Bobtail's Adventures

Discuss Blyton's magazines, short stories and poetry here.
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Kate Mary
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Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Kate Mary »

I've just been reading the latest acquisition in the Cave, the recently discovered Birns' booklet Bobtail's Adventures. It seemed as if some of the verses are missing, the story jumps from Bobtail entering the garden to the farmer's boy firing his gun, but the illustrations show an episode with a Jack-in-the-Box which is not in the text.

I re-read the article about this book in Journal 52 which says that only 18 of the original 24 verses appear in the published book, interesting, so it was abridged before publication to make it fit in 10 pages presumably, despite the fact that it made the story somewhat disjointed. Do the unpublished verses survive or are they now lost, I wonder?
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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Tony Summerfield »

It amused me to see that the illustrator was clearly given the full 24 verses as some of the illustrations in the booklet appear to be completely irrelevant. I do have the full version in a later Birns book and if I can get my scanner to behave for a short while I will try and copy the six missing verses and put them in under the rest of the booklet.
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Charming verses and illustrations. Do we have any idea who the artist was? On the colour plate featuring the scarecrow there's something that looks like "BPill 4" but it's not on any of the other pages. It might actually be "BA ill 4" (Bobtail's Adventures illustration 4), even though it's not the 4th illustration in the completed booklet.
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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have now put in the six missing verses from the booklet, so that the illustrations make a bit more sense. We aim to please!
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Daisy
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Daisy »

Well you're a very good shot Tony. The cave is amazing.
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Moonraker »

I am lazy and far too tired to get my torch out. Link, please?
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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Perhaps you need to look at the updates page at the top! :lol:
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Thanks, Tony. The scene with Bobtail being "forgiven" isn't mentioned even in the missing verses - it's just illustrated on the back cover.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Courtenay »

Anita Bensoussane wrote:The scene with Bobtail being "forgiven" isn't mentioned even in the missing verses - it's just illustrated on the back cover.
Well, it's nice to have that assurance that he was, in the end! :lol: (I suppose if it were published these days, the ending would have to be changed to remove the instance of child - er, bunny - abuse... :roll: ) Thank you, Tony, for giving us the whole story.

I can't help noticing that in the illustration of the motor car, it's quite clearly being driven by a lady - a nice touch for a poem published in 1927! :D

PS. Here's the link, for lazy people: http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... 8No.686%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Julie2owlsdene
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

What a lovely little tale, loved the illustrations, especially the ones, that were not in colour. (Not sure about the gun one!!!) Glad he wasn't shot. :)

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Katharine
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Katharine »

I thought the whole thing was absolutely brilliant. I loved the verses, and I loved the drawings. If money were no object, I think I'd rather own a copy of that than something like a 1st edition copy of Five on a Treasure Island.

I think if I'd had that book as a small child, I'd have quickly learned it off by heart. I reminds me very much of the Ladybird books. Thanks for sharing it Tony.
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Moonraker »

Tony Summerfield wrote:Perhaps you need to look at the updates page at the top! :lol:
I've just seen that and added it to our Facebook page! :D
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Moonraker »

Courtenay wrote: PS. Here's the link, for lazy people: http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book ... 8No.686%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:D :D :D
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Courtenay »

Ask and ye shall receive, Nigel. :mrgreen:
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: Bobtail's Adventures

Post by Moonraker »

Image
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