[Illustration]
"Here is a diagram of a chessboard," he said. "You see there are
sixty-four squares--eight by eight. Now I draw a straight line from the
top left-hand corner, where the first and second squares meet, to the
bottom right-hand corner. I cut along this line with the scissors, slide
up the piece that I have marked B, and then clip off the little corner C
by a cut along the first upright line. This little piece will exactly
fit into its place at the top, and we now have an oblong with seven
squares on one side and nine squares on the other. There are, therefore,
now only sixty-three squares, because seven multiplied by nine makes
sixty-three. Where on earth does that lost square go to? I have tried
over and over again to catch the little beggar, but he always eludes me.
For the life of me I cannot discover where he hides himself."
"It seems to be like the other old chessboard fallacy, and perhaps the
explanation is the same," said Reginald--"that the pieces do not exactly
fit."
"But they _do_ fit," said Uncle John. "Try it, and you will see."
Later in the evening Reginald and George, were seen in a corner with
their heads together, trying to catch that elusive little square, and it
is only fair to record that before they retired for the night they
succeeded in securing their prey, though some others of the company
failed to see it when captured. Can the reader solve the little mystery?