Patsy and Moll Healy have no children of their own, and, as they are both getting old, have taken you to live with them as a servant boy. You help with all the chores, look after the stock, save the hay and take the cattle to the fair in Culleens in October. On Sundays, you have to harness the mare to the trap to drive to mass.

The sergeant in the RIC station in Ballymoghany finds you on the road with Patsy's mare and trap takes you in for questioning. He knows you didn't steal the vehicle, but is determined to have some fun at your expense. As usual, he gives you a chance to get home quickly, but you must pass a test first.

The sergeant places some matches on the table in your cell and states that one match may be moved from its present position to a new one to make the equation true. He thinks you don't understand the Roman numerals, where X is 10, V is 5 and the ones are just counted as units. So XXIII makes 10 +10 + 3 or 23 and VII makes 5 + 2 or 7. Can you solve it?

Click Here for Solution

<< Go back to History