Page:Cyclopedia of Puzzles by Samuel Loyd.pdf/29

PROPOSITION—Cut the mitre-shaped piece of paper into the fewest possible number of pieces which will it together and form a perfect square.

OF COURSE, ANY ONE who has ever presented a puzzle or trick to a party of friends is acquainted with Alec and his habit of showing, or attempting to show, that he knows all about the trick before it has been explained. In case he happens to have seen the puzzle, he gives away the answer before those who take interest in ruch matters have a chance to try it Even when it is now to him, he aims to show how it resembles something else which he can readily demon strate to be superior to this one. Generally his explanation reminds us of the Persian proverb of "He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a nuisance," and it is a pleasure to squelch him, as in the following instance:

Harry is about to show his young friends a clever cutting puzzle, when he is rudely interrupted by Alec the Terrible, who believes it to be what is familiarly known among puzalist as the famous old Mitre puzzle, which I sprang upon the public over fifty years ago, wherein the paper is to be divided into four pieces of similar shape and size.

In response to Alec's boisterous offer to explain the puzzle to every one, Harry promptly replies:

"All right! the puzzle is to cut this paper into the fewest possible number of pieces which will fit to- gether so as to form a perfect square I have forgotten the answer myself, but my friend here has kindly volunteered to explain it, so as to enable you all to win the handsome prizes which have been offered." The puzzle is not so easy as it looks, and is liable to haffle an ex- pert a long time before he hits upon the correct answer. The student will speedily discover that the principle of our old friend Pytha- goras' problem is the key to the situation, in that it gives the size of the square to be formed.

Of course, there are innumerable ways of doing the feat by cutting the paper into many pieces, so you will readily discover one of these answers. Herein, however, lies the merit of the modern school of puzzles which gives great scope for ingenuity and skill, for while any one may find a fairly good answer a more clever puzzlist has an opportunity to discover a better one.

Here is an odd little puzzle for the Juveniles, which is interesting as being one of my earliest productions, published more than half a century ago. It shows the original drawing as done by lad of nine and is given to encourage young puzzlists to attempt similar work. It is told that three neighbors, who shared a small park, as shown in the sketch, had a falling out. The owner of the large house complaining that his neighbor's chickens annoyed him, built an enclosed pathway from his door to the gate at the bottom of the picture. Then the man on the right built a path to the gate on the left, and the man on the left built a path to the gate on the right, so that one of the paths cross!

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