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This book is a slightly unusual item because the contents aren't necessarily from Enid Blyton's pen. As stated on the cover, our author has chosen the contents and the illustrator who's unaccredited - is a regular. Momentarily unable to remember her name, it was conveniently recalled when leafing through the pages and sighting a picture of some kids about to dine - 'Grace Before Meals.'

'Grace Lodge' of course.

This artist is a stalwart and her work has decorated many Blyton books. The pictures are either full colour or slightly muted, and there are twenty contributions within the twenty-eight pages.

One or two prayers have Henry Charles Beeching down as the originator; this chap was a Britisher born in 1859. Rodney Bennett and Edith King are also down as composers.

On page nineteen there's a fourteen-line prayer (God Bless You And God Bless Me) - eleven of the lines beginning with 'Bless.' The dictionary defines 'bless' as: "To ask for God's help and protection for someone or something, or to call or make someone or something holy - e.g: God bless our soldiers."

One would take it that "Bless the Righteous and the Thief" would be interpreted as making the thief holy rather than requesting his or her protection.

There are obviously variations of different prayers, and the version of 'Grace Before Meals' runs thus:

"Clean of hands and clean of face
I sit me down to say my grace.
God bless the food that here I see
God bless you and God bless me."

There's an nice picture of a boy holding up the head of his sister's doll. He's just ripped it off! After the little girl is comforted by an older sibling we see the errant brother redressing his crime by gluing the doll's head back on and then kneeling by his bed in deep prayer with the family dog present to comfort him (A Prayer For When I Have Done Wrong).

"O Jesus I have sinned today;
Now, on my knees,
Your pardon for my sin I pray;
Forgive me please."

There's 'A Harvest Prayer,' and one called "A Very Old Grace" -

"God bless our meat,
God guide our ways,
God give us grace
Our Lord to please.
Lord, long preserve
In health serene,
Elizabeth,
Our gracious Queen."

First said in the year 1560 when Elizabeth the First was on the throne of England.

The book is dated 1953 which is about a year after Queen Elizabeth the Second began her reign.

'Grace' is approval or protection given by God.

The 'Lord's Prayer' is included, and there's also one for knights, one for 'Those Away From Home,' and 'A Boy's Prayer.'

A full page picture of Mother reading to her sick child accompanies 'A Prayer For Those Who Are Ill' and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, who were associates of Jesus/Joshua/Yahweh/Yeshua (he went under many names) are called upon to " ... bless the bed I lie on with an angel to repose at each corner ..." presumably this is so the occupant will be safe throughout the night (My Guardian Angels).

Finally there's a supplication entitled 'The Blessing' -

"The blessing of God Almighty
the Father and the Son,
and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you
and remain with you always."

Amen.

---

Below the Contents is an acknowledgment:

A Child's Prayer by Henry Charles Beeching is reproduced by permission of the author and John Lane, The Bodley Head Ltd; Gentle Jesus, King Of Kings from Easter Praise by permission of the author; and A Prayer at Evening Time by permission of the author & Basil Blackwell & Mott Ltd. The text of the Book of Common Prayer is Crown Copyright and extracts from it are reproduced by permission.

Where would we be without our permissions? Apparently the Crown holds copyright for the 'Book of Common Prayer.'

'The Children's Book Of Prayers' is another of those small volumes not found all that easily, or intact, these days, but then most small books suffer at the hands of their owners ... small children.

Unusually for an Enid Blyton publication there's a picture of two and a half unclad humans - but all in good taste of course.

Grace Lodge's pictures have that 'look' which makes them easily recognisable.

One of the cosy sketches is of a little boy and girl doing the dishes, with a dog and some hens visible in the yard outside.