here
are three ways of getting from B to C, and three ways of getting from D
to E. But the "direction" BDCE admits of no variation; therefore yields
only one route.

2 two-line directions of 3 routes -- 6
1 three-line " " 1 " -- 1
1 " " " 9 " -- 9
2 four-line " " 6 " -- 12
2 " " " 18 " -- 36
6 five-line " " 6 " -- 36
2 " " " 18 " -- 36
2 six-line " " 36 " -- 72
12 seven-line " " 36 " -- 432
----
Total 640

We thus see that there are just 640 different routes in all, which is the
correct answer to the puzzle.

104.--_The Skipper and the Sea-Serpent._

Each of the three pieces was clearly three cables long. But Simon
persisted in assuming that the cuts were made transversely, or across,
and that therefore the complete length was nine cables. The skipper,
however, explained (and the point is quite as veracious as the rest of
his yarn) that his cuts were made longitudinally--straight from the tip
of the nose to the tip of the tail! The complete length was therefore
only three cables, the same as each piece. Simon was not asked the exact
length of the serpent, but how long it _must_ have been. It must have
been at least three cables long, though it might have been (the skipper's
statement apart) anything from that up to nine cables, according to the
direction of the cuts.

105.--_The Dorcas Society._

If there were twelve ladies in all, there would be 132 kisses among the
ladies alone, leaving twelve more to be exchanged with the curate--six to
be given by him and six to be received. Therefore, of the twelve ladies,
six would be his sisters. Consequently, if twelve could do the work in
four and a half months, six ladies would do it in twice the time--four
and a half months longer--which is the correct answer.

At first sight there might appear to be some ambiguity about the words,
"Everybody kissed everybody else, except, of course, the bashful young
man himself." Might this not be held to imply that all the ladies
immodestly kissed the curate, although they were not (except the sisters)
kissed by him in return? No; because, in that case, it would be found
that there must have been twelve girls, not one of whom was a sister,
which is contrary to the cond