13 JUNE 1998, Page 61

No. 2040: Treble hat-trick

You are invited to incorporate the follow- ing nine words in an entertaining piece of prose (maximum 150 words) without using any of them in the sense of 'hat': beaver, wide-awake, sou'wester, cap, cloche, pill-box, slouch, cheese-cutter, stovepipe. Entries to `Competition No. 2040' by 25 June.