepherd cot.
And sundry denizens of air
 Are flying—aye, each to his nest;
 And eager make at such an hour
 All haste to reach the mansions blest.

Can you dig them up?

Solution

No. XLVIII.—LEAF-FROG

Here are six little hoptoads, as our cousins across the water call them, three white and three black, going in opposite directions. A frog may jump, one, two, or three steps, but no two may be together at any time.

Frogs

In how few jumps can the black frogs be seated to the left of their white brothers? It is obvious that one of the white frogs must jump first to the stool marked 1.

Solution

30. AN ENIGMA

This multiplies me, I declare,
 Though it reduces one;
 A sty is foul if it is there,
 By it a deed is done.

Solution

31. MISSING WORDS

Lennie ...... the words he read,
 Studying ...... fable;
 Lennie’s mother ...... the bread,
 Sophy ...... the table.
 “Work while you are ......,” they said
 “...... while you are able!”

Solution

No. XLIX.—DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS

A very curious old print, of which this might well be the title, was picked up on a bookstall. This picture shows clever designs for two of the digits:

Print

1

Se Pierot or Lun,
A Figure of One.

2

Again he’s to view,
A Figure of Two.

 

32. A CHARADE

When I write with my first in my second,
 My whole is quite sure to be in.
 Divided afresh, there is reckoned
 A wit, or a something that’s thin.
 Prefix a letter, and, as dear as paint,
 You see the name of an old English Saint.

Solution

No. L.—DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS

Here is the second pair of this queer company:—

Print

3

Now ’tis plain you may see,
He’s a Figure of Three.

4

Behold him once more,
A Figure of Four.

 

33. ONE GOOD TURN DESERVES ANOTHER

My first, though half a noisy bird,
 To a slight noise may turn;
 My second twist, a stately word,
 And it will bend we learn.

Solution

34. AN ENIGMA

To half of ten add one,
 Then half a score.
 When this is duly done
 Almost ten more.
 This can be good for none,
 But trial sore.

Solution

No. LI.—DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS

Here is the third pair of these quaint characters:—

Print

5

Now here we contrive
To make him a Five

6

He’s a Six here complete,
With his hands to his feet.

 

35. A BURIED PROVERB

A proverb of eight words is buried here:—

I fancy this Tory outcry, this weary outrageous attempt to show illegality, is as a cat chasing snow-flakes. I must be forgiven if I shun his example.

Solution

36. MISSING WORDS

Quick ....... in action, now timid, now bold,
 Like ....... of ropes far too rotten to hold,
 ....... a ....... ....... and disasters
 For a State that ....... not incapable masters.

The six missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.

Solution

No. LII.—DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS

Here is another pair of these quaint figures:—

Print

7

With some alteration,
A Seven’s his station.

8

Here not being strait,
He forms a good eight.

 

37. A CHARADE

My first as an heir,
 My second a snare,
 My whole is the offspring of fancy,
 Which I sent on its way
 Last Valentine’s Day,
 As a token of love to my Nancy.

Solution

38. A LOVER’S VOW

My love shall never know my first,
 Shall never be my second;
 It shall my all, come best, come worst,
 Be surely reckoned.

Solution

No. LIII.—DIGITS IN THE FIDGETS

Here is the final pair:—

Final print

9

While drinking his Wine,
He appears like a nine.

0

Nine Forms having past
He’s a Cypher at last.

 

39. AN ENIGMA

I am a letter, and a word,
 I am a tree, I am a name,
 Cut me in pieces with a sword,
 You and your act would be the same.
 Thrice you must leave the aspirate in doubt,
 And use it twice if you would find me out.

Solution

40. ANSWER BY ANAGRAM

If you “resist disasters,” how may this affect one of your home circle?

Solution

No. LIV.—A FREAK OF FIGURES

1 × 8 + 1 = 9
12 × 8 + 2 = 98
123 × 8 + 3 = 987
1234 × 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 × 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 × 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 × 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 × 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 × 8 + 9 = 987654321

41. A CHARADE

My first the rainbow shows
 When in rich hues it glows.
 My next has vowels three;
 My third was once a tree.
 My fourth begins the year,
 My whole the past makes clear.

Solution

42. ASK A SCHOOLBOY

If you tell a schoolboy that the longest side of a triangular field measures 100 rods, and that each of the other sides measures 50 rods, and ask him to estimate the value of its grass at £1 per acre, how should he answer?

Solution

43. A WHOLE LESS THAN ITS PART

Less than my last, my whole has place
 Between my first and second:
 Second has body, arms and face;
 First is by inches reckoned.

Solution

No. LV.—SPINNING WHEELS

What is the smallest number of straight lines which can be drawn within this square so as to enclose each of the wheels within separate boundaries?

Circles

While solving this, rotate the paper in your hand, and see the wheels spin.

Solution

44. A HISTORICAL CHARADE

My first at early morn the camp alarms,
 And at its sound the soldier springs to arms;
 My second nowadays fair ladies scorn,
 Though in less dainty days it oft was worn.
 My whole, a battle fought on Scottish ground,
 With victory the rebel forces crowned.

Solution

No. LVI.—FOUR QUARTERS AMONG FIVE

A market gardener who has a large square plot of ground wishes to reserve a fourth of it in the shape of a triangle for himself, as is shown in the diagram—

Plot

and to divide the remainder among his four sons, so that each shares equally, with plots of similar shape. How did he mark it out for them?

This appears in a less perfect form in “The Twentieth Century Standard Puzzle Book.”

Solution

No. LVII.—USE YOUR PENCIL

Here is a simple little puzzle which may amuse anyone who has paper and pencil at hand:—

Puzzle

Can you combine three figures similar to Fig. A with two similar to Fig. B, so that a perfect Latin cross is formed?

It is, of course, an easier matter to cut out five such pieces in paper or cardboard, and arrange them in the form required.

Solution

45. MISSING WORDS

I love strolling ....... that wander around,
 Each ....... a ....... in versatile skill;
 Each ....... so quaint, each idea so profound,
 My barn’s at their service, whenever they will.
 A company played there last night, but to-day
 Ducks ......., and poultry have vanished away!

The missing words are spelt with the same seven letters.

Solution

No. LVIII.—SUBTLE SELFISHNESS

Four poor men were living in the cottages shown in this diagram, round a central lake well stocked with fish. Four rich men built their houses further afield, and selfishly determined to exclude their neighbours from access to the water.

Houses

How could they do this effectually without cutting themselves off from the lake?

Solution

46. AN ARITHMOREM

150 hat robe or tent

Can you form from this the name of a famous British author, treating the 150 as Roman numerals?

Solution

No. LIX.—FOR THE CHILDREN

Cut out in cardboard four pieces of the shape and size of each of the large patterns, and two pieces of the small one:—

Patterns

Now arrange these ten pieces so that they form a perfect square.

Solution

47. SHEDDING LETTERS

I’m a worker most active, most useful, most known,
 Of all that are busy in country and town.
 Take from me one letter, and yet my good name
 In spite of this loss will continue the same.
 Take from me two letters, and still you will see
 That precisely the same in effect I shall be.
 Take from me three letters, or even take more,
 Yet still I continue as sound as before.

Solution

No. LX.

The dotted lines in this diagram show how the figure can be divided into nine parts by four straight cuts

Pointy figure

which can be reunited to form a perfect cross.

Solution

48. A SHARP BOY

Tom Larkins, proud of his prize for arithmetic, challenged his sisters to show on a blackboard that if 50 is subtracted from the sum of the nine digits, the result is equal to the number obtained by dividing their sum by 3. How did he prove his point?

Solution

No. LXI.—AN EASY ONE

Take in paper or cardboard a figure made up of a square and half of a similar square, thus:—