We’ve coined a proverb for you, Ma’am,” said Dinesh, as soon as Mrs Ratan entered the classroom. The children chanted together, “Books may come and books may go but Rowling reigns forever.”

“I quite agree“ said Mrs Ratan, “but why this sudden interest in proverbs?”

“Well, Ma’am,” said Dinesh, “you went on about poetic proverbs and repetitive proverbs some time ago, so we thought we’d surprise you with our very own wise saying.”

“A pleasant surprise,” said Mrs Ratan, “but are you aware that you are echoing another writer who ‘reigns forever’?”

“Tennyson!” exclaimed Bharathi. “I wondered why our Potter proverb sounded familiar.

Raghu was disappointed. “Does that mean our invention is worthless?”

“Certainly not,” said Mrs Ratan firmly, seeing that her students were upset. “You studied ‘The Brook’ a couple of years ago, and the lines, ‘For men may come and men may go/ But I go on forever’ have become a part of you. I like your unconscious adaptation of a great poet, especially that bit about ‘Rowling reigns’. There, once again without knowing it, you were using alliteration— a figure of speech in which consonants are repeated, especially at the beginning of words. Remember tongue-twisters?”

“Betty bought a bit of butter,” said Dinesh, who felt he had been quiet too long.

“Good,” said Mrs Ratan, “but let’s return to proverbs; this time ones where two words start with the same consonant.”

Dinesh sighed. “We’re in for a whole lot of alligator proverbs.” “Alliterative proverbs,” said Mrs Ratan laughing. “The more the merrier!”

Complete the following alliterative proverbs:
1. Look before you ------
2. All that glitters is not ------
3. Beauty is in the eye of the ------
4. Better safe than ------
5. Practise what you -------
6. Barking dogs seldom ----
7. A bird in the hand is worth two in the -------

(Select the line below to view the answers)
Answers: 1. leap  2 gold  3 beholder  4 sorry  5 preach  6 bite  7 bush