Friday Riddle / Teaser - ANSWER

nudgie

ANSWER:

The puzzler tried to take the test;
Intriguing rhymes he wished to best.
But "fifty and ten dozens twenty"
Made his headache pound aplenty.
When he finally found some leisure,
He took to task this witty treasure.

"The product of the age must be
Twenty-four hundred fifty!"
Knowing that, he took its primes,
Permuted them as many times
As needed, til he found amounts
Equal to, by all accounts,
Twice the verger's age, so that
He would have that next day's spat.


The reason for the lad's confusion
Was due to multiple solution!
Hence he needed one more clue
To give the answer back to you!
Since only one could fit the bill,
And then confirm the priest's age still,
The eldest age of each solution
By one could differ, with no coercion.

Else, that last clue's revelation
Would not have brought information!
With two, two, five, seven, and seven,
Construct three ages, another set of seven.
Two sets of three yield sixty-four,
Examine them, yet one time more.
The eldest age of each would be
Forty-nine, and then, fifty!

PGLGreg

It may not be obvious from this rhyme that the answer is: the priest is 50 years old.

Thanks, nudgie, for these interesting puzzles you've dug up for us. And congratulations on your last colonoscopy.

Greg