Merry's Book of Puzzles

by J. N. Stearns

148. What is that which has many leaves, but no stem?

149. Why is the letter F like an incendiary?

150. Arithmetical Puzzle.—This consists of six slips of paper or card, on which are written numbers as expressed in the following columns—

A		B		C		D		E		F
1		2		4		8		16		32
3		3		5		9		17		33
5		6		6		10		18		34
7		7		7		11		19		35
9		10		12		12		20		36
11		11		13		13		21		37
13		14		14		14		22		38
15		15		15		15		23		39
17		18		20		24		24		40
19		19		21		25		25		41
21		22		22		26		26		42
23		23		23		27		27		43
25		26		28		28		28		44
27		27		29		29		29		45
29		30		30		30		30		46
31		31		31		31		31		47
33		34		36		40		48		48
35		35		37		41		49		49
37		38		38		42		50		50
39		39		39		43		51		51
41		42		44		44		52		52
43		43		45		45		53		53
45		46		46		46		54		54
47		47		47		47		55		55
49		50		52		56		56		56
51		51		53		57		57		57
53		54		54		58		58		58
55		55		55		59		59		59
57		58		60		60		60		60
59		59		61		61		61		61
61		62		62		62		62		62
63		63		63		63		63		63

The slips being thus prepared, a person is to think of any one of the numbers which they contain, and to give to the expounder of the question those slips in which the number thought of occurs. To discover this number, the expounder has nothing to do but to add together the numbers at the top of the columns put into his hand. Their sum will express the number thought of.

Example.—Thus, suppose we think of the number 14. We find that this number is in three of the slips, viz., those marked B, C, and D, which are therefore given to the expounder, who, on adding together 2, 4, and 8, obtains 14, the number thought of.

The trick may be varied in the following manner: Instead of giving to the expounder the slips containing the number thought of, these may be kept back, and those in which the number does not occur be given. In this case, the expounder must add together, as before, the numbers at the top of the columns, and subtract their sum from 63. The remainder will be the number thought of.

The slips containing the columns of numbers are usually marked with letters on the back, and not above the columns, as we have expressed them. This renders the deception more complete, as the expounder, knowing beforehand the number at the top of each column, has only to examine the letters at the back of the slips given him, when he performs the problem without looking at the numbers, and thus renders the trick more extraordinary.

151.