The Enid Blyton Society
The Enid Blyton Pennant Readers 30
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Book Details...

First edition: 1950
Publisher: Macmillan
Cover Art: Jean Main
Illustrator: Eileen A. Soper
Category: The Enid Blyton Pennant Readers
Genre: Mixed
Type: Readers

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Review by Terry Gustafson

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  1. Let's Pass It On!
    Story: Specially Written
  2. Little Mister Sly
    Story: Specially Written
Let's Pass It On

Mrs. Timms, Susan's mother, is a very kind woman. She's always helping people and when asked what they can do for her in return she simply tells them to 'pass it on.' One day Susan asks her what she means by telling people to 'pass it on' and Mummy explains that she'd like people to pass on acts of kindness rather than rewarding her personally.

Susan understands, and she asks Mummy to do something kind to her so that she can pass it on to someone else. Mrs. Timms is happy to oblige and says she'll fix Susan's broken doll — and she does so after taking quite a long time over it. The doll looks lovely and after Susan has thanked her mother she's told to pass the kindness on — and so the Bit of Kindness starts spreading.

When Susan meets old Mrs. Down in the road carrying a very heavy bag she takes it out of the lady's hand and ferries it all the way home for her even though it's quite heavy. She then refuses the penny offered to her and says that she'd rather have the kindness passed on. Mrs. Down thinks it's a lovely idea and assures Susan that she will do just that.

Later on when Mrs. Down happens to see Mister Dick limping by, she asks him where he's off to and Mr. Dick tells her that as the baker hasn't called that day he's walking into town for his loaf of bread. Mrs. Down seizes the chance to dispense her Bit of Kindness in the form of a loaf from her own bread-bin, which of course saves Mr. Dick the long journey. Just as he's about to give thanks for the kindness, Mrs. Down tells him,

"Just pass it on."

Upon arriving home Mr. Dick cuts himself a piece of bread and wonders how he could pass on Mrs. Down's Bit of Kindness. He doesn't have to wait very long however because, answering a knock on his door, he sees a shy little girl standing outside. She's a bit afraid of Mr. Dick because sometimes he gets cross, but she summons up her courage and speaks,

"Please, my ball has fallen into your garden. May I fetch it?"

This is a splendid opportunity for Mr. Dick to pass his Bit of Kindness on and he not only helps her to look for the ball, but also presents his visitor with a nice red apple and tells her she must pass the Bit of Kindness on because it's going round and round. The girl runs home after assuring Mr. Dick she'll do what he says.

Others, such as the girl's mother become involved, as does a boy called Jack who's sick in bed. When he's able to get up, his own contribution to the cause takes place when he finds a glove someone's dropped in the road. There's a name inside and recognising it, Jack undertakes a lengthy trip to return the possession despite being tired after his illness. The glove's owner turns out to be an individual of some renown and if her identity can be guessed at from any clue offered, the particular kindness she dispenses may be fathomed.

Possibly.

Little Mr. Sly

Lilac Village is where Mr. Sly lives. He keeps hens and sells the eggs but never gives any of them away although he can be generous if he thinks there'll be some kind of profit in it. One day he unearths six eggs that his fowls have laid away from the hen house and because they'd been shut in their quarters for about seven weeks he's pretty sure the eggs will be bad, which means he'll get no money for them.

After thinking about the situation, an answer presents itself. He decides to make a gift of the eggs to Mister Little-Nose because that chap can't smell anything at all after his bout of 'flu and you never know, he might even give Mr. Sly some honey from his bees in return for the eggs. This scenario takes place exactly as planned and Mr. Sly walks away with a promise that a portion of honey will come his way when summer arrives. A little while later, another knock sounds on Mister Little-Nose's door and he finds that a dozen eggs have arrived for him from his sister. This of course means he now has far too many of them so he decides to send his servant around to Twinkle's place with the six received from Mr. Sly. He does so but it just doesn't seem to be the day for gifting eggs to anyone at all because Twinkle is suddenly called away to the bedside of her sick aunt. Before leaving she decides that Dame Groan could do with some eggs so she takes them round to her house and leaves them on the doorstep. Later, Dame Groan discovers the gift but unfortunately, her general practitioner has advised his patient not to eat any such food.

Mister Sly's eggs are becoming much travelled. Dame Groan takes them off to Miss Scared but after she's departed, Miss Scared receives another visitor. The story now becomes involved and those who haven't already worked out what might happen can endeavour to recall other tales that contain a similar theme. Mr. Plod whom we've all met before becomes involved and a good deal of backtracking takes place.

As one would expect.
The girl who knocked on Mr. Dick's door is called 'Katie.'

Jack's surname is 'Brown.'

This tale would have to be set in Buckinghamshire.

#2:

In Fairyland the inhabitants must have different roles than we do because Mr. Little-Nose's servant resembles a girl aged about ten years or so whom, in our world, would doubtless be at school and not employed as a servant.

Is it a mistake? Enid Blyton's made a few as we know, but Eileen Soper may have erred as well. 'Twinkle' looks nothing like a pixie; instead she resembles any young woman the artist has sketched during her career.

It's interesting to see yet another example in an EB story when someone had to dash off to visit his or her aunt; it never seems to be an uncle.

'Rubbalong Tales' plots are recognisable in several of the 'Pennant Series' quota. Chicken or egg? The publications are all dated 1950 but possibly 'Rubbalong Tales' appeared first.