54. COUNTING THE GEESE
(From an old Sanscrit source, quoted by Longfellow in his “Kavanagh.”)
Ten times the square root of a flock of geese, seeing the clouds collect, flew to the Manus lake. One-eighth of the whole flew from the edge of the water among a tangle of water lilies, and three couples were seen playing in the water. Tell me, my young girl with beautiful locks, what was the whole number of geese?