Short Stories by Enid Blyton

[Boodi]

My favourite short story was called (I think) "Treacle Pudding Town", but I don't remember which book/series it came from. Mind you, despite the moral I always had a secret longing to spend a few days in a place like treacle pudding town....like the "hero" of the story I fear that I am rather greedy!

[Katharine]

I've just been reading The Merry Story Book complete with original Eileen Soper illustrations, and it struck me how much I love (and always have done) Enid Blyton's short stories. As a child I loved Mr. Pink-Whistle, The Adventures of Pip and various Dean collections of one off stories.

Although I do enjoy the FF, Barney mysteries, Adventure books and various others, I almost feel that I actually prefer the short one off stories. Possibly it depends on my mood. At the moment, I don't feel I have long enough to really immerse myself in a longer book, so the short stories are perfect for a 5 minute read.

Most threads on here seem to sing the praises of the longer books, so I was wondering if anyone else likes/prefers the shorter stories?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Hope you don't mind but I've merged your topic with an older one, Katharine, because it would probably cover a lot of the same ground. I love the short stories just as much as the novels, especially the cautionary tales about naughty children who reap what they sow and the hearwarming stories about kind-hearted folk who make a difference in the world.

[Daisy]

Although I used to get Sunny Stories, I always preferred a longer story and in spite of having used the short stories to read to children, I don't remember ever wanting to read a book full of them for my own pleasure! Having said that, I looked out my seventh Holiday Book in order to read the story Pete mentioned elsewhere, and thought I ought to read some of the other ones in the book too. I quite enjoyed some of them, but I do prefer reading about real children rather than the members of fairyland. I did, and still do, appreciate the morals which a lot of the short stories convey.

[Carlotta King]

That's a good question!

I really like the short stories. I have fond memories of them from childhood. To be honest I think the novels ever so slightly have the edge for me because I can't resist a good old adventure story, and smugglers, islands, treasure and far-flung places!

However the short tales are lovely to dip into if, like you say, you have a spare ten minutes, but also if you have longer, it's lovely to read a few!

[Katharine]

Anita, that's fine, I did have a quick look to see if I could spot anything similar I could add to, but didn't spot this thread.

Daisy, that's an interesting point about preferring to read about real children. Although some of the stories in the book I'm currently reading are about real children. Well, they are all 'real', but some of them encounter pixies, or talking dolls. One however was a lovely story about 2 children who ran errands for a ungrateful old lady while she was unwell. She never even said thank you, but the final task they had to do was take a mended cat costume to the local theatre where her son was in Dick Whittington. As a reward he gives them free tickets to all the shows.

The story was originally written in 1936, but I wonder if it sowed the seeds of the idea for the FFO book over a decade later?

Maybe part of the reason I'm preferring short stories at the moment, is that the longer stories I'm also reading are the 1st SS book which I've read quite a few times before, and a 1970s annual of Five Go Off To Camp. Again it's a story I'm very familiar with, and also I don't really like the magazine style layout and drawings in it.

I did really enjoy Holiday House which I read the other week for the first time in ages. Maybe I need to read a longer book which I don't remember quite so well. It could be that it's the joy of reading unknown stories at the moment that is part of the appeal.

[Nair Snehalatha]

HI there- I have read and re-read so many of Enid Blyton's short stories and I love them all.,but I like the story of The humpy Goblin a lot. Its about a mean pixie who wont spend a penny on anyone or anything.He steals a kettle from the Humpy Goblin--and discovers that a spell has been put inside the kettle ,which loudly sings out the pixie's mean nature --the pixie mends his ways--and he and the Humpy Goblin become the best of friends.I love the story and Blyton has written in very humorously--Snehalatha

[Nair Snehalatha]

H i friends--It was The Magic Singing Kettle --I wrote the wrong title--It is from ''Round The Clock Stories'' as I had written .Sorry for the mistake.Bufo's Toadstool'' is another lovely story from the same book.How Bufo the toad was laughed at by everyone for his ugliness--but how his toadstool appealed so much to the Fairy Queen--she asked him to make several more for parties in Fairyland.--Snehalatha

[Nair Snehalatha]

Idont know whether its a short story or not--but ''The Six Bad Boys''-is a very influencing story written by dear old Blyton.It is about children of three different families,,and how the environment at home makes them stray away--It is a must-read for all -written in the true Blytonian style.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I love 'The Little Singing Kettle' too. From the same book I'm also fond of 'The Tale of Mr. Spectacles', 'Fiddle-de-dee, the Foolish Brownie', 'Mr. Grumpygroo's Hat', 'The Little Walking House' and 'King Bom's Ice-Cream'. What a great variety of stories - enchanting, thoughtful, whimsical and humorous.

The Six Bad Boys is a full-length novel, but it is indeed an excellent read.

By the way, Snehalatha, each of your messages came up twice so I had to delete the extras. I'm not sure why that happened, but if you check your own messages immediately after posting you should be able to delete repeats yourself. Once someone has posted after you, you won't be able to.

[Ming]

I too enjoy reading short stories because they're good for sharing with children. I enjoy reading novels for myself, but if I want to recommend a book to someone who is not a voracious reader, I would pick a short story collection - I think they show a huge breadth and are very reflective of the different kinds of stories an author can write.

[Nair Snehalatha]

Hi in Tales After Tea-Ilove the story-''The Cross Old Auntie''-about a little boy called Robin,who had to stay with his great aunt as his parents were going away for a long time.The aunt was good but old and cross .She would send Robin several times a day on errands to the village Once Robin discovers an old wooden horse on three wheels which his auntie gives him.He uses it to go errands for his aunt --and they become the best of friends.In this story Enid Blyton conveys the message thatthings cheerfully done will be rewarded.

[Nair Snehalatha]

HI--In the book of short stories--Little Animal Stories--one of the stories I like is He Was Much Too Clever'' -about Hoppity the rabbit who was really too clever for his boots.He wants to have a party and eat everything himself.He asks Brock ,the Badgerto deal with the food for the party--and invites all the small animals that sleep through winter.On the 1st November--the day of the party,he finds Brock's home stuffed up with bracken and Brock fast asleep.After being chased by Rufus--the red fox--Hoppity learns to be wiser.

[Nair Snehalatha]

Runabout the brownie is a lovely short story book.Runabout stays with the children in their nursery--in their dolls-house.He keeps the house clean and is a very helpful brownie.Its sad when the adventures come to an end,but I love to fancy things--I imagine that Runabout is always with the children ,all having a lovely time together.

[Nair Snehalatha]

Yes,sorry about the repeated messages.I'll try to be careful.I wouldlike to mention The Enchanted Wood -and 3 of its sequels--The Magic Faraway Tree,,The Folk Of The Faraway Tree -Up The Faraway Tree.--the last is quite small.Its lovely meeting The Saucepan Man,Silky,Moonface,,Mister Whatsizname,Dame Wash-a-lot and oh--a whole host of lovely ,friendly Little Folk.I get so enraptured that I am absolutely one with them,enjoying myself most happily.Read them all and see.