The Archive · 1938

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Is with for simplifying the work of solution, but without success, I would like to ask your permission to offer further assistance, although I happen to be only the office-boy's assistant.

It would occur fo me that the solution or rather all the possible solutions of many a difficult problem such as the one in question seems to be, often is arrived at or simplified by way of illustration with the aid of a pencil and a sheet of paper.

Now then, draw 4 circles (unless you are an artist—the best would be, it Sapajou would come to the aid) which are to represent the various individuals in the riddle and go ubout it in the following manner:

"Brothers and sisters have I and draw the first circle re presenting "I"—the speaker or reader yourself, in other words—"myself" and, therefore, mark it so,. Now continue the statement of the riddle, viz. "but that man" and draw another tele opposite the first one and signify it accordingly, ie. "that man." Next you come to "that man's father" and—you guessed it—draw a larger Circle (preferably with a moustache in order to avoid a mix-up later on).

he next words of the riddle refer to "my father" and consequently you draw a circle for him next to the first circle marked "myself" but of larger size and add the moustache if you like, anyhow you may do so for the time being, but in order to make things. quite clear in the illustration reflect once more upon the statement which says; "that man's father is my fathers son." Aha! you say, if that man's father is the son of my father, then my father, being a father of a father, must be a grandfather. And so the circle ked "my father" deserves to be awn with a long beard on top of below his moustache. The rest is easy, for being armed with so clear an illustration of the problem a few seconds' meditation will bring forth the logical solution which you designate as "myself." If, however, you should as yet not feel fully satisfied with my solution and you want to check up on it, then you are perfectly welcome to employ the other, by far more simple method viz. the one with the aid of a mirror. But I warn you! For you are bound to get shocked, twice as a matter of fact. Personally I did not try out this method, fearing that I might collapse when seeing myself as my own father, and again as my own grandfather!

The riddle may, however, be subject to a further solution, viz. "my (For if I am that man's father self being my father's son—that Iman must be my son.)

All (both solutions) very simple, ch, my dear Watson? Well, not quite so in this case, since it would entail drawing another circle or two, one for my son, and another for his mother=my wife.

Any reader who might reject my solutions or who might accuse me of net having produced a convincing explanation (which should have been set forth as a main condition in the first place by the author) should ask himself the following question:

Vhat solution was I trying to work out? or, more precisely, what questions or rather what missing questions was-I endeavouring to answer?: who is that man? or, who is that man's father? and have I not too obstinately

Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.

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