The Collins version with two books in one, is indeed quite heavily edited in places. I'm not sure when this edit took place though. Maybe it was as early as when the books were republished as written by Enid Blyton. I only have the Collins two in one version and the Mary Pollock version.
Here's some of what I wrote earlier on page 14, and onwards of this thread -
Rob Houghton wrote:in my Mary Pollock version there is quite a bit more...
She was surprised when the three children did not seem pleased about it.
"Well!" she said, "I think you're rather ungrateful! I thought it would be a lovely surprise for you!"
Pam didn't like to hurt her kind aunt. She went up to her and squeezed her arm. "Of course we'll love to go!" she said. "We'd planned to do something else - but that can easily wait till another day, can't it boys?"
"Oh yes," said Brock and Peter, a little gloomily.
"Well it can't be anything very important" said Brock's mother. "I'm sure it can wait a little."
So they went off for a picnic...
and later -
I think its a shame they took some of them out, as it takes away the atmosphere. For example, the paperback reads -
"Goodbye, Mother! Goodbye!"
"Be good!" called Mother. "Goodbye! Have a lovely holiday! Give my love to Auntie Hetty!"
"I hope Brock will be at the station to meet us," said Peter.... etc
Originally the passage was longer and more descriptive -
"Goodbye, Mother! Goodbye!"
"Be good!" called Mother. "Goodbye! Have a lovely holiday! Give my love to Auntie Hetty!"
The train went round a corner, and the two children could no longer see their mother. They sank back in their seats and looked at one another, trying to hide their excitement. It was such fun to go off on holiday alone like this. They had never been a long journey in a train by themselves before.
"I hope Brock will be at the station to meet us," said Peter...
Later on, as Wolfgang says, Mary Pollock's version has this description -
..."Do you really?" said Pam, feeling all excited too. "Ooh, I hope we do have some. School was so dull last term that I could do with something exciting in the hols!"
The train went off, panting and puffing, for it was a small, slow train, drawn by an old fashioned express...
"Goodness, isn't it slow, after the express!" said Pam...