The hunter and the squirrel

Puzzle

Here is the old problem of the hunter who saw a squirrel on a tree and tries to get a good shot at it, but the squirrel cleverly manages to keep always on the opposite side. The hunter, as shown by the tracks in the snow, has gone around the tree so as to make a complete circle, but the squirrel has also gone around the tree, keeping on the opposite side, and we wish to know has the hunter walked around the squirrel? I give the problem because puzzlists from all parts of the world have asked me to give my answer to the problem. A thousand and one subtle arguments have been offered to prove that the man does not go around the squirrel, principally based upon Webster's definition that around is, on all sides of; encircling, encompassing. I claim that the man has most positively gone around the squirrel, just as the rim of a wheel goes around the hub which turns on the axle; just as the earth goes around the sun, which has a lesser orbit proportional to their difference in weight. I remember going all around a field once, but a cross dog faced me all the time so I could not reach the apple tree; but I went all around that field and all that was in it. I wished at the time that I was big enough to take that dog by the tail and swing him around, but perhaps some philosopher would tell me that the dog was not being swung around, because he always had the same end toward me. One of the same professors who maintain it is impossible to go around the earth unless the earth stops turning, places implicit faith in the old snake story. He says a snake can always swallow a snake of its same size; he once placed two four foot snakes together in a cage, and each seized the others tail and began to swallow it at the same time, so they both disappeared simultaneously. He asked Sammy to illustrate it upon the blackboard, and Sammy, who was quite a little artist, drew the following picture:

Puzzle in short

Solve the rebus (the last picture).

Answer

References

• Loyd, Sam [1914]. in Loyd, Sam, Jr.: Sam Loyd's Cyclopedia of 5000 Puzzles Tricks and Conundrums (in English). New York: Lamb Publishing company, page 61.