The Enid Blyton Society

Things I won't forget - Silver & Gold /Barbara Stoney Biography(part)

I love this poem,but are these the only two books it has appeared in,or is it in any other collections?

When I'm grown up I won't forget the things I think to-day-
I won't forget the sort of things I like to do and say;
I won't be like the folk I know, who seem so very old,
And quite forget the things they did when they were eight years old.

I won't forget the nasty noise that gurgles every night
When all the water in the bath is swallowed out of sight;
I won't forget I thought it was a thirsty giant's roar,
Who'd swallow both my feed unless I jumped out on the floor!

I always will remember how I simply love to see
A circus where the clowns are all as funny as can be.
I love to see them fall about and knock each other down:
And p'raps when I am quite grown up, I'll be a circus clown.

I won't forget what fun it is to make a bonfire blaze-
The sort that gardener keeps alight on dark November days.
I won't forget what fairies are, nor how I saw a gnome
One summer's day on Bracken Hill when I was hurrying home.

I'll always think what lovely times I have with Auntie Nell-
I won't forget the lovely tales of fairies she can tell.
And oh! I never could forget that horrid horrid sound
That frightens me at night-time when the wind is moaning round!

There's lots of other things, of course, that I'll remember too;
And then when I'm grown up I'll know what children like to do.
I'll know the things they're frightened of, I'll know the things they hate-
And oh! I hope they'll love me, though they'll know I'm long past eight!

I've always misread the last line as' though they'll know I'm long past sight!' - which to me always made it seem even more poignant and reflective,as if written through the eyes of a very old person reflecting back over a very long life!

Pete this is a such a fun poem. I commented on this in the topic 'Favourite Enid Blyton Poems' as follows:-

Post by Aussie Sue » 22 Mar 2015, 02:21

This is a lovely topic. One of my favourite books is 'Silver and Gold'. Last year I suggested to my grand-daughter that we should read 'Silver and Gold' together. She wasn't overly keen on the idea of reading a poetry book but by the time we had finished she was hooked. I have now bought her a copy of her own. She has now learned most of the poems by heart and has read some to her class.

They are all worthy of listing but here is her favourite (and by pure co-incidence she was 8 when we read it for the first time).

THINGS I WON'T FORGET

When I'm grown up I won't forget the things I think to-day-
I won't forget the sort of things I like to do and say;
I won't be like the folk I know, who seem so very old,
And quite forget the things they did when they were eight years old.

I won't forget the nasty noise that gurgles every night
When all the water in the bath is swallowed out of sight;
I won't forget I thought it was a thirsty giant's roar,
Who'd swallow both my feed unless I jumped out on the floor!

I always will remember how I simply love to see
A circus where the clowns are all as funny as can be.
I love to see them fall about and knock each other down:
And p'raps when I am quite grown up, I'll be a circus clown.

I won't forget what fun it is to make a bonfire blaze-
The sort that gardener keeps alight on dark November days.
I won't forget what fairies are, nor how I saw a gnome
One summer's day on Bracken Hill when I was hurrying home.

I'll always think what lovely times I have with Auntie Nell-
I won't forget the lovely tales of fairies she can tell.
And oh! I never could forget that horrid horrid sound
That frightens me at night-time when the wind is moaning round!

There's lots of other things, of course, that I'll remember too;
And then when I'm grown up I'll know what children like to do.
I'll know the things they're frightened of, I'll know the things they hate-
And oh! I hope they'll love me, though they'll know I'm long past eight!

I hope you all enjoy this one too, cheers Aussie Sue

Yes Sue,it's a lovely poem.
I read it first a long time ago.I loved it straight away.I'm surprised it's not in more books.

According to The Cave, it was never reprinted, which is amazing!

I wonder if it ever has been (or could be) reproduced in the Journal?

I think this little poem says a lot about how Enid understood what young children think about the things adults say and do. And why children were so drawn to her writing.