20. Making Riddles

Oral Exercise. 1. Can you guess either one of the following riddles?

I come once in a year. I always bring Santa Claus with me. When I leave, a new year begins at once. What am I?

I come once a year. Turkeys do not like me, but everybody else gives thanks after I have been here several weeks. What am I?

2. Make riddles about the months, for your classmates to guess. Begin your riddles like the two above.

WOODEN BOWL

Game. Twelve pupils stand in a row in front of the class. The teacher whispers to each the name of one of the months. The game is for the class to arrange these pupils in the order of the months of the year. Of course January will be placed at the beginning of the row. December will be placed at the end. Each pupil in the row makes a riddle about the month he is. The class must guess who is January, who is February, and so on to December.

Those who guess the riddles may be the months in the second game.

Group Exercise. Pupils who make very good riddles may write them on the board. Then the class will try to make them still better.

BUFFALO-HORN SPOONS

Written Exercise. When the riddles on the board have been corrected, copy the one or two you like best. Take these copies home to show to your parents. Write the name of the month under each riddle you copy. Begin that name with a capital letter. How will you make sure that you have spelled it right?