Join the Dots
Read the puzzle
Dots numbered 1 to 46 are scattered; only multiples of 3 are joined, in order from 3 to 45 and back to 3. Positions as (across, down), with 0 on the vertical centre line, right positive: 3 (0,0); 6 (2,2); 9 (6,4); 12 (4,6); 15 (5.5,9); 18 (3,13); 21 (5,15); 24 (5.5,17.5). 27 to 45 mirror these on the left: 27 (-5.5,17.5), 30 (-5,15), 33 (-3,13), 36 (-5.5,9), 39 (-4,6), 42 (-6,4), 45 (-2,2). What appears: A a key, B a crescent moon, C a lantern or D a star?
Join 3, 6, 9... in order. What appears?
C LANTERN
3 to 45 traces a lantern; the rest are decoys.
How to solve it
First, filter the dots. Only multiples of 3 count, so keep 3, 6, 9 and so on up to 45. Every other number, such as 1, 22 or 46, is a decoy placed to pull your pencil off course. That leaves 15 dots: 45 divided by 3 is 15.
Second, join them strictly in order. From 3 at the top, the line steps down to 6 and out to 9, then in to 12, out to 15, in to 18, out to 21 and down to 24 at the bottom right. From 24 it runs straight across to 27, then climbs the left side through 30, 33, 36, 39, 42 and 45, and closes back at 3.
Third, read the outline. The two sides mirror each other and zigzag in and out like the ribs of a paper lantern, there is a point on top like a lantern's cap and a flat base underneath. That is option C, the lantern.
The usual mistake is joining every number, or skipping one multiple such as 12, which produces a tangled scribble that can look like a star. If your line ever crosses itself, check that you dropped all the decoys.
