A Confusion of Cats

As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,

How many were going to St. Ives?

Okay, mathematical geniuses (or Genii, if you really are a mathematical geni…never mind.)

8 people plus 343 cats plus 2401 Kits = ???

You have to know that, when Daddy first hit me with this little ditty, I spent the better part of my morning playtime working out that solution.

Just to realize I was wrong.

Wrong—o. Wrongity—wrong.

Dead wrong…

Less right?

Better.

Now, I want to say, here, that I had learned to question Daddy’s…questions. Usually there was a prank in there somewhere.

True story.

So crafty little me wasn’t going to be fooled by this one.

I had an answer!

And it was the right answer, too!

2,752 , Daddy! Take that! Hah!

Have any of you ever felt that heart-dropping sensation when your beloved dad tells you that your answer to the problem—that problem you’ve been working on ALL MORNING—isn’t right?

Sigh.

Let’s try again, shall we?

Piece by deceptive piece…

As I was walking to St. Ives, I met a man with seven wives.

Okay, there are many peoples throughout the world who have practiced polygyny. Even the church I belong to practiced it for a time. (Ending in 1890.)

Sooo…not unheard of.

Just…scary.

I could accept that.

Each wife had seven sacks.

Now I have been shopping with my Mom (and more recently, my husby)—avid shoppers, both —and having seven sacks would be considered by either of them a worthwhile afternoon.

Ahem…

So wives and sacks.

Again. Okay.

So far, so good.

Each sack had seven cats.

Cats in sacks?! Seven of them?! Together?!

I can’t even imagine trying to transport seven cats together in a cattle-liner…

Each cat had seven kits.

Now we’re stuffing 49 (count ‘em!) 49 kittens in with the 7 cats?!

Sooo 56 felines of various ages and temperaments in an itty-bitty travelling space?

Has the SPCW (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to—Whatever) been informed of this?

Cause even reading this ditty could constitute cruelty. (Certainly it was cruel to me!)

Not sure who is the most as risk, though…the cats or the people.

Moving on…

Kits, cats, sacks and wives…

Can anyone say a cattery menagerie? -snicker-

How many were going to St. Ives?

Trust me, the person narrating was definitely heading in the opposite (ie. correct) direction.

The Wild Bunch had just left.

Oh…wait. The Narrator was walking to St. Ives. And he met them, which means they were travelling in the opposite direction!

Thusly (is that a word?) they were travelling away from St. Ives.

Hey, I get it now!

The answer is 1! One! Uno! Une! Un! Eins! Um! Bir! Eén! Ett! En! Yksi! Jeden! Jedna! Egy!

etcetera…

So, Daddy. You’re telling me that all this time I spent pencil chewing and multiplying and adding has been a useless workout?

-grumble-

I should probably point out that I understand Daddy’s glee a little more now.

When one has a boisterous and over-achieving little girl, such an exercise is good for a couple of peaceful hours…

Just sayin’.

Each month about this time, my blogging sisters and I post...something. And reveal what's been going on in our hearts and minds and lives this month.

You've read mine.

Now hop over and see what my sisters have created!

You'll be glad you did!

Karen at Baking In A Tornado                                

Marcia at Menopausal Mother                                 

Sarah at Crazy Mama Llama