[Illustration]
Mrs. Hobson's boy had an accident when playing with the fire, and burnt
two of the corners of a pretty hearthrug. The damaged corners have been
cut away, and it now has the appearance and proportions shown in my
diagram. How is Mrs. Hobson to cut the rug into the fewest possible
pieces that will fit together and form a perfectly square rug? It will
be seen that the rug is in the proportions 36 × 27 (it does not matter
whether we say inches or yards), and each piece cut away measured 12 and
6 on the outside.