OF COURSE EVERY one is familiar with the story of the man with a barrel of honey who met a customer with a five and a three quart pitcher, who wished to purchase four quarts of honey. lt is an interesting case of juggling with the measures, and is devoid of catch or quibble, and will serve to explain the accompanying puzzle, which is built upon an extension of the same principle.
A merchant of Bagdad who catered to the wants of the pilgrims who crossed the desert, was once confronted by the following perplexing problem: He was visited by the leader of a caravan, who desired to purchase a store of wine and water. Presenting three ten-gallon vessels, he asked that three gallons of wine he put in the first, three gallons of water in the second, and three of wine and three of water mixed in the third, and that three gallons of water be given to each of the thirteen camels.
As both water and wine, according to Oriental usage, are only sold in quantities of an even number of gallons, the merchant had only a two and a four gallon measure wherewith to perform a feat which presents some unexpected difficulties; nevertheless, without resorting to any trick or device, or expedient not pertaining to the ordinary measuring problem, as already referred to, he dispensed the wafer from a full hogshead [63 gallons - JWS], and the wine from a barrel, in the required proportions, without any waste whatever.
In how few manipulations can the feat be performed, counting every time that liquid is drawn from one receptacle to another as a manipulation? This puzzle is undoubtedly the most remarkable problem of its kind extant, and for many years baffled the puzzlists of the world to reduce to the least possible number of “moves” as the manipulations were then termed. By many it has been referred to as Sam Loyd’s greatest.
The number at the end of a paragraph denotes the number of manipulations in that paragraph.
The hhd. contains 63 gall. water, and the barrel 31 1/2 gall. honey. Fill the three 10-gall. bottles with honey, pouring remaining 1 1/2 gall. into 2-gall. measure, thus emptying barrel (4).
By means of the 4-gall. measure fill barrel from hhd., eventually leaving l/2 gall. in 4-gall. measure. Give this 1/2 gal. to camel No. 1. By means of 4-gall. measure return 28 gall. of water from barrel to hhd. Pour 1 1/2 gall. honey from 2-gall. measure into 4-gall., measure. Pour 2 gall, water from barrel into 2-gall, measure and return to hhd. Draw off remaining 1 1/2 gall. water from barrel into 2-gall. measure and give this to camel No. 2. Pour 1 1/2 gall, honey from 4-gall. measure into 2-gall. Measure (37).
Repeal the whole of the operations in last paragraph 11 more times, so that 6 camels shall have each received two 1/2 gall. drinks, and other 6 camels two 1 1/2-gal. drinks. But on the 10th and 11th repetition, instead of returning the 2 gall. to hhd., deliver them to any two camels who have already received two 1/2 gall. only. Eight camels have now received 3 gall. each, and four camels 1 ga. each, and there will be 35 gall. water in hhd. (407).
Fill barrel from hogshead, using 4-gall. measure and give 1/2 gall. over to camel No. 13. Draw 3 gall. in hogshead into 4-gall. measure (18).
Return all honey to hogshead. Empty barrel into 3 10-gall. bottles, and draw remaining 1 1/2 gall. into 2-gall. measure. Return contents of 3 bottles to barrel, and pour 1 1/2 gall. from 2-gall. measure into bottle No. 1 (12).
Fill the 2-gall. measure from 4 gall., leaving 1 gall. in 4 gall. Fill barrel from 2-gall. measure, and give remaining 1/2 gall. to camel No. 13. Give 5 camels 2 gall. each, all the camels having now been served (13).
Fill the 2 empty bottles from barrel, and draw remaining 1 1/2 gall. into bottle No. 1. Return contents of bottles Nos. 2 and 3 to barrel (5).
Pour 1 gall. From 4-gall. Measure into No. 2 bottle. Put 6 gall. Honey in bottle No. 3, using 2-gall. And 4-gall. Measures. Empty the 1 gall. From bottle No. 2 into 4-gall. Measure, and fill up that measure with honey from bottle No. 3. Pour contents of 4-gall. Measure into bottle No. 2. Draw 2 gall. Water from barrel and put into bottle No. 2 (10).
The 13 camels have now each received 3 gall. Of water, one of the 10-gall. Bottles contains 3 gall. Of water, another 3 gall. Honey, and the third 3 gall. Of honey and 3 gall. Of water mixed. The hogshead contains 25 1/2 gall. Of honey, and the barrel 18 gall. Of water, while the total number of manipulations is 506.
2. A WORD PUZZLE.
You first write four to equal one.
Take one away and still have one;
What can be spared may not be theft,
So fifty take; yet naught is left.
3.
Some Interesting palindromes.
1. Reverse a mechanical power and have a feast.
2. Reverse a twist of thread and have music.
3. Reverse one who is diseased and have to resist.
4. Reverse a beverage and make it royal.
5. Reverse the evil one and have resided.
6. Reverse attraction and have a meadow.
7. Reverse a female name and be afflicted.
8. Reverse a male name and have done wrong.
9. Reverse a falsifier and have a banister.
10. Reverse a measure and make an opening.
11. Reverse a disposition and form a destiny.
12. Reverse a liquor and create a crime.
Answers will be found among the following words: Red rum, liar, door, Dennis, lever, Seton, leper, lager, devil, draws and doom.
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