Hint
How many different ways could the sign be placed back?
Answer
I simply pointed Chesterton back the way I had come and this left the sign in its correct orientation.
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Puzzle 211
Can you find five countries hidden in the following paragraph:
Dominic had a certain way with animals, he could almost talk to them. By tickling it under the chin, a rabbit would roll over and let its belly be tickled. This technique was sometimes used to good effect in gaining trust, and allowed a vital yearly treatment to be performed safely. The removal of nits. Using a vet approved shampoo to clean the fur (and not a blend of malt and water!).
Hint
One of the countries begins with the letter M.
Answers
Chad, China, Togo, Italy, Malta.
Domini[c had] a certain way with animals, he could almost talk to them. By tickling it under the [chin, a] rabbit would roll over and let its belly be tickled. This technique was sometimes used [to go]od effect in gaining trust, and allowed a v[ital y]early treatment to be performed safely. The removal of nits. Using a vet approved shampoo to clean the fur (and not a blend of [malt a]nd water!).
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Puzzle 212
Start with a number larger than 0, square it, add 4, double, take away 3, times 4 and finally subtract the original number.
If you were now left with 20, what number did you start with?
Reasoning
If we convert the question to algebra, we have:
((n^2 + 4) x 2 − 3) x 4 − n = 20
Expanding the brackets and simplifying gives:
(2n^2 + 8 − 3) x 4 − n = 20
(2n^2 + 5) x 4 − n = 20
8n^2 + 20 − n = 20
8n^2 − n = 0 (*)
8n − 1 = 0
8n = 1
n = 1/8
In the equation marked (*) zero is also a potential solution, but as the question tells us that we "Start with a number larger than 0" we know that n can't be 0, and therefore we can safely divide by n.
