The Donjon Keep Window - Futility Closet

dudeney donjon keep window puzzle

In Henry Dudeney’s Canterbury Puzzles, Sir Hugh De Fortibus takes his chief builder to the walls of his donjon keep and points to a window there.

“Methinks,” he says, “yon window is square, and measures, on the inside, one foot every way, and is divided by the narrow bars into four lights, measuring half a foot on every side.”

“Of a truth that is so, Sir Hugh,” says the builder.

“Then I desire that another window be made higher up whose four sides shall also be each one foot, but it shall be divided by bars into eight lights, whose sides shall be all equal.”

Bewildered, the builder says, “Truly, Sir Hugh, I know not how it may be done.”

“By my halidame!” exclaims De Fortibus in pretended rage. “Let it be done forthwith. I trow thou art but a sorry craftsman, if thou canst not, forsooth, set such a window in a keep wall.”

How can it be done?

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“The illustration will show how this was to be done. It will be seen that if each side of the window measures one foot, then each of the eight triangular lights is six inches on every side.” “Of a truth, master builder,” said De Fortibus slyly to the architect, “I did not tell thee that the window must be square, as it is most certain it could never be.”