Your ShelfYour Projects

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

4%

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 6, 1904

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 30, No. 27.

Read the full edition

HOW OLD ARE YOU?

ONE day there came to the court of a king a gray-haired professor who amused the king greatly. He told the monarch a number of things he never knew before, and the king was delighted. But finally it came to a point where the ruler wanted to know the age of the professor; so he thought of a mathematical problem.
“Ahem!” said the king, “I have an interesting sum for you; it is a trial in mental arithmetic. Think of the number of the month of your birth.”
Now, the professor was sixty years old, and had been born two days before Christmas, so he thought of twelve, December being the twelfth month.
“Yes,” said the professor.
“Multiply it by two,” said the king.
“Yes.”
“Add five.”
“Yes,” answered the professor, doing so.
“Now multiply by fifty.”
“Yes.”
“Add your age.”
“Yes.”
“Subtract three hundred and sixty-five.”
“Yes.”
“Add one hundred and fifteen.”
“Yes.”
“And now,” said the king, “might I ask what the result is?”
“Twelve hundred and sixty,” replied the professor, wonderingly.
“Thank you,” said the king. “So you were born in December, sixty years ago, eh?”
“Why, how in the world do you know?” cried the professor.
“Why,” retorted the king, “from your answer—twelve hundred and sixty. The month of your birth was the twelfth, and the last two figures give your age.”
“Ha, ha, ha!” laughed the professor. “Capital idea! I’ll try it on the next person. It’s a polite way of finding out people’s ages.”—Watchman.