by Dudeney, Henry Ernest, 1857-1930
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The age of Mamma must have been 29 years 2 months; that of Papa, 35 years; and that of the child, Tommy, 5 years 10 months. Added together, these make seventy years. The father is six times the age of the son, and, after 23 years 4 months have elapsed, their united ages will amount to 140 years, and Tommy will be just half the age of his father.
41 .?THEIR AGES.? solution
The gentleman's age must have been 54 years and that of his wife 45 years.
42.?THE FAMILY AGES.? solution
The ages were as follows: Billie, VA years; Gertrude, 1% year; Henrietta, 5% years; Charlie, 10 1 /4; years; and Janet, 21 years.
43.?MRS. TIMPKINS'S AGE.? solution
The age of the younger at marriage is always the same as the number of years that expire before the elder becomes twice her age, if he was three times as old at marriage. In our case it was eighteen years afterwards; therefore Mrs. Timpkins was eighteen years of age on the wedding-day, and her husband fifty-four.
44.?ACENSUS PUZZLE.?solution
Miss Ada Jorkins must have been twenty-four and her little brother Johnnie three years of age, with thirteen brothers and sisters between. There was a trap for the solver in the words "seven times older than little Johnnie." Of course, "seven times older" is equal to eight times as old. It is surprising how many people hastily assume that it is the same as "seven times as old." Some of the best writers have committed this blunder. Probably many of my readers thought that the ages 24 1 /» and VA were correct.
45.?MOTHERAND DAUGHTER.? solution
In four and a half years, when the daughter will be sixteen years and a half and the mother forty-nine and a half years of age.
46.?MARY AND MARMADUKE.? solution
Marmaduke's age must have been twenty-nine years and two-fifths, and Mary's nineteen years and three-fifths. When Marmaduke was aged nineteen and three-fifths, Mary was only nine and four-fifths; so Marmaduke was at that time twice her age.
47.?ROVER'S AGE.? solution
Rover's present age is ten years and Mildred's thirty years. Five years ago their respective ages were five p 9 153 and twenty-five. Remember that we said "four times older than the dog," which is the same as "five times as old." (See answer to No. 44 .)
48.?CONCERNING TOMMYS AGE.? solution
Tommy Smart's age must have been nine years and three-fifths. Ann's age was sixteen and four-fifths, the mother's thirty-eight and two-fifths, and the father's fifty and two-fifths.
49.?NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOURS.? solution
Mr. Jupp 39, Mrs. Jupp 34, Julia 14, and Joe 13; Mr. Simkin42; Mrs. Simkin40; Sophy 10; and Sammy8.
50.?THE BAG OF NUTS.? solution
It will be found that when Herbert takes twelve, Robert and Christopher will take nine and fourteen respectively, and that they will have together taken thirty-five nuts. As 35 is contained in 770 twenty-two times, we have merely to multiply 12, 9, and 14 by 22 to discover that Herbert's share was 264, Robert's 198, and Christopher's 308. Then, as the total of their ages is 17 1 /4 years or half the sum of 12, 9, and 14, their respective ages must be 6,4 1 /4, and 7 years.
51 .?HOW OLD WAS MARY?? solution
The age of Mary to that of Ann must be as 5 to 3. And as the sum of their ages was 44, Mary was 27 1 /4 and Ann 16/4. One is exactly 11 years older than the other. I will now insert in brackets in the original statement the various ages specified: "Mary is (27 1 /4) twice as old as Ann was (13%) when Mary was half as old (24%) as Ann will be (49/4) when Ann is three times as old (49/4) as Mary was (16/4) when Mary was (16/4) three times as old as Ann (5/4)." Now, check this backwards. When Mary was three times as old as Ann, Mary was 16 1 /4 and Ann 5/4 (11 years younger). Then we get 49/4 for the age Ann will be when she is three times as old as Mary was then. When Mary was half this she was 24%. And at that time Ann must have been 13% (11 years younger). Therefore Mary is now twice as old?27 1 /4, and Ann 11 years younger?16 1 /4.
52.?QUEER RELATIONSHIPS.? solution
If a man marries a woman, who dies, and he then marries his deceased wife's sister and himself dies, it may be correctly said that he had (previously) married the sister of his widow.
The youth was not the nephew of Jane Brown, because he happened to be her son. Her surname was the same as that of her brother, because she had married a man of the same name as herself.
53.?HEARD ON THE TUBE RAILWAY? solution
The gentleman was the second lady's uncle.
54.?A FAMILY PARTY? solution
