Oral Exercise. Do you think this riddle can be made better? Is anything important left out? Is it bright enough? Try to make a better riddle about the box of crayons.
A schoolmate changed the riddle of the box of crayons. He thought this was better:
We are twelve little men in a little tight box. Each one of us writes his name in a different color. What are we?
Oral Exercise. Which of the two riddles do you like better? Can you tell why? Does the first riddle say anything about the box? Does it tell that anything is in a box?
Three other schoolmates made up other riddles about the box of crayons. Here they are:
We are a band of fairies living in our cozy little home. Each of us wears in his cap a feather of a different color. What are we?
I am a piece of the rainbow caught and put in a little tight jail. A little schoolgirl uses parts of me when she draws pictures. What am I?
We are a company of soldiers. Each of us wears a cap of a different color. We spend most of our time in a small pasteboard fort. When we go out, we are sure to make our mark. What are we?
Oral Exercise. 1. Of all the riddles of the box of crayons, which do you think is the best? Which is the second best? Which is the poorest?
2. Now again make riddles about toys and Christmas presents. But you should now be able to make better ones than you did before.
Group Exercise. 1. The class, after a riddle has been guessed, should point out what is good in it and then should tell how it might be made better. Should it be made shorter? Should it be made longer? How could it be made brighter?
2. The best riddles should be repeated slowly, so that the teacher may write them on the board. Now these may be read over, and the class may try to make each one better.[20] The teacher will rewrite each in its improved form.[35]