The Enid Blyton Society

Aussie Sue wrote:Doris Osborne's Puzzle (& as we've mentioned before her address was included, simpler times)

What Fruit is This?
My first is in Money, but not in Purse
My second's in Better, and also in Worse
My third is in Rat, but not in Mouse
My fourth is in Tent, but not in House
My fifth is in Grey, but not in Black
My sixth is in Net, but not in Sack
My whole is a Fruit that you all love to eat;
It's good and it's wholesome, it's juicy and sweet!

I am a bit muddled here, Sue, but presumably this is from No. 9 which I don't have. But Doris Osborne is actually an illustrator (she did the Stamp-About story in No. 10), so I would be a bit surprised if she also contributed a puzzle!

Rob Houghton wrote:I don't want to derail the thread too much, and I'm sure we do have a thread on Jack and Jill comics/annuals - but I felt it was relevant to post this here, as its about nature - I'm sure Enid would have appreciated it!

I am sure you know that Enid actually contributed to some of the Jack and Jill Gift books, but it might have been a bit before your time!

http://enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyton-c ... ackandjill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tony Summerfield wrote:

Aussie Sue wrote:Doris Osborne's Puzzle (& as we've mentioned before her address was included, simpler times)

I am a bit muddled here, Sue, but presumably this is from No. 9 which I don't have. But Doris Osborne is actually an illustrator (she did the Stamp-About story in No. 10), so I would be a bit surprised if she also contributed a puzzle!

Tony did you read the letter for No.9 that I typed before the puzzle. In the letter Enid talks about doing Doris Osborne's puzzle and Rob said he'd like to see the puzzle, so I added that. It definitely states Doris Osborne in the letter and under the Puzzle

No, I hadn't read the letter, but I have now! I am now wondering if Enid got confused as it seems strange that a child would have the same name as one of the illustrators! You can always tell if these puzzles are by a child as often the words have no common letters, but when Enid herself did some Riddle-Me-Rees they were always a bit easier!

It does seem strange Tony, Could Doris Osborne also be a teacher?
The address under her name is Worple Road J School, Isleworth, Middlesex.
But the puzzle does seem to be done by a child.

Maybe Doris Osborne the illustrator not Doris Osborne the child contributed the riddle for that week?

Those illustrations in the Jack and Jill annual are beautiful. So is the E H Davie one for the poem by Wilfred about his friend, the dog. I wonder if Wilfred is still with us, he would be nearly 90 years old I suppose.

Thanks for the puzzle, Sue! I agree - it was much easier than Enid hinted!

A bit late to the party, but I do agree those 1970s illustrations are stunning!

Aussie Sue wrote:It does seem strange Tony, Could Doris Osborne also be a teacher?
The address under her name is Worple Road J School, Isleworth, Middlesex.
But the puzzle does seem to be done by a child.

sixret wrote:Maybe Doris Osborne the illustrator not Doris Osborne the child contributed the riddle for that week?

I think the puzzle could possibly have been composed by an adult. The solution is easy but the rhyme is nicely constructed - i.e. it scans well and the words in any given line are linked (e.g. "money" and "purse"; "grey" and "black"). I agree with Tony that it would be better if the two words in each line always had some common letters though.

Enid Blyton used to write while teaching so Doris Osborne might well have illustrated while teaching - as Sue suggests. And I suppose anyone connected with the magazine might have been inspired to come up with one of these little puzzles.

Yes, I guess that Doris Osborne could well be a teacher, but she must have been known to Enid as she had already done some illustrating for her in 1934 and I am sure that Enid wouldn't have deliberately put a contribution from an adult on a page reserved for children. This is her cover illustration.

Another peep into the pages of Sunny Stories, no uncollected stories this month but plenty of pictures, poems and puzzles. The readers' poems are amusing as well, Hazel Huddart's in issue 14 made me laugh and Dorothy Flann's in issue 16 is very good, it could almost have been written by Enid herself.

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/maga ... ?magid=263" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm still mystified by the puzzle in issue 12, I worked out the answers easily enough but I can't think what the third object is in question 1. The Riddle-Re-Mee by Molly Gray is excellent too.

Thanks to Tony for taking the time to scan all these pages from Sunny Stories.

I think the object you are questioning is a stud - as in collar stud which would be recognisable to children back then but are seen no longer these days.

Of course you're right Daisy. A common object eighty years ago but I don't remember ever seeing one ' in the flesh'.

I thought it was a cuff link!