Eric, or, Little by Little

Many people have asked why the first robot was called 'Eric'.  In a quote from WH in The Model Engineer and Light Machinery Review, 20 September, 1928, page 275, WH explains, 'He has been christened "Eric", because...we built him "little by little."  This did not really make sense to me until recently when I was discussing this with a friend who remembered that there had been a well known, popular children's book by Frederic W. Farrar, called 'Eric, or, Little by Little',  first published in 1858 and still in print today and so popular at the time it is credited with the increase in the name Eric in English speaking countries.  As a literary man, WH would have been more than aware of this famous book and it also demonstrates his sense of humour!