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Catches and Riddles 253 |
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By adding "s" you plural make; But if you add an "s" to this, How strange the metamorphosis; Plural is plural now no more, And sweet what bitter was before. Answer: Cares—Caress.
MACAULAY'S LAST RIDDLE
Let us look at it quite closely—
Tis a very ugly word, And one that makes us shudder
Wherever it is heard. It may be very wicked,
It must be always sad, And speaks of sin and suffering
Enough to make us mad. They say it is a compound word,
And that is very true, And when we decompose it—
(Which, of course, we're free to do)-If from the letters we take off
And sever the first three, We leave the nine remaining ones
As sad as sad can be ! For though it seems to make it less In fact it makes it more,
For it takes the brute creation in Which it left out before.
Let's try if we can mend it; 'Tis possible we may,
If only we divide it
In some new-fashioned wav.
Instead of three and nine, then, Let's make it four and eight; |
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