A Calculator-Assisted Fairy Tale
from the Mathematics Teacher   December 1979



Directions: Use a calculator to solve the forty-two problems listed below to find the missing words in the fairy tale.   Each solution will provide a word for the story if you turn your calculator upside down.

1.     = ____________

2.     453 - 91,105 = ____________

3.     3,253,052 ÷ 95,678 = _________

4.     27 + 59 + 102 + 39.4 + 107.6 = ____________

5.     573,841,327 - 146,729,330 - 427,111,780 = ____________

6.     16,133,202 ÷ 3,578 = _________

7.     = _________

8.     (27 x 27) + (25 x 7) = _________

9.     = ____________

10.     5,853.473 + (24.78 x 89.65) = ____________

11.     244,593,909 ÷ 6,987 = _________

12.     = _________

13.     = ____________

14.     915.05 - (23.8 - 16.75) = ________

15.     = ____________

16.     625 x 252 - 352,887 = _________

17.     = ____________

18.     15.067 + 138.94 + 207.5 + 9.623 + 566.87 = ____________

19.     199,444.68 ÷ 36.21 = _________

20.     3 x 0.5 x 35 - 29.5 = _________

21.     (23)(26.31 + 37.94) = _________

22.     124 x 35 x 76 - 294,831 = _______

23.     = ____________

24.     = ____________

25.     2,929,073 ÷ 232 = ____________

26.     = ____________

27.     Find the sum of 128, 39, 46, 72,
    55, 27, 34, 376, 1023, 38, 77, 299,
    1834, and 460. ____________

28.     = ____________

29.     = ____________

30.     = _________

31.     = ____________

32.     = ____________

33.     25 (626.25)(0.0000002) = _______

34.     0.0032712 ÷ 0.47 ÷ 0.58 ÷ 0.24 = ____________

35.     = _________

36.     7 x 73 x 17,471 - (8,923,989 - 12) = ____________

37.     From ten million, subtract one hundred thousand.
          From the result, subtract nine million one thousand.
          Next, subtract eight hundred thousand.
          Lastly, subtract fifty-three. ____________

38.     163 x 24 - (0.10158 ÷ 0.00001) = ____________

39.     100 x 104 - (999 x 103) - 7 = ____________

40.     hOLE - LGI = ____________

41.     = ____________

42.     Take 200 away from BLESS = ____________

Now, fill in the blanks in the story below with the answers from the 42 problems.   Remember to turn your calculator upside down to obtain each word.



Once upon a time there was a handsome prince named   (1) _________, who lived in the country of   (2) _________.    
(3) _________ went to   (4) _________ a beautiful princess named
(5) _________.   She said,  
"(6) _________, my father, King
(7) _________, says before we may marry, you have to slay the
(8) _________.

"(9) _________," he answered, "That's a difficult task because the
(10) _________ is   (11) _________ in the   (12) _________.   If
(13) _________ were back in the
(14) _________ I could   (15) _________ that   (16) _________ in
(17) _________.   Why don't you
(18) _________ the   (19) _________ to   (20) _________ it my way and let me kill   (21) _________   (22) _________ instead?"

"(23) _________," said the princess with a   (24) _________, "you are
(25) _________ brave than you should   (26) _________."

"(27) _________!" he cried,
"(28) _________ am not over the
(29) _________, but that
(30) _________ ham is not worth the   (31) _________ I might get on my
(32) _________ ."

"(33) _________ " moaned the princess.

(34) _________, the prince loaded a   (35) _________ and shot a
(36) _________ in the   (37) _________ of the pig.

"(38) _________ you," said Ollie, and he ate his   (39) _________ with ham.

Liz did not   (40) _________ Zeb, and all was   (41) _________   (42) _________ .



Send any comments or questions to: David Pleacher