A farmer had a square cornfield. The corn was all ripe for reaping, and,
as he was short of men, it was arranged that he and his son should share
the work between them. The farmer first cut one rod wide all round the
square, thus leaving a smaller square of standing corn in the middle of
the field. "Now," he said to his son, "I have cut my half of the field,
and you can do your share." The son was not quite satisfied as to the
proposed division of labour, and as the village schoolmaster happened to
be passing, he appealed to that person to decide the matter. He found
the farmer was quite correct, provided there was no dispute as to the
size of the field, and on this point they were agreed. Can you tell the
area of the field, as that ingenious schoolmaster succeeded in doing?