I was reading through a copy of a textbook Alcuin wrote (ca. 800) and came across a rather (in)famous problem: a son and his father marry a widow and her daughter, the son marrying the widow and the father the daughter. They each have a son; what is the relationship of the sons to each other?
In short, “I'm my own grandpa” is a period concept. So I decided I would try my hand at writing a period variation of the song. It turned into a variation of a riddle song. The music is Chestnut (and you could say that the problems here are, indeed, old chestnuts...). All of the problems are from Alcuin (and Alcuin's solution to the relationship question is as indicated). This song was completed September 14, 2007.
Once a wise man said to me that if a learned lad I would be I must learn to count and write and answer give to these questions three: “Plow seven furlongs with four oxen strong standing thirteen hands on a summer's day. Count if you can the footprints left by the oxen in the furrows made along the way. Next tell me this how to virtue preserve if three couples come to a river's side, When they must use a little boat that would surely sink if three of them should try to ride.” “Footprints none the oxen leave, the plow erases every trace.” Then I showed him how to cross to keep each good wife's good name in place. “Clever you are” said the man with a smile, “Now turn all your wits to this last request. Solve this conundrum that has vex'd lawyers, bishops and some knights and dukes out in the west. Jack married Kate and her daughter (called Bess) did Jack's father John soon call her own man. Each happy couple had a son, tell me what the two boys call each other in this clan.” “Since Kate's daughter wed Jack's dad, then Bess is mother to Jack as well. Jack's his own grandfather too; his father John the same tale may tell. Jack's newborn son has for sister his mam, so to Jack his son is his uncle too. Jack's father's son is brother to Jack himself so he can count Jack's son as his nephew. But don't forget that Jack's dad is his child so his son's a brother to grandfather. So climbing up this fam'ly tree it is plain to see that each is nephew to the other!”The jealous husbands problem has many variations, but the main problem is this: Three couples come to a river, and the only boat available can only carry two people. Propriety demands that no woman be left with a man not her husband unless her husband were also present (two women could be left alone). How can they cross the river? Alcuin also included several variations: the wolf/goat/cabbage, and the man/woman/two children.