A PROUD GIRL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21646, 17 May 1932, Page 8

A PROUD GIRL

LETTER FROM BARRIE CREATOR OF PETER PAN. A little girl living at Paraparaumu, Miss Gwen Lewis, may well consider herself as being the proudest girl in New Zealand, for she’ has received from Sir J. M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, a letter actually written and addressed by him (states the Dominion), tn a charmingly characteristic style, the famous author tells the little girl of am adventure of Peter Pan while “ flying about the world,” when he spent a night in a little house built by herself, and that Peter sends her a thimble in payment for his lodgings. How Barrie came to hear of a Peter Pan house in the far distant village of Paraparaumu may seem a little puzzling, but it, is explained by a certain action taken by Mr Victor S. Lloyd, of Wellington. Mr Lloyd was visiting “ Waimarie,” at Paraparaumu, during the summer, when he was particularly charmed with a little house that the little girl, Given Lewis, aged about 10 years, had built. In front of it was a signpost with the inscription; “ House of Peter Pan,” and the garden in front was neatly divided into flower and vegetable portions. Mr Lloyd photographed the Peter Pan house, with its little builder alongside, and sent the picture on to Barrie. In his letter Mr Lloyd explained that Waimario meant “ lucky water,” and that Paraparaumu meant “ scrapings of an oven." He related a picturesque legend surrounding the little township, from which it is supposed to have derived its name.

Legend relates that in a far distant time there was once a Maori chief who had a very beautiful daughter, and with whom a gallant young warrior was deeply in love. When the young Maori asked for the hand of the daughter in marriage, the father would not look upon the proposition with favour —and so the two lovers eloped. The infuriated father pursued them, and at Paraparaumu found that there they had just passed, for there were scrapings of an oven, still warm. In his letter Mr Lloyd mentioned that if Barrie would write to the little girl at Paraparaumu she would bo the proudest girl in New Zealand. This he did, much to her delight. Barrio is well known for his general shyness of manner, and it is common knowledge that. he is a very reluctant letter writer. Therefore this little note is of more than passing interest.