HOW PRINCE BRIGHT-WITS SOLVED THE PUZZLES
The Five Shields
To simplify explanation, set the spindles in a row. We will then refer to them as L. for left, C. centre, and R. for the right hand spindle. Move as follows, numbers refer to the shields.
| Place | No. | 1 | on | C. | Place | No. | 1 | on | L. | |
| " | " | 2 | " | R. | " | " | 2 | " | C. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | R. | " | " | 1 | " | C. | |
| " | " | 3 | " | C. | " | " | 3 | " | L. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | L. | " | " | 1 | " | R. | |
| " | " | 2 | " | C. | " | " | 2 | " | L. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | C. | " | " | 1 | " | L. | |
| " | " | 4 | " | R. | " | " | 4 | " | C. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | R. | " | " | 1 | " | C. | |
| " | " | 2 | " | L. | " | " | 2 | " | R. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | L. | " | " | 1 | " | R. | |
| " | " | 3 | " | R. | " | " | 3 | " | C. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | C. | " | " | 1 | " | L. | |
| " | " | 2 | " | R. | " | " | 2 | " | C. | |
| " | " | 1 | " | R. | " | " | 1 | " | C. | |
| Four are now | And the riddle is solved. | |||||||||
| transferred. | 31 moves. | |||||||||
| Place No. 5 on C. | ||||||||||
The Nine Disks
No absolute rule would apply to all positions, which makes this game more fascinating. The following solution of one random placing of the disks will illustrate the general process. To simplify explanation we will designate the counters as follows.
The gray counter with the square we will call G.s., the one with a triangle G.t., and the one with the circle G.c. W.s., etc., for the white disks, and B.s., etc., for the black, placed at random on the following spots.
| On | spot | No. | 1 | place | B.c. | On | spot | No. | 6 | place | W.t. | |
| " | " | " | 2 | " | B.t. | " | " | " | 7 | " | B.s. | |
| " | " | " | 3 | " | W.c. | " | " | " | 8 | " | G.t. | |
| " | " | " | 4 | " | G.s. | " | " | " | 9 | " | G.c. | |
| " | " | " | 5 | " | W.s. |
With the above arrangement of the disks the solution is as below:
| Move | G.c. | from | 9 | to | 10. | Move | G.s. | from | 4 | to | 2. | |
| " | G.t. | " | 8 | " | 9. | " | B.c. | " | 6 | " | 4. | |
| " | W.t. | " | 6 | " | 8. | " | W.s. | " | 5 | " | 6. | |
| " | B.c. | " | 1 | " | 6. | " | B.c. | " | 4 | " | 5. | |
| " | W.c. | " | 3 | " | 1. | " | G.t. | " | 9 | " | 4. | |
| " | B.t. | " | 2 | " | 3. | " | G.c. | " | 10 | " | 9. |
The Soldiers and Guards
Before beginning to select the men for his escort, Bright-Wits arranged the thirty men in a circle, the black spots representing his own men.
Then he began to count with the man marked A.
Doola's Game
The key to this puzzle lies in following these two rules:
1. After moving a counter, one of the opposite colour must invariably be passed over it.
2. After having passed one counter over another, the next move will be with a counter of the colour of the first one moved.
After the ninth move, the nest will be with one of the same colour.
Beginning with the white counters the moves are:
1. D. moves into space 4.
2. C. passes over D. into space 5.
3. B. moves into space 3.
4. D. passes over B. into space 2.
5. E. passes over C. into space 4.
6. F. moves into space 6.
7. C. passes over F. into space 7.
8. B. passes over E. into space 5.
9. A. passes over D. into space 3.
10. D. moves into space 1.
11. E. passes over A. into space 2.
12. F. passes over B. into space 4.
13. B. moves into space 6.
14. A. passes over F. into space 5.
15. F. moves into space 3, and the trick is done.
Every move must be in a forward direction, white going one way, black the other.
The Eight Pieces of Money
He who had 5 loaves was entitled to 7 pieces and he who had 3 loaves to but 1. Divide the loaves into thirds and one had 15 thirds, the other but 9 thirds, or 24 thirds in all. Now as all three ate alike they had 8 thirds each. Therefore he of the 5 loaves contributed 7 parts of the stranger's meal, while the other, who had only 3 loaves or 9 thirds in all, gave but one part.
The serpent puzzle can be worked out in a number of ways by placing the head and tail at random and then endeavouring to connect them with the remaining pieces.
THE EIGHT PROVINCES SOLUTION.
THE RUG SOLUTION.
THE THREE FOUNTAINS AND THE THREE GATES SOLUTION.
THE ZOLTAN'S ORCHARD SOLUTION.
