The Seven-Piece Square

I walked back inside from the park and climbed onto the mahogany study desk, where a scattered wooden tangram set lay across a green felt mat. Seven geometric tiles—five triangles, a square, and a rhomboid—lay in loose disarray. Naturally, I could not let bedtime arrive with such geometry undone! Planting both feet, I nudged the two largest triangles edge-to-edge with both hands to establish a baseline. Then, I slotted the square into the center and guided the rhomboid flush against the corner. With a gentle final slide, the last triangle nestled into place, locking into a flawless, unified square. Satisfied with such tidy symmetry, I tipped my top hat.