The Puzzle Post no. 10 · week of 14 December 2026

1. Word ladder

Change one letter at a time to turn LAMP into DARK. Every step must be a real word. It takes 3 steps in between.

LAMP → ____ → ____ → ____ → DARK

2. Number pyramid

Each block is the sum of the two blocks underneath it. Fill in the blanks.

610

3. Who has which pet?

Bo, Cleo, Dara each have one pet: a lamb, a swan, a toad.

Bo does not have the swan.
Cleo has the lamb.
Dara does not have the toad.

4. What comes next?

2, 3, 5, 7, 11, ____

5. Riddle

What runs but never walks, and has a bed but never sleeps?

Cut out and keep

Puzzles I solved: 1 □ 2 □ 3 □ 4 □ 5 □ with help from: ______________

This week’s Patience Club deal is the same for everyone at sparkwhetstone.org/patience-club. Clear it and write your result code here: ______________________

Answers on page two when printed

LAMP → DAMP → DAME → DARE → DARK
From the bottom: 4, 2, 7, 3 · 6, 9, 10 · 15, 19 · 34
Bo: toad · Cleo: lamb · Dara: swan
13 (prime numbers: each one divides only by one and itself)
A river.