Cut out eight squares of cardboard; divide four of them into halves, cutting them from corner to corner, so that there are in all twelve pieces. The puzzle is to form a square with the twelve pieces. It is to be done as shown in the accompanying plan. The four squares and the eight triangular pieces are numbered respectively 1 to 4 and 5 to 12 (Fig. 16).
Fig. 16.—The Accommodating Square.
Fig. 17.—a, The Pieces. b, The Cross.
THE MAGIC CROSS.
Take three pieces of cardboard of the shape of the figure numbered 1 in Fig. 17, A, and one piece each of the shapes of 2 and 3. The pieces may be of any size, but it is hardly necessary to say that relatively each one must correspond with the sizes and shapes indicated in the diagram. Fig. 17, B, shows the pieces when put together and forming the cross.
TO TAKE A MAN'S WAISTCOAT OFF WITHOUT REMOVING HIS COAT.
This puzzle is almost good enough to be included among conjuring tricks, but as there is neither magic nor sleight of hand involved, there is no alternative but to place it here. The puzzle seems ridiculous and unreasonable, as in performing it neither the coat nor vest may be torn, cut, or damaged, nor may either arm be removed from the sleeve of the coat. The puzzle cannot always be performed, as it depends upon the size of the coat-sleeves allowed by the fashions of the day, though as a rule a coat with suitable sleeves will be found in most households. The person whose waistcoat has to be removed should be the wearer of a coat the sleeves of which are sufficiently large at the wrist to admit of the hand of the operator being passed up and through them. Any person undertaking to perform the puzzle in a drawing-room should first request some one of the company to remove his evening coat, and to replace it by a light spring overcoat; this being done, it will be easy to carry out the following instructions: The waistcoat should first be unbuttoned in the front, and then the buckle at the back must be unloosed. The operator, standing in front of the person operated upon, should then place his hands underneath the coat at the back, taking hold of the bottom of the waistcoat, at the same time requesting the wearer to extend his arms at full length over his head. Now raise the bottom part of the waistcoat over the head of the wearer (if the waistcoat be tight it will be necessary to force it a little, but this must not be minded so long as the waistcoat is not torn); the waistcoat then will have been brought to the front of the wearer, across his chest. Take the right side bottom-end of the waistcoat, and put it into the arm-hole of the coat at the shoulder, at the same time putting the hand up the sleeve, seizing the end, and drawing it down the sleeve; this action will release one arm-hole of the garment to be removed. The next thing to be done is to pull the waistcoat back again out of the sleeve of the coat, and put the same end of the waistcoat into the left arm-hole of the coat, again putting the hand up the sleeve of the coat as before, and seizing the end of the garment. It may then be drawn quite through the sleeve, and the puzzle is accomplished.