RHYMING NELL
By
The chairs of two dozing, British-style lords become grizzly bears, a schoolboy's books fly away as rooks, whales turn to snails, and adders form ladders--before rhyming witch Nell inadvertently turns herself into a well. An idea so slight and capricious requires nimble handling, but the authors' fiat, forced rhymes--""without alarm/Nell came to charm/Four adders far from tame,/She turned the adders/Into ladders./What a splendid game!""--will only turn listeners away.