Cassell's Book of In-door Amusements, Card Games, and Fireside Fun

by Various

THE VERTICAL LINE PUZZLE.

This puzzle is very old; but, although simple, is very good. It may be treated either as a mechanical or as an arithmetical puzzle. Place six narrow strips of cardboard of equal length in a row, and add five other pieces in such a way that the whole form nine only. The result is shown in the second row of lines, the added pieces being represented by the dotted lines (Fig. 9). This puzzle may be said to be only a play upon words, but in most puzzles there is some catch.

Fig. 9.—The Vertical Line Puzzle.