"Spectator" Competitions

RULES AND CONDITIONS

Entries must be typed or very clearly written on one side of the paper only. The name and address, or pseudonym, of the competitor must be on each entry and not on a separate shoot. When a word limit is set words must be counted and the number given. No entries can be returned. Prizes may be divided at the discretion of the judge, or withheld if no entry reaches the required standard. The judge reserves the right to print or quote from any entry. The judge's decision is final, and no correspondence can be entered into on the subject of the award. Entries must be addressed to :—The Editor, the Spectator, 99 Gower Street, London, W.C. 1, and bo marked on the envelope Competition No. (—).

Competition No. 38 (Set by " Ductr.")

A Num of £2 2s. is offered for a New Year's resolution or set of resolutions, made in rhyme. The resolutions need not necessarily be the competitors' own, but may be those they would like to suggest to others. For example

Competition No. 39 (SET BY " CARD.") A PRIZE of £2 2s. is offered for the best epitaph on an undertaker, in not more than ten lines of English verse.

Entries must be received not later than Monday, January 11th, 1932. The result of this competition will appear in our issue of January 23rd, 1932.

The result of Competition No. 37 will appear in our next issue.

Limerick Competition No. 9

A mum of £1 is. is offered each week for a new and original English Limerick verse on sonic subject dealt with in the current number of the Spectator. The ninth of these competitions closes on Monday, January 11th, 1(132. Entries should be marked on the envelope " Limerick No. 9."

The result of the seventh of these competitions will be announced in our next issue.

(It is requested that to facilitate the work of the judges, entries should, when possible, be submitted on postcards.]

Report of Competition No. 36

(HP1PORT AND AWARD BY " Dvou.") A mom of £2 2s. was offered for a new and original Christmas Carol, in not more than twenty-five lines of verse.

The many entries to this competition have made delightful reading for Christmas week. A carol, original in thought as well as in language, is a rare thing. The setter was probably too optimistic in hoping for anything quite off the ordinary lines --such, for example, as Miss W. M. Letts' enchanting " Monkey Carol." Anyhow, though there were a number of good entries, all were conventional in matter and manner, some even reproducing " ye olde " English spelling.

The first requirement of a carol is that it should be suitable for singing, and this has excluded from the list of possible prize-winners some really charming Christmas poems, notably those of " Halj," Miss K. M. Steed and Hilda Finnemore.

The prize of £2 2s. is awarded to Edith Wood, 29 Escomb Road, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham.

The following, in addition to those already mentioned, are highly commended : Leonard Chalmers-Hunt, Rev. J. A, Bunch, Edith Hope-Scott, M.I.., L. A. Wilding, E. Capel-Cure, Rev. A. H. Storrs, Captain J. R. Cleland (whose carol tells a story from the Gospel of the Holy Twelve), Doreen Ireland and " Cassandra."

THE WINNING CAROL.

A CHRISTMAS auto:.

SHEPHERDS heard bright angels sing, Left their flocks on dewy sod, Ran to greet the new-born King, Ran to seek the Lamb of God ; Deck the house with holly gay, • Christ, the Lamb, is born to-day.

" I will not let my motor roar Outside my sleeping neighbour's door . . ."

No entry may exceed 24 lines in length.

Entries must be received not later than Monday, January 4th. 1932. The result of this competition will appear in our issue of January 16th, 1932. Over wide and burning sands, Wise men followed one bright star, Bearing gifts in willing hands, Fur the King they sought afar ;

Deck the house with holly gay, Christ, the King, is born to-day.

Men no longer need to roam, Warned by God in wondrous ways, Every cottage is His home, Every star shows forth His praise ; Deck the house with holly gay. Christ, our Light, is born to-day.

Light the candle, pile the fire, Spread the board with festal cheer, Join the bright angelic quire, Singing anthems loud and clear ; Drive all wrath and care away, Christ, our Peace, is bent to.day. EDITH WOOD:

Result of Limerick Competition No. 6

THE most popular subjects this week were the future of the pound ; public school fees, Brynmawr, and what people wrote a thousand years ago.

The prize of £1 Is. is awarded to M. C. Deane, The Vicarage, Cahir, Co. Tipperary.

The following are highly commended : A. S. Owen, E. IL Jones, T. Thornely, C. H. Perkins, George C. Owles, W. Hodgson Burnet, Lonsdale ltagg and Miss Phyllis Kerr.

THE WINNING LIMERICK.

DISCOVERY OF HITTITE CLAY TABLETS (page 807).

How unwelcome are bills by the score Flying in through the alit in the door ; But imagine our fix if bombarded with bricks, By our duns, like the Hittites of yore M. C. DEANE.

Seine highly commended entries.

PUBLIC SCHOOL FEES.

The tactful Headmaster of &Owe Has endeavoured politely to show That in any good school No one short of a fool Thinks expenditure can become low. A. S. Owas.

BRANWAIVR—A DERELICT TOWN AND A NEW LINE.

You 'aye spoke of our Friend, Peter Scott. 'E asks for much more than I'vE got ! But if this verso should win, 'e May 'ave the 'ole guinea, Though it ain't wot it useterbe Wot ?

E. H. JUNES.

MIL HAROLD NICOLSON WRITES TO THE raEss.

Harold Nicolson writes to the Press An attempt to convey his distress ; For Horace he's sorry

He's sorry he's sorry—

A twice tautological mess.

C. H. Peasms, A.R.I.B.A. Bartemewn (Spectator, page 799).

For these Limericks we would go in more . Were we given the chance, Sir, to win more

If you offered a prize • Of respectable size You'd got heaps of subscriptions for Brynmawr W. HODGSON BURNET.