THE WENDY HUT

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1929, Page 20

THE WENDY HUT

FROM WENDY’S ARMCHAIR. JOHN O’GROAT. , Everyone ie familiar with the phrase ‘‘From John o’Groat's to Lands End,” but perhaps some of my Tinkites do not know the story of John o’Groat. For their benefit 1 ! will tell it. , During the reign of James the fourth of Scotland came three brothers from Holland, called o’Groat. One was John, another Malcolm, and another Gavin. The three bought the lands of Wars© and Dungisbay, where they and their families lived quite happily. Their sons married in due course, and eventually there were eight families of o’Groat in the district. The families were quite good friends, and every year they all diet in the house first inhabited by John, Malcolm and Gavin. After a time, however, a dispute arose as to who was to take the head of the table at these family re-unions, and who was to precede, the others from the room. John, the wise, said he would think things over and have a solution of the difficulty next time they met. And then he set about building an apartment with eight sides! He put a door and a window in each side, and placed a round oak table in the centre of the room. Everyone being seated at the round table at the next reunion, there was no question of who should sit at the head. And, since there were eight doors, all the families could go from the room at the same moment —thus there was nothing left to quarrel about! This building was ever afterward,? called John o'Groat’s house. ' -

WENDY