ounters in a series of jumps, except the last counter, which must be
left in that central hole. You are allowed to jump one counter over the
next one to a vacant hole beyond, just as in the game of draughts, and
the counter jumped over is immediately taken off the board. Only
remember every move must be a jump; consequently you will take off a
counter at each move, and thirty-one single jumps will of course remove
all the thirty-one counters. But compound moves are allowed (as in
draughts, again), for so long as one counter continues to jump, the
jumps all count as one move.

Here is the beginning of an imaginary solution which will serve to make
the manner of moving perfectly plain, and show how the solver should
write out his attempts: 5-17, 12-10, 26-12, 24-26 (13-11, 11-25), 9-11
(26-24, 24-10, 10-12), etc., etc. The jumps contained within brackets
count as one move, because they are made with the same counter. Find the
fewest possible moves. Of course, no diagonal jumps are permitted; you
can only jump in the direction of the lines.

228.--THE TEN APPLES.

[Illustration]

The family represented in the illustration are amusing themselves with
this little puzzle, which is not very difficult but quite interesting.
They have, it will be seen, placed sixteen plates on the table in the
form of a square, and put an apple in each of ten plates. They want to
find a way of removing all the apples except one by jumping over one at
a time to the next vacant square, as in draughts; or, better, as in
solitaire, for you are not allowed to make any diagonal moves--only
moves parallel to the sides of the square. It is obvious that as the
apples stand no move can be made, but you are permitted to transfer any
single apple you like to a vacant plate before starting. Then the moves
must be all leaps, taking off the apples leaped over.

229.--THE NINE ALMONDS.

"Here is a little puzzle," said a Parson, "that I have found peculiarly
fascinating. It is so simple, and yet it keeps you interested
indefinitely."

The reverend gentleman took a sheet of paper and divided it off into
twenty-five squares, like a square portion of a chessboard. Then he
placed nine almonds on the central squares, as shown in the
illustration, where we have represented numbered counters for
convenience in giving the solution.

"Now, the puzzle is," continued the Parson, "to remove eight of the
almonds and leave the ninth in the central square. You ma