, the four rows, and the
two long diagonals should add up 34. It will be found that this is a just
sufficiently easy puzzle for most people's tastes.

8.--_The Tapiser's Puzzle._

[Illustration]

Then came forward the Tapiser, who was, of course, a maker of tapestry,
and must not be confounded with a tapster, who draws and sells ale.

He produced a beautiful piece of tapestry, worked in a simple chequered
pattern, as shown in the diagram. "This piece of tapestry, sirs," quoth
he, "hath one hundred and sixty-nine small squares, and I do desire you
to tell me the manner of cutting the tapestry into three pieces that
shall fit together and make one whole piece in shape of a perfect square.

"Moreover, since there be divers ways of so doing, I do wish to know
that way wherein two of the pieces shall together contain as much as
possible of the rich fabric." It is clear that the Tapiser intended the
cuts to be made along the lines dividing the squares only, and, as the
material was not both sides alike, no piece may be reversed, but care
must be observed that the chequered pattern matches properly.

9.--_The Carpenter's Puzzle._

The Carpenter produced the carved wooden pillar that he is seen holding
in the illustration, wherein the knight is propounding his knotty problem
to the goodly company (No. 4), and spoke as follows: "There dwelleth in
the city of London a certain scholar that is learned in astrology and
other strange arts. Some few days gone he did bring unto me a piece of
wood that had three feet in length, one foot in breadth and one foot in
depth, and did desire that it be carved and made into the pillar that you
do now behold. Also did he promise certain payment for every cubic inch
of wood cut away by the carving thereof.

"Now I did at first weigh the block, and found it truly to contain thirty
pounds, whereas the pillar doth now weigh but twenty pounds. Of a truth I
have therefore cut away one cubic foot (which is to say one-third) of the
three cubic feet of the block; but this scholar withal doth hold that
payment may not thus be fairly made by weight, since the heart of the
block may be heavier, or perchance may be more light, than the outside.
How then may I with ease satisfy the scholar as to the quantity of wood
that hath been cut away?" This at first sight looks a difficult question,
but it is so absurdly simple that the method employed by the carpenter
should be known to everybody to