Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/169 - Shooting Blackbirds/Solution

by : $169$

 * Shooting Blackbirds

Solution

 * $4$.

Proof
The reader is initially tempted into thinking of:
 * Twice four and twenty

as meaning:
 * $2 \times 24$

and then is left scratching one's head at the absurdity of finding an integer solution to $x = \dfrac {48} 7$.

In fact:
 * Twice four and twenty

is interpreted as:
 * $\paren {2 \times 4} + 20$

which gives $28$.

Hence $\dfrac {28} 4 = 4$ were shot, leaving $24$ remaining.

But no! The $24$ which were not shot flew away, leaving $4$ (dead) blackbirds remaining.

I hope was pleased with himself.