Mr Up and To

[Kate Mary]

I have a dim recollection of a nursery story about a little wooden doll with a nodding head called Mr Up and To, so named because his head nods up-and-down and to-and-fro. He tries to help the other toys in the nursery but all his good deeds go wrong and the toys think he is playing tricks on them. I think this is a Blyton story (although it might not be), I have searched the book listings in vain.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,

Kate.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I came across that story last night in More About Amelia Jane! The story is called, rather unhelpfully, "Amelia Jane is Naughty Again." Mr. Up-and-To announces that his name is a mixture of Up-and-Down and To-and-Fro, only for Amelia Jane to remark, "Why not Mr. Fro-and-Down?" Mr. Up-and-To tries to be friendly but Amelia Jane tricks him and gets him into trouble.

Anita

[Kate Mary]

Thank you for that reply, Anita, unfortunately I've only just spotted it! I had forgotten that I had posted this query and I must have missed seeing it on the most recent forums on the home page. What jogged my memory was reading Terry Gustafson's review of "Tales of Toyland", Mr Up-and-To appears in this book too, but I think you are right and I remember him from the Amelia Jane stories.

I have just unearthed my copy of "Tales of Toyland" which is a late Dean reprint (1989) and I see that the Three Golliwogs still have their original names in it. That one slipped past the censor! I have never read this book, so I think I'll give it a go as soon as I've finished "The Mystery of the Missing Man".

Kate.