536 Puzzles and Curious Problems

216 Unclassified Puzzles

getting the tail of the other in its mouth, so that the circle formed by the snakes

becomes smaller and smaller, what will eventually happen?

526. TWO PARADOXES

A child may ask a question that will profoundly perplex a learned philoso-
pher, and we are often meeting with paradoxes that demand a little thought
before we can explain them in simple language. The following was put to us:
"Imagine a man going to the North Pole. The points of the compass are,
as every one knows:

N

W E

S

"He reaches the Pole and, having passed over it, must turn about to look
North. East is now on his left-hand side, West on his right-hand side, and the
points of the compass therefore

N

E W

S

which is absurd. What is the explanation?