Betsy-May and the Bear - Short Story

[pete9012S]

I've never read any of the Bestsy-May stories, so inspired by the name of one of our new forum members here, I thought I would search one out!

Betsy-May and the Bear - Daffodil Story Book

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[tix]

The two end pictures of the girl with her Teddy (Daffodil Story Book) display the artist's expertise very adequately. The one showing her in a chair is quite charming ..... right down to the matching hair-ribbon. She has the required nurse - so prevalent in many of the EB tales, but would such a lady have been a real medic hired to care for well-off peoples' children, or was she simply a nurse as in 'nanny?' I've always thought of a 'nurse' as being a healthcare practitioner.

I prefer the Soper version of Betsy-May a little more than J. Gale Thomas's depictions. Thomas also drew the 'Sunny Stories' version and admittedly her illustrations have a nice 'earlier days' look about them. Betsy-May looks only about six or seven years of age and she can be quite naughty at times. Her collection contains twenty stories and she's managed to achieve what few children have done ........ to star in a dedicated book with his or her name on the cover. What other kiddies can boast this?

Billy-Bob would qualify of course, and there's also Colin and Mandy. Mandy's a little girl who opens the door one day and says to her visitor,

"Who are you? Go away, I don't like you or your horrid white face!"

Now I honestly don't think that would go unnoticed in 'modern' times. Incidentally Colin stars in 'Colin the Cowboy,' but he probably doesn't apply seeing this particular character's been dragged out from one of the old magazines and presented with his own booklet. Mandy happens to 'share' her honour (Mandy, Mops, and Cubby).

Noddy's an adult. At least I think so despite his looks; however he's out there earning a living so I doubt one would class him as a child.

Oftentimes, some of Enid Blyton's children don't act as kids normally do. Josie who certainly resembles a child, fends for herself quite adequately just as Noddy does, and the booklet with her name includes two other characters - 'Click' who's a mouse, and 'Bun.'

Amelia Jane's a 'doll' so she doesn't really count, but the little girl who lives in Capernaum would qualify in the 'dedicated book' stakes. Her name's 'Anna.'

The only other I can think of is the naughtiest girl. The books are theoretically about Elizabeth, but her name's absent on the cover.

Surely there must be one or two others.

[Anita Bensoussane]

'Betsy-May and the Bear' is a sweet little story, Pete. I've known it for almost as long as I can remember, as I had it in Happy Hours Story Book as a child. I agree that Eileen Soper's illustrations are charming, Tix.