Intellect Sharpeners

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21763, 31 March 1934, Page 5 (Supplement)

Intellect Sharpeners

WORD CHANGES B7 C. J. WHEREFORE In the lines below the spaces are to be filled with a sequence of words, each of which differs from the one preceding it by one letter, thns making the last word quite unlike tho first and with an entirely different meaning. She turned on her pillow on hearing the And would have had it elsewhere, Because of a promise to meet with a friend, Who might, perhaps, to be there. But she woke with the sun smiling down on her face, Which made her own countenance smile; How often those things we feel sure will go wrong out in a different style. Tho records of such unexpected delights, If stored in a business-like way, " Would up a of a generous size, And make us feel foolish some day. So here let us Ic-ave hor amusing her friend With quite a jest it may be. I dreamt all {ast night that we could not get out, I know it was silly of me. COINS IN COLLECTION The vicar was listening to his two sidesmen counting and discussing the contents of the collection bags. One of them remarked that there were only three different denominations of coins included, and that two of the highest value added to two of the lowest raluo made a sum equal to 11 of the middle value. The other stated that a dozen of the lowest value would be equal to one of each of the other two values added together. At this point the vicar interrupted their conversation to ask if there were any pence or halfpence in the bags. The reply he received is not given, because it is expected that readers will have no difficulty in finding the answer themselves^

PRICE OP TEA A firm of tea merchants received an inquiry whether they could supply tea at 2s 6d a pound. Now, they had it in stock at 7d, 4d and Id less than this price, and also at 4d and 6d more. At first, they were puzzled as to what reply they should give until one of their clerks pointed out that as the order was for a certain number less than a dozen pounds they could supply thatnumber of pounds by taking some from each sample. No fractions of pounds were required. What was the number of pounds thus supplied and how was the mixing carried out?

TWO FOR THE ARMCHAIR Ada and Beryl are sisters and are not twins, but their birthdays fall on the same date. They have only one birthday cake between them, . but it has a line across the top dividingit in half, and each poition has a candle for each year of the ago of the girl to whom that half belongs. If they continue to observe this custom for another two years the total number of candles will be twice as great as those placed on Beryl's side of the cake to represent her age to-day. And it is also true that two years ago the total number was just twice as great as the number placed on Ada's half, of the cake to-day. What is the difference between the ages of these two girls? A storekeeper had a pair of scales which had been damaged, with the result that one pan weighed a little more than the other. If he put the weights in the heavy pan and the goods in the light one the effect was that he gave his customers a quarter of an ounce under-weight. He employed two assistants, who were not aware that the scales had any error, and one of them made it his rule to' put the weights on one side, while the other always put them on the opposite side. In this way the two men recorded sales of one hundredweight of sugar in parcels of one pound, but when their > employer examined his stock he found there was still one pound of sugar remaining out of the hundredweight which was supposed to have been sold. How many pounds had each of the two assistants sold?

ANOTHER WOOL PROBLEM A sheepowner sent a truck load of wool to the agents for sale. The lightest bale weighed exactly 3001b., and when the bales were taken in order of weight it was found that the difference between the weights of two successive bales was always either 71b. or 111b. Under these circumstances is it _ possible that one of tbe bales weighed 4001b ? A PROBLEM FOR TENNIS PLAYERS Six men. with their wires, arc all keen tennis players, and are accustomed to meeting at the house of one of their number, where there is a good court. They are not interested in tournaments or competitions, but they wish to vary the arrangement of their games as much as possible so that they may havo experience of other players' methods and skill. One rule of the club is that the play is always a man and a woman against a man and a woman, but no man ever plays with or against his own wife. Another rule is that no man or woman plays more than once with the same three persons, that is, he or she may play more than once with two of them but not with all three. The problem is to find how many games can be played subject to these rules, or, in other words, before th'.» same four persons who played iu the first game reappear on the court. The number is much less than might be expected, as the rules exclude most of the combinations which would occur under ordinary conditions.

LAST WEEK'S SOLUTIONS Counting Sheep.—Thirty sheep on 42 acres. Birthday Greetings.—A rode 6 mibs and walked 14, B rode 12 miles and walked 8, C rodo 16 miles and walked 4. Armchair Problems. —(1) The side of the square is .36vds.; (2) Two parcels weighing 4ilb., mfldo into 0110 weighing 91b.; (3) March 26. Loan of Bicycle.—The only complication in this problem is that it has to bo solved without knowing the actual distance travelled. He tp,pk 1 hour 20 minutes to ride to the and 30 minutes to walk from thei'o to the station. Combination' Lock.—The arrangement of the last four suggests that the woi'd ends in '' tion." Thero ai'e about 1500 words in the English language which have this termination and at least a dozen of them can" be formed with the eight cylinders". But this may be a false clue, because other words, such as hilarity and paternal, ,can also be made. It seeyis, therefore," that a burglar would find it difficult to;opon the lock even if he carried a goo«i dictionary in his outfit.