ung that hath been
made fast in a barrel like unto another bung that is just falling out of
a barrel?" As the company promptly answered this easy conundrum, the lady
went on to say that when she was one day seated sewing in her private
chamber her son entered. "Upon receiving," saith she, "the parental
command, 'Depart, my son, and do not disturb me!' he did reply, 'I am, of
a truth, thy son; but thou art not my mother, and until thou hast shown
me how this may be I shall not go forth.'" This perplexed the company a
good deal, but it is not likely to give the reader much difficulty.

[Illustration]

6.--_The Host's Puzzle._

Perhaps no puzzle of the whole collection caused more jollity or was
found more entertaining than that produced by the Host of the "Tabard,"
who accompanied the party all the way. He called the pilgrims together
and spoke as follows: "My merry masters all, now that it be my turn to
give your brains a twist, I will show ye a little piece of craft that
will try your wits to their full bent. And yet methinks it is but a
simple matter when the doing of it is made clear. Here be a cask of fine
London ale, and in my hands do I hold two measures--one of five pints,
and the other of three pints. Pray show how it is possible for me to put
a true pint into each of the measures." Of course, no other vessel or
article is to be used, and no marking of the measures is allowed. It is a
knotty little problem and a fascinating one. A good many persons to-day
will find it by no means an easy task. Yet it can be done.

7.--_The Clerk of Oxenford's Puzzle._

[Illustration]

The silent and thoughtful Clerk of Oxenford, of whom it is recorded that
"Every farthing that his friends e'er lent, In books and learning was it
always spent," was prevailed upon to give his companions a puzzle. He
said, "Ofttimes of late have I given much thought to the study of those
strange talismans to ward off the plague and such evils that are yclept
magic squares, and the secret of such things is very deep and the number
of such squares truly great. But the small riddle that I did make yester
eve for the purpose of this company is not so hard that any may not find
it out with a little patience." He then produced the square shown in the
illustration and said that it was desired so to cut it into four pieces
(by cuts along the lines) that they would fit together again and form a
perfect magic square, in which the four columns