Logic In Rhyme 3

(14) Little Billy Johnson was walking through the trees with a double-barreled shotgun; there was a gentle breeze. He came upon an oak tree just filled with birds galore, the most that he did ever see; of that he was most sure. there were ninety-seven blackbirds perched up there on high, and he thought that we would fire his gun up into the sky. He pulled both triggers, did little Bill, and now here is the tally of all the birds that he did kill there in that lonesome valley: The first barrel got twenty-four of those little ebony birds. The second barrel got fifteen more; too bad he didn't have a third. Now here's the problem I have for thee: how many birds remain in the tree? (15) Here is a problem for a laugh: just divide thirty by one half, add ten, and then what number have you at the end? (16) Three little pills the doctor did supply to little Jimmy Bower and said, 'Now listen, little guy, take one every half hour.' If Jimmy does as doctor says (start thinking really fast) from when he starts to when he stops, how long do those pills last? (17) Old lady Penn wants to get up at ten, quite late on the morrow and so she sets her Baby Ben alarm clock for that hour. She needs lots of sleep, wants to slumber deep and not have any sorrow. She takes just one small glass of wine and climbs into her bed at nine p.m. the night before and very soon, with a full moon, she softly starts to snore. She's breathing deeply in her bed with an occasional cough. How many hours slumber will she get before her alarm goes off? (Try to solve them before you look for the answers in 'Notes by the Poet about the Poem')