We don't want to go to bed!

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 04 Jan 2007, 17:55

Anyone remember this one? I can't remember which book it was in - could it have been tales from Toyland? - but I remember the story of two kids who wouldn't go to bed so their mother let them stay up till, gasp, midnight and then next day they couldn't wake up in the morning so they had Learned Their Lesson and never did anything like THAT again...

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 04 Jan 2007, 19:24

Yes, that story does come from Tales of Toyland. Polly is eight and Peter is seven, yet their bedtime is half past six! Did children really go to bed that early in the mid twentieth-century? I've got dinner cooking at the moment, so we'll only just be sitting down to eat it at around that time. The way Blyton puts things makes me smile: "Polly could quite easily see that if she went to bed late each night she would be bottom of the form, like Joan Long, who always went to bed late, instead of at the top as she usually was." !

Do you remember "Do Hurry Up, Dinah!" from the same book? I used to love that one.

Anita

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 04 Jan 2007, 19:49

What was it about? I might recognise it but I don't recall the title. It's been, oh man, nearly quarter of a century since I read that book but I know that I read it over and over and some stories stick in my mind better than others

. Another one I can remember was about a little girl who didn't get anything for Xmas, or something like that, cos she'd been naughty

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 04 Jan 2007, 19:50

Oh wait that wasn't it - I remember it now. It was a CHristmas story and Father Christmas was in it and I think it was set during a children's party or something? But Father Christmas only gave toys to the GOOD children and left the naughty ones weeping bitterly.

I remember being much affected - not to mention alarmed - by that one

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 04 Jan 2007, 22:58

[Moose:] "It was a CHristmas story and Father Christmas was in it and I think it was set during a children's party or something? But Father Christmas only gave toys to the GOOD children and left the naughty ones weeping bitterly."

Ooh yes - that's a Blyton classic. It's called "Santa Claus is Surprising" and I have it in Sunshine Book (Dean & Son Ltd.) The children's teacher gets them to write down how they're going to spend their pocket money as Christmas approaches, and she is disappointed at their selfishness. Her brother dresses up as Santa Claus for the school Christmas party but he only gives out presents to children who deserve them. The illustrations (by Grace Lodge, I think?) are exquisite. There's a marvellous picture of a girl in a cape and fur-lined hood leaving the party, looking pretty peeved!

"Do Hurry Up, Dinah!" is about a slowcoach of a girl, who is sent to Tortoise-town to be cured. I like the phrase "DO hurry up!" Nowadays we would just say, "Hurry up!"

Anita

HeatherS · Post by **HeatherS** » 04 Jan 2007, 23:39

Anita Bensoussane wrote:Polly is eight and Peter is seven, yet their bedtime is half past six! Did children really go to bed that early in the mid twentieth-century? I've got dinner cooking at the moment, so we'll only just be sitting down to eat it at around that time.

My children are almost the same ages - six and eight - and they are in bed by 7:30. Sometimes when they're really tired we push it back to 7. 6:30 does seem a little too early though. The only time we would put them to bed that early would be after we'd been out very late the night before. I think it's the middle of dinnertime for most people now.

I also love the short stories at the end of Tales of Toyland, especially Do Hurry Up Dinah. A Tin of Yellow Polish was a favourite as a child, but it isn't quite as good re-reading it now (apart from the lovely nostalgia that comes with it).

My absolute favourite short story is in that book too, though. The Beautiful Pattern. Lovely!

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 05 Jan 2007, 14:45

That stirs a very distant memory .. was it about someone - Father TIme? -who created patterns about or for people's lives and if the person had lived a good life it was a beautiful pattern and if a selfish life it was an ugly one?

Don't remember Do Hurry Up DInah

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 05 Jan 2007, 15:36

Funny that you should mention that "Father Time" story, Moose. That's my all-time favourite Enid Blyton story and, like "Santa Claus is Surprising," it can be found in Sunshine Book (Dean & Son Ltd.) It's called "Father Time and His Pattern Book."

Heather's favourite story, "The Beautiful Pattern," is about a boy who finds it difficult to think of a pattern to draw for homework but who is inspired by a brownie who uses patterns from nature, like bracken fronds and snowflakes, to decorate his house.

Anita

Moose · Post by **Moose** » 05 Jan 2007, 17:38

Actually I think I remember that one too although so distantly that I can't remember any details .. just the words 'brownie' and 'snowflake' have triggered a memory

Rainbow's End · Post by **Rainbow's End** » 04 Nov 2007, 12:15

Moose wrote:What was it about? I might recognise it but I don't recall the title. It's been, oh man, nearly quarter of a century since I read that book but I know that I read it over and over and some stories stick in my mind better than others . Another one I can remember was about a little girl who didn't get anything for Xmas, or something like that, cos she'd been naughty

There was also the girl who knitted a huge stocking for all the presents she'd listed for herself, and when santa read the list, he filled the stocking full of vegetables.....think her name might have been janet...think that was in the sunshine book too and could have been called 'a greedy girl' or something....can anyone confirm this please?

rainbow

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 04 Nov 2007, 14:21

Welcome to the Forums, Rainbow. I'm afraid I don't know which book that story is in but it isn't Sunshine Book. Best of luck with finding it!

Anita

Rob Houghton · Post by **Rob Houghton** » 04 Nov 2007, 16:14

The story could well be 'The Enormous Christmas Stocking', which is about a girl who knits a long stocking because she wants so many presents and Santa punishes her by filling it with onions and parsnips etc. It appeared in 'My Enid Blyton Book no 3' (1950) but must have appeared in some other collection since, surely. Don't know what, though.

Rainbow's End · Post by **Rainbow's End** » 10 Nov 2007, 05:24

Robert Houghton wrote:The story could well be 'The Enormous Christmas Stocking', which is about a girl who knits a long stocking because she wants so many presents and Santa punishes her by filling it with onions and parsnips etc. It appeared in 'My Enid Blyton Book no 3' (1950) but must have appeared in some other collection since, surely. Don't know what, though.

yes, that was it........thankyou..i may well have read it in the above book....memory isnt so good now ya know? lol.

rainbow

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