Part 12

FATHER--“You are very backward in your arithmetic. When I was your age I was doing cube roots.”

BOY--“What’s them?”

FATHER--“What! You don’t know what they are? My! my! that’s terrible! There, give me your pencil. Now, we take, say, 28764289, and find the cube root. First, you divide--no, you point off--no--let me see?--um--yes--no--don’t stand there grinning like a Cheshire cat; go upstairs and stay in your bedroom for an hour.”

A “TAKE-DOWN” WITH CARDS.

This is a card trick which depends upon a certain “key,” the possessor of which will always have the advantage over his uninstructed adversary. It is played with the first six of each suit--the four aces in one row, next row the deuces, threes, fours, fives and sixes. The object now will be to turn down cards alternately, and endeavour to make thirty-one points by so turning without over-running that number. The chief point is to count so as to end with the following numbers: 3, 10, 17 or 24.

For instance, we will suppose it your privilege to commence the count; you would commence with 3, and your adversary would add 6, which would make 9; it would be then your policy to add 1 and make 10; then, no matter what number he adds he cannot prevent you making 17, which gives you the command of the trick. We will suppose he adds 6 and make 16; then you add 1 and make 17; then he to add 6 and make 23, you add 1 and make 24; then he cannot add any number to make 31, as the highest number he can add is 6, which would only count 30, so that you can easily add the remaining 1 and make 31.

If your adversary is not wary, you may safely turn indifferent numbers at the beginning, trusting to his ignorance to let you count 17 or 24; but, as his knowledge increases, he will soon learn that 24 is a critical number, and to play for it accordingly.

If both players know the trick, the first to play must be the winner, as he is sure to begin with a 3, which commands the game.

ON AN OFFICE DOOR IN GOULBURN.

A baptism in Hades’ depths, As hot as boiling tar, Awaits the man who quits this room And leaves the door ajar. But he who softly shuts the door Shall dwell among the blest-- Where the wicked cease from troubling And the weary are at rest.

47. There are 5 eggs on a dish; divide them amongst 5 persons so that each will get 1 egg and yet 1 still remain on the dish.

48. If a goose weighs 10 lbs. and a half of its own weight, what is the weight of the goose?

THE GEOMETRICAL WONDER AND ARITHMETICAL ABSURDITY.

Take a piece of cardboard 13 inches long and 5 wide, thus giving a surface of 65 inches. Cut this strip diagonally, giving two pieces in the shape of a triangle, and measure exactly 5 inches from the larger end of each strip and cut in two pieces. Take these strips and put them into the shape of an exact square, and it will appear to be just 8 inches each way, or 64 inches--a loss of one square inch of superficial measurement with no diminution of surface.

49. If we buy 20 sheep for 20 shillings, and give 2s. for wethers, 1s. 6d. for ewes, and 4d. for lambs, how many of each must we buy?

50. A sets out from a place and travels 5 miles an hour. B sets out 4½ hours after A and travels in the same direction 3 miles in the first hour, 3½ miles the second hour, 4 miles the third hour, and so on. In how many hours will B overtake A?

OFTEN ASKED.

51. What is the difference between 4 square miles and 4 miles square?

TO TELL THE NUMBER THOUGHT OF ON A CLOCK.

Ask a person to think of any number on the dial of a clock; you then point, promiscuously at the various numbers, telling the person to add the number of times you point to the number he thought of, and when the total reaches 20, you will be pointing at the number he selected.

For instance, suppose he selected the number 5. You point indifferently 7 times at the various numbers, but the 8th time your pointer must be at XII., his addition will then be 13 (for 5 and 8 added equal 13), the next at XI., his addition then 14, next at X., and so on. When he calls 20, you will be pointing at the number he thought of--5.

A very amusing experiment is to ask a person to write down the figures around the dial of a clock. Nearly all know that the figures are generally the Roman numerals; but, in writing them down, when they come to the four, it is very often written IV. instead of IIII.

It is said that a certain king, being unable to find any other fault in a clock that had been constructed for him, declared that the figure four should be represented by four strokes (IIII) instead of IV. In vain did the clock-maker point out the mistake, for his majesty adhered obstinately to his own opinion, and angrily ordered the alteration to be made. This was done, and the precedent thus formed has been followed by clockmakers ever since.

52. At dinner table: one great grandfather, 2 grandfathers, 1 grandmother, 3 fathers, 2 mothers, 4 children, 3 grandchildren, 1 great grandchild, 3 sisters, 1 brother, 2 husbands, 2 wives, 1 mother-in-law, 1 father-in-law, 2 brothers-in-law, 3 sisters-in-law, 2 uncles, 3 aunts, 1 nephew, 2 nieces, and 2 cousins. How many persons?

“Can February March?” he asked. “No, but April May,” was the reply. “Look here, old man, you are out of June.” “Don’t July about it.” “It is not often one gets the better of your August personage.” “Ha! now you have me Noctober.” And then there was work for the coroner.

PANCAKE DAY.

53. On Shrove Tuesday last, I’ll tell you what pass’d In a neighbouring gentleman’s kitchen, Where pancakes were making, with eggs, and with bacon As good as e’er cut off a flitchen. The cook-maid she makes four lusty pancakes For William her favourite gardener, “Pray be quick with that four,” cries Jack, “and make more, For William won’t let me go partner.” Being sparing of lard, the pan’s bottom she marr’d In making the last of Will’s four; So she said, “Pr’ythee, John, run and borrow a pan, Or else I can’t make any more.” Jack soon got a pan, but found by his span That the first was more wide than the latter, This being a foot o’er, whereas that before Was three inches more and a quarter. Jack cries, “Don’t me cozen, but make half a dozen. For the pan is much less than before;” Says Will, “For a crown (and I’ll put the cash down) Your six will be more than my four.” “Tis done,” says brisk Jack, and his crown he did stake, So both of them sent for a gauger; The dimensions he takes, of all their pancakes, To determine this important wager. He found, by his stick, they were equally thick, So one of Will’s cakes he did take, Which he straight cut in twain, twelve one-fifth the chord line; And gave the less piece unto Jack. “To the best of my skill,” says the gauger, “this will Make both of your shares equal and true;” Will swore that he lied, so, the point to decide, They refer themselves, sirs, unto you; Then pray give your answers, as soon as you can, sirs, For what with their quarrels and jars, We’re afraid of some murder, for no day goes over But they fight, and are cover’d with scars!

Inches.