Strike my whole, and 'twill give you a light.
Behead and retail me, I'm the gossip's delight.
Behead me once more, and your heads I'll adorn;
Once again, and I'm left at last all forlorn.
Answer: Match, chat (atch transposed), hat, at.
Many words of more than one syllable may be treated under this puzzle, by lopping off the original ending and substituting some other which will make a word of an entirely different meaning, thus:—
Retail what is needed to bury the dead,a
With that on which doctors rely for their bread;b
These together combined should be bright and clear,
And be taken for breakfast without any fear.c