A single honeybee was darting about around the flowers. Its movements seemed oddly rhythmic, as if it were performing some ritual to reach a destined place.
Almost against my will, my eyes followed its path. The bee’s legs would brush against a petal, only to pull away at once, shift slightly, and touch again—over and over again.
As my eyes grew accustomed to its swift movements, I finally noticed a subtle change. On some of the petals near where the bee had touched, faint numbers had appeared. What’s more, there seemed to be a consistent rule linking the order of its path to the numbers themselves.
Perhaps I was being guided. The thought, almost like a conviction, passed through me.
When I looked again, the bee had already vanished. What remained before me was only the enigmatic guidepost traced across the petals.
Puzzle:
What path does the honeybee’s guidepost indicate?
Hint:
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When climbing up the stem or leaves, add 1; when descending, subtract 1.
Answer:
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From the numbers marked on the petals, you can tell whether the numbers around each flower increase clockwise or counterclockwise. Moreover, taking the “Rule” diagram into account, the solution is to follow the path through the consecutive numbers, applying +1 when climbing the stem or leaves and −1 when descending.
