Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 88.djvu/777

 Popular Science Monthly

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���A Daisy Game

Here is a version of the "One I love two I love" Daisy Game which involves a neat little puz- zle. You see the young people take turns in plucking the petals, the victorious player taking the last petal and leaving the "Old Maid" stump with his or her opponent. The player has a choice of removing one or two of the petals at each play, provided the two are side by side. For example, the first player might take petal 13, or i and 2, but not 2 and 13, since they are not together.

The game may be played with small buttons or other markers laid upon the petals until all are covered. If your opponent started by covering i and 2, what would be your play to make sure of a win?

While You Wait

O'Sullivan, the cobbler, who shoes his customers "While you wait," says he can repair five pairs of men's boots in the same time that it takes to fix six pairs of women's shoes, and that it takes the Same time to overhaul five pairs for the children as it does three pairs for the women, so he charges according to the time consumed.

The other day he took in $6.60 and reshod three men, four women and two children. Can you tell how much he chargestorepairapairof children's shoes?

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��Reversing Magic Squares

"Let us have a little talk about magic squares," said the schoolmistress. "The arrangement of numbers in the form of squares, so that they will add up the same amount in every column, as well as in the two diagonals, is without doubt the oldest of mathematical puzzles. It was held in great veneration by the Egyptians; and the Pythagoreans, to add more efifici- ency and virtue to the magic square, dedicated it to the then known seven planets.

"Here we have the simplest form of the magic square, this being capable of extension ad infinitum. Now, since there is nothing new to be presented about magic squares let us take a contrary view of the magic square principle and imag- ine an arrangement of figures in square form that will not give two like totals in the 8 rows. Juggle the figures about in any manner you wish to bring about the 8 different totals, but do not disturb the center 5.

"There is another little puzzle sug- gested by the lines forming the squares. "I want you to show how the diagram of 9 little squares may be constructed of 4 separate continuous lines of similar length, which means that no lines must cross. There you have two puzzles to work out."

��APRIL ISSUE PRIZES

The Editor has decided that it is not fair to award the prizes of the Puzzle Page on a basis of the date of mailing the answers because readers do not all receive their copies at the same time. Therefore the prizes for ansicers to the puzzles in the April issue will be aivarded in accordance with the rules stated on the opposite page governing the prize offer for the letters and answers to puzzles in this issue. Answers to the April puzzles must be received not later than May Sth.

The answers to the April puzzles will appear in the June issue. The names of the successful April contestants will appear in the July issue.

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