HOW PADDY MADE A THATCHED COTTAGE.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 1, 29 May 1930, Page 4

HOW PADDY MADE A THATCHED COTTAGE.

When Paddy went to tea with Mr. Danhury,- in his lovely little thatched cottage, she begged him to tell her how to make a new toy.

Mr. Danbury's eyes were very blue and very twinkly, especially as he had a secret to tell, and at this moment his eyes were bluer and more twinkly than Paddy had ever seen them.

In fact they looked like glass forget-me-nots, they shone* jso brightly. .; . "How about making a little .thatched.cottage?" said Mr. Danbury, wiping his-'spectacles with his big blue and white spotted handkerchief. ' ~

'' Oh, I'd love tol ' ' cried Paddy

"Come along then," said Mr. Danbur.y, opening his corner cupboard, and getting out all sorts of things that Paddy felt sure would never make a thatched cottake.

- And this is what Mir: Danbury told Paddy to do.

. " Take an empty cotton reel, and draw four windows on the. sides of it, Now draw, a front door. Now\take your paint brush, and black paint oiitlme~the windows, and paint the door a ,bright green/ with a black knocker."

When Pardy had done that, she wasmost excited.

"Now while the paint is drying, you can make the Ithatch for the roof," said Mr. Danbury mysteriously.

v "Take twelve pieces of yellow raffia; each piece must be four inches long, so if they are not the right length you.must cut them. Now then place them in a bundle oouble them and hole! the do\ibled end between your -fingers and thumb. • '. '

-. "Now take a thin strand -of raffiaj and wind it tightly round mid round the doubled end, until you have got a stumpy piece.of a chimney. ..

"Next take each end of raffia and fold it back until it will spread out like a doll's skirt.

"It is now ready to pop on your reel like a little hat. but you must stand it aside for a minute while you give the top of the house and round the top edge, a coat of glue.

"Now pop your thatch on, and press each strand' against the edge of the reel, till they stick by themselves."

;"X)h, look! it's a real thatched house, Mr. Danbury, "cried Paddy