The Canterbury Puzzles, and Other Curious Problems — John Shaqi
The Canterbury Puzzles, and Other Curious ProblemsDudeney, Henry Ernest
Science
The Canterbury Puzzles, and Other Curious Problems
Dudeney, Henry Ernest
Puzzles; Riddles
One day, at an inn just outside Canterbury, the company called on him to
produce the puzzle required of him; whereupon he placed on the table
sixteen bottles numbered 1, 2, 3, up to 15, with the last one marked 0.
"Now, my masters," quoth he, "it will be fresh in your memories how that
the good Clerk of Oxenford did show us a riddle touching what hath been
called the magic square. Of a truth will I set before ye another that may
seem to be somewhat of a like kind, albeit there be little in common
betwixt them. Here be set out sixteen bottles in form of a square, and I
pray you so place them afresh that they shall form a magic square, adding
up to thirty in all the ten straight ways. But mark well that ye may not
remove more than ten of the bottles from their present places, for
therein layeth the subtlety of the riddle." This is a little puzzle that
may be conveniently tried with sixteen numbered counters.
23.--_The Squire's Puzzle._
The young Squire, twenty years of age, was the son of the Knight that
accompanied him on the historic pilgrimage. He was undoubtedly what in
later times we should call a dandy, for, "Embroideréd was he as is a
mead, All full of fresh flowers, white and red. Singing he was or fluting
all the day, He was as fresh as is the month of May." As will be seen in
the illustration to No. 26, while the Haberdasher was propounding his
problem of the triangle, this young Squire was standing in the background
making a drawing of some kind; for "He could songs make and well indite,
Joust and eke dance, and well portray and write."
The Knight turned to him after a while and said, "My son, what is it over
which thou dost take so great pains withal?" and the Squire answered, "I
have bethought me how I might portray in one only stroke a picture of our
late sovereign lord King Edward the Third, who hath been dead these ten
years. 'Tis a riddle to find where the stroke doth begin and where it
doth also end. To him who first shall show it unto me will I give the
portraiture."
[Illustration]
I am able to present a facsimile of the original drawing, which was won
by the Man of Law. It may be here remarked that the pilgrimage set out
from Southwark on 17th April 1387, and Edward the Third died in 1377.
24.--_The Friar's Puzzle._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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