Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1884 — A Problem in Mathematics. [ARTICLE]

A Problem in Mathematics.

“I am stumped," said little Willie Bulltriger the other day, as he mournfully laid his slate ana arithmetic on his teacher’s lap, and he rubbed his throbbing brow with the knuckle joints of all his fingers. “What’s the matter, Willie ?” said the mistress in her kindest tones. “Which one is it I” “Oh! —it’s that’n about the eggs and the old hen and bad boy.” “Oh! I see. ‘lf a hen lays two eggs a day for seven days, and a bad boy breaks one each alternate day for two weeks, how many eggs will be left in the next!’ Why, that is not difficult to understand, Willie. That is easy!” “Yes. Part of it’s easy enough; but I can’t get the rest of it through my head. The boy can break the eggs easy enough; but I can’t understand the rest.” “Now, Willie if the lien lays two eggs each clay for seven days, how many will there be in the nest, if nobody bothers them?” “Why, fourteen, of course.” “Yes. Well, now, how many days are there in one week?” “Seven.” “That’s easy. Noav, if there are seven clays in one week, how many are there in two weeks?” “Fourteen.” “TI ere. You are getting on nicely. Now if a bad boy breaks an egg on each alternate day, lie will break just half as many eggs, as there are days, in two weeks, will he not ?” “Y'es’um.” “Therefore, he will break how many eggs?” “Seven.” “That is right. Now, if there are fourteen eggs iu the nest, and seven are broken, how many will remain?” “Why, seven.” “That is right, Willie. You see it is a very easy problem.” “Naw ’taint. That aint where I was Btumped. I got it that way before. I understand that part; but the part about the hen’s what bothers me." “About the lien?” "Yes. Ma says no hen in Amesioan can lay two eggs a day.” —Through Mail