[Illustration]
The gentle Pardoner, "that straight was come from the court of Rome,"
begged to be excused; but the company would not spare him. "Friends and
fellow-pilgrims," said he, "of a truth the riddle that I have made is but
a poor thing, but it is the best that I have been able to devise. Blame
my lack of knowledge of such matters if it be not to your liking." But
his invention was very well received. He produced the accompanying plan,
and said that it represented sixty-four towns through which he had to
pass during some of his pilgrimages, and the lines connecting them were
roads. He explained that the puzzle was to start from the large black
town and visit all the other towns once, and once only, in fifteen
straight pilgrimages. Try to trace the route in fifteen straight lines
with your pencil. You may end where you like, but note that the omission
of a little road at the bottom is intentional, as it seems that it was
impossible to go that way.