Signs in puzzles and their meaning. How to solve a rebus that consists of letters, numbers, pictures and notes

In November 2007, I wrote . In one of the rebuses, a word was made with a mistake: “lunAhod”. In another one, the verb “pulled up” was guessed, and even adults could hardly guess it. It is clear that the compilers of the rebus violated certain rules. And what?

We love to solve puzzles - charades, rebuses, chainwords, crosswords, labyrinths, cryptograms, riddles, comic puzzles. Solving them, it doesn’t hurt that we think about what rules they are made up of. Who, for example, taught us that a chainword is the same crossword, only it needs to be solved “in a circle”? Yes, we knew this in childhood even earlier than the multiplication table! And they knew that the inverted picture in the rebus means: "Read the word backwards."

These are all unwritten guidelines for those who guesses puzzles.

But are there any rules are drawn up different types of puzzles? For example, the rules for compiling a rebus?

I tried to formulate the rules for compiling a rebus, based on examples of puzzles of varying complexity and simply based on reasonable logic. And that's what happened.

REBUS RULES

Introduction

The word "rebus" comes from the Latin word "res" - "thing".

The essence of the rebus- a riddle formulated in the form of a picture (or photograph) in combination with letters, numbers, signs, symbols, figures.

Solve the rebus- means to "translate" everything that it contains into letters that make up a meaningful word or sentence.

General provisions

  1. A rebus guesses a word or sentence (usually a proverb, saying, aphorism, quote).
  2. The number of individual elements included in the rebus (drawings or photographs, as well as letters, numbers, signs, symbols, figures, and so on) is not limited.
  3. To compose the rebus, special techniques are used that distinguish it from any other “riddle in pictures”.
  4. These techniques can be used both independently and in various combinations (combinations) with each other.
  5. The number of techniques used in one rebus and their combinations (combinations) is not limited.

Rebus Requirements

  1. The rebus must have a solution, and, as a rule, one. The ambiguity of the answer should be specified in the conditions of the rebus. For example: "Find two solutions to this puzzle."
  2. The guessed word or sentence should not contain spelling errors.
  3. If one word is guessed in the rebus, then it should, as a rule, be a noun, moreover, in the singular and in the nominative case. A deviation from this rule must be specified in the terms of the rebus (for example: "Guess the participle").
  4. If a sentence is guessed (proverb, aphorism, etc.), then, naturally, it can contain not only nouns, but also verbs and other parts of speech. In this case, the conditions of the rebus should contain the appropriate phrase (for example: "Guess the proverb").
  5. The puzzle should be drawn from left to right.

Basic techniques for compiling a rebus

  1. flipping"upside down" drawing (or photograph), sign, symbol, figure (hereinafter - picture, unlike letters and numbers) serves to indicate that the word guessed with the help of a picture should be read backwards.
  2. Use of commas(also inverted commas) to the left or right of the picture serves to indicate that a certain number of initial or final letters should be removed from the word guessed using the picture. Wherein:
    • the number of commas corresponds to the number of letters to be deleted;
    • commas to the left of the picture indicate the removal of the initial letters of the word;
    • commas to the right of the picture indicate the removal of the final letters of the word.
  3. Placement of a letter or several letters to the right of the picture serves to indicate that this letter (several letters) should be added at the end of the guessed word.
  4. Strikethrough letter and placing next to it or above it another letter serves to indicate which letter should be replaced by which in the hidden word.
  5. Putting a mathematical equal sign between two letters is used to indicate the replacement of one of these letters with another.
  6. Applying an arrow that goes from one letter to another, also serves to indicate the appropriate substitution of letters. Also, the arrow can be deciphered as a preposition "to". For example: the word "juice", then - an arrow pointing to the right, and the letter "y"- all this is read like this: "piece".
  7. The placement above the picture (or above the symbol, above the combination of letters) of a horizontal arrow pointing to the left serves to indicate that after decoding the word or part of it must be read backwards.
  8. Placing a row of numbers above the picture 1, 2, 3, 4 (and so on) is used to number the letters in the hidden word (the number 1 means the first letter of the word, the number 2 - the second, and so on). Wherein:
    • changing the order of the numbers serves as a hint: "Change the order of the letters in the hidden word." For example, the numbers 3, 2, 1, 4 above the picture of the saw show that in the word "saw" the first and third letters must be rearranged; answer: "linden";
    • the use of numbers in fewer numbers than letters in the hidden word serves as a hint that only the specified number of letters should be selected from the hidden word. For example, there are two numbers above the picture of a saw: 4, 1. This means that only two letters need to be selected from the word “saw”: the fourth and the first, and put them in that order; answer: "ap";
    • the use of crossed out numbers serves as a hint that the corresponding letters should be removed from the hidden word. For example, above the picture of the saw are the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, while the number 4 is crossed out. This means that the fourth letter must be removed from the word "saw"; answer: "drank". (The crossed out number may not be in the row of other numbers, while its meaning is the same.)
  9. Using the horizontal bar between pictures placed under each other, letters serves to encrypt the letter combinations “on”, “above”, “under”, as well as the prepositions “on”, “above”, “under”, if any phrase is guessed by the rebus.
  10. Using a different location pictures, letters relative to each other (one inside the other, one after the other, one scattered over the other, some “run” to others, some “leave” others, and so on) serves to encrypt letters and letter combinations “in”, “to” , "y", "s", "for", "by", "from", "on", "before" and many others, which in Russian are prepositions, as well as the letter "and", which is a union. For example:
    • the imposition of pictures, letters on top of each other, when they seem to look out from behind each other or from under each other, leaning against each other, serves to encrypt “for”, “before”, “on”, “under”, “ through”, “y”, “k”, etc. (for example, the letters “ka” “hid” behind the letter “n” - this is “cauldron”);
    • “scattering” over a picture or a letter of any identical letters serves to encrypt “by” (for example, the letters “and” are, as it were, scattered over the letter “n” - this is “pony”);
    • inscribing other letters in a picture or letter serves to encrypt "in" (for example, the letters "sli" are inscribed in the letter "a" - this is "plum");
    • the image of letters, figures, holding “hands”, serves to encrypt “and”, “s” (for example, the letters “k” and “t” held “hands” are “whale”, and “o” and “a "-" wasp ");
    • the image of letters, figures, running away from each other, running up to each other, coming out from somewhere, climbing something, entering somewhere, running around something, and so on - to encrypt "to", "from", “from”, “to”, “to”, “to”, etc.
  11. The use of the above and other similar techniques in a variety of combinations (combinations)(for example, using both an inverted picture and a comma before it).

Puzzles for children - a puzzle in which a word is encrypted using pictures, letter combinations and signs, has been popular for more than one century. Puzzles, which first appeared in France in the 15th century (the first printed collection is dated 1582 and compiled by Etienne Tabouraud), improved over time and became unusually exciting game. You can solve them both alone and in a fun company, arranging competitions. The puzzle will not let you get bored even on a gray, rainy day when you can’t go out with friends. Solving puzzles for kids is fun and exciting - worth a try!

What puzzles exist

Rebuses are very diverse: mathematical, with numbers, with notes, complex and many others. We have prepared an excellent selection of puzzles for children.

How can you solve the puzzle

Knowing the rules for decoding the rebus, you can solve even a very complex riddle. The word hidden in the puzzle is divided into several parts that can be shown as pictures. In order to guess the word, you need to read the names of the images in the nominative case, and then combine them into one word. So, for example, if the first picture shows a track, and the second picture shows a person conducting some kind of experiment, you need to read: track + experience = tracker.

Rebuses are more difficult. In such puzzles, one of the drawings can be turned upside down, and then its name must be read backwards. Commas can complicate the puzzle even more, which, if you do not know what they are for in the puzzle, make it unsolvable. When a comma is placed in front of a picture, it indicates that the first letter of its name should not be read. The number of commas means how many letters to discard. A comma or several of them after the picture indicate unnecessary letters from the end of the word.

Having mastered simple puzzles, it is interesting to tackle more complex puzzles. In them, a crossed-out letter can be drawn above the picture, which means that it should be excluded from the name of the picture. When there are numbers above the picture, then only the letters corresponding to them in the word are read (example: if there are numbers 1, 3, 4 above the picture with the image of an apple, you need to read yalo). When a crossed-out letter and a non-crossed-out letter are above the picture, one must be replaced in the word. In some puzzles, the letter that needs to be replaced is not crossed out, but simply put an = sign between it and the one that should be in its place.

Numbers may also appear in the rebus if part of the word is a numeral. In this case, pictures or letters can be placed before or after the number. The puzzle is solved in the same way as a rebus with pictures, only a number or number is read instead of the name of the image.

When the rebus looks like letters or letters and numbers inscribed into each other, then you should read by adding the letter B at the beginning of the word.

In the most complex puzzles, syllables can be represented by notes. In this case, you will need to understand which note is shown in the picture, and read it in accordance with the sound.

Date of: December 19, 2015 how to solve puzzles

These are the basic rules that will help you learn how to solve puzzles. They are shown in the next short cartoon, and are also discussed in more detail below in the text.

Examples of puzzles increase when clicked.

1. Picture, geometric figure, a number or a musical note means that in order to solve it, you need to read the name of what is depicted. For example, the number "100" together with the letter "L" turns into "TABLE", the note "SI" with the addition of the syllable "LA" gives us the word "POWER", and the figure "Rhombus" with the last letter taken away and the letter "G" standing in front "turns into the word" thunder ":

How to solve puzzles. The rebus reads as: STO + L. You can guess how the TABLE. Rebus-1


How to solve puzzles. The rebus is read as SI (note) + LA. You can guess how POWER. Rebus-2


How to solve puzzles. The rebus reads like G + ROM (a rhombus figure without the last letter). You can guess like THUNDER. Rebus-3

2. A comma means that you need to remove the extreme letter (at the beginning or at the end) from the picture, next to which there is a comma. Two commas mean the removal of two letters. The direction of the tail of the comma points towards the picture from which the letter must be subtracted. Rebuses containing an element with big amount commas are undesirable because they smear the meaning of the element used. Below is an example where the word "FENCE" with the subtraction of the first two letters, is unraveled as "BOR" - a coniferous forest:

How to solve puzzles. Rule-2. Rebus-4

3. A crossed-out letter or number above the child's picture means that in order to solve this word, this letter or the letter with the indicated number is removed, and in some cases they are changed to another letter. For example, the word "KIT" turns into the word "CAT", "TABLE" turns into "CHAIR":

How to solve puzzles. Rule-3. Rebus-5


How to solve puzzles. Rule-3. Rebus-6

4. Letters, numbers or pictures can be in each other, one on top of the other, hide behind the back of another, consist of one another, then “IN”, “TO”, “FOR”, “FROM” are added to the solution of the problem. For example, the letter “O”, inside which there are the letters “YES”, turn into the word “WATER”, the letters “KA”, standing on the letter “U”, turn into the word “science”, the letter “C”, standing behind the letter “ I", you can solve as the word "HARE", and the big letter "A", consisting of small letters "B", you need to guess, like the word "HUT":

How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-7


How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-8


How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-9


How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-10

It is necessary to say separately about puzzles, in the solution of which fragments “ON” and “OVER” appear, as well as about puzzles in which there is a variability “OVER” - “UNDER” and “BEFORE” - “FOR”. The example shows that the letters “ZhDA” standing on the letters “DE” are unraveled as “HOPE”. The same solution is obtained when "WAD" hangs over the letter "E". The mirror version in the case of letters “hanging” over each other may imply the position “UNDER”, as in the rebus “BASTERN”. Similarly, there is a mirror solution in the case of setting some letters after others, then the rebus can be solved by varying the substitutions "FOR" and "BEFORE", as in the rebus "ALTERATION".

How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-18


How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-19


How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-20


How to solve puzzles. Rule-4. Rebus-21

5. Several identical letters in a row when guessing mean adding a numeral forward - by the number of these letters. For example, the seven letters "I" mean "FAMILY":

How to solve puzzles. Rule-5. Rebus-11

6. An inverted picture or part of a word - means that the rebus must be solved by reading the word in reverse. For example, an inverted picture of a cat turns into the word "CURRENT":

How to solve puzzles. Rule-6. Rebus-12

7. Inserting a checkmark means that you need to insert an additional letter in the word to which this checkmark is directed. For example, if this sign is above the number "2", and with the numbers "1" and "2" on the sides, then the indicated letter must be inserted into the word "TWO" - in our case, "I" - between the first and second letters. And since after the deuce there is also the letter “H”, then the whole rebus can be solved as “SOFA”:

How to solve puzzles. Rule-7. Rebus-13

The above rules are the main ones, besides them there are some “fuzzy” additional rules: multiple selection of letters from the name of the element (when multiple numbers are indicated above the element); pointing with an arrow to a fragment of an element; fuzzy mutual setting of elements (playing on the prepositions "U", "S", "OT", "PO").
But these additional rules dilute the meaning of the rebus puzzle, turning it into a multiple-choice problem. If in puzzles for an older age these rules are sometimes applied, then in puzzles for children their use is undesirable, because children first of all need to master the solution algorithms themselves, and this should be done based on clear rules.
The following are examples of "fuzzy" puzzles:

How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-14


How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-15


How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-16


How to solve puzzles. Fuzzy rule. Rebus-17

Also, sometimes in puzzles, a nesting technique is used, denoted by brackets. In this case, the rebus consists of other puzzles nested in it. This technique is sometimes used in puzzles for an older age. For children, such puzzles are undesirable, since children should first be given basic solving algorithms. An example of such a puzzle is shown below:

How to solve puzzles. Acceptance of investment. Rebus-22

Rebuses (including and along with other tasks) with proper application are effective tool for teaching children. By offering a child puzzles of the appropriate class, one can purposefully develop the "hardware" of the brain, consistently teaching him algorithms for solving problems and skills of speculative construction.
Text and illustrations: A. Fokin.

A kind of puzzle familiar to everyone since childhood is a rebus, but not everyone can confidently answer the question of how to solve it correctly. In addition, puzzles come in four varieties: with letters, numbers, pictures and notes, plus those subspecies that include a combination of these four types. It would seem that getting confused is easy. Not at all. Knowing the rules and understanding how to solve puzzles, you will get a lot of pleasure from the process.

If you ask yourself where such a name came from - a rebus, then it turns out that from Latin, the word "rebus" means "with the help of things". That is, it actually conveys the essence of the puzzle, in which the desired word or phrase is encrypted using the objects shown in the picture. It is recommended to solve and compose such problems using certain rules.

How to solve the main types of puzzles

It is generally accepted that the simplest are riddles consisting of pictures. One can argue here, since such puzzles are also very difficult, but for the perception and development of the correct associative series, they are certainly easier. The whole point of such tasks is that almost any image can be interpreted in different ways, and it is in the selection of options that the meaning of any puzzle lies. So, The main rules, guided by which, such a rebus should be solved are:

  1. Sequentially list the items in the picture, from left to right, in the singular and the nominative case.
  2. If the item is shown upside down in the picture, then its name is read backwards.
  3. If, in addition to the picture, there are commas in the task, they mean that the word shown in the picture needs to be subtracted as many characters as there are commas drawn. If commas are shown at the beginning of the word, then the letters must be taken away at the beginning of the word. If commas are present at the end of a word, the last characters should be subtracted accordingly.
  4. Also, the problem may contain arrows. They mean that after the picture has been correctly guessed, its name must be read backwards. In addition, the directions of the arrows can indicate the direct and reverse reading of syllables, and not the whole word.

How to solve a rebus in which there are a lot of letters?

It is somewhat more difficult to figure out what is encrypted in the rebus with letters. At first glance, such a problem may seem meaningless. Knowing the basic rules, finding the right answer will not be as difficult as it seems at first. So, how to solve puzzles that consist of solid letter combinations or their combinations with pictures.

  1. If letters are depicted in the rebus, while one or more of them are inside another letter, then they must be spoken with the addition of the preposition "B".
  2. When depicting letters or letter combinations located one above the other, their name must be read with the addition of the prepositions “on”, “above” or “under”.
  3. Sometimes the puzzle depicts a symbol consisting of many repetitions of another letter or syllable. In this case, the syllable "from" must be added to solving the rebus.
  4. If the image of a letter or syllable includes another letter or syllable repeated several times, then the preposition “by” is used. The same preposition is used if a character has suddenly grown legs, and it steps on another letter or syllable.
  5. If the image of the charade includes letters located on different planes - some are closer, others are farther, then the preposition "for" will be added to the solution. Behind the letter in the foreground is the letter in the background.
  6. If the letters “cling” one to the other, the preposition “k” or “y” is used. As a rule, they begin pronunciation with a “collapsed”, smaller letter.
  7. Another version of the rebus with letters is one or more crossed out syllables. Then the answer contains the syllable "not". For example, the crossed out syllable "uch" is fraught with the word "ignoramus".
  8. If the rebus shows two identical letters, the word "pair" will be present in the solution.
  9. When it comes to combined cryptograms containing both letters and pictures, some letters may be crossed out. In this case, the word shown in the picture should be read without a strikethrough element. In another case, any component of the word can be replaced by another, then an “equal” sign is placed between the letters.

Numbers and notes

Cryptograms with numbers almost never consist of numbers alone, as a rule, they are found in combination with pictures, letters, notes and other things. In fact, the presence of numbers is an auxiliary factor that dictates the conditions for solving the rebus. How to solve puzzles with numbers:

  • If there are numbers above the image of any object in a different order, this means that the letters of the word depicted are read in the specified order.
  • If the numbers in the rebus are crossed out, then those letters that correspond to the crossed out numbers must be thrown out of it.

Puzzles with notes may seem complex to people who do not have a musical education, and require special knowledge in order to solve them. They are partly right - in such puzzles, in most cases, they use the image of notes to indicate the corresponding syllables - “do”, “re”, “mi”, etc. And then you have to remember school lessons music, and determine what kind of note is depicted in the rebus.

In some simplified cases, the image of the treble clef makes it clear that only the word "note" is involved.

Video

This useful video will teach you how to guess and solve puzzles.

What do children love, probably even more than computer games? Of course, riddles and puzzles! When parents are not able to play with their child after work, you can remember this old way of entertainment. Making a rebus for children is not difficult at all, it takes very little time, and most importantly, it helps the child to develop mentally.

Basic Rules

Recall that a rebus is a kind of picture in which a word is encrypted. The image of the main item (or items) is accompanied by hints as to what should be the result. Numbers, letters, punctuation marks and much more can appear as such details.

The names of the objects depicted in the picture are given in the nominative case. All the symbols that the child sees in the riddle mean something, that is, in each sign you need to be able to find your own meaning. Now let's see how to make puzzles in pictures according to all the rules.

Duality

It would be too boring to depict the desired word directly, with one picture. Then it would not be a puzzle at all, but an ordinary illustration. To complicate the task, use ambiguous words: for example, the image of a tree without branches can mean both it and the trunk, and a log. A correctly presented picture of a hand can also be perceived as a “hand” or “palm”. When thinking about how to make a rebus, remember that children do not like “giveaway” games, the task should be difficult, but solvable - in accordance with their age, of course.

hidden letters

Sometimes, in order to decipher the desired concept, it is required to remove some letters from the words that make it up. For example, let's make an "ox" from a "wolf". Two animals will differ only in the consonant "k" at the end. Then, after the picture with the predator, we will put a comma, which will mean that we discard one last letter. How many commas - so many characters from the end we will remove. How to make a rebus if we plan to shorten the initial part of the word? In this case, commas are placed before the picture.

It happens that you need to remove letters from the middle of a word, then you need to do the following: a crossed out letter is written in front of the image, which must be ignored when reading. If instead of one letter you need to substitute another, then one is crossed out, and the other, respectively, is added. For example, to get "guest" instead of "bone", you should present an image of a bone, then write a crossed out "K", and next to it - "G".

Numbers

Quite often, when creating puzzles, numbers are used. They can be applied in two cases.

If there are any numbers above the picture, then most likely this is the order of the letters. For example, let's write "3,2,1" above the cat's face to get "current". You don't have to swap all the letters. Draw a pen, and above it - the numbers 2 and 4. Put an arrow between them pointing in both directions and, finally, add "Z" at the end. Now instead of a "feather" you get a "cut". Such ways of combining tools will help you answer the question of how to compose a rebus in an original way.

Prepositions

There are many prepositions in Russian: over, under, before, on, at, with, at - the same sequences of letters are found in many words. This means that these fragments can be encrypted. Let's write "k" so that it partially overlaps the syllable "ni" and we get "apron". And if you place “O” on the letter “L”, you get a “hem”.

There are more complex ways of referring to prepositions. One of these is to make one large letter with the help of many small ones - this way we hide the preposition "of". If, at the same time, the contours of the larger sign are clearly visible, the preposition will turn into “by”. This means that some letters are located on (i.e., on top of) another.

With the help of such actions, you can encrypt very big number words. The main thing is that it will not always be clear to the child which pretext to use in this case - he will have to sort through the options, and this, as you know, helps the development of thinking.

Complications

How to make a rebus in the Russian language so that the child has to think longer? Try to think more abstractly. For example, let's write "A" on top, and below - the letters "R" and "L", drawn as if they were holding handles. In this way, we hide the union "and". The result should be the word "gave".

The more unusual ways of interaction we convey in the rebus, the more difficult and interesting it will be for children to solve the riddle. Letters and pictures, of course, do not know how to enter into social interaction, but people do it - let the child develop thinking, remembering abstract concepts during the game!

Let the children learn the basics of musical notation: note names can also be used in rebuses. Do, re, mi, fa sol, la, si are popular syllables, and we can refer to them to create a greater variety of tasks.

Math problems

In the exact sciences, there are also riddles. How to make a rebus in mathematics for a student? Make up some expressions, for example: 1+2=3; 2+2=4. Now encrypt the numbers with some specific pictures. Let "one" become a cake, and "two" - an apple, etc. Now the child's task is to find out what number is hidden behind each of the drawings.

You can complicate the task by writing a whole sentence, the words in which are numbers consisting of several digits, and each letter is a specific number. Guess what CAT * DOG = STOP means. It's not that easy. Such tasks already train both mathematical skills and rather abstract logic.

Linguistic tasks

Another interesting type of puzzles is deciphering tasks. Often they look like “translate some sentence from an unknown language into Russian”. The options here are very different, but only one subspecies should be attributed to puzzles - the one in which each Russian character is replaced by some foreign one. At the same time, an adult does not even need to think about how to make a rebus: you just need to replace all the letters in a randomly taken paragraph with any English ones. For example, "A" will become G, and "B" - L. The child must guess that the most frequent signs are vowels, repeated endings can belong to adjectives and verbs, etc. Such puzzles already have a fairly high level of complexity, their students decided in high school.

In general, you can refer to other school subjects. Think about how to make a history rebus using portraits famous people, scenes of famous events, or hiding them in the form of words in a riddle. Any science in the form of a game is perceived easier on early stage child's education.

About the benefits of puzzles

You must know that such tasks are given to children in kindergarten And primary school. A typical question of parents who want to help a child: how to make a rebus in the Russian language. What is such a game for? It turns out that there are a lot of useful effects from such tasks.

First, children love the unknown. In this case, the content of the message is hidden from them, and for the sake of this knowledge, the child is ready to perform quite complex tasks. mental actions. He learns to use several ways to select "keys", different solution strategies. For example, if for the letters “T” and “C” standing on top of each other, the option “under t s” does not fit, he will go the other way and get “nast”.

Secondly, puzzles prepare the child for the fact that not everything is clear the first time, that you need to know some decryption rules and, in general, the methods that can be used when completing tasks. Speaking more narrowly, the ability to effectively solve puzzles develops in children the ability to linguistics, translation activities, develops the ability to see “between the lines”. At first, the child is interested in solving such riddles, later he begins to think about how to make puzzles in the pictures of friends and classmates. Ultimately, interest in such simple tasks passes - children begin to look for something more complex and interesting. And that's great, because they grow up and get smarter.

Try not to forget to make puzzles with answers, otherwise the child will not be able to understand whether he correctly solved the riddle, and interest in the game will drop sharply. Also, choose pictures in such a way that they can be "translated" in several ways, so that the task does not turn out to be too simple.

Finally

Motivate the children not to give up, to fight to the end, and if it gets really difficult, help with little tips and hints. Do not give the child the correct answer, let him feel that he did everything on his own.

Feel free to play - you too were once young and loved puzzles and riddles. At the same time, you will be able to spend time both fun and beneficial for the child - you will agree that this combination is not common. Combine all the tools presented in this article, invent your own - the more difficult the task is, the more fun your child will experience when he successfully solves it.