per divided into squares
for the pigeon-holes, and you will find it an amusing puzzle.

[Illustration]

UNICURSAL AND ROUTE PROBLEMS.

"I see them on their winding way."
REGINALD HEBER.

It is reasonable to suppose that from the earliest ages one man has
asked another such questions as these: "Which is the nearest way home?"
"Which is the easiest or pleasantest way?" "How can we find a way that
will enable us to dodge the mastodon and the plesiosaurus?" "How can we
get there without ever crossing the track of the enemy?" All these are
elementary route problems, and they can be turned into good puzzles by
the introduction of some conditions that complicate matters. A variety
of such complications will be found in the following examples. I have
also included some enumerations of more or less difficulty. These afford
excellent practice for the reasoning faculties, and enable one to
generalize in the case of symmetrical forms in a manner that is most
instructive.

239.--A JUVENILE PUZZLE.

For years I have been perpetually consulted by my juvenile friends about
this little puzzle. Most children seem to know it, and yet, curiously
enough, they are invariably unacquainted with the answer. The question
they always ask is, "Do, please, tell me whether it is really possible."
I believe Houdin the conjurer used to be very fond of giving it to his
child friends, but I cannot say whether he invented the little puzzle or
not. No doubt a large number of my readers will be glad to have the
mystery of the solution cleared up, so I make no apology for introducing
this old "teaser."

The puzzle is to draw with three strokes of the pencil the diagram that
the little girl is exhibiting in the illustration. Of course, you must
not remove your pencil from the paper during a stroke or go over the
same line a second time. You will find that you can get in a good deal
of the figure with one continuous stroke, but it will always appear as
if four strokes are necessary.

[Illustration]

Another form of the puzzle is to draw the diagram on a slate and then
rub it out in three rubs.

240.--THE UNION JACK.

[Illustration]

The illustration is a rough sketch somewhat resembling the British flag,
the Union Jack. It is not possible to draw the whole of it without
lifting the pencil from the paper or going over the same line twice. The
puzzle is to find out just _how much_ of the drawing it is po