INTELLECT SHARPENERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22166, 20 July 1935, Page 5 (Supplement)

INTELLECT SHARPENERS

ADVENTURES OF. A WATCH A boy bought a watch from another boy at a very reasonable price, because it would not go. He cleaned and oiiod the works, and sold it to his elder brother without stating what he bail paid for it, and induced his victim to pay twice tbo former price and a small sum as well. The elder brother was dissatisfied with the watch and pawned it, but all he could get was an amount equal to twice the excess over double purchase price which he bad paid to his younger brother. After these three transactions the money which had changed hands amounted to twelve shillings. The boy bought the watch again as an unredeemed pledge for four-sevenths of what lie had paid for it on the first occasion, and the pawnbroker made a hundred per cent profit thereon. What price did the boy pay for the watch on the first occasion ? MOB OF CATTLE A man was driving a few cattle along a road, and a neighbour asked him how many he had of each description. He replied: " If one steer in every five were a heifer, then the number of heifers would be one-third of the whole mob. Or if ono cow in every four were a steer, then the number of steers would be two-thirds of the whole mob." How many each had he? SECOND-HAND CARS Two men, A and B, bought secondhand cars. Neither of these proved to be great bargains, but their new owners seemed to bo satisfied with them, and both men stated that when they drove their purchases home, that is to the town where both of them lived, the velocities realised amounted to one mile per hour for every five pounds paid. A's car cost £25 more than the other, and his time on the journey was half an hour less than that of B. One car did five miles per hour more than the other, but a mutual friend remarks that they had not had sufficient evidence from which to form opinions, as neither has had more than two hours and a-half experience of his car. What prices did they pay for their cars, and bow far away are their homes from the place where they made their purchases? PROBLEM IN ACES The following problem was shown to a critical friend, who asked whether all the information required had been given. There has been no omission, and the solution is really difficult. A man's age a few years ago was one-eightv-third part of the number of the year of bis birth. What was his age in the year 191-1, when the war started? WORD CHANGE AND RHYMING In the lines given below the spaces are to be filled with a series of words, each of which differs from the one before it by one letter, making the last

By C. J. WHEREFORE

word quite unlike the first, although it has the same moaning. The endings of the lines do not rhyme, because it is supposed that they have been written down by a person with a bad memory, and readers are invited to make the necessary corrections. There are so many things I , I'll have to come to the city, And lost I should forget a few, I'd better make a list. My memory seems to go to when most required to behave, I'm not a flowering plant you can rely upon, certainly. So now 1 this word to you, it's not the first I've To meet mo nt the place to which not long ago wo , For when we lunch together, I'll remember without fail The multitude of things I to discuss with you. GAME WITH COUNTERS A boy and a girl had 102 counters altogether, of which those held by the boy were red and the others white. The boy put a certain number into box No. 1, and into boxes 2, 3 and 4, in that order, he put always six more than he had put into the preceding box. Then the girl put a certain number into box No. 1, and into boxes 2, 3 and 4, in that order, she put always seven more than she had put into the box immediately before it. The number she put into No. 1 was not tho same as that which the boy had distributed. In this way both players had used up all the counters they held, and another result was that one box contained equal numbers of red and white counters. Which counters were the more numerous, the red or the white? LAST WEEK'S SOLUTIONS Mean Values.—ll, 13, 14, 16 and 18 years. In a Tea Shop.—42B customers had been served. Problem for Sheep Owners. —51 ewes, 32 wethers, 17 hoggets. Two Watches. —The presents were £1 and 10 shillings. The interesting point about this rather misnamed problem is that we do not know the prices paid for tho watches, although the statements made about them are indispensable for finding the other information. A Combination Lock. —After studying the information given, the words which stand out prominently are: Doctor, lawyer, butter and ribbon. The third is obviously Theresa's choice, the first two belong to William and Charles respectively. Beatrice is a typist, but when she tried this word she found there was no P, so she set up ribbon instead. [n the second problem the clue to the correct word is found in the repeated statement about the date, which is irrelevant, unless it serves some purpose. April 21 was Easter. Thus the lawyer and the person who tried butter had three correct letters, and the doctor had two. Therefore, 40 shares of 20 each were required, and this is confirmed by the statement that Beatrice received £l2O. The others received .£240, £240, £2OO.