THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY Aboard for the Goodwill Cruised

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 16, 13 February 1942, Page 6

THE "GOOD ENDEAVOUR" LEAGUE FOR YOUNG READERS ONLY Aboard for the Goodwill Cruised

What ho, what ho. ma Hearties. Well we certainly have had our share of fine weather and if this sunshine continues much longer I'm afraid thati we will all turn into Maoris. Up on my perch on Whale Island I have been very busy. You know of course that the Home Guard made mc their first-class lookout man. They said that an old salt like me, with such a wonderful telescope would be of the utmost value. So you see I am really important now and feel that if I keep a sharp lookout all the time, scanning the horizon and noting all the ships, that pass, that I am doing my duty to my country. That's what we all want to do, isn't it? I reckon, of course that tliey should mount a twelve-inch gun up on the top of the Whale and control the entrance to the harbour. Now if I only had a gun like that I would be able to keep all the warships away. They wouldn't come near old Peter with his blunderbus. No, not they. The Home Guard said they were thinking about it and would let me know before long. Well. I only hope, that 'before long' doesn't mean till Christmas. Anyhow I'm a fully-fledged member of the lI.G. and I feel mighty proud of it. I will tell you more of it next week. Many countries _ have nicknames, and are represented in pictures by an animal. The British lion is the animal which stands for England, and John Hull is its owner anil master. The lion is the country: John Bull is ihe nation. The name of John Bull comes from a work written by John Arbuthnot, a witty Scottish doctor and writer. He war. born in Hi(>7 and died in The sketch he wrote dealt witl; the political affairs ei!' E-urope at the lime, and the countries were made, to appear as it they were men and women. England was John Bull and Queen Anne was Mrs. Bull. The church was Mr Bull's mother. Scotland was John Bull's sister Peg. England was made to appear a man of very good nature, but .not without faults. John was shown to bo an honest, plain-dealing man, courageous, and rather hot-tempered. But there was a John Bull in real life. A doctor of music who iiveil between the years 15(52 and 1028, lie is regarded as the composer of "God Save the King." Nobody can be quite sure who did write the National Anthem, but there is reason lei believe that the melody was found written down among the papers which Bull left. If lie did write it, it is remarkable that our National Anthem should have been written by a real John Bull long before the creation by Arbuthnot of a fanciful John Bull as the typical Englishman. John Bull was very difficult to deal with, especially if anyone tried to master liim; but treated with kindness and a little flattery, he could be easily led.