METAGRAMS.

This riddle is formed by changing the initial letter of a particular word again and again, so as to produce as many words as possible of different meanings. Our first example affords a good illustration of the process to be pursued.

Well known to all as a covering for the head;	Cap.
Change my initial, a doze I mean instead.	Nap.
Once more, and an opening you will see;	Gap.
Exchange again, I'm found inside a tree.	Sap.
Once more, I mean then to befall.	Hap.
Again, I'm used by travellers, one and all.	Map.
Again, in this my mother often nursed me.	Lap.
Exchange again, and this my food would be.	Pap.
Again, and a sharp blow you've spelled.	Rap.
Once more, and a blow that's hardly seen or felt.	Tap.

The following clever Metagram is from the pages of the "Modern Sphinx," a book which contains upwards of a thousand different examples of the various kinds of riddles and puzzles in existence:—

There's a word, you'll agree, commencing with B		Bower.
That expresses a cool pleasant shade;
But remove letter B and substitute C,		Cower.
Apprehensively shrinking 'tis made;
Take away letter C, replace it by D,		Dower.
It will name what's bestowed on a bride;
Now if D is erased and by G replaced,		Gower.
A Welsh word, meaning crooked, is spied;
Thus far very well, now substitute L,		Lower.
We are going down now you will say;
Letter L shall be gone, and M be put on,		Mower.
There's a man cutting grass to make hay;
But when M shall have fled put P there instead,		Power.
It will name what is mentioned of steam;
Pray just now P erase, put R in its place,		Rower.
There's a man gliding down with the stream;
But now take R away, put S there, we say,		Sower.
That a farmer at work then it names;
If for S you put T you surely will name		Tower.
A noted place close by the Thames.

The following is a good specimen metagram:—

Of letters four, I do denote

A man of wisdom great,

But cooks do often me devote

To share—alas!—a goose's fate;

But change my head, and then, instead,

Part of a book you'll find;

And if again I'm carefully read,

A youth who walks behind;

Change once again, and then you will

A furious passion see,

Which reason vainly tries to still,

Keep far removed from me;

Another change, and you will then

See I'm remuneration

Earned by all grades of working men

Throughout the British nation;

But change my head once more, and then

A prison I appear,

From which sweet sounds oft issue forth

That pleasant are to hear.

Answer: Sage. Page. Rage. Wage. Cage.

Below is a list of some words suitable for Metagrams, together with the various changes which each word allows:—

Bear, Tear, Lear, Gear, Wear, Hear, Pear, Year, Rear, Fear, Sear, Dear, and Near.

Book, Cook, Hook, Look, Nook, Rook, Took.

Waste, Taste, Paste, Caste, Baste.

Bine, Fine, Kine, Dine, Line, Mine, Nine, Pine, Vine, Wine.

Bound, Found, Hound, Mound, Pound, Round, Sound, Wound.

Cork, Pork, Fork, York.

Dame, Fame, Game, Came, Lame, Name, Same, Tame.

Cake, Lake, Rake, Sake, Take, Wake.

Tent, Rent, Lent, Kent, Dent, Cent, Bent.

Vast, Mast, Last, Fast, Cast, Past.

Heather, Feather, Leather, Weather.

Palter, Falter, Salter, Halter.

Basket, Casket, Gasket.