FAR-FAMED FAIRY TALE OF FENELLA[1]
(1) A Famous Fish Factor Found himself Father of Five Fine Flirting Females—Fanny, Florence, Fernanda, Francesca, and Fenella. (2) The First Four were Flat-Featured, ill-Favored, Forbidding-Faced, Freckled Frumps; Fretful, Flippant, Foolish, and Flaunting. (3) Fenella was a Fine-Featured, Fresh, Fleet-Footed Fairy; Frank, Free and Full of Fun. (4) The Fisher Failed and was Forced by Fickle Fortune to Forego his Footman, Forfeit his Forefather’s Fine Fields, and Find a Forlorn Farmhouse in a Forsaken Forest. (5) The Four Fretful Females, Fond of Figuring at Feasts in Feathers and Fashionable Finery, Fumed at their Fugitive Father. (6) Forsaken by Fulsome, Flattering Fortune-hunters, who Followed them when Fish Flourished, Fenella Fondled her Father, Flavored their Food, Forgot her Flattering Followers, and Frolicked in Frieze without Flounces. (7) The Father, Finding himself Forced to Forage in Foreign parts for a Fortune, Found he could afford a Fairing For his Five Fondlings. (8) The First Four were Fain to Foster their Frivolity with Fine Frills and Fans, Fit to Finish their Father’s Finances; Fenella, Fearful of Flooring him, Formed a Fancy For a Full, Fresh Flower. (9) Fate Favored the Fish-Factor For a Few days, when he Fell in with a Fog; his Faithful Filly’s Footsteps Faltered, and Food Failed. (10) He Found himself in Front of a Fortified Fortress. Finding it Forsaken, and Feeling himself Feeble and Forlorn with Fasting, he Fed upon the Fish, Flesh and Fowl he Found, Fricasseed and Fried; and when Full, Fell Flat on the Floor. (11) Fresh in the Forenoon he Forthwith Flew to the Fruitful Fields, and, not Forgetting Fenella, he Filched a Fair Flower; when a Foul, Frightful, Fiendish Figure Flashed Forth, “Felonious Fellow!—Fingering my Flower—I’ll Finish you! Go, say Farewell to your Fine, Felicitous Family, and Face me in a Fortnight.” (12) The Faint-hearted Fisher Fumed and Faltered, and Fast was Far in his Flight. (13) His Five daughters Flew to Fall at his Feet, and Fervently Felicitate him. (14) Frantically and Fluently he unfolded his Fate. (15) Fenella, Forthwith, Fortified by Filial Fondness, Followed her Father’s Footsteps, and Flung her Faultless Form at the Foot of the Frightful Figure, who Forgave the Father, and Fell Flat on his Face; For he had Fervently Fallen in a Fiery Fit of love For the Fair Fenella. (16) He Feasted and Fostered her, till, Fascinated by his Faithfulness, she Forgot the Ferocity of his Face, Form and Feature; and Frankly and Fondly Fixed Friday Fifth of February, For the affair to come off. (17) There were present at the wedding, Fanny, Florence, Fernanda, Francesca, and the Fisher. (18) There were Festivity, Fragrance, Finery, Fireworks, Fricasseed Frogs, Fritters, Fish, Flesh, Fowl and Furmenty; Frontignac, Flip, and Fare Fit For the Fastidious; Fruit, Fuss, Flambeaux, Four Fat Fiddlers, and Fifers; and the Frightful Form of the Fortunate and Frumpish Fiend Fell From him, and he Fell at Fenella’s Feet, a Fair-Favored, Fine, Frank Freeman of the Forest! (19) Behold the Fruits of Filial affection!—Comic Times.
MY M-MADE MEMORY MEDLEY
MENTIONING MEMORY’S MARVELOUS MANIFESTATIONS[2]
(1) Memory Means Mind—Mind Means Memory. (2) Memory Most Mysteriously Makes Mental Memoranda. (3) Matured Metaphysical Meditation Manifests Memory Man’s Mighty Maker’s Manifoldly Marvelous, Magnificent Masterpiece. (4) Memory Makes, Molds, Modifies, Moves, Maintains Mind; Memory Moves Man’s Mouth; Memory Manages Man’s Manipulations. (5) Multitudinous Misfortunes Mark Meager Memory, Municipal Mismanagement, Maritime Mishaps, Mercantile Miscalculations. (6) Meager Memory Means Mystification, Misconception, Misunderstanding, Mournful Mental Malady. (7) Many Men Meditating Merge ’Mid Mystification, Mostly Meaning Mismanaged Memory. (8) Meager Memory Makes Many Men Mere Mute Mummies. (9) Mold Memory, Manage Memory; Make Memory-Meditations Mind-Making Material. Mere Mechanical, Muttering Memory Makes Many Men Mere Meaning-Minus Magpies. (10) Memory Managed Methodically, Manifests Marvelous Might. (11) Many Maddened Masters Murmuringly Mistrust Meritedly Mistrusted Menials’ Muddly Memories. (12) Menials’ Message Mangling Misconduct, Magical Modern Memory Methods Most Materially Mitigate. (13) Memory Methods Master Most Marvelous Medleys. (14) Miss Market-Much Might Memorize Meat, Mustard, Mushrooms, Melons, Marmalade, Milk, Mullets, Mops, Matches, Medicine, Myrrh, Musk, Muslin, Music; Moreover Many Miscellaneous Momentous Messages. (15) Many Men Much Misunderstand Memory Methods, Making Mental Mazes Much More Mysterious; Making Mere Mole-Mounds Mule Maddening-Mountains; Making Minutest Mites Mighty Mammalia. (16) Many Men Mentally Merely Move Mobward, Mingling Mimicked, Meaningless Murmurings ’Midst Misty-Minded Men’s Maniacal Mutterings, Menacing Memory Method’s Mutilation. Mildly, Manfully, Mockingly, Memory Men March, Maintaining Majesty. (17) Mercenary Motives, Mistaken Monetary Management May Make Many Meanly Miss Mentally Masticating Memory Methods. Moral Men Manifesting Manly Motives May Mention Memory’s Marvelous Malleability, Making Memory’s Maximum Man’s Mental Meridian! (18) Murky-Minded, Misanthropic, Monopolizing Men May Malevolently Mutter Many Mischievous, Malice-Molded Maledictions, Mockingly Mistrusting Memory Methods. (19) Memory Methods Master Minutely Many Manuals, Mosaic Maxims, Mediæval Memorables, Masonic Mysteries, Mechanical Movements, Mineral Mixtures, Medicinal Metamorphoses, Musical Measures, Mathematical Materials, Mercantile Managements, Momentary Mementos. (20) Memory Methods Might Make Monarchs, Ministers, Members, Mayors, Magistrates, Mouth Most Mightily, Minus Manuscripts. (21) Memory Methodically Manifested Makes Man Muscularly, Mentally, Morally, Mercantilely, Much More Manly. (22) Memory May Make Metropolitan Manufacturers Manufacture Many Most Magnificent Materials, Merely Marking Mentally Modistes’ Modified Matchless Models. (23) Memory Makes Money-Moving Merchants Mass Many More Money-Mounds. (24) Memory Makes Morose Men Much More Mannerly. Memory Makes Men’s Motto “Mutely Miss Mischievous Meddling.” (25) Memory, Marking Man’s Misguided Mind, Makes Man Merciful. Mingled Mortifications, Minus Merciful Memory, Make Minor Mistakes Miscreant Misdemeanors. (26) Memory, Methodized, Makes More Magnetic, Meltingly Melodious, Meekminded, Modest, Marriageable Maidens. (27) Memory Makes Mothers Manage Minutest, Multitudinously Miscellaneous Matters Meritoriously Maternally. (28) Memory Makes Model Men Matchlessly Master Mimicry. Memory Makes Mimics Mimic Minutely. (29) Mind—Memory! Mockingly, Maddeningly, Manages, Masters, Manacles Men’s Mere Muscular Might. (30) Memory Molds Men’s Musings; Millionaires’ Musings May Mark Moldering Marble Monuments, Mutely Mentioning Magnificent Munificences. (31) Military Men, Musing, May Mark Muskets, Matchless Marksmen, Mortars, Majors, Men, Movements, Maneuvers. (32) Milkmaid’s Musings May Mark Mist-Moistened Meadows, Mirthful Milkmen Merrily Milking, Millers, Mills, Men Mowing, Moving Mud-Mounds, Minding Mares, Managing Managers, Malting; Master’s Mansion, Master Making Market Memos.; Mistress Making Mincemeat; Miss Millie “Musicking”; Master Mathew Meeting Miss May Marry-Me. (33) Man’s Misconduct Makes Meditation—Memory—Mental Misery. (34) Murderers’ Morbid Minds Meek Morpheus Molests, Making Midnight’s Mysterious Musings Merciless Mental Martyrdoms. (35) Methodical Memorizing Means Mating Mentally—Mark! Minister Manuscript—Manuscript Mission—Mission Money—Money Missionary—Missionary Mohammedan—Mohammedan Meditate—Meditate Misconduct—Misconduct Mediator—Mediator Messiah! Mark, Moreover, Memory Methods Make Mixed Mental Masses Most Marvelously Manageable. Meager Memory, Moderate Memory, Mighty Memory, Method May Magnify Much. (36) Mentioning My M-Made Memory Medley, May Make Many Melancholy Moping Men Manifest Much Merriment. (37) Many Merely Muttering My M-Made Memory Medley May Make Multitudinous Mistakes. (38) My Memory Men May Memorize My Matchlessly Mouth Martyrdomizing M-Made Memory Medley!!!
—William Stokes.
If one has a little spare time, he can use it to good advantage in making alliterative exercises for himself. It will enlarge his vocabulary, discipline him in the use of unfamiliar words, and, at the same time, afford him opportunity for linguistic practice for the improvement of his pronunciation, enunciation and articulation. For instance, here are a few crude attempts made by one of the authors when he was lying on a sick-bed and desired a change of mental occupation.
MIGHTY MAJESTIC MIND
Man’s Muscular, Mental, Moral Master