There is a nursery rhyme that many of us were taught when we were young. Usually, it was told by your father who wanted to see if you had learned any math (maths, if you aren't American).
Anyway, I never seemed to come up with the right answer, even after my father told me the right answer, and even after he walked away shaking his head at his child's dumbness.
I learned (memorized) the answer before too long, but it was much later before I really "got" it.
There is only one rule: you can't use pencil and paper or a calculator: you must do it in your head.
And here is your only hint: don't forget to add yourself into the total.
Here is the nursery rhyme:
As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wivesAnd every wife had seven sacks
And every sack had seven cats
And every cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?
Special note: if you remember this from your childhood and also remember the answer, please don't comment right away. Instead, please wait until some of the others give their totals. This is only so the rest of us can laugh at them for maybe getting the total wrong even with the hint given. K?
