ation of sixteen fair oak trees, and they be so
set out that they make twelve rows with four trees in every row. Once on
a time a man of deep learning, who happened to be travelling in those
parts, did say that the sixteen trees might have been so planted that
they would make so many as fifteen straight rows, with four trees in
every row thereof. Can ye show me how this might be? Many have doubted
that 'twere possible to be done." The illustration shows one of many ways
of forming the twelve rows. How can we make fifteen?

22.--_The Franklin's Puzzle._

[Illustration]

"A Franklin was in this company; White was his beard as is the daisy." We
are told by Chaucer that he was a great householder and an epicure.
"Without baked meat never was his house. Of fish and flesh, and that so
plenteous, It snowed in his house of meat and drink, Of every dainty that
men could bethink." He was a hospitable and generous man. "His table
dormant in his hall alway Stood ready covered all throughout the day."
At the repasts of the Pilgrims he usually presided at one of the tables,
as we found him doing on the occasion when the cook propounded his
problem of the two pies.

One day, at an inn just outside Canterbury, the company called on him to
produce the puzzle required of him; whereupon he placed on the table
sixteen bottles numbered 1, 2, 3, up to 15, with the last one marked 0.
"Now, my masters," quoth he, "it will be fresh in your memories how that
the good Clerk of Oxenford did show us a riddle touching what hath been
called the magic square. Of a truth will I set before ye another that may
seem to be somewhat of a like kind, albeit there be little in common
betwixt them. Here be set out sixteen bottles in form of a square, and I
pray you so place them afresh that they shall form a magic square, adding
up to thirty in all the ten straight ways. But mark well that ye may not
remove more than ten of the bottles from their present places, for
therein layeth the subtlety of the riddle." This is a little puzzle that
may be conveniently tried with sixteen numbered counters.

23.--_The Squire's Puzzle._

The young Squire, twenty years of age, was the son of the Knight that
accompanied him on the historic pilgrimage. He was undoubtedly what in
later times we should call a dandy, for, "Embroidered was he as is a
mead, All full of fresh flowers, white and red. Singing he was or fluting
all the day, He was as fresh as is the mo