The WENDY HUT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 9 November 1935, Page 10

The WENDY HUT

PAST AND PRESENT STORIES

NO FLIES! Paddy was a very small junior and Paula was head of the school and amazingly! particular about the spoken word. Paddy blinked with astonishment when she was called to Paula’s study and severely lectured about her bad English. “I only said that there were no flies on Kate,” she insisted innocently. “An ugly expression,’ ’declared Paula, “and quite wrong. Had you said ‘No flies with Kate’ you would have been historically correct. Do you know why we use the world flies in this strange way?” Paddy shook her head, and Paula told her to sit down. “To begin at the beginning,” said Paula- importantly, “I must tell you that in Greek mythology the first fly was created by Juno, the queen of heaven, to annoy 10, a beautiful maiden of who she was jealous and who was changed into a white cow by Jupiter. This fly drove poor Io all over the world and tormented licr. Soon the world was full of flics, and they were such torments

that the Greeks thought it wise to offer sacrifces to them. Therefore, in Greek temples, sacrifices were offered to flies in order that they might refrain from attacking human beings, and Belzebur, one of the Syrian gods, was made the prince of flies.” “How strange,” murmured Paddy. “Why didn’t they catcli them instead of sacrificing to them?-” “Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, caught! a great many for her pet owls,” explained Paula. “She employed a boy called Campion to catch them, but once when she went away Campion neglected his duty and played in the fields, and when Minerva returned,she found that the owls were half starved.. To punish Campion she changed him into the flower called by his name to-day—that balloon ,at the back of the flower is supposed to be bis fly net.” “And what about—no flies?” asked Paddy. “There was an Emperor of Rome called Domitian, and lie was. very fond of -amusing himself by catching flies. One day a friend called to sec Domitian and spoke to the slave who kept the Emperor’s door—a pert youth who took liberties and had-little respect for anybody. ‘ls the Emperor alone?’ asked the friend. ‘Not a fly with him !’ replied the slave. After that it became the fashion .in Rome to say ‘Not a fly with him’ on all kinds of occasions, and probably we have altered this .ancient saying into ‘Not a- fly on him’.” “Thank you, Paula,” answered Paddy gratefully. “There are certainly no flies with you !” HOW TO MAKE LINO CUTS Dressmaker has announced that she wants a holiday, and everyone in the Hut agrees. So off she has gone for a week, and .Goblin Artist has taken charge of her corner. This is fortunate because we have had a special request for a lesson on, lino-cuts which are great fun to print and make. Printing with linoleum- blocks is a splendid way to make your own pictures for greeting cards, calendars, blottercovers/ book jackets, book plates, and many other things. The idea is to draw the design on a- piece of plain linoleum, then carve it out with a special gouge, coat the- finished block with paint, and print off the pattern on Jtp paper. Choose a simple subject, for printing' something with good ’ bold outlines apd plenty of light and shade which you can treat in "a bold, decorative manner, without fussy details. Suppose you decide on h. sea-picture like the one shown in the sketch. Make ! a‘ careful ‘dra.w«'~.

trace it on to a piece of tracing-paper, and transfer it on to a square of plain linoleum. Diagram A shows this part of the work. Now cut away the hackground and all the parts yoq don’t want to print, using one of tjie special gouges, shown in Diagram C. In the ship picture, the clouds arc cut out, and the sky is simply done with a series of horizontal cuts. The boat, sails and foreground rocks are outlined with the gouge 'and they are' left solid because they/aye to be printed in silhouette. The ripples and shove behind the boats are also outlined with the tool. If you want to see how the work is getting on you can rub soft pencil over the block, lay a piece of paper on top and press; then you will see whether you are cutting away enough background •and on. Paint the picture in Indian ink on to the linoleum before you begin cutting, or yon may find it difficult to see the design later. Having finished the cutting, prepare a “dabber” for getting the printing ink or paint on to the block. Take a teninch square of cotton material, pile some cut-up rags in the middle, and tie up the ends firmlv to make a little round bundle—see Diagram B. Squeeze some lamp-black on to a saucer and dab the cotton ball onto it. rubbing it well until it is evenly coated Dab this over the block and. when it is covered all over, lay the printing paper on top. Bub with the bowl of a spoon, evenly, and when you lift up the paper you should find the picture printed on it in black. Only practice will enable you to do this part of the job really well. At first you may put too much paint on the

block and it will print smudgily, or you may put too little and -parts of the design will not come out at alb In time, however, you will be able to print pictures quite successfully. How much is this going to cost? The handle for the gougos—which are obtainable in different sizes—costs fivepence; the gouges, which arc something like pen-nibs, twopence each. You can get a box, containing a handle, four sizes of interchangeable gouges and a- knife, for one-and-sixpence, and this will last for a long time. The linoleum can be bought in pieces of various sizes for a few pence each —three inches square for three-halfpence, six inches by four for fivepence, and so on. Or perhaps Father will be able to find you an oddment or two from the box-room. Penny sheets of cartridge-paper will do for the printing arid a twopenny tube of paint will print dozens of small blocks. One day, if you like, we’ll tell you bow to “go one better,” and print, blocks in two or three coloiu-s. Perhaps you will tell Wendy if that would please yon. Goblin Artist. THE BILLY BOYS’ WORKSHOP MODEL RAILWAY GOODS TRUCKS These little trucks, which can "be pulled along with a toy engine, can easily be made from odd pieces of fretwood. To make the guard’s van, shown in diagram A, cut' a piece of fretwood four and a half inches long arid one and three-quarters inches y.ride, for the floor, and plane this square at the edges. Now from a piece of stripwood fiveeighths by three-eighths of an inch, cut two pieces one and seven-eighths niches long, for the axles,, and glue and'.nail these to the floor in the positions shown in diagram 15. For the sides of the van cut two pieces of fretwood to the sizes given in diagram C, and, with a fretsaw, cut out a window opening (D)’in each. Now cut two pieces for the cuds; to the sizes given at E, arid glue and'nail them id the floor in the positions shown in the first diagram. ' Fix the two sides 'ip place . Cut a- piece of fretwood fop the poof, | which is the same size as the' flbqr, glue jit on, and then cut a piece of .qtigrterincli wood, shaped as slidwri at F,’ arid glue this on top of the' roof, along fjie centre. The wheels can either be gut from a piece of one-inch pound rod,’ or obtained from a toyshop. ' They act? fixed loosely io'.the' endii of the axle bars with flat-beaded nails. To make the little wood-carrying

same sizes' as those for the guard’s'van, and fix the parts together a 3 shown in diagram B. 'For the “tree trunk” cut a about, four inches long from an old Branch of a tree or a piece of rustic woodj and tie it cn the truck with two pieces of thin string, as shown in diagram G.' If you want tb include one; or two coal trucks' in* the train, make the floors and axlbs )f< the Measurements given, and cut tlie sides and ends froin pieces of fretwood one inch wide. Glge pjxepo together, then fix them to the flopr with fine nails driven in from underneathThe coupling hooks and links _ can be made from bent nails, pressed in placo with pincers. Give the finished trucks, a coat of paint in onb or "pw6 bright Odours. ‘ ‘ The. Hut Carpenter: ■}■ OUR SWEET-MAKING CORNER GINGER CARlißl^i^S 1 ' . For these delicious sweets _ yo», Sypl require one poiiiid o'f icing'' sugar, the. white of one egg, ‘and'- spine ground ginger or a little' ginger' essence, •If you use ground ginger,'-'whiph can I 'Jje bought iii small cartons; you "will’ require about a dessertspoonful to a pouiid of icing sugar. Mix-jt wpll with the sugar, add the white of egg and sji/Jjj cient water to make a stiff paste Roll the paste on a boald -to nearly one inch thick through, cut it into caVa mel squares, press “a piece 1 6f dry preserved ginger in the top of nnph; 'aqd leave for several hours lb'set apd'dry-' •

TINK’S CROSS-WORD PUZZLE-. Solution to last week’s puzzle: - ACROSS 1. Praise falsely. (Flatter). 7. A weaving machine. (Loom). 9. Short foot. Tih 11. Gill’s name. (Amy). 12. Earliest. (First). 14. Sun-bather’s colour. ' (Tan). 16. Cornpass point, (E.N.E.). 17. Children bowl them along. (Hoops). 19. vVe drink tea from it. (Cup). 20. Preposition (To). ,21. The American lion. ‘ (Puma). 22. Ate greedily and made a noise like a turkey ' / (Gobbled). . . , DOWN • 2. Exclamation. (Alas.) 3. Nursery tale which sounds like aboy and part of the hand—two words (Tom Thumb). 4. Plaything: . (Toy). 5. The lat.tci.vM is me returning - .- tEm). 6. Presents. - (Offers). 8. Official who examines iilms, plays, • etc . , (Censor). 10. A metal: _ vTt 13. About. . - s*e). 14. Same, as 20 across. -. U°); 15: Quick—the" letters would, spell pat. (Apt). 18. Stone used for jewellery. (Opal). 19. Young fox cr’bear (Cub). 21: Post office (abbreviated). . ■ (t-. 0.;. This week I have made a puzzle which I think will please the younger boys and girls. See wliat you: can do with it. * . Clues: ACROSS 2; “Jack’ . . .'.- i could eat no fat” — he’s only a Title fish! 3. Two less than this number. . 4. What Jack and Jill werit up the hill - for. ' 9. Girl’s name. 11. In this place. • “ 12. They' live in. hives and make 18 kcross. ; 14. Conjunction. ' 15. “Jack fell down and. broke his 17. Ari animal. - • 18. Triie queen was in the parlour eat- ' ' Trig bread and'. '- . vV DOWN 1. Where little Jack Horner sat. 2. with needle and thread. 5. 'Exclamation. 6. Have'acup of . . 7. This boy’s name sound serious. \ 8. A ' colour. 9. litlp folk call the alphabet. 10. Prefix ‘meaning new—it would spell one. ' "" V- ' 13- Compass point. Ip; Negative word.