John had an equal number of butter scones, cream scones and vanila scones. After he ate 43 butter scones, some cream scones and vanila scones, there were 66 scones left. The number of cream scones he ate was thrice the number of vanila scones he ate. The number of cream scones left was 13 more than the number of butter scones left. How many butter scones were there at first?

	Butter scones	Cream scones	Vanila scones	Total scones
Before	1 p + 43	1 p + 3 u + 13	1 p + 3 u + 13
Change	- 43	- 3 u	- 1 u
After	1 p	1 p + 13	1 p + 13 + 1 u	66

Number of cream scones and butter scones was equal at first.

1 p + 3 u + 13 = 1 p + 43
3 u = 43 - 13
3 u = 30

1 u = 30 ÷ 3 = 10

Total number of scones in the end
= 1 p + 1 p + 13 + 1 p + 13 + 10
= 1 p + 1 p + 1 p + 13 + 13 + 10
= 3 p + 36

3 p + 36 = 66
3 p = 66 - 36
3 p = 30

1 p = 30 ÷ 3 = 10

Number of butter scones at first
= 1 p + 43
= 10 + 43
= 53

Answer(s): 53