rhyming couplets, working in first lines of nursery rhymes.
F
ew children are aware, until they actually try it, how easy it is to make Rhyming Couplets; but now, any who may not have had exercise in this amusement will have an opportunity of making a very interesting game by carrying out the instructions given below.
First of all, Mamma or one of the elders will perhaps start the game thus: Send one (or two, if preferred) out of the room, and then give each player left in the room a word or words which they will have to work into their rhyme. We will suppose the lines selected are—
"Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard."
In arranging the game, the easy words, such as old, went, to, and the, should be given to the little ones, the other words to the elders.
Now the Guesser (or Guessers) may return to the room and the game commences—
"The old and young together go,"
says player No. 1. Now No. 2 has to make a line rhyming with "go," and bringing in "mother."
"My mother thinks me very slow,"
would do. No. 3 can make a fresh rhyme, and has a knotty word to bring in, so will probably need a longer line.