Sunday 5 January 2014

05/01/2014 - 12th Day (**)

This puzzle is rated 2 star (medium).

Description



Here's another classic puzzle that we've yet to look at.

The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a cumulative song, meaning that each verse is built on top of the previous verses. There are twelve verses, each describing a gift given by "my true love" on one of the twelve days of Christmas.
...and so forth, until the last verse:
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..
12 Drummers Drumming
11 Pipers Piping
10 Lords-a-Leaping
9 Ladies Dancing
8 Maids-a-Milking
7 Swans-a-Swimming
6 Geese-a-Laying
5 Gold Rings
4 Colly Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

So, on the first day the true love gave 1 item (a Partridge in a Pear Tree).  On the second day he gave 3 items (2 Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree), summing to 4 items in total!

Puzzle
What is the total sum of all the gifts by the end of the twelfth day?

Check the solutions for the correct answer.