The smallest number of sugar plums that will fulfil the conditions is
26,880. The five boys obtained respectively: Andrew, 2,863; Bob, 6,335;
Charlie, 2,438; David, 10,294; Edgar, 4,950. There is a little trap
concealed in the words near the end, "one-fifth of the same," that seems
at first sight to upset the whole account of the affair. But a little
thought will show that the words could only mean "one-fifth of
five-eighths", the fraction last mentioned--that is, one-eighth of the
three-quarters that Bob and Andrew had last acquired.