'Looking For Enid' - free paperback copies

[Green Hedges]

Thanks, dsr, for your continuity error suggestions. Let's take them one at a time:

You ask: what was Lucy-Ann's deck-chair doing on the bridge? Well, perhaps someone told the captain that the deck-chair was actually the wishing-chair, in which case the captain might have INSISTED that the chair have pride of place on the Viking Star.

As for getting from Morocco to Swanage by going straight-on rather than to port. Well, first, it's only Kiki that is screaming "Hard to port! Hard to port!" and the wishing-chair is unlikely to be paying a blind bit of notice to such squawkery. I suspect the wishing chair flew high above the Med, then took a right (hard to starboard!) when it got to the Algarve.

Good efforts though, dsr, and, when taken with your contribution re the first question on this thread, well worth a copy of Looking For Enid. Which will be winging its way to you soon by wishing-chair mail.

As for Kiki's name. Those are interesting suggestions from Fatty and Anita. Let's take them one at a time also:

Fatty tells us about the kea. There is also a New Zealand bird called the kiwi, of course. Its call is ki-wi, unsurprisingly. This bird is not a smart parrot, however, but a bird so fat it's flightless. And therefore endangered, poor thing. I can't think that Enid went from the kiwi to Kiki. Did she go from kea to kea-kea to Kiki, as Fatty suggests? It's possible, but I suspect not given Anita's post.

Enid's aunt had a parrot called Kiki. Well, I never: I missed that. Is that piece of info in The Story of My Life? Let me check... Yes, it is. Enid tells us that her aunt's parrot used to call out the char-woman's name, and performed some of the language tricks and non-sequitors that the fictional Kiki was such a master of. I wonder if the same aunt had a little terrier called Buster, and a bigger, more friendly dog called Timmy...

Going back to my continuity error. Here is a clue. It came to my notice when, in order to come up with the yearly list of Five/Adventure/Mystery books that I provide earlier in this thread, I consulted Tony Summerfield's updated list of Enid Blyton books that is reproduced at the back of the paperback edition of Enid Blyton: The Biography by Barbara Stoney.

Does that help? Remember I'm talking about the year 1950 in that long Ship of Adventure posting a few back.

I can't resist closing with a bit of Sea of Adventure dialogue. Though in this case the sea in question must be the Tasman Sea:

Kiwi (dimly): "Kee-wee."
Kiki (brightly): 'Kee-wee? Kee-wee? Blow your nose. Kee-Kee!"
Kiwi (dimly): "Kee-wee."
Kiki (brightly): "KEE-KEE! KEE-KEE! KEEEEEEE-KEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!"

[Fatty]

Couldn't find anything significantly wrong — I give up. If it's something to do with the exact year and month when Ship was published, it's a bit of a stretch...

[Green Hedges]

Well, done Fatty, another Mystery solved! Did you get any help from Bets or the other Find-Outers? No matter, I'm sure Inspector Jenks is delighted with you, as ever. Though, as you point out, The Mystery of the Continuity Error was not up to the Blyton mark.

When I was writing Looking For Enid I knew The Ship of Adventure was published in 1950, but not the month. So I reckoned I could just about get away with having a scene set in the summer of 1950 which involved Fatty et all coming across the manuscript. The book listing in the paperback version of the Barbara Stoney biog indicates the book was published in May 1950. So there is the continuity error - for what it's worth. Indeed, I think I'll quote a line of dialogue from one of the other fictional scenes in Looking For Enid:

"Oh, Fatty are you on about publishers again?" said Larry. "Honestly, who cares?"

I had better get these books off now. If the prize-winners can use the private message facility to send me an address - or let me know direct to duncan.mclaren@virgin.net" target="_blank" target="_blank - then I'll try and get a mailing out by Friday. The forum users I mean are:

Daisy
dsr
Lucky Star
JuliaE
Viking Star
Laura
Fatty
Anita

That's to say, everyone who has posted to this topic up to now.

Thanks.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks Duncan, but I don't need a paperback as I already have a hardback copy . I didn't actually answer any of the questions - I just joined in the conversation when it went off at a tangent!

Anita

[Daisy]

Thank you for the book Duncan, safely received this Saturday morning. I've forced myself to stop reading and come here to acknowledge its arrival!

[Lucky Star]

Thank you for the book Duncan, safely received this Saturday morning. I've forced myself to stop reading and come here to acknowledge its arrival!

Same here. It dropped through the door with an immensely satisfying clunk and I shall be settling in shortly for an afternoon of reading. Many thanks Duncan.

[Green Hedges]

GREEN HEDGES
PENN ROAD
BEACONSFIELD
BUCKS

DEAR CHILDREN,
We had some good entries for the latest Sunny Stories competition, and a great many prizes were sent out. However, there are still a few sitting here unclaimed in the living room of Green Hedges. So check to see if your name is on the list of prize-winners for competition 335, and if it is then let me know where to send your prize!

I know that some of you feel disappointed when you don¹t get a prize, especially when all your answers are correct. But remember, we don¹t only give prizes for correct answers, but also for neatness and good writing. So, remembering all that, send in a very special entry next time!

By the way, some of you are forgetting that any poems sent in to Green Hedges must be made up entirely out of your own heads, and not copied out of books; that is cheating. It is your own bright ideas and your own work I want. Recently I had a letter from a little boy from Winchester called Tommy, confessing that he had sent me a poem he had copied, instead of making it up himself, and asking me to forgive him. Yes, Tommy, I forgive you, and I am glad you were brave enough to own up.

I could easily tell that Frederick Algernon Trotteville, who sent me a poem this morning, had made up the verses himself. You wrote it most amusingly, Frederick, and deserve both my autograph and your prize for this effort:

'Oh have you heard of Ernie's clues,
Ernie's clues, Ernie's clues,
A broken lace, our Ernie found,
A smoked cigar-end on the ground,
A match, a packet, and a hanky,
Honest truth, no hanky-panky!
A rag, a tin, a pencil-end,
How VERY clever is our friend!'

Have you noticed that the birds are falling silent now that spring is over? The nightingale makes an ugly croak, and has lost her beautiful song. The cuckoo calls less often and his notes have altered. As June goes forward the birds fall more and more silent, except the sparrows, whose chirrups seem to become louder and more frequent, especially when the youngsters find their voices too.

Ah well, both day and night is lovely in June, The air is soft, the little breeze is warm, our gardens are glorious this month, and fields and hills seem to smile, making us smile too as we walk along the country lanes looking for clues!

Love to you all from,
ENID BLYTON

[Fiona1986]

My very own free copy of the book arrived at my house this afternoon...... although it was a gift from my boyfriend and not a prize!

[JuliaE]

My book arrived today! Thanks! Looking forward to reading it!

[Viking Star]

I was late in claiming, so my copy certainly hasn't arrived yet!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I was late in claiming, so my copy certainly hasn't arrived yet!

Enid Blyton would probably say, "It's no good feeling sorry for yourself - you make your own luck!"

Anyway, you can enjoy looking forward to it!

Anita

[Lucky Star]

I'm about half way through it at the moment. I must say it has certainly drawn me in. I am enjoying it immensely. Still dont believe any of the anagram stuff but its a jolly wizard read.

[Green Hedges]

GREEN HEDGES
PENN ROAD
BEACONSFIELD
BUCKS


DEAR CHILDREN,
I was annoyed to hear that some of last week's prize-winners have been receiving hoax letters, pretending to be from me, asking them to send back their prizes. If any of you have still got these letters or the envelopes they came in, please send them to me so that I can investigate this idiotic joke. Though I already have my suspicions as to who is responsible.

You will laugh at the riddle-me-ree on page 2 of your Sunny Stories this week! I did. You wrote it most amusingly, Frederick (your first is in fruitcake but never in skimmed milk, indeed!) and you thoroughly deserve both my autograph and your prize.

Frederick says he thinks the letters EBF shouldn¹t only stand for Enid Blyton's Friends but also for Enid Blyton's Family ­ meaning not only my own little family but all the boys and girls who think the same things I do. I thought it was a very nice idea ­ but good gracious me what an enormous family I have then! Children in Iceland, America, Zululand, Indonesia, India, Holland, Norway, Spain ­ all over the world. All the same there are a few children I wouldn't want in our family ­ I mean, I think we shouldn't have the bad-mannered or unkind ones. I don't like those, do you? And we must keep a safe distance from a disturbed little Scottish boy I am tempted to name and shame at this point! Yes, we would certainly have to guard our Family name well.

This week's prize-winning poem comes from Ernest Goon. At least that fine young man began the poem, though I notice that the handwriting changes after the first few lines. Anyway, here it is:

The Old Old House
By Ern Goon

There was a poor old house
That was once full of folk,
But now was sad and empty,
And to me it spoke.
It said, "They all have fled,
My rooms are cold and bare,
The front door's locked and bolted,
And all the windows stare.
No smoke comes from my chimneys,
No rose grows up my wall,
But only ivy shrouds me,
In green and shining shawl!
No postman brings me letters,
No name is on my gate,
I once was called The Ivies,
But now I'm out of date,
The garden's poor and weedy,
The trees won't leaf again,
But though I fall to ruin,
The ivy ­ will ­ remain!"

I must say that the poem makes me think of my own house, Green Hedges. Because although my lovely lovely house is presently full of birdsong, and my children's laughter, and the cheerful tip-tipping sound of this typewriter, who knows what the future holds in store for any of us.

Love to all my Family from,
ENID BLYTON

[Viking Star]

I was late in claiming, so my copy certainly hasn't arrived yet!

Enid Blyton would probably say, "It's no good feeling sorry for yourself - you make your own luck!"

Anyway, you can enjoy looking forward to it!

Anita

As ever Anita, your advice is much appreciated! However I'm not feeling sorry for myself - I have had a copy on loan for some time and am enjoying it. My problem is in finding time to read it in more than little chunks. It's in good company: I bought a copy of Enid's very own 'The story of my life' a few months ago and still haven't got too far with that (certainly not as far as 'Looking for Enid'!). And there are others....

[Viking Star]

It arrived! Hurrah! La la la!

Many thanks Duncan. I really like the new cover. Who's idea was that? I thought paperback editions usually had the same cover - although I'm no expert.