The Enid Blyton Society

I am trying to remember a short story about a child who couldn't/didn't want to do their homework, which was to think of words beginning with G. In the middle of the night the child was woken up by some creatures (possibly goblins) who helped with this. I think there was also some moral about how the child was quite grumpy/greedy/other things beginning with g, and the goblins described this so the child changed their ways!

I am also trying to remember what book this story was in.

I think there was another story in the same book about a boy who was late back to school after lunch because he stopped to help a man who had landed his small plane nearby. I think he got into trouble from his teacher, but then it turned out the man was coming to school to talk to the children so the boy got praised for helping or something!

Oh, I've just remembered - there was also a story about a boy whose parents bought him a ride-in toy car. He swapped it for something his friend had, then swapped that for something else, and kept swapping for less good things until at the end all he had was an ice cream which he ate.

I don't remember any of the stories you've mentioned, but they all sound very much as though there are in Enid's style.

There are lots and lots of short stories like that, and often they started out in places like the 12 holiday annuals, or possibly one of Enid's magazines, and then have been reprinted several times in various books since then. Often in books such as 'The Magic Watering Can and other Stories'.

Hope you manage to track down the book you are looking for.

Kirsty, the story about the homework task and the goblins sounds very much like 'The Grumpy Goblins', who appear to a boy named Alan. He has to find words beginning with gr.

'Simon Has a Good Time' features a boy who starts off with a tricycle (rather than a car) and swaps it for something else, and keeps on swapping things until he ends up with an ice-cream, which he eats.

I'm afraid I don't remember the aeroplane story - and even the others might not be the ones you want because Enid Blyton often wrote several tales on the same theme (and I don't know of one volume which contains both the stories I suggested).

Thanks, those are the stories!

I could be remembering EB's book of bedtime stories, which has grumpy goblins in it, but I don't recognise any of the covers.

There is a short story called Simon isn't very clever which rings a bell, maybe the story was renamed.

It's possible that the book you remember is not in the Cave, Kirsty. All books published during Enid Blyton's lifetime are there, as are many which came out after her death (i.e. various annuals or new compilations of the stories), but not all the later short story collections are there because there are so many of them.

That's probably the case then. Any books I had would have been later editions from the 70s or 80s.

One of Enid Blyton's short stories, may soon become a thing of the past.

The one I am referring to is about a child who kept sucking their thumb, so the fairies changed it into a sweet for them, and they almost sucked their thumb completely away. However, this may not apply to children in the future, as I've just discovered you can get plastic 'thumb guards' to cure children of this habit.

Maybe it's a more realistic solution, but it doesn't make such a good story.

And you would probably be arrested if you tried the solution expounded in Polly's Ps and Qs nowadays.

‘Katherine’ has revived a thread that goes back a little way. Kirstymaclaren’s enquiry last year, and the answers supplied, enhance the difficulty one can have when trying to identify a particular story. The enquirer got two of her three questions handled very rapidly but the one concerning an aeroplane incident has yet to be tracked down. It’s frustrating because I can surely remember the story of a lad who did as described - helped a pilot who’d undergone a forced landing. Later the boy went to school (either on foot or in the plane) and was able to bask in his chums’ admiration when the pilot told everyone about the help he’d received.

As Anita commented, “Enid Blyton often wrote several tales on the same theme.” Many of the ‘titles’ are similar as well so Enid Blyton often has us snookered when searching for a particular theme. Looking through some volumes I came across ‘The Boy Next Door.‘ I remembered that well because it’s a book I enjoyed very much indeed; then searching further, a story named ‘The Boy Next Door’ showed itself. This time it’s Jeanie and Bob who are excited because someone is coming to live in the adjoining property and a few days later they see a lad sitting on a deck chair in the garden. Guess what they do to attract his attention. You’re right - they throw a ball over the fence, so how familiar is that?

In another book called “We Want a Story” there’s a yarn entitled, “That Boy Next Door.” Well, whadda y’know, it starts off with a very well known Enid Blyton character – ‘Harry,’ and he’s discussing with his sister Susan the fact that the boy who lives next door won’t throw their balls back to them. It’s all right though because you’ll notice the title of the book is markedly different from ‘The Boy Next Door’ and ‘The Boy Next Door.’ Examining one of the Boys’ and Girls’ Story Books, ‘The Little Boy Next Door’ manifested itself but once again you’ll see it’s different from ‘The Boy Next Door,’ and ‘The Boy Next Door,’ and ‘That Boy Next Door.’

Is it a Very Good Idea to have similar-sounding titles? ‘A Very Good Idea’ is the name of a tale in ‘Just Time For a Story’ and it involves a kitten stuck up a tree. That’s fine, but leafing through ‘E.B’s Second Bedside Book,’ a tale called ‘A Very Good Idea’ is listed. Don’t worry though because it’s different from ‘A Very Good Idea’ - it’s about a Mr. Nimble. Turning to the ‘The Red-Spotted’ Handkerchief’ collection I discovered ‘A Very Good Idea.’ You might think it a trifle boring to read the tale again but not so because 'A Very Good Idea’ has a completely different plot from ‘A Very Good idea’ and ‘A very Good Idea,’ seeing it involves four children called Norman, Jeanie, Jimmy, and Lotta. The names ‘Jimmy’ and ‘Lotta’ sound very familiar indeed, and so does ‘Jeanie.’ That’s right, I saw Jeanie’s name in ‘The Boy Next Door.’ No, not ‘The Boy Next Door,’ or ‘That Boy Next Door’ or ‘The Little Boy Next Door’ but ‘The Boy Next Door’ in ‘The Red Story Book.’ I hope I’ve made myself clear.

Getting back to the slightly atmospheric story about an aeroplane landing … Enid Blyton has created one or two other tales that involve an extra curricular ‘encounter’ which brings happiness to a child in some way or other. ‘Ellen’s Adventure’ is typical, and it involves a small girl who is late for school because she assists a Duchess with her car (woman driver and all that); admittedly, Bobby who’s always ‘Bottom of the Class’ doesn’t meet up with anyone outside of the school, but he’s visited by a Duchess as well – one who heaps praise upon his head. Similarities here, and similarities there, but all are welcome in the Enid Blyton World.

I can only kick off the search with a couple of contenders: 1. ‘The Aeroplane Uncle’ that ‘does’ have a plane landing unexpectedly in a field to the delight of Marjorie and Jimmy who are able to assist the pilot. They’re actually taken up for a ride, but a visit to their school is not included. 2. In ‘The Goblin Aeroplane,’ Hugh and Jill experience a similar but more exciting escapade that could remind readers of Molly and Peter’s ‘Wishing Chair’ adventure in the Giant’s Castle.

So, now it’s up to one of the 50,000 or so Enid Blyton Fans, who read these forums daily, to figure out the correct title of the story in question.

tix wrote:...‘A Very Good Idea’ has a completely different plot from ‘A Very Good idea’ and ‘A very Good Idea,’ seeing it involves four children called Norman, Jeanie, Jimmy, and Lotta. The names ‘Jimmy’ and ‘Lotta’ sound very familiar indeed, and so does ‘Jeanie.’ That’s right, I saw Jeanie’s name in ‘The Boy Next Door.’ No, not ‘The Boy Next Door,’ or ‘That Boy Next Door’ or ‘The Little Boy Next Door’ but ‘The Boy Next Door’ in ‘The Red Story Book.’ I hope I’ve made myself clear.

Just about as clear as you could possibly be, given the circumstances! I had great fun reading your post.

That's a great bit of research Tix. Thank you so much - I enjoyed reading it very much too!

Anita - 13 June 2014
Daisy - 13 June 2014

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Thank you for those kind words, and if Daisy’s friend Frederick manages to solve the Perplexing Plane Puzzle, perhaps she could pass the information on.

Fantastic research, tix! It's probably a case of 'there are more questions than answers'!

It's certainly a case of "There are more stories than titles"!