Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/190 - A Horseshoe Puzzle/Solution

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $190$

A Horseshoe Puzzle

Given a paper horseshoe, similar to the one in the illustration,

can you cut it into seven pieces, with two straight clips of the scissors,

so that each part shall contain a nail hole?

There is no objection to your shifting the pieces and putting them together after the first cut,

only you must not bend or fold the paper in any way.

Solution

First make cut $AB$.

Then so place the three pieces together that with one clip of the scissors you can make the cut $CD$ together with $EF$ and $GH$.

Sources

• 1932: Henry Ernest Dudeney: Puzzles and Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Solutions: $190$. -- A Horseshoe Puzzle
• 1968: Henry Ernest Dudeney: 536 Puzzles & Curious Problems ... (previous) ... (next): Answers: $354$. A Horseshoe Puzzle