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1. "Adventure on the Way Home" {Secret Seven]
   Illustrations: Bruno Kay
   Story: Specially Written
2. Brer Rabbit Has Some Fun!
   Illustrations: Grace Lodge
   Story: Specially Written
3. Mr. Twiddle in the Dark
   Illustrations: Hilda McGavin
   Story: Specially Written
4. One Good Turn Deserves Another, Noddy!
   Illustrations: uncredited
   Story: Picture Strip - Specially Written
5. Now Listen, Meddle!
   Illustrations: Rosalind M. Turvey
   Story: Specially Written
6. After Your Show
   Illustrations: uncredited
   Poem: Specially Written
7. George's Hair is Too Long! {Famous Five]
   Illustrations: Eileen A. Soper
   Story: Specially Written
8. Ridiculous Rhyme
   Illustrations: uncredited
   Poem: Safety Fun No.2 1948
9. Please Help Me, Mr. Pink-Whistle!
   Illustrations: Dorothy M. Wheeler
   Story: Specially Written
10. Over You Go! {Mr. Stamp-About]
    Illustrations: M. Sherborne
    Story: Specially Written
11. The Big Bold Bentley Twins
    Illustrations: uncredited
    Story: Specially Written
12. Ho! Ho! Ho! {Noddy]
    Illustrations: uncredited
    Story: Specially Written

{ } indicates popular characters where not mentioned in the title
I found my copy of this book in a second hand book shop in Bridport, Dorset, which is another book I've been introduced to as an adult. I would now like to try and find numbers, one, three and four which will give me the full set.

It reads firstly with a letter from Enid Blyton:-

Dear Boys and Girls

Our second Magazine Annual already! I have tried to make this one even more varied for you, and you will find, I think, something for everyone's tastes.

Enid goes on to say that all the letters and cards she received tell her exactly what her readers wants and inside the book are a few new stories. This book reminded me of Enid Blyton's Treasury, which I read recently, which also contained stories written for the Treasury and things for the reader to make.

The first story is of the Secret Seven, titled – 'Adventure on the Way Home'. A nice little story, which had me smiling, as I guessed instantly what the Seven would discover behind the lighted window, as they stood looking up to witness what looked like someone hitting out at another person. I guess this is one of the down sides of discovering these books as an adult and reading them as such. A child reader may not have guessed the outcome so quickly!

I won't give away the 'plot', but basically after having a lovely tea at Colin's home, one dark winter's afternoon, the others set off home taking a short cut along by the canal, something which Pam says she doesn't like, but they set off anyway.

Coming across a row of tall houses used for offices and small factories, they noticed one window which was lit up, but the blind was drawn, and clearly they could see the silhouette of two people, one appearing to hit out at the other, accompanied by screams!

Jack rushes off back to Colin's house as he said he should be 'in on this', and to collect a rope so that they could throw it over a 'swing board' just below the window, to enable Jack to shin up the rope, whilst Peter runs off to get the police, arriving back a little later with two constables.

If you want to find out how this story turns out you'll have to find a copy, but it's a lovely little story with plenty of wintery atmosphere.

'Brer Rabbit Has Some Fun' – is the next title and story, followed by 'Mr. Twiddle in the Dark'. Another lovely little story of Mr. Twiddle who goes out one dark evening to a meeting, forgetting his torch. On the way home he bumps into a lamp post and breaks his glasses and not being able to see very well because of this, decides to call at the first house he comes to so he can ask the way home. Unknown to him, and until the story comes to an end, we learn that Mr. Twiddle has actually called at his own home!
Inside the book there are also six Noddy stories – obviously some of Enid's letters were requesting stories of Noddy!

A story called 'Now Listen Meddle' is about Meddle whose aunt Jemima asks him to wrap up a beautiful little aeroplane for a boy who's ill in hospital, and NOT to meddle with it. He does, of course, and winding up the strand of elastic much too tight it flies out of the window onto Mr. Snooze's roof.

This reminded me of Susie's aeroplane, in the Secret Seven book, Three Cheers Secret Seven, which also was described as needing to be wound up with an elastic band. In Enid Blyton's Treasury, a boy called Ronnie wanted a box of aeroplane parts so he could make up an aeroplane, which had me thinking that maybe a boys favourite toy was an aeroplane in the late 40's and up to the middle of the 50's, when Enid wrote these stories.

A Famous Five story called – 'George's Hair is too Long', is also featured, which has the Five solving a robbery in an ironmongers shop, which George calls into for a pair of scissors.

I've heard of Mr. Pink-Whistle but hadn't read anything about him until now. In this story – 'Please Help Me Mr. Pink-Whistle' – a young boy called Mark Brown, asks for help as everyone laughs at him because he has a stammer.

Mr. Pink-Whistle says he can cure him and he does this by giving Mark a puppy called Bonny. Mark loves the puppy, as he doesn't mind his stammer, and cannot laugh at him, and so the boy's confidence grows and eventually he speaks without his stammer.

At the end of the story Mark says to Mr. Pink-Whistle – "I'm going to tell everyone how to cure a stammer, just get a puppy dog to talk to." And Enid writes at the end – Well it does seem a very good idea, doesn't it? I wonder if sales for puppies went up that year!

'Over You Go', is a story about Chippy, Flap and Mr. Stamp About. A simple little tale.

One story I particularly liked was – 'The Big Bold Bentley Twins'. Sally and Sam, the Bentley twins were described as 'bullies', they even cheeked their teacher and we learn that Harry, who once stood up to them, had his hat thrown in the pond, his school book thrown over a wall and he himself was rolled in the mud.

Three children called, Ina, Nancy and Dennis, like everyone else, were afraid of them and always tried to stay out of their way. One day the three were playing Red Indians and dressed up with feathered head gear and painted their faces, Denis even painted a third eye in the middle of his forehead.

Whilst playing they spotted the Bentley twins and hid until the two were out of sight, then they continued with their game, pretending they were stalking an enemy. They came upon a deserted hut and said their enemy was inside and so they surrounded the hut to look through the windows.
They didn't know the Bentley twins were inside, eating sweets and looking at comics of men that came from the moon in a rocket. The twins looking up at the windows were suddenly frightened at the painted faces looking at them both, and in fright ran from the hut, thinking that men from the moon were after them.

The three children were amused that the twins ran off terrified and hadn't even stopped to confront them. Neither did they know the twins were heading for the police station to report seeing 'moon creatures'.

A policeman went to the hut with the twins to investigate their story, and of course the three children confessed it was only them dressed up and playing at Red Indians. The children and the policeman laughed at the twins, and they went away 'red to their ears' as Enid describes them, without saying a word.

Of course everyone got to hear of the tale and how the twins had ran away screaming in fright, and laughed at them. So in true Blyton style, they had learned a hard lesson and never bullied anyone ever again.

I do wish I had discovered this book as a child as it contains some lovely stories for children, along with things to make and puzzles to do. Another collection of Enid's stories to add to my ever growing collection. These illustrations are hidden by default to ensure faster browsing. Loading the illustrations is recommended for high-speed internet users only.