Henry Ernest Dudeney/Modern Puzzles/114 - The Pirates' Flag

Modern Puzzles by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $114$

The Pirates' Flag

Here is a flag taken from a band of pirates on the high seas.

The twelve stripes represented the number of men in the band,

and when a new man was admitted or dropped out a new stripe was added or one removed, as the case might be.

Can you discover how the flag should be cut into as few pieces as possible so that they may be put together again and show only ten stripes?

No part of the material may be wasted, and the flag must retain its oblong shape.

Sources

• 1926: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Modern Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Geometrical Problems: Dissection Puzzles: $114$. -- The Pirates' Flag
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Geometrical Problems: Dissection Puzzles: $337$. The Pirates' Flag