Personal Gems From The Cave Of Books

[Moonraker]

Yes, I didn't see any further comments. I will refrain from further comments, although I can't see why my post should have been deleted.

[Rob Houghton]

Your post was only deleted because of our comments after it! We were a bit naughty!

[Courtenay]

Dunno about "we" — more like me... well, I might have ignored what you said if Julie hadn't pointed out the (obviously completely unintentional) double entendre, so... oh, I'll email you about it.

[pete9012S]

The Nature Lover 1935:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/blyt ... &perid=648" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I must say I'm rather intrigued by one of the stories on the cover : Will my dog live again?

Don't suppose I'll ever be able to track that story down!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Dunno about "we" — more like me... well, I might have ignored what you said if Julie hadn't pointed out the (obviously completely unintentional) double entendre, so... oh, I'll email you about it.

My posting wasn't what caused the deletion, Courtenay. I think it was the words you used.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Your post was only deleted because of our comments after it! We were a bit naughty!

No, it wasn't because of that. We were keen to keep the thread on topic because someone associated with the events in Beckenham and Bromley had asked Tony to inform people about the film-showings and the talk, and we wanted things to stay on track so people could focus on the information provided.

What a lovely, poetic article in that issue of The Nature Lover. A gem indeed, Pete. I like the opening paragraph about October being "a delightful month, full of personality" with "its hazy golden mists, its blue vistas of sky seen between sun-washed buildings... looking towards winter but with the remnants of summer in its sunburnt hands." It's not only October which has a personality of its own but flowers like asters and carnations, which are still flowering "bravely" despite the frosty nights about to come.

Interesting to hear of Enid's Siamese cat having her kittens in a hole in a tree, as some wildcats do. I'm not sure how common such behaviour is for domestic cats, but in the Ladybird book Tiptoes the Mischievous Kitten a black pet cat does the same thing.

Interesting too that poet John Clare is quoted at the end of the article.

Critics sometimes accuse Enid Blyton of writing sloppily and having a poor vocabulary because her children's books are written in a relatively simple style. However, I think her work for adults and older children shows that she deliberately altered her style according to her intended audience as those pieces tend to be more lyrical and contain more descriptive detail. When writing for children around primary school age, Enid obviously took great care to make her stories readily accessible. Although the vocabulary can at times seem a little repetitive (e.g. words and phrases like "queer", "exciting" and "at top speed" crop up again and again), the rhythm and flow of her prose is exemplary and her dialogue sounds very natural, drawing readers in effortlessly so that they immediately feel part of the fictional world, entering into the action without any struggle to understand. And some tough and thought-provoking issues are tackled in her books (think, for example, of The Naughtiest Girl in the School or The Six Bad Boys) even though her style is (perhaps deceptively) uncomplicated.

[pete9012S]

Yes,I agree Anita.I also thought Enid's style of writing in this piece was more thoughtful,mature and hauntingly elegiac.

[Rob Houghton]

elegiac.

Get you! I had to look it up!

[Aussie Sue]

Pete, here is a copy of the story 'Will My Dog Live Again?'
I must say I am rather surprised by this story being in The Nature Lover Magazine. I have all those magazines because of Enid's page, but I love a lots of the other nature articles throughout. This is not a story I would read again. As I don't know how many words can be put in one entry so I have divided it into two:

Will my Dog Live Again? By B. Melville Nicholas
My old nurse used to tell me that a dog was amongst those who welcomed me to my first fireside some thirty years ago. My father was a farmer, and the dog of my childhood was a collie that lived to a great age.
I have heard my parents tell most heartsearching stories of that dog’s devotion and loyalty to me in my babyhood existence. He would guard the cradle in which I slept for hours without a break, and was particularly suspicious of the approach of cats. On occasions he would leave his food on hearing my distressed baby voice, or when he thought danger was near me, and come to my rescue.
I have just a dim recollection of this faithful canine friend. I remember patting his head and being particularly interested in his long, pointed nose; but I think I paid him my greatest compliment when I made my first baby speech. It consisted, so my nurse told me, of the one word “Rover” with the R dropped.
Rover would instantly obey my many meaningless calls of “Over” and continue his obedience to my voice, when in later years, I pronounced his name correctly.
So from the day of my birth until the present time, except for brief intervals between the death of one dog and the purchase of another, I have always owned a dog.
It is during one of these periods- intervening between the death of one dog and the purchase of another- an interval so intensely fraught with loneliness! – that I write these lines.
“Rex” was a beautiful wolf-grey Alsatian. He and I had been pals for over three years until about a month ago, when his brief span of life came to an end.
Every day of his life he had given me his unfailing devotion and loyalty. His sole aim was to show himself my companion and protector. His actions and eyes revealed the sympathy, devotion and love which he could not express in words. He would instinctively get between me and danger. I have never known a dog that displayed loyalty, unselfishness and self-sacrifice to a greater extent than did “Rex”. He came as near to human companionship as it is possible for an animal to come. But we had to part…
Have dogs a future life? Or is death for them, the end of all things? If I did not believe in the survival of dogs I would hesitate to own another one. I cannot believe that the noble attributes and altruistic qualities that dogs possess are destroyed by death.
There are many people who laugh at the idea of animals having souls, but to take it for granted that mankind have souls and animals have not is, I think, an extreme example of human vanity. Primitive races believed in the future of animals, the Red Indians still having a deep-rooted belief in a happy hunting-ground. (continued)

[Aussie Sue]

Will My Dog Live Again? continued:

And there are many eminent divines and scientists of today who believe in the survival of animals.
No one will deny that animals think and have brains, which in the case of dogs are quite comparable to our own; and through their close association with mankind it is distinctly observable that dogs, and some of the other higher animals, develop qualities which are of themselves of eternal value: faithfulness, fidelity, affection and diligience.
The devotion of a dog is the most unselfish thing we know, for it expects nothing in return. A dog does not care whether his master be white or black, rich or poor, beggar or baronet – he loves him just the same.
In his splendid little book, “No Traveller Returns,” the Rev. Clarence May writes” Even the humble little sparrow, though it did but cost the third of a farthing, yet still did not fall to the ground without the knowledge of its Creator. May I not hope to find this little fledgling sitting on the branch of a tree in my garden in Paradise, while the dogs that licked the sores of Lazarus lie beneath it in the shade?”
Are there no animals in Heaven?
Surely the dove that has lent its form to the Holy Spirit will coo around our dwellings and the lamb that Jesus loved so well will graze in its pastures. Is it not possible that the ox that gave its manger as a cradle for our Lord, and the donkey that carried Him to Jerusalem on His day of triumph, may be found in the outer fields of Heaven?.
And when I come up out of the waters of death may I not hope to see “Rex” bounding down the streets of Heaven with yelps of anticipation?? Who shall say? –
“There are men both good and wise, Who hold that in some future state, Dumb creature we have cherished here below, Shall give us joyous greeting as we pass the golden gate.”

- Well interested in others thoughts, but not really my type of story. cheers Sue

[Moonraker]

Reposted as this also disappeared. Maybe I pressed the wrong button!

Your post was only deleted because of our comments after it! We were a bit naughty!

No, it wasn't because of that. We were keen to keep the thread on topic because someone associated with the events in Beckenham and Bromley had asked Tony to inform people about the film-showings and the talk, and we wanted things to stay on track so people could focus on the information provided.

Apologies for adding confusion to this. As it was being discussed on this thread I thought that was where I had posted it. Sorry for causing any hassle.

[Rob Houghton]

That article from the Nature Lover Magazine opens up a whole can of worms!

I was told quite categorically (by a practising Catholic) that animals DO NOT have souls. An idea which I found absolutely preposterous. All living things have what one might term 'souls' - it is the life-force that makes us all 'be'.

[Courtenay]

What a beautiful, lyrical (and I agree, elegiac!) piece from Enid. It does go to show what a fine writer she truly was. She paints such wonderful pictures with words when she writes about nature and the seasons especially. I'm quite drawn to that kind of writing, as I would love to do more gardening when I have a home of my own one day, but the British flora and seasonal changes are something I'm still having to learn! So it's lovely to read Enid's thoughts on these topics. (I must get hold of more of her nature books for children.)

"Will My Dog Live Again?" is another very interesting piece (thanks, Aussie Sue) — and, well, it's a question plenty of people have asked over the years, and a very natural one if you've ever loved an animal friend and grieved his or her loss. I've always assumed that if someone believes that we humans live on somewhere else after our death in this world, surely it's logical to accept that animals do as well; I remember being shocked years ago to find that not all people of faith believe that at all. Fair enough if you don't believe in an afterlife for humans either, but to suggest that people "go to heaven" and animals don't is, to me, completely heartless and baffling. I can only assume that those who believe that have never had a dog or a cat or any other pet that they truly loved. I miss our cats and dog who are no longer with us, and while I can't say for sure where they are now (dunno about all that "Rainbow Bridge" gush ), I certainly don't believe they're gone forever. But that's just me.

[Courtenay]

I was told quite categorically (by a practising Catholic) that animals DO NOT have souls. An idea which I found absolutely preposterous. All living things have what one might term 'souls' - it is the life-force that makes us all 'be'.

Totally agree, Rob. Reminds me of a time back at school when we had to dissect dead rats for science class, which I was a little squeamish about — I just didn't like the idea that they had been killed for no reason other than for us to cut them up and stare at their guts. I confided in one of my classmates, a very gentle girl who I knew was a devout Christian and who I assumed would have a compassionate attitude. I was shocked when she replied with casual dismissal. "Oh, it's all right. They don't have souls like us."

I don't want to get into any debates about religion, animals and the afterlife, but I should add that I've since certainly confirmed that not all Christians believe that!!

[Julie2owlsdene]

Anything living and breathing I think has a soul, once I've left this mortal coil of ours, I hope to be able to see and be with all the animals I've had and loved, they're all just waiting for me over the rainbow bridge!