Hitherto I have not met with any
one who could explain to me satisfactorily the origin of so singular a
phrase; but on reading lately a volume of the Volksmaehrchen (Popular
tales) I found not only the derivation of this phrase, but also that of
the name of the city of Prague. Both are connected in the same story, and
both concern the history of Prague. The story is as follows.
Libussa, Duchess of Bohemia, had three lovers, two of whom were not
remarkably intelligent, but the third possessed a great deal of talent and
was her favorite. She was much importuned by the rival suitors. She
appeared before them one day with a basket filled with plums in her hand;
and said she would give her hand in marriage to whoever of them should
guess the following arithmetical riddle. She said: "One of you shall take
half the plums that are in this basket, and one over: another shall take
half of what remains, and one over: the third shall take half of what still
remains and three over, and then all the plums will have been taken. Now
tell me how many plums there are in the basket." Her favorite was the only
one who could guess the number of plums which was thirty. To him
therefore she gave her hand and the plums, and to the other suitors the
empty basket. Hence the phrase. The solution of the question is as follows:
A takes half of the plums in the basket (30) and one
over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 + 1 = 16
B half of what remained (14) and one over . . . . . 7 + 1 = 8
C half of what remained (6) and three over . . . . . 3 + 3 = 6
- -
Total 30
Now with regard to the origin of the city of Prague. The former residence
was much too small, and Libussa directed her workmen to build a town on the
spot, where they should find at midday a man making the best use of his
teeth. They began their research and one day at that hour discovered a
carpenter sawing a block of wood. It struck them that this laborious man
was making a better use of his teeth (viz., teeth of his saw) than the mere
feeder and they judged that this ought to be the place where the town
should be built. They therefore proceeded to trace with a plough the
circumference of the town. On asking the carpenter what he was about to
make with the block he was sawing, he said " A threshold for a door," which
is called Prah or Praha in the Bohemian language and Libussa gave to
the city the name of Praha or Prag.
BERLIN, 24th Sept.
Berlin has a splendid and cheerful appearance, with fine broad streets,
superb white buildings and Palaces, for the most part in the Grecian taste;
it has quite the appearance in short of an Italian city.
