27 MAY 1989, Page 45

No. 1578: Short ballade

You are invited to write an abbreviated ballade (two eight-line stanzas and a four- line envoi) in which the last line of the octets and of the envoi are either 'The Minister declines to speak' or 'I couldn't care a frozen hoot'. Entries to 'Competi- tion No. 1578' by 9 June.