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

by Various

TO BREAK A STONE WITH A BLOW OF THE FIST.

To do this two stones are required, each one of which should be from three to six inches in length, and about half as thick. Place one of the stones flat, firmly and immovably, upon the ground, and on it place one end of the other stone, raising the opposite end to an angle of something like forty-five degrees, and just over the centre of the lower stone, with which it must form a T, being kept in that position by a piece of twig or stick of the necessary length. The top or elevated stone should then be smartly struck at about the centre with the little-finger side of the hand; the stick, of course, will give way, and the bottom stone will be broken to pieces.

Fig. 18.

THE KEY, THE HEART, AND THE DART.

This is a very old-fashioned puzzle, and easy of accomplishment to those who know how to do it. The puzzle is either to arrange the three articles in an apparently inextricable manner, or, if they are so arranged, to separate them without damaging either, or bending the cardboard out of which they should be made.

Cut out of some tough and elastic cardboard a double-headed dart, a key, small at the ring end, and a heart, in which should be cut four angular slits, shaped as in Fig. 18. To arrange them together, the lowermost cut in the heart must be pressed out so that it will form a loop, through which the ring end of the key has to be drawn, and so that one end of the dart may also be passed through without breaking the cardboard. Then fold the dart in the middle, so that one of its heads shall accurately fit upon the other head; bring the loop of the heart back into its former position, drawing it out of the ring of the key, which should then glide down the shaft of the dart, and hang fast held by the head. To disentangle the articles, reverse the order of procedure.

THE PRISONERS' RELEASE PUZZLE.

Take two pieces of string or tape, and round the wrists of two persons tie the string, as shown in Fig. 19. It adds to the amusement of the puzzle if one of the persons is a lady and the other a gentleman. The puzzle is for them to liberate themselves, or for any one else to release them without untying the string. To do this, B makes a loop of his string pass under either of A's manacles, slips it over A's hands, and both will be free. Reverse the proceeding, and the manacles are again as before.