There are 252 different ways. The general formula is that, for words of n letters (not palindromes, as in the case of the next puzzle), when grouped in this manner, there are always 2^(n+1) - 4 different readings. This does not allow diagonal readings, such as you would get if you used instead such a word as DIGGING, where it would be possible to pass from one G to another G by a diagonal step. 257.--THE DEIFIED PUZZLE. The correct answer is 1,992 different ways. Every F is either a corner F or a side F--standing next to a corner in its own square of F's. Now, FIED may be read _from_ a corner F in 16 ways; therefore DEIF may be read _into_ a corner F also in 16 ways; hence DEIFIED may be read _through_ a corner F in 16 x 16 = 256 ways. Consequently, the four corner F's give 4 x 256 = 1,024 ways. Then FIED may be read from a side F in 11 ways, and DEIFIED therefore in 121 ways. But there are eight side F's; consequently these give together 8 x 121 = 968 ways. Add 968 to 1,024 and we get the answer, 1,992. In this form the solution will depend on whether the number of letters in the palindrome be odd or even. For example, if you apply the word NUN in precisely the same manner, you will get 64 different readings; but if you use the word NOON, you will only get 56, because you cannot use the same letter twice in immediate succession (since you must "always pass from one letter to another") or diagonal readings, and every reading must involve the use of the central N. The reader may like to find for himself the general formula in this case, which is complex and difficult. I will merely add that for such a case as MADAM, dealt with in the same way as DEIFIED, the number of readings is 400. 258.-- THE VOTERS' PUZZLE. THE number of readings here is 63,504, as in the case of "WAS IT A RAT I SAW" (No. 30, _Canterbury Puzzles_). The general formula is that for palindromic sentences containing 2n + 1 letters there are (4(2^n -1)) squared readings. 259.-- HANNAH'S PUZZLE. Starting from any one of the N's, there are 17 different readings of NAH, or 68 (4 times 17) for the 4 N's. Therefore there are also 68 ways of spelling HAN. If we were allowed to use the same N twice in a spelling, the answer would be 68 times 68, or 4,624 ways. But the conditions were, "always passing from one letter to another." Therefore, for every one of the 17 ways of spelling HAN with a particular N, there would be 51 ways (3 times 17) of completing the NAH, or 867 (17 times 51) ways for the complete word. Hence, as there are four N's to use in HAN, the correct solution of the puzzle is 3,468 (4 times 867) different ways. 260.--THE HONEYCOMB PUZZLE. The required proverb is, "There is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." Start at the T on the outside at the bottom right-hand corner, pass to the H above it, and the rest is easy. 261.-- THE MONK AND THE BRIDGES. [Illustration]