Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

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pete9012S
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Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by pete9012S »

How did the Famous Five and Enid 's other main series characters approach drinking water whilst in the middle of an adventure?
"Remember to boil every drop of water you drink," said the children's mother. "That's very important. Get as much milk from the farms as they will let you have. And remember that there is plenty of ginger-beer in the locker under the second caravan."
Do they take Mum's advice to boil all their water?
'Let's go and see, I'm thirsty, and if there's a spring there, it will be very cold and clear — lovely to drink from. Come on, we'll go and see.'
But there was no spring. The stream did not 'begin' just there, but flowed out of a hole in the hillside, as big and as fast as it was just under the stone bridge. The children bent down and peered into the water-filled hole.

'It comes out from inside the hill,' said Anne, surprised. 'Fancy it running around in the hill itself. It must be glad to find a way out!'
They didn't like to drink it as it was not the clear, fresh spring they had hoped to find. But, wandering a little farther on, they came to a real spring that gushed out from beneath a stone, cold and crystal clear.

They drank from this and voted that it was the nicest drink they had ever had in their lives. Dick followed the spring-water downwards and saw that it joined the little rushing stream.

'I suppose it flows into the lake,' he said. 'Come on. Let's get on and find a farm, Julian. I'm sure I heard the crowing of a cock just then, so one can't be far away.'
Can anyone remember how they found and drank water outdoors n their twenty one adventures - how much boiling did they do? Did they ever boil their water!
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others Drinking Water

Post by pete9012S »

Run Away Together:

Early on the Five seem concerned about the quality of their drinking water:
"Well, that's the biggest problem solved—food," said Julian. "We'll raid the larder too, and take what bread there is—and cake. What about water, George? Is there any on the island?"

"Well, I suppose there is some in that old well," said George, thinking, "but as there's no bucket or anything, we can't get any. I was taking a big container of fresh water with me—but we'd better fill two or three more tins now
you are all coming! I know where there are some, quite clean and new."

So they filled some containers with fresh water, and put them with the sacks, ready to take to the boat. It was so exciting doing all these things in the middle of the night!
In these early adventures,it's just Tim that is allowed to drink fresh untreated/heated water:
She had washed the few bits of crockery they had used for breakfast, in a most convenient little rain-pool outside the cave. Timmy used it for drinking-water too, but he didn't seem to mind Anne using it for washing-up water, though she apologised to him for doing so.
"I'm sorry if I spoil your drinking water, Timmy darling," she said, "but you are such a sensible dog that I know if it suddenly tastes nasty to you, you will go off and find another rain-pool."
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others Drinking Water

Post by Daisy »

I guess they occasionally wanted a hot drink but we don't hear much, if anything, about campfires!
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Re: Famous Five's & Others Drinking Water

Post by Rob Houghton »

I don't actually recall them ever boiling their drinking water. They usually drank straight from a stream. Sometimes the children even drank out of a pool of rainwater, as depicted in The Sea of Adventure - which as I've said before, must surely have been contaminated with puffin poo!! :lol:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by Daisy »

No, I don't actually recall any heating of water.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by pete9012S »

6.On Kirrin Island Again:

Tim's & Enid's memory are in good shape.
They sat in the warm April sunshine, eating hungrily. There was orangeade to drink, cool and delicious. Timmy wandered over to a rock-pool he knew, where rain-water collected, and could be heard lapping there. " Hasn't he got a good memory ? " said George proudly. " It's ages since he was here—and yet he remembered that pool at once, when he felt thirsty."
" My word—you needn't worry about Timmy not having his food regularly ! He'll have rabbit for breakfast, rabbit for dinner, rabbit for tea—and rain-water from his favourite pool. Not a bad life for old Timmy ! "
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by pete9012S »

7.Go Off To Camp:

They now seem to have completely given up on Julian's mother's advice about boiling all drinking water:
They climbed steadily, and the wind grew a little cold. All around the children the moors stretched for mile upon mile, never-ending. Little streams sometimes splashed right down to the roadway, and ran beside it.

'We can drink the water in these streams,' said Mr Luffy. 'Crystal clear, and cold as ice! There's one quite near where we're going to camp.'

That was good news. Julian thought of the big canvas buckets they had brought. He didn't particularly want to carry those for miles. If there was a stream near their camping place it would be easy to get the buckets filled with washing-water.
Later on in the very same book,even the usually obedient and careful Anne is at it:
I’ll go for a walk on my own,' thought Anne. Til follow that little stream uphill and see where it begins. That would be fun. I can't possibly lose my way if I keep by the water.'

She set off in the sunshine and came to the little brown stream that gurgled down the hill. She scrambled through the heather beside it, following its course uphill. She liked all the little green ferns and the cushions of velvety moss that edged it. She tasted the water - it was cold and sweet and clean.
Later on they all drink the unboiled water with gleeful abandon:


'We're not having a proper supper,' she said. 'We had tea so late. But I'll cook you something if you like, Mr Luffy.'
'Very kind of you. But I've had an enormous tea,' said Mr Luffy. 'I've brought up a fruit cake for you, from my own larder.
Shall we share it for supper? And I've got a bottle of lime juice, too, which will taste grand with some of the stream water.'

The boys went off to get some fresh stream water for drinking. Anne got out some plates and cut slices of the cake.
Not boiled and left to cool:
It was pleasant sitting there, eating and talking,and drinking lime juice and stream water.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by pete9012S »

8.Five Get Into Trouble:

Although lots of camping and outdoor swimming and washing is mentioned there is no reference to drinking water.
I was surprised to realise that even Owls Dene was described thus:
'Funny thing,' said Julian. 'I haven't seen a telephone here. Don't they have one?'
'No,' said Aggie. 'No phone, no gas, no electricity, no water laid on, no nothing. Only just secrets and signs and comings and goings and threats and . . .'
She broke off as Hunchy came back, and went to the big fire-place, where a kettle was slung over the burning logs.
The man flung himself into a chair and began to fill a pipe. The woman took a kettle off the fire and went to fill hot-water bottles in a corner..
No mention of how they got the water! The book was written in 1949. Would it be usual for such a big grand house to have no running water?

Image
Betty Maxey's superb 1968 depiction of the large cooking range at Owls Dene - but no running water.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

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10.On A Hike Together:

Surely in this adventure you would expect a bit of commonsense from The Five when it comes to hiking and drinking clean water.
Fortunately,they don't let us down:
There was a cupboard in the cellar room. Julian opened it to see what was there. ‘More candles - good!’ he said, bringing out a bundle. ‘And plates and cups. Did anyone see a well outside? If so we could dilute some orangeade and have a drink with our supper.’
No one had noticed a well - but Anne suddenly remembered something queer she had seen in a corner of the kitchen, near the sink.

‘I believe I saw a pump up there!’ she said. ‘Go and see, Ju. If so, it might still work.’
He went up the cellar-steps with a candle. Yes - Anne was right. That was an old pump over there in the corner. It probably pumped water into a tank and came out of the kitchen taps.

He turned on a big tap which was over the large sink. Then he took the handle of the pump and worked it vigorously up and down. Splash! Splash! Water came flooding through the big tap and splashed into the sink! That was good.

Julian pumped and pumped, feeling that he had better get rid of any water running into the tank for the first time for years. The tank might be dirty or rusty - he must wash it round with a good deal of pumped water first.

The water seemed to be clean and clear, and was certainly as cold as ice! Julian held a cup from the cellar cupboard under the tap, and then tasted the water. It was delicious.

‘Good for you, Anne!’ he called, going down the cellar-steps with a cupful of water. ‘Dick, you find some more cups - or a jug or something in that cupboard, and we’ll wash them out and fill them with water for our orangeade.’
Alas,no Soper illustration for this scenario,but we do have Betty Maxey's sterling 1968 depiction:

Image
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

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11.Wonderful Time:

They are back to their bad habits of just collecting stream water again:


"They are old gypsy caravans painted and made really up to date," said Julian. "They're jolly comfortable inside too - bunks that fold down against the walls in the daytime - a little sink for washing-up, though we usually use the stream, because it's such a fag to fetch water - a small larder, cupboards and shelves - cork carpet on the floor with warm rugs so that no draught comes through...."
"You sound as if you are trying to sell them to me!" said George, with a laugh. "
Julian, will you get me some water, please? There's the pail, over there. I want to peel the potatoes. George, can you possibly open the peaches without cutting yourself like you did last time?"
The water is now somehow all Anne's responsibility:
Dick yawned. "Well - I might read for a bit," he said. "I hope you've got enough water, Anne, for the various things you use it for - because I do NOT intend to stumble over this dark field to the stream, and fall over snakes and anything else the fair-folk may have strewn carelessly about the grass!"
Timmy settled down. If George wasn't going to get up neither was he! George shut her eyes and fell asleep again too. Outside, the camp began to awake. Caravan doors opened. Fires were lighted. Somebody went down to the stream to get water.

At last! Anne has boiled some water - to make a cup of tea..
It wasn't long before they were all sitting round a little fire, from which came a very nice smell. Dick was frying bacon and eggs, and the smell made everyone very hungry. Anne had boiled a kettle on her little stove, and made some tea. She came down the steps with a tray on which she had put the teapot and hot water.
Image

You can safely drink this tea.The stream water has been thoroughly boiled.Notice Betty Maxey's ever changing Uncle Quentin - this illustration from 1968.
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by Katharine »

Phew - after reading all that, I think I need a cup of tea. :wink:
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

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12.Go Down To The Sea

The farmhouse may sound primitive,but positively luxurious compared to the lack of facilities at Owl's Dene!
She didn’t talk in the Cornish way. She was pleased to see them and gave them a grand welcome. She took them upstairs to a bathroom, big but primitive. There was one tap only and that was for cold water. It ran very slowly indeed!
But it was really cold, and was lovely and soft to wash in. The tired children cleaned themselves and combed their hair.
Image
‘You don’t come to the show and you don’t come to the supper unless you bath yourself,’ she threatened. But he wouldn’t. He said he was ‘frit’ of the bath!

‘I’ll be drowned in there,’ he said, backing away from it hurriedly. It was already half full of water for him!
‘Frit, are you!’ said Mrs Penruthlan grimly, lifting him up and plunging him into the water, clothes and all. ‘Well, you’ll be fritter still now! Take your clothes off in the water and I’ll wash them in the bath when you’re clean. Oh, the dirty little varmint that you are!’

Yan screamed the place down as Mrs Penruthlan scrubbed him and soaped him and flannelled him. He hit out at her, but she gave him one sound spank on his small behind, and he stopped very suddenly. He felt very much at her mercy, and decided not to annoy her in any way while he was in that dreadful bath!

She washed his ragged pants and shirt, too, and set them to dry. She wrapped him in an old shawl, and told him to wait till his things dried and then put them on.

Did they heat the water up for him??
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by Courtenay »

pete9012S wrote: Did they heat the water up for him??
Probably not... no wonder he was "frit" and "screamed the place down". :twisted:
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

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13.Mystery Moor

Sniffer and his family share a lot in common with the Five when it comes to drinking water on the move:
‘Surly folk, aren’t they?’ said Dick to Julian. ‘I suppose they think we’re spying on them, or something. I wonder how they manage about food on this moor, no shops or anything. I suppose they take it all with them.’
‘I’ll ask them,’ said Henry, not at all put off by the surly looks.

She rode right up to Sniffer’s father.
‘How do you manage about food, and water?’ she asked.
‘We got food there,’ said Sniffer’s father, jerking his head back towards one of the caravans. ‘As for water, we know where the springs are.’
If it's good enough for Sniffer,it's good enough for The Famous Five!
They all listened. Yes, there was a little bubbling, tinkling noise. Anne got up to trace it. She found it in a few minutes and called the others. There was a round pool, cool and blue, lying two or three feet down, and into it, from one side, fell a crystal clear spring of water, tinkling as it fell.

‘One of the springs that the gypsies use, when they travel this deserted moor, I expect,’ said Julian. He cupped his hands under the falling water and got his palms full. He carried the water to his mouth and sipped it.
‘Delicious! Cool as an ice-box,’ he said. ‘Taste it, Anne.’
They rode a little farther, but the moor seemed the same everywhere, heather, wiry grass, gorse, a clear spring falling into a pool or tiny stream here and there, and a few trees, mostly silver birch.
The Five camp on the moor and need to find water:
‘Yes. Let’s camp here,’ said Anne, pleased. ‘There are quite a lot of nice holes to store our things in.’
‘What about water?’ asked George. ‘We want to be fairly near it, don’t we? Timmy, find some water! Drink, Timmy, drink! Aren’t you thirsty! Your tongue looks as if it is, the way you are hanging it out like a flag!’
Timmy put his head on one side as George talked to him. Water? Drink? He knew what both those words meant! He ran off, sniffing the air. George watched him.

He disappeared round a bush and was away for about half a minute. When he came back George gave a pleased shout.
‘He’s found some water! Look - his mouth is all wet! Timmy, where is it?’
Timmy wagged his tail vigorously, glad that George was pleased with him. He ran round the bush again and the others followed.

He led them to a little green patch and stopped. A spring bubbled up like a small fountain, dancing a little in the sunshine. The water fell from it into a little channel it had made for itself in the sand, ran away for a short distance, and then disappeared underground again.
‘Thank you, Tim,’ said George. ‘Julian, is the water all right to drink here?’

‘Well I can see some that is!’ said Julian, pointing to the right. ‘The Bartles must have put a pipe in that bank, look, and caught another spring there, a much bigger one. It’s as clear as can be. That will do fine for us!’
‘Good,’ said Anne, pleased. ‘It’s hardly any way from the quarry. It’s as cold as ice, too - feel!’

They felt, and then they drank from their palms. How cold and pure! The moor must be full of these little bubbling springs, welling up from underground. That explained the brilliant green patches here and there.
It's obvious that more or less from the outset The Famous Five have absolutely no desire in humping containers of clean,safe, water around with them.They will drink water straight from a stream without boiling it or filtering it in any way.

What's their stance on aluminium containers,by the way?
Nobody wanted much supper. Julian took a little aluminium jug to the spring and filled it once for everyone. It really was lovely water from that bubbling spring!
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Famous Five's & Others' Drinking Water

Post by Rob Houghton »

pete9012S wrote:8.Five Get Into Trouble:

Although lots of camping and outdoor swimming and washing is mentioned there is no reference to drinking water.
I was surprised to realise that even Owls Dene was described thus:
'Funny thing,' said Julian. 'I haven't seen a telephone here. Don't they have one?'
'No,' said Aggie. 'No phone, no gas, no electricity, no water laid on, no nothing. Only just secrets and signs and comings and goings and threats and . . .'
She broke off as Hunchy came back, and went to the big fire-place, where a kettle was slung over the burning logs.
The man flung himself into a chair and began to fill a pipe. The woman took a kettle off the fire and went to fill hot-water bottles in a corner..
No mention of how they got the water! The book was written in 1949. Would it be usual for such a big grand house to have no running water?

.
I always presumed it was because maybe the baddies wanted everyone to believe it was uninhabited, and so water, electricity, gas etc had all been cut off, and the baddies wouldn't want to draw attention to themselves by having it all reconnected.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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