L

Classic
Brainteasers

Martin Gardner
Illustrated by Jeff Sinclair

ORIENT PAPERBACKS
A Divison of Vision Books Pvt. Ltd.
New Delhi Mumbai Hyderabad
 ISBN 81-222-0207-1
1st Published in Orient Paperbacks 1996
2nd Printing 1999
Classic Brainteasers
1994, Wood's End, Inc.
Cover design by Vision Studio
Published in a r r a n g e m e n t with
Sterling Publishing Co. Inc., USA
Published by
Orient Paperbacks
(A division of Vision Books Pvt. Ltd )
Madarsa Road, Kashmere Gate, Delhi-110 006
Printed in India at
Kay Kay P r i n t e r s , Delhi-110 007
Cover Printed at
Ravindra Printing Press, Delhi-110 006
 Contents

1. Warming Up 5
A Wrong Spell The Great Shoot-Out A Secret Message
Nose Versus Feet Hidden Beasts and Insects Fat
Bats and Other Mixed-Up Beasts Silly Pictures
2. Word for Word 13
Wacky Wordles Shifty Letters The Mysterious License
Wilbur's Word Hidden Proverb The Puzzling
Grocer The Hidden Names
3. Look Sharp! 21
What's Wrong with These Pictures? The Alphabet Zoo
The Careless Sign Painter What Letter? Jane's Patch-
work Quilt Find the Missing Thief Find Charley's Car
Napoleon at Home A Sheer Mistake
4. Tricky Questions 31
Open-and-Shut Case Two Customers The Pistol Duel
Name the Product The Stolen Lugs Donald Gets
His Roller Blades Who Reads Faster? Ripping Good
Puzzle A Knotty Problem Find the Missing Word
Cops and Robbers We Predict!
5. Teasers 41
Professor Egghead's PROVERBS Elvira's Jeans Name
the Word A Burglary The Amazing Computer Pat,
the Goalie Mrs. Perkins' Pets The Three Paths Lost
in the Woods An Odd Trip Upside-Down Years
Dog Bites Man
6. Science and Math Puzzles 51
Dots and Squares The Hindu Squares Exploring the
Moon Pepper or Salt? Knots or Not? The Triangu-
lar Cat The Startled Astronomer The Puzzled Inven-
tor Lewis Carroll's SQUARES
7. Find the Mistakes 59
Barbershop House and Back Yard Living Room
Landscape Crazy Timepiece
8. Logic Puzzles 69
How Comes Slice the Pie The Clever Postman Name
the Men The Colored Socks The Fourth Child The
Clever Prisoner The Smiths' Family Tree The Myste-
rious Tracks Where's the Tiger? Name the Relation
Heads or Tails?
Answers 81
Index 9 5
About the Author 96

4
5
A Wrong Spell

The wizard is doing his best to turn the prince into a

frog by pronouncing the magic word. Nothing hap-
pens. Can you tell why his spell is not working?

Answers on page 86.

6
The Great Shoot-Out

Chester Chimp and Roger Rattlesnake are about to

have a gunfight on the main street of Tombstone.
Who do you think will win the shoot-out?

Answer on page 82.

A Secret Message

Shown above is a hidden greeting from me to you.

Can you decipher it?
Answer on page 82.

Nose Versus Feet

TEACHER: Our nose was made to smell with and our
feet were made to run with.
TOMMY: I must be made all wrong then, because my
nose and my feet
Can you think of the two missing words?
Answer on page 82.

8
Hidden Beasts and Insects
Hidden in the name of each living thing pictured
here is the name of a different living thing. For
example, concealed in the name "fox" is the word
"ox." Can you find the animals hidden in the other
names?
Answers on page 82.

BUTTERFLY BULLFROG

CROCODILE

9
Fat Bats and Other Mixed-
Cip Beasts
Each picture on these pages shows an animal that
can be described by two words that rhyme. For
example, the first picture is a fat bat, the second is a
cryin' lion. How many of the others can you describe
the same way?
Answers on page 82.

10
11
Silly Pictures
At first these drawings won't look like anything, just
funny designs. But study them carefully. Suddenly
you'll see them in a different way and the pictures
will be clear to you. The poem below each drawing
describes the scene. You fill in the missing words.

1. An often 2. An
Passes through Named Happy Jack
A cloud that's floating Likes to sunbathe
In the blue. On his back.

3. On the beach 4. A going

Miss Five-by-five Down a hill
Loves to do Turned a curve
A fancy And took a spill.
Answers on page 82.

12
13
Wacky Wordles
Each word or group of words on these pages is
printed so that it stands for a familiar phrase. For
example, the first one means "A sock in the eye." Now
see if you can guess the others!

14
15
Shifty Letters

Copy the squares shown directly above and then see

if you can arrange them in line to spell the name of
an animal.
Answer on page 83.

The Mysterious License

When Mr. Ollie Lee
bought a new car, he
asked for a license plate
(marker) with the
number 337 31770.
Here's a picture of it.
Can you figure out why
he wanted these figures
on it?

Answers on page 86.

16
17
 Hidden
Proverb
A humorous twist on an
old proverb is hidden in
this border. See if you
can read it by starting
at the right letter, then
taking every other letter
as you go twice around
the border.
Answer on page 83.

18
The Puzzling
Grocer
This grocer likes to use
signs that puzzle his
customers. For example,
the first sign means
that he has peas for
sale.
Can you figure out
the other signs? Each
one contains the hidden
name of something else
the grocer sells.
Answers on page 83.

19
The Hidden Names
This boy and girl
have written some
numbers on the
blackboard. Can
you guess their
names?
Answers on page 83.

20
21
What's Wrong with These
Pictures?

22
The artist has made a serious error somewhere in
each one of these pictures. Can you find the errors?

Answers on page 86.

23
The Alphabet Zoo
Nine well-known animals can be
spelled with the letters shown
above. Start with any letter, then
move along a black line, in any
direction, to the next letter. Can
you spell all the animals?

Answers on page 86.

24
 The Careless
Sign Painter
The sign painter made a
careless mistake on his sign.
See if you can correct his error
by changing one of the letters.
Answer on page 84.

What Letter?

The three mysterious black shapes represent a letter

of the alphabet. Can you guess the letter?
Answer on page 84.

25
Jane's Patchwork Quilt

When Jane sewed this patchwork

quilt, she cleverly worked into it
her own name and the names
of all her girlfriends. The
dotted line shows how to spell
J-A-N-E by going from letter to
adjoining letter. See if you
can spell at least ten other
girls' names in the same
manner. You can spell up, down,
sideways, or diagonally.
Answers on page 84.

28
 Find the Missing
Thief

The map you see below shows the street corners

where four policemen are standing. A thief is hidden
at one of the numbered intersections where he can't
be seen by any one of the policemen. At which
intersection can the thief be found?
Answer on page 84.

27
Find Charleys Car
Charley drove to town alone. After parking his car, he
closed all its windows, got out and locked its doors,
and then put a quarter in the parking meter. Which
one of the five cars in the picture is Charley's?
Answer on page 84.

28
Napoleon at Home
carefully at this picture
Napoleon Bonaparte
spending a quiet
afternoon at home.

29
A Sheer Mistake
The artist made a mistake when
he drew these scissors. Can you
figure out what is wrong?
Answer on page 84.

30
31
Open-and-Shut Case
Mrs. Higgenbotham has opened the shutters to let in
fresh air through the window. The artist has made a
curious mistake. Can you spot it?
Answer on page 85.

Two Customers
A person who was unable to hear entered a
stationery store to buy a wall pencil sharpener. To
make the clerk understand what he wanted, he
poked a finger into his left ear and then made a
grinding motion around his other ear with his fist.
The cleric understood at once.
A man who was unable to see now entered the
store. How did he make the clerk understand that he
wanted to buy a pair of scissors?
Answer on page 85.

32
The Pistol Duel
A century ago, two Frenchmen, Alphonse and
Gaston, fought a duel with pistols. Each put a bullet
through his opponent s head, yet neither Alphonse
nor Gaston died. How could this be?
Answer on page 85.

Name the Product

CUSTOMER: How much is one?
CLERK: Thirty cents.
CUSTOMER: I'll take fourteen.
CLERK: Sixty cents.
CUSTOMER: I'll take a hundred and forty-four.
CLERK: That will be ninety cents.
What on earth is the customer buying?
Answer on page 85.

33
The Stolen Lugs

Mr. Green has removed a flat tire and is putting on

the spare. He doesn't know that a squirrel is stealing
the four lugs (nuts) that hold the tire to the axle.
After finding the lugs missing, how does Mr. Green
manage to attach his spare tire and drive to the
nearest serv ice station where he can obtain four
more lugs?
Answer on page 85.

34
Donald Gets His Roller
Blades
Donald lived with his parents
and an older sister in a one-
story brick house or) the end of
Main Street. One afternoon
the doorbell rang. Donald
opened the door. It was his
friend Tommy, who lived
across the street.
"Lets go skating," said
Tommy.
"Okay," Donald said. "Wait
there until I get my roller
blades."
Donald ran quickly up the
stairs. He got his skates from
under the bed in his room on j
the second floor. Then he ran '
outside and put them on. He
and Tommy spent the rest of
the afternoon skating.
What's wrong with this i
storv?
Answer on page 85.

35
Who Reads Faster?
If it takes Willie 80
minutes to read a
short story, and it
takes his sister an
hour and ten
minutes to read
the same story,
who is the faster
reader?
Answer on page 85.

Ripping Good Puzzle

If you were to tear
pages 8, 9, 48, 53
and 54 out of this
book, how many
separate sheets of
paper would you
rip out?
Answer on page 85.

Can you figure out a way to hold a

piece of rope or string, one end in each hand, and tie
a knot in the string without letting go of either end?
Answer on page 85.

36
Find the Missing Word

37
 To play this game, you
need two coins of different
sizes. The larger one
Cops represents the robber. Put
it on the thief's picture.
and Robbers The smaller coin is the
policeman. Put it on the
cop's picture. He is
rushing out of the police
station to catch the
robber.
One player moves the
smaller coin and the other
moves the larger one.

Here are the simple rules:

1. The policeman always moves first. After that,

players move in turns.
2. Each move is one block only, in any direction.
3. The policeman tries to catch the thief. This is
accomplished by moving the smaller coin so that it
lands on top of the larger one.
4. The thief tries to keep from getting caught. If he
isn't captured in 50 of the policeman's moves, then he
wins.
Hint: There is a secret way to catch the thief! If the
cop knows it, he can catch the robber every time. But
if he doesn't, the thief will never be caught.
Try playing the game for a while with a friend. If
neither of you discovers the secret, turn to page 86,
where the trick is explained.

38
39
We Predict!
1. Write down the name of a country starting with
D.
2. Write down the name of an animal starting with
the second letter in the country's name.
3. Write down the color of the animal.
4. Write down the name of an animal starting with
the last letter of the country's name.
5. Write down the name of a fruit starting with the
last letter in the name of the animal you chose for
the fourth step.
Now to the answer section. We'll give our
prediction of the five words you have written!
Answers on page 86.

40
41
Professor
Egghead's
PROVERBS
Professor J. Fortescue
Egghead likes to use big
words and complicated
sentences. Here is how the
professor would say eight
well-known proverbs. See
how many you can
recognize, and then check
the answers on page 86.

42
Answers on page 86.

43
Elvira's Jeans
After putting on a new pair ot
jeans, Elvira pushed her right
hand all the way down into
the left pocket of the pants,
and pushed her left hand all
the way down in her right
pocket. How did she manage
that?
Answer on page 86.

Name the Word

I I
The symbols above stand for a familiar four-letter
word. What word?
Answer on page 86.

44
A Burglary

The Johnsons have just reported a robbery. All the

wife's jewels are missing.
"You'll want to check inside for fingerprints," Mr.
Johnson said to the policeman.
"That won't be necessary," the policeman replied.
"There's been no burglary."
What made the policeman so sure?
Answer on page 86.

45
The Amazing Computer
A store has on sale a computer and word processor
small enough to fit in your pocket. It can add,
multiply, subtract, divide, and write in all
languages. A delete device will correct any error. No
electricity is required to operate it. The price? Only a
few cents! How can the store make a profit by selling
it so cheap?
Answer on page 87.

Pat, the Goalie

Pat, the goalie on Central
High's soccer team, said: "I'm
the only player on the team
who has a brother who can
say truthfully that his father is
the only man in town who
doesn't have a son who goes to
Central High."
This seems impossible. Can
you explain?
Answer on page 87.

Mrs. Perkins' Pets

All of Mrs. Perkins' pets are dogs except one, and all
her pets are cats except one. How many cats and
dogs does she have?
Answer on page 87.

46
Can you draw a path from Mr. Smith
to the computer store, another path
from Mrs. Smith to the fitness studio,
and a third path from J i m m y Smith
to the ballgamewithout having one
path cross another?
Answer on page 87.

47
 The star marks the spot on this square-
shaped forest where you are lost. The
broken line shows how to get to the
edge by moving only on even-number
squares. Can you find a path to the
edge using only odd-number squares?
You may move up or down, left or
. right, or diagonally.

Answers on page 86.

48
 An Odd Trip

Each dot is a citv,

but only one
holds the key to
the correct route.
Don't count
Mexico Citv or
Acapulco.
Answer on page 87.

49
Upside-Down Years
What year of this century is the same when its
number is upside down? What year of the previous
century is the same when inverted?
Answers on page 87.

Dog Bites Man

STRANGER (to a farmer): Does your dog bite?
FARMER: Nope.

The dog then bit the stranger on his leg. Yet the
farmer told the truth. Explain!
Answer on page 87.

50
51
Dots and Squares

How many different squares are indicated by four

spots that mark their corners?
Answer on page 87.

The Hindu
Squares

How many different squares can you find in this

picture? The answer looks easy, but it's harder than
it seems. There may be more here than you think
there are!
Answer on page 88.

52
Exploring the Moon
These astronauts are exploring a crater on the moon.
Somewhere in the picture, the artist has made a
scientific error.
First see if you can find it. Then check your guess
with the answer on page 88.

53
Pepper or Salt?

This is Professor Piffle's latest inventionan

automatic salt-and-pepper shaker. As you can
imagine, he's very proud of it and uses it all the time
to give his food flavor. Right now he's about to use it
on one of his favorite disheshot soup. If he turns
the crank in the direction of the arrow, will this
amazing machine shake salt or pepper in his bowl of
soup?
Answer on page 88.

54
K n O t S " vou pull on the ends of each
rope shown above, two ropes will
OF N 0 t ? f r r n knots a n ( J t v v o won't. Can
you pick out the two that will?
Answer on page 88.

The Triangular Cat

55
The Startled
Astronomer
This amateur astronomer is
examining a star that.is
twinkling between the horns
of a new moon. Somewhere in
this picture, too, the artist has
made a glaring scientific error.
Can vou find it?

Answer on page 88.

56
 The Puzzled Inventor

Professor Piffle is working on another mad invention

with gear wheels. He is trying to figure out which
way the wheel at the bottom will turn if he rotates
the top wheel in the direction of the arrow.
What do you think?
Answer on page 88.

57
Lewis Carroll's SQUARES

This interesting puzzle

was invented by the
author of Alice in
Wonderland. Draw the
three squares in one
continuous line without
crossing any lines or
taking the pencil off the
paper.
Answer on page 88.

58
 7. Find the
Mistakes

How many mistakes can you find in the pictures

on the following pages?

59
60
61
62
63
64
65
(iO
07
Crazy Timepiece
The artist has made exactly seven mistakes in this
picture. Can you find all of them?
Answers on page 92.

68
69
How Comes

1. Jones was caught stealing 27 times in one year, yet

he was never arrested. How come?

2. A truck driver went three blocks the wrong way

down a one-way street without breaking the law.
How come?

3. A boy and girl are standing on the same sheet of

newspaper, yet it is impossible for them to kiss. How
come?

4. Not a single parent objected when the teacher

spanked every child in the class. How come?

5. Thirty people died in a plane crash, but not a

single survivor was buried. How come?

6. A cowboy rode into Dodge City on Friday, stayed

two days, then rode out of town on Friday. How
come?

70
7. A man tossed a soccer ball ten feet. It stopped in
midair, reversed direction and came back to him.
How come?

8. 96 is not 69 upside down. How come?

9. There are only two Rs in "Robert Richardson."

How come?

10. A dog trotted all the way across a lake without

sinking in the water. How come?

11. A prizefighter was unconscious seven times

during the same week, yet he was never ill or injured
or knocked out in a fight. How come?

12. A person living in Oklahoma can't be buried in

Texas. How come?

13. A snooper was able to see right through the brick

wall of a house. How come?

14. A lady took her poodle for a walk. The dog did
not walk ahead of her, behind her, or on one side.
How come?

15. A man married 57 women. None died, and he

was never divorced, yet he was one of the most
admired men in town. How come?

16. A man drove all the way from Montreal to

Vancouver without knowing he had a flat tire. How
come?
Answers on page 92-93.

71
Slice the Pie
Mrs. Murphy is trying
to figure out how she
can cut her apple pie
with four straight cuts
and make the largest
number of pieces. What
is the largest number
you can get with four
cuts?

72
The Clever Postman

When the postman arrived at the Smith home to

deliver mail through a slot in the front door, he was
surprised to find the Smiths had acquired a vicious
dog. The dog was fastened to a tree by a chain just
long enough to reach the front door.
The dog growled and bared its teeth. How did the
clever postman outwit the dog and reach the door
safely?
Answer on page 93.

73
Name the Men

Mr. Cook, Mr. Sailor and Mr.

Carpenter met on the street
one afternoon.
"Isn't it funny," said Mr.
Cook to the others, "that not
one of us has a profession that
is the same as our names?"
"That's true," agreed the
man who was the carpenter.
Can you now give the
correct last n a m e of each man
Answer oh page 93.
shown in the above picture?

Hint: Since Mr. Cook is talking to the carpenter, he

cannot be the carpenter.

74
The
Colored
Socks
Ten red socks and ten green
socks are all mixed up in a
drawer. They are exactly alike
except for color. If you close your
eyes, then open the drawer and
take out some socks without
looking at them, what is the
smallest number you can take
out and still be absolutely sure
that you have a pair of socks that
match?
Answer on page 93.

The Fourth Child

Marys mother, Mrs. Jones, had
exactly four children. The
oldest, a boy, she named
North. The next oldest, a girl,
she named South. The third
child, a boy, she named East.
The youngest child was
another girl. What was her
first name?

Answers on page 86.

75
The Clever Prisoner

KING: One box contains a white marble, the other

box contains a black marble. You may select
either box. If you choose the white marble, you
go free. If vou choose the black marble, you will
be hanged."

The prisoner knew that the king was an evil man,

and that each box contained a black marble. What
did he do to escape death?
Answer on page 94.

76
The Smiths' Family Tree

This family tree shows Mr. and Mrs.

Ebenezer Smith and their descendants for
three generations. Francis Smith, the only
member of the third generation, appears in
the bottom row of great-grandchildren.
Remember that only the male child carries
on the family name when he gets married.
Now see if you know which one of the
children is Francis Smith.

AV AY J t
Answer on page 94

77


Mr. Shamrock Jones, the great

detective, is trying to figure out
who or what made these odd-
looking tracks that lead across
the snow towards a woodshed on
the farm. What is your guess?
Answer on page 94.

78
 Where's
the Tiger?

The tiger is The tiger The tiger The tiger is

in B or C. is in A or D. is here. not here.

Th is one isn't easy. A tiger is behind one of the four

doors. Three of the statements below the doors are
false. Where is the tiger?
Answer on page 94.

79
Name the Relation
"The father of this person," said the man as he
pointed to a photograph in his hand, "is my father's
son, yet I have no brothers and no sons."

What relation was the man

to the person in the
picture?
Answers on page 94.

Heads or Tails?
Someone gives you a coin. You flip it fifty times and
each time it comes up heads. If you flip it once more,
which is most likely, heads or tails?
Answer on page 94.

80
81
A Wrong Spell
T h e Wizard is pronouncing the magic word incorrectly. It
is "Abracadabra," not "Abradacabra."

The Great Shoot-Out

Roger Rattlesnake will lose the g u n f i g h t because he has no
h a n d s with which to draw his g u n .

A Secret Message
T i p the p a g e forward so that you view the picture Irom a
steep slant a n d you will see the greeting.

Nose Versus Feet

Tommy said, ". . . mv nose r u n s a n d my feet smell."

Hidden Beasts and Insects

F[ox]; eleph[ant]; w[asp]; w [hippojorwill; [pig]eon;
[beejtle; b u t t e r f f l y j ; (bull]frog; cro[cod]ile.
Fat Bats and Other Mixed-Op Beasts
Square bear. Sick chick.
Half giraffe. Full bull.
Girl squirrel. Colossal fossil.
Mobster lobster. Deep sheep.
Jolly polly. Talkin' falcon.
Golftn' dolphin. Cleaner hyena.
Kickin' chicken. Frail whale.

Silly Pictures
1. Airplane.
2. Elephant.
3. Dive.
4. Skier.

Wacky Wordles
2. 7\ pair of pants.
A flat lire,
t. Keep it u n d e r your hat.

82
5. T h e Lone Ranger.
6. Safe on first.
7. Ring a r o u n d Rosie.
8. A broken engagement.
9. A small m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g between friends.
10. T h e worm t u r n e d .
11. Dark circles u n d e r the eyes.
12. A crooked lawyer.
13. Right in the middle of everything.
14. Far away from home.
15. Mixed-up kid.
16. Six of one and half a dozen of another.
17. No stone is left u n t u r n e d .
18. Take one before every meal.

Shifty Letters
T u r n i n g the W square upside down makes it an M, and
t u r n i n g the U square on the side makes it a C. T h e answer
is CAMEL.

The Mysterious License

T u r n the p a g e upside down!

Wilbur's Word

Snowing, sowing, owing, wing, win, in, I.

Hidden Proverb
Start at the bottom corner on the left a n d then move
counter-clockwise to spell "He who laughs last is the
slowest."
The Puzzling Grocer
1. Peas 2. C a n t a l o u p e 3. Tomatoes 4. Rice 5. Cookies
6. Cottage Cheese

The Hidden Names

Hold the page to a mirror!

83
What's Wrong with These Pictures?
1. T h e knight's sword is straight, but his scabbard is
curved.
2. T h e TV set is not plugged in.
3. The r o p e is b e h i n d the cowboy's h a n d .
4. T h e acrobats' shadows are not in the correct position.

The Alphabet Zoo

Cat, d o g , cow, horse, lion, tiger, pig, bat, hog.

The Careless Sign Painter

T h e sign should read "AG1I.K MONKEYS."

What Letter?

Rotate the p a g e 90 clockwise, and you'll see a capital E.

Jane's Patchwork Quilt

T h e following girls' names can be spelled: Ann, Lulu,
Diana, Diane, Lena, Dinah, E d n a , Maud, H a n n a h , Jennie,
Minnie, A n n a , Mary, Nan, Nanc y, jane, Mae, and Judy.
Find the Missing Thief

T h e thief is standing at- intersection N u m b e r 9.

Find Charley's Car

Charley's car is the one that has no o p e n door, no o p e n
window, no passenger inside, and is parked bv a meter. It's
the second car from the top.
Napoleon at Home
T V set. elec t r i c l a m p , t e l e p h o n e , car, a i r p l a n e , p i c t u r e o f
Lincoln, p i c t u r e of t h e S t a t u e of Liberty, p a c k a g e of
p o t a t o chips, box of c l e a n s i n g tissues, c o m p u t e r .

A Sheer Mistake
The scissors c annot close!

84
Open-and-Shut Case
Slats slant opposite ways on opposite sides of a shutter. In
this picture, the slats slant the same way on both sides.

Two Customers
T h e m a n said to the clerk, "I want to buy a pair of
scissors."

The Pistol Duel

Alphonse a n d Gaston did not duel each other.

Name the Product

T h e customer is buying house numbers.

The Stolen Lugs

Mr. Green removed one lug from each of the other three
tires and used them to attach the spare. T h r e e lugs will
hold a tire firmly e n o u g h for a short drive.
Donald Gets His Roller Blades
Donald lived in a one-story house, so he couldn't have had
a b e d r o o m on the second floor.

Who Reads Faster?

Willie's sister is the faster reader. She finished the story in
70 minutes, which is ten minutes less than Willie's 80
minutes.

Ripping Good Puzzle

Four. Pages 53 and 54 are two sides of the same sheet.

A Knotty Problem
Cross your a r m s before you seize the ends of the string.
Uncross your a r m s and it will tie a knot in the cord.
Find the Missing Word
T h e sea animal is OYSTER.

85
Cops and Robbers
In the u p p e r r i g h t - h a n d corner of the picture, the streets
form a t r i a n g u l a r block. T h i s enables the cop to catch the
robber.
In o r d e r to catch the thief, the cop must first move all
the way around this t r i a n g u l a r block. Once this is done,
he will find it simple to t r a p the r o b b e r in one of the
t h r e e s q u a r e corners.
But if the cop doesn't go a r o u n d the triangle first, he'll
never catch the thief.
Keep this secret all to yourself. Then you'll be able to
beat your f r i e n d s every t i m e you play.

We Predict!
You wrote down: D E N M A R K , E L E P H A N T , GREY,
KANGAROO, and ORANGE.

Professor Egghead's PROVERBS

1. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
2. Look before you leap.
3. Never count your chickens before they hatch.
4. Too m a n y cooks spoil the b r o t h .
5. A bird in the h a n d is worth two in the bush.
6. A new b r o o m sweeps clean.
7. Faint h e a r t ne'er won fair lady.
8. All's fair in love and war.

Elvira's Jeans
She p u t the j e a n s on backwards.

Name the Word

T h e word is NEWS, the initial letters of North, East, West
and South, the four directions in which the arrows are
pointing.

A Burglary
W h e n a window is broken f r o m the outside by a thief, the
glass is all over the inside of the room.

86
The Amazing Computer
T h e c o m p u t e r is a wooden pencil with an eraser.

Pat, the Goalie

Pat is a girl. Her brother has g r a d u a t e d from Central
High.

Mrs. Perkins' Pets

Mrs. Perkins has one cat and one dog.

The Three Paths

Lost in the Woods

Find your way out by moving from the star to 3, 1, 7, 9,

An Odd Trip
To solve the puzzle, all you have to do is be sure to pass
through the city nearest the front wheel of the car.
Upside-Down Years
The invertible years are 1961 and 1881.

Dog Bites Man

The f a r m e r told the t r u t h , because it wasn't his dog.

Dots and Squares

T h e r e arc six different squares.

87
The Hindu Squares
T h e r e are five small squares, five middle-sized squares,
and one large one11 in all.

Exploring the Moon

T h e r e are no clouds on the moon. Clouds are masses of
water vapor floating in the atmosphere, b u t there is
neither a t m o s p h e r e nor water on the moon.

Pepper or Salt?
It will shake salt into the soup.

Knots or Not?
Ropes 1 a n d 2 will form knots when the ends are pulled.

Th Triangular Cat
T h e cat is m a d e up of 20 triangles.

The Startled Astronomer

It is not possible for a star to be inside a crescent moon.
T h e crescent is simply an e d g e of the moon illuminated by
the sun. T h e rest of the round moon is still there, only it is
dark a n d you cannot see it against the dark sky. To be
inside the crescent, a star would have to be between the
m o o i r a n d the e a r t h , but no star is that close to us.

The Puzzle* Inventor

T h e d j o t t o m wheel can't t u r n at all! T h e three wheels
joined like a triangle would lock and r e f u s e to rotate.

Lewis Carrolfls SQUARES

88
Barbershop
1. T h e image of the clock in the m i r r o r should have the
n u m b e r s reversed, but it doesn't.
2. I he clock's h o u r h a n d in the m i r r o r points straight
up at 12, but the m i n u t e hand is halfway between 3 and 4.
3. T h e wall calendar for April has 31 days.
I. T h e sign on the window saying "BILL'S
BARBLR SHOP" is not reversed. It could not be read
from outside.
5. "Wednesday" is spelled "Wendsdav."
(). Outside the window, the back of the lady's h a n d b a g is
missing.
7. The r a i n d r o p s are upside down.
8. T h e blades of the scissors held by the b a r b e r can't
close.
9. Kach of the barber's h a n d s has only t h r e e fingers and a
thumb.
10. T h e barber's ear is upside down.
II. T he b a r b e r chair has no h a n d l e for raising and
lowering.
12. T h e customer has a moustache, but it is not reflected
in the mirror.
13. T h e customer's solid-color tie is striped in the mirror.
14. T h e customer is wearing glasses. (Glasses are always
removed d u r i n g a haircut.)
15. O n e lens of the customer's glasses is r o u n d a n d the
other is square.
IB. T h e customer has dif ferent shoes on each foot.
17. On the floor, leaning against the wall, is an umbrella.
It has its h a n d l e on the wrong end.
18. T h e cane next to the umbrella comes to a s h a r p point
at the lower end.
19. On the street door, the knob and the hinges are on the
same side.
20. T h e customer's jacket on the clothes rack has sleeves
of different lengths.
21. And its b u t t o n s a n d button holes are on the wrong
side.

89
House and Back Yard
1. T h e weathervane has East and West reversed.
2. The weathervane arrow shows wind blowing in one
direction, while the smoke f r o m the chimney is blowing
the o t h e r way.
3. T h e man's shadow is not opposite the sun.
4. T h e r e is no other shadow in the picture.
5. A d r o p , d r i p p i n g from the faucet, is upside down.
6. Water f r o m the hose is m a k i n g an impossible curve.
7. T h e hose is not connected to the house's faucet.
8. T h e b i r d h o u s e on top of the pole is floating an inch
above the pole.
9. T h e sprinkler watering can has no holes.
10. O n e of the flower pots has no d r a i n a g e hole in the
bottom.
11. T h e d o g on the lawn has its feet in impossible
positions.
12. T h e d o g has no ears.
13. T h e cat seems s u s p e n d e d in midair. It is not resting
on any b r a n c h .
14. T h e cat has an extra long tail.
15. T h e handles on the casement windows are on the
outside.
16. T h e bolt on the e d g e of the bottom p a r t of the d o o r
not lined up with the d o o r k n o b .
17. T h e b o t t o m p a r t of the d o o r is too low to allow a
person to enter.
18. T h e r e is no h a n d l e on the top p a r t of the door.
19. O n e of the steps to the back d o o r is too high.
20. T h e railing for the steps is too low.
21. T h e g u t t e r on the roof slants away from the spout.

Living Room
1. T h e chandelier is not attached to the ceiling.
2. T h e s h a d e on the l a m p is upside down.
3. A bird cage h a n g i n g f r o m the ceiling has wires so far
a p a r t the bird could fly out.

90
4. Mounted on the wall is a musket g u n , but the trigger is
backward.
5. A pencil is o v e r h a n g i n g the table so far that it would
fall.off.
6. T h e table by the chair is missing a back leg.
7. O n e side of the book the m a n is r e a d i n g is longer than
the other.
8. The book's title is on the wrong side.
9. The word "mystery" on the book is misspelled.
10. The picture of Whistler's M o t h e r over the fireplace
shows her watching TV.
11. O n e of the pictures is h a n g i n g off-center in an
impossible way.
12. The table has a folding leaf, but the hinges are on top
of the join.
13. T h e chessboard is 6 X 8 squares instead of 8 x 8.
14. T h e window o p e n s by lifting up, but there are hinges
on one side.
15. T h e r e is an o p e n g a p in the woman's bead necklace.
16. T h e heels on the woman's shoes are of dif ferent
heights.
17. T h e pitcher on the table has its h a n d l e on the side, not
opposite the spout.
18. T h e r e is a porthole on the wall showing the ocean
outside.
19. T h e p i a n o has no black keys.
20. T h e top of the swivel stool is off-center from the post
b e n e a t h it.
21. O n e of the small repeating p a t t e r n s in the woman's
chair is d i f f e r e n t f r o m the others.
22. T h e window shade is all the way up. Its pull is off-
center.

Landscape
1. O n e of the clouds is going behind the sun.
2. A crescent m o o n would be invisible in the sunlight.

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3. The crescent is on the wrong side of the moon.
4. T h e ends of the cresc ent moon never extend this far.
5. T h e rainbow in the distance is not opposite the sun.
6. The road sign is not connected to the post.
7. T h e turtle has three legs on one side.
8. The cow has the horns of a bull.
9. T h e rabbit has only one ear.
10. A swan in the lake has no reflection.
11. A r o w b o a t o n t h e e d g e o f t h e l a k e h a s two o a r l o c k s o n
the same side
12. The blade of one oar is r o u n d , the other is
rectangular.
13. Roses a n d tulips are growing on one bush.
14. T h e road has a wide c rack.
15. Birds in the air are upside down.
16. T h e snake on the road has legs.
17. Figs can't fly.
18. T h e outline of the tree shows all r o u n d e d leaves, but
the individual leaves are all p o i n t e d .
19. It's only raining in one spot.
20. T h e tree has a h u g e hole in it.
21. T h e plane's position is impossible. A full-size plane
would have to be behind the c o l u m n of r a i n .
22. The airplane has only one wing.

Crazy Timepiece
1. H o u r s 7 a n d 8 are reversed. 2. With the minute h a n d at
12, the h o u r h a n d doesn't point between numbers. 3. 10 is
in Roman numerals. 4. 3 is reversed. 5. 5 is at an angle.
6. There are four minutes between 5 and 6. 7. There are 6
minutes between 11 and 12.

How Comes
1. The m a n was a baseball plaver who stole bases.
2. The truck driver was on foot.
3. They were standing on opposite sides of a door.

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4. The children were in an o r p h a n a g e school.
5. Survivors are not d e a d .
6. Friday was the n a m e of the cowboy's horse.
7. He tossed the soccer ball straight up in the air.
8. 96 upside down is still 96.
9. The o t h e r two r's in Robert Richardson are lower case.
10. T h e lake was frozen.
11. T h e prizefighter was asleep in bed seven times.
12. He isn't d e a d .
13. T h e s n o o p e r looked t h r o u g h a window.
14. T h e poodle walked on the other side.
15. T h e m a n was a minister.
16. It was his spare tire that was flat.

Slice the Pie

The Clever Postman

T h e p o s t m a n ran a r o u n d the tree in circles. T h e dog
followed h i m until the chain w r a p p e d a r o u n d the trunk
enough times to keep the d o g away from the door. T h e
d o g was not smart e n o u g h to unwind the chain.

Name the Men

Mr. Cook couldn't be the cook, nor could he be the
carpenter, because the c a r p e n t e r replied to his question.
So he must be the sailor. Mr. C a r p e n t e r can't be the
carpenter or the sailor, so he must be the cook. This leavi
Mr. Sailor, who must be the carpenter.

The Colored Socks

T h r e e socks.

The Fourth Child

T h e child was n a m e d Mary.

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The Clever Prisoner
T h e prisoner o p e n e d a box, concealed the marble in his
fist, p o p p e d it into his mouth, a n d swallowed it. To
d e t e r m i n e its color, the other box h a d to be opened and,
of course, it contained a black marble. In this way, the
prisoner did not openly accuse the king of f r a u d , and his
life was saved.

The Smiths' Family Tree

Spelled with an "i," Francis is always a boy's name. He is
fourth from the left in the bottom row.

The Mysterious Tracks

T h e tracks were m a d e by a m a n with a p e g leg, pushing a
wheelbarrow.

Where's the Tiger?

T h e tiger is behind Door D.

Name the Relation

T h e m a n is the father of the person in the p h o t o g r a p h
his d a u g h t e r !

Heads or Tails?
H e a d s is most likely. If a coin shows heads each time on
fifty flips, it is surely a coin with heads on both sides.

94
 Index
Alice in Wonderland, Letter of a l p h a b e t , 25 Reader, faster, 36
58 Living R o o m , 6465 Relations, 80
Animals, 9. 10, II, 24, Logic puzzles, 6 9 - 8 0 Richardson, Robert,
25, 37 Lugs, stolen, 34 71
Astronomer, s t a r t l e d , M a r r y i n g , 71 Roller blades, 35
56 Math a n d science Science a n d m a t h
Barbershop, 60-61 puzzles, 5 1 - 5 8 puzzles, 5 1 - 5 8
Bats, fat, 10-11 Message, secret, 8 Scissors, buying, 32;
Beasts, h i d d e n , 9 Mistakes, finding, m i s t a k e in, 30
Burglary, 45 2 2 - 2 3 , 29, 53, Shoot-out, 7
Burial, 71 59-68 S h u t t e r s , 32
Car, Charley's, 28 Monkeys, 25 Sign painter, 25
Carroll, Lewis, 58 Moon, exploring the, S k a t i n g , 35
Cat, t r i a n g u l a r , 55 53 Snooper, 71
Child, f o u r t h , 75 Names: and Soccer ball, 71
Clock. 68 professions, 74; Socks, 75
Coin, f l i p p i n g a, 80 hidden, 9, 16, 19, S p a n k i n g , 70
Computer, a m a z i n g , 20; r h y m i n g , 10-11 Spell. 6
46 Napoleon at home, 29 S q u a r e s , 52
Cops a n d R o b b e r s Nose, 8 S t e a l i n g , 70
game, 3 8 - 3 9 N u m b e r s , 71 S t r e e t , one way, 70
Cowboy, 70 Pages, r i p p i n g out, 36 Thief, missing, 27
Dogs, 71; biting, 51; Patchwork quilt, 26 Tiger, 79
vicious, 73 Paths, three. 47 , Timepiece, 68
Duel, pistol. 33 Pepper or salt, 54 Tire; flat, 71; spare, 34
Familv tree, 77 Pets, Mrs. Perkins', 46 Tracks, mysterious, 78
Feet, 8 Pictures, sillv, 12 Triangles, 55
Gear wheel puzzles, Pie, 72 Trip, o d d , 49
54, 57 Piffle, Professor, 54, 57 Wizard, 6
Goalie, Pat, the, 46 Plane crash, 70 Woods, lost in the, 48
Grocer, puzzling, 19 P o s t m a n , 73 Wordles, wacky, 14-15
Hinky-Pinkies. 10-11 Prediction, 40 Word, missing, 37
House a n d Back Yard, Prisoner, clever, 76 Word, n a m e the, 44
62-63 Prizefighter, 71 Word puzzles, 1 3 - 2 0
How c o m e s . 7 0 - 7 1 Product, 33 Word, Wilbur's, 17
Insects, h i d d e n . 9 Professions a n d Years, upside-down,
Inventions. 54, 57 n a m e s , 74 50
Jeans, Elvira's, 44 P r o v e r b , h i d d e n , 18 Zoo, a l p h a b e t , 24
Kiss, 70 Proverbs, Professor
Knot, tying, 36, 55 Egghead's, 4 2 - 4 3
L a n d s c a p e , 6667 Quilt, 26

95
^ T r i c k y teasers Q u i r k y q u e s t i o n s
Science s t u m p e r s Logic puzzles
Knotty problems Wacky w o r l d l e s
They're all here in this illustrated,
brain-boggling bonanza by famous
puzzler and mathemagician, Martin
Gardner. They'll challenge your
senses, tickle your funny bone, and
sometimes baffle you. So put on your
thinking cap and get ready to answer
questions, find flaws, solve mysteries,
and have a great time!