Short story for kids written by: Edgardo Luciano Camarero.
In a faraway kingdom there was a prince who really loved maths, he was always solving mathematical problems in his notebook, and never used the mathematical calculator.
One day his father, the king Wallace, said:
- “Dear son, you should go out to enjoy our garden and fresh air. It´s important to have friends and disconnect taking some fresh air or knowing people. Please, don´t be every day solving mathematical problems in your room”
-”Ok, but I don´t think I will enjoy as much as I enjoy maths” – replied the prince.
The prince barely knew his castle, he had been always worrying about his maths problems and never watched further. Discovered a new world outside his room, lots of corridors and doors, didn´t know which was the one to go out to the back garden. Suddenly saw a big wood door at the end of one corridor, “that might be the exit” – thought, and opened the door.
But that wasn´t the correct door, the prince had entered in a dark place, he couldn´t see anything, after two steps, heard a voice saying:
- “You have just entered in the most dangerous crossroad ever, solve three problems to get out of here, you won´t see the day light if you make a mistake. And the first question is: what´s the result of 489 by 360?”
- “176,040!” – exclaimed the prince.
- “ok” – the voice exclaimed – “you can continue”
The prince realized that it was only about mathematical problems. kept walking inside the crossroad, observing everything around until he arrived at a deep cliff that had no exit. The voice said:
-”Now I have three questions for you, three steps will appear when you solve each one of them and will be able to cross the cliff to the other side, but if you fail one of them, the steps will disappear and you will fell to the depth, being devoured by snakes and poisonous spiders. And the first question is…How much is 92 divided by 2 minus 4 by 1 by 5 minus 8 by 3?”
The prince thought about it before answering.
After three seconds the prince said: “Two!”
- “You are right!, here is the first step”
The young prince obeyed the voice, who immediately said:
- “Second question: How much is 64 divided by 8 plus 3 by 2 plus 6 by 5 plus 9 divided by 3?
- “61″ – said the kid sure of his answer.
-”Correct!” – said the voice, and added – “Walk to the next step and pay attention to the third question…How much is 43.126 by 89? you just have 5 seconds to solve it”
The prince knew that the question was really difficult, and thought it was going to take him more than 5 seconds…He made a big effort, and three thousandths of a second before the time finished, the kid exclaimed:
- “3.838.214!!!” ………
TO BE CONTINUED…
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