A Sunday Morning Trick

While you're sitting at the table eating breakfast (or maybe dinner, depending on your time zone) challenge your table mate to this little trick. This clip made me smile- everyone had that one teacher of substitute who knew all of the brain-teasers and would challenge the class all day long and no one would ever get them. I would have loved to have taken this one into class!

Jumping Frog Brain Teaser

Here is a fun clipping- I wonder if anyone ever wrote in and successfully answered the question! I was also curious to know what paper these were coming from, and so I typed in some of the addresses on the list into googlemaps, and came up with Chicago and it's surrounding suburbs, so I am guessing this is from the Chicago Tribune. I tried looking it up in their archives, but was not able to find any mention of it- but I am not sure if they indexed their brainteasers.

I wonder if the answer penciled in beneath the headline was correct- I adjusted the levels to make it more readable:

A Stunt With A Suprise

I had the day off & some time to kill, so I figured I would attempt this simple parlor trick and maybe I could amuse my friends with it next time we were out somewhere that I couldn't potentially set on fire.

I set up the trick on my dining room table and had a glass of water nearby- and if you're going to try it to maybe see if you can get it to work, I suggest going out of your way to not burn something down....which is a slight tangent- you would never see this kind of thing in a newspaper today- there would be huge lawsuits from parents, whose children decided to try this while sitting on a pile of gasoline-soaked hay they had brought into the house.

Anyhow, here is my journey in photographs:

Yeah. So it did not send a fireball hurling across my dining room like I was expecting it to. There was plenty of tension between the two matches, the sticks simply didn't burn through- they just weakened enough for the tension to bend them and they fell. I guess they don't make match sticks like they used to. If anyone can get this trick to work, (safely! I am not responsible for you if you burn down your homes!) send me a few photos and I will post them on here!

Mystery Items Found! Part 2

You will recall this set of peculiar-looking metal objects:

Reina was able to track down their family via Rob's Puzzle Page! This is a set from 1920, called the "Puzzle Party Set" by A.C. Gilbert. Worthopedia has a description:

Perfect for your antique toy and games collections is this great set made by The A.C. Gilbert Co.. Called Gilbert Puzzle Parties No. 1031, inside has 7 different metal mind solving puzzles Included is...Conjuring Rings, Twister Puzzle,Three Ring Puzzle, Question, Chinese Ring On String, Twin Rings and Wishbone Puzzle.

Here is a close up photograph of the entire set with the instruction book:And here is a look at the other pieces I was able to find in the box!Looks like I have just about everything except for the instruction book- but that still might be in here somewhere. Thanks again Reina for your stellar detective skills!