Yes, I'm baffled and I'm sure Enid's young readers would have been too! I remember a while ago, we had a discussion somewhere here on the fact that Enid writes in The Story of My Life (I haven't read it, so can't quote) that Bobs and Sandy lived in a little house and had many puppies. I think, in fact, this was when we were up to the stage of the Teacher's World saga where Enid first introduced Sandy as her new dog, clearly describing him as a he. So we were all puzzled and wondering whether Enid later had another Sandy who was female (unlikely, as Bobs died only a few years later and therefore couldn't have fathered puppies with a later Sandy) — or maybe Enid, writing years afterwards, was just indulging her imagination and inventing the puppies for effect. Now it seems she wasn't. But why on earth then did she always refer to Sandy as "he" in all her preceding letters?? She surely can't have been genuinely unaware of the sex of her own dogs... I'm still completely baffled.Kate Mary wrote:Why I wonder did Enid refer to Sandy as he up 'til now? Anyway Sandy's secret is out, and Enid's readers must have been somewhat confused. This week's poem is a good one and a nice little story on the same theme.
I remember The Wrong Berries from Stories for You — one of my favourite Blyton short story compilations. I certainly don't remember ever eating any berries or flowers or plants I shouldn't have as a child, though — my parents were always quick to warn us "that's poisonous" about any such things and I think I just had it instilled in me very early on that I mustn't eat anything from the garden unless it was definitely safe (like mint and parsley).