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I was an avid Enid Blyton reader when I was little, from Mallory Towers, St Clare's, The Famous Five, The Five Find Outers, The Adventures of the Wishing Chair etc..I loved them all.
I have some special memories of her short story collections. I loved them all but some stick out in my mind as ones I'd read over and over. It amazes me how she could think of so many different stories. Here are a few I have special memories of.
Think this one was called Billy And The Brownie, about a wee fella who gets a new toy motor car. One sunny day off he goes down a leafy lane proud as punch of his new car when all of a sudden he meets a brownie and gives him a lift to Brownie town or somewhere to do his shopping. The brownie, as a reward gives the wee chap a bag of magic sweets. All he has to do is pop one in his mouth and declare what flavour he wants it to be and lo and behold there it is in his mouth!
The Biscuit Tree was another one. An old man called Mick is really poor, he gives a beggar gypsy child his last bit of food and as a reward, her father sprinkles some magic dust in Mick's garden. A small shoot appears shortly afterwards. It eventually grows up to be a tree with large flowers, the middles of which develop sugar and turn into biscuits. Mick now has his own biscuit tree so he'll never go hungry again.
There was the story of the brownie Biddle's boots, which were enchanted and could speak. Two nasty goblins passing by steal them from Biddle's doorstep and are subsequently taught a lesson by the talkative boots, shamed during tea with Dame somebody or other.
There were loads of stories based in the toy room. One I remember was about a brave sailor doll who joins the toys, who all bully him as he has only one arm. It turns out a visiting child brings a doll or teddy with her who informs the other toys that the sailor doll lost his arm while bravely defending a baby doll from a puppy. They all learn their lesson and accept the poor sailor doll as their playmate.
There was one called Now Then Busy Body about a nosy goblin who sneaks into his neighbour's house to find out what all the noises are about. He gets trapped in a new magic laundry room, is washed and mangled and hung out to dry
.
I have some special memories of her short story collections. I loved them all but some stick out in my mind as ones I'd read over and over. It amazes me how she could think of so many different stories. Here are a few I have special memories of.
Think this one was called Billy And The Brownie, about a wee fella who gets a new toy motor car. One sunny day off he goes down a leafy lane proud as punch of his new car when all of a sudden he meets a brownie and gives him a lift to Brownie town or somewhere to do his shopping. The brownie, as a reward gives the wee chap a bag of magic sweets. All he has to do is pop one in his mouth and declare what flavour he wants it to be and lo and behold there it is in his mouth!
The Biscuit Tree was another one. An old man called Mick is really poor, he gives a beggar gypsy child his last bit of food and as a reward, her father sprinkles some magic dust in Mick's garden. A small shoot appears shortly afterwards. It eventually grows up to be a tree with large flowers, the middles of which develop sugar and turn into biscuits. Mick now has his own biscuit tree so he'll never go hungry again.
There was the story of the brownie Biddle's boots, which were enchanted and could speak. Two nasty goblins passing by steal them from Biddle's doorstep and are subsequently taught a lesson by the talkative boots, shamed during tea with Dame somebody or other.
There were loads of stories based in the toy room. One I remember was about a brave sailor doll who joins the toys, who all bully him as he has only one arm. It turns out a visiting child brings a doll or teddy with her who informs the other toys that the sailor doll lost his arm while bravely defending a baby doll from a puppy. They all learn their lesson and accept the poor sailor doll as their playmate.
There was one called Now Then Busy Body about a nosy goblin who sneaks into his neighbour's house to find out what all the noises are about. He gets trapped in a new magic laundry room, is washed and mangled and hung out to dry
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