Every one is familiar with the difficulties that frequently arise over the giving of change, and how the assistance of a third person with a few coins in his pocket will sometimes help us to set the matter right.
Here is an example.
An Englishman went into a shop in New York and bought goods at a cost of thirty-four cents.
The only money he had was a dollar, a three-cent piece, and a two-cent piece.
The tradesman had only a half-dollar and a quarter-dollar.
But another customer happened to be present, and when asked to help produced two dimes, a five-cent piece, a two-cent piece, and a one-cent piece.
How did the tradesman manage to give change?
For the benefit of those readers who are not familiar with the American coinage, it is only necessary to say that a dollar is a hundred cents and a dime ten cents.
A puzzle of this kind should rarely cause any difficulty if attacked in a proper manner.