GAME PUZZLE FOR DECEMBER.

SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS: A GAME FOR FOUR PLAYERS.

Our readers will all recollect the cla.s.sical story of Scylla and Charybdis, the former a maiden changed by Circe into a hideous sea-monster, who threw herself into the sea and became a rock, the latter changed by Jupiter into a foaming whirlpool. Vessels which avoided the rock of Scylla were oft-times p.r.o.ne to fall into the dangerous whirlpool of Charybdis.

On this legend our Puzzle this month is based, though the two cla.s.sical dangers will be now only two little children who will try to seize on the argosies which their brothers and sisters send through the straits.

To begin which, settle a subject on which you will have your Compet.i.tion--Botany, History, Geography, Astronomy, Natural History, or any other you may select--then cut out a number of pieces of cardboard about this size--

[Ill.u.s.tration]

For ordinary subjects you may be able to cut out from the largest type used in the daily or weekly papers, syllables that will meet your requirements, but for special subjects, such as Botany, Astronomy, &c., you will find it better to write your own pieces of cardboard in a good bold, clear style.

You will want a considerable quant.i.ty of syllables, and the words in all cases should range from simple ones, easy to be discovered, to more difficult and puzzling words.

Having got a quant.i.ty of syllables, arrange them in three groups: (1) the simple words, (2) the more difficult, (3) the most difficult. Keep these groups in separate boxes, and these separate boxes again in one large box marked with the subject of the play.

Four players now arrange themselves thus: two as mariners, one at either end of the table, and two as Scylla and Charybdis, one on each side of it.

The ship will consist of a little j.a.panese tray, or lid of a cardboard box, with a piece of string fixed at either end to draw it by. In this are placed the syllables forming two words, and one of the mariners draws it slowly across the table. As it pa.s.ses along, Scylla and Charybdis try to discover the words it contains, and if they can do so ere it pa.s.ses they appropriate the cargo, and the ship reaches the opposite end of the table from which it started empty! It is again freighted and sent back, this time perhaps its contents are not discovered. And thus the game goes on till all the words are exhausted, when a count is made. Suppose 50 words were sent across the straits, the record might read:

The Mariners gained 27 words Scylla and Charybdis gained 23 words ----- The game won by the Mariners by 4 words.

Now we will proceed to give our Puzzle. The syllables given below will be found, when correctly sorted out and arranged, to form the names of the characters indicated in the explanatory notes at the foot.

SENIOR DIVISION.

+-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | ih | igna | van | so | pe | mor | tius | ba | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | nuc | varn | no | hah | no | car | re | chi | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | lac | hage | delo | to | nn | tt | aca | ll | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | nem | nvon | yola | ense | chi | ann | lla | ca | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+

1. The "Michael Angelo" of Spain.

2. A cruel Roman Emperor, a.s.sa.s.sinated by a soldier.

3. He is said to have written the lines--

"When Adam delved and Eve span, Where was then the gentleman."

4. A German physician, whose motto was: "Similia similibus curantur."

5. A page, soldier, philosopher, and Jesuit.

6. A Swedish philosopher.

7. A Florentine painter; he has a celebrated picture in the Louvre, called "Charity."

8. A Prussian statesman, author of various works.

9. A Spanish navigator who a.s.sisted Pizarro.

10. A Quaker, founder of a colony, author, &c.

11. A celebrated general in Afghanistan, &c.

12. An Italian musical composer who wrote several oratorios, operas, and ma.s.ses.

JUNIOR DIVISION.

|-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | ko | mar | new | yps | th | di | wa | cam | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | po | add | cia | bla | peg | nus | chr | ina | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | nch | gla | ila | pe | ing | rd | ist | gio | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+ | dst | gate | one | om | nti | ard | ton | ch | |-----+------+------+------+-----+------+------+-----+

1. An antiquary who left money to the Oxford University for "a copy of English verses."

2. Emperor of the East, married the widow of Theodosius the Younger.

3. French historian and member of Legislative a.s.sembly.

4. A self-taught Ayrshire sculptor.

5. A hospodar of Moldavia and Wallachia.

6. A Bishop of Salisbury, astronomer and mathematician.

7. Author of "Rape of the Lock."

8. A Speaker of the House of Commons, Premier, and Home Secretary.

9. A French aeronaut, killed by the explosion of a balloon.

10. The Papal legate who attended the trial of an English Queen.

11. A Swedish Queen who, having abdicated, abjured Lutheranism, and was pensioned by the Pope.

12. A Lord of the Treasury, Secretary for Colonies, Master of the Mint, President of Board of Trade, Chancellor of Exchequer, Premier, author, &c.

* In order to gain full number of marks Compet.i.tors must arrange the names in the proper order, placing them as numbered in the lights.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

[_The Editor requests that all inquiries and replies intended for insertion in_ LITTLE FOLKS _should have the words "Questions and Answers" written on the left-hand top corners of the envelopes containing them. Only those which the Editor considers suitable and of general interest to his readers will be printed._]

PRIZE COMPEt.i.tIONS, &C.

X Y Z, SWALLOW.--[The names of the winners of the Silver Medals will be printed in the February Number.--ED.]