-day, for it is a very useful little
"wrinkle."

10.--_The Puzzle of the Squire's Yeoman._

Chaucer says of the Squire's Yeoman, who formed one of his party of
pilgrims, "A forester was he truly as I guess," and tells us that "His
arrows drooped not with feathers low, And in his hand he bare a mighty
bow." When a halt was made one day at a wayside inn, bearing the old
sign of the "Chequers," this yeoman consented to give the company an
exhibition of his skill. Selecting nine good arrows, he said, "Mark ye,
good sirs, how that I shall shoot these nine arrows in such manner that
each of them shall lodge in the middle of one of the squares that be upon
the sign of the 'Chequers,' and yet of a truth shall no arrow be in line
with any other arrow." The diagram will show exactly how he did this, and
no two arrows will be found in line, horizontally, vertically, or
diagonally. Then the Yeoman said: "Here then is a riddle for ye. Remove
three of the arrows each to one of its neighbouring squares, so that the
nine shall yet be so placed that none thereof may be in line with
another." By a "neighbouring square" is meant one that adjoins, either
laterally or diagonally.

[Illustration]

11.--_The Nun's Puzzle._

"I trow there be not one among ye," quoth the Nun, on a later occasion,
"that doth not know that many monks do oft pass the time in play at
certain games, albeit they be not lawful for them. These games, such as
cards and the game of chess, do they cunningly hide from the abbot's eye
by putting them away in holes that they have cut out of the very hearts
of great books that be upon their shelves. Shall the nun therefore be
greatly blamed if she do likewise? I will show a little riddle game that
we do sometimes play among ourselves when the good abbess doth hap to be
away."

[Illustration

CANTERBURY
PILGRIMS]

The Nun then produced the eighteen cards that are shown in the
illustration. She explained that the puzzle was so to arrange the cards
in a pack, that by placing the uppermost one on the table, placing the
next one at the bottom of the pack, the next one on the table, the next
at the bottom of the pack, and so on, until all are on the table, the
eighteen cards shall then read "CANTERBURY PILGRIMS." Of course each card
must be placed on the table to the immediate right of the one that
preceded it. It is easy enough if you work backwards, but the reader
should try to arrive at the required