Last edited by Courtenay on 03 Jul 2017, 08:05, edited 1 time in total.
Society Member
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
Enid Blyton: "My publishers didn't want to modernize my books to include profanity,bad taste and lewdness,but of course I had to insist and eventually they saw sense!"
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane - Society Member
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The Secret Seven were having a solemn meeting; Barbara and Pam looked tearful.
"Right!" called out Peter, rapping on the table. "We've counted the votes, and the result is definite: five against two in favour of the proposition."
"I'm sorry, Barbara and Pam, but you are no longer members of the Secret Seven. It was put to me by a couple of members that some other members were not contributing enough to the Secret Seven, and that there ought to be minimum levels of contribution from each member for them to continue as a member; I agreed, and I decided we ought to put this to the vote - which we have just done.
"I'm sorry, but neither of you contributes enough - always retiring and quiet (that is, when you're not giggling together), and hardly ever come up with ideas during the solving of a mystery. I'm afraid the votes show that five out of the seven of us agree with that."
Barbara and Pam burst into tears, but Peter continued.
"Furthermore, you have all decided by your votes to admit Susie and Binkie as members of the Society, after being proposed by Jack as worthy future members who would have many bright ideas. I am sure that they will be useful members who will be full of ideas."
"They have my support," said Jack. "I think it's time Susie and I gave up our childish rivalry and bickering, and it's also time the Secret Seven stopped their hostility to Susie and her various friends."
"I think we will realize," put in Colin, "that Susie and Binkie would be far better friends than enemies to us - especially since I think they are smarter than any of us. In fact, it is a matter of wonder to me that we didn't realize this years ago."
Barbara and Pam stood up. "That's okay," said Pam. "We don't need to be part of your silly club anyway. Instead, we're going to join up with Jeff and Hilda and Doris and Bony, to form the Swanky Six. You see if we don't find, and solve, mysteries before you have even managed to gather a few clues."
With that, they both stalked out of the shed, while Peter and Janet started composing letters of invitation to send to Susie and Binkie.
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(I thought I'd try to resurrect this, as it can be quite fun. Anyone else want to have a try?)
Brilliant Michael. It's good to see you here again. I hope you're doing OK with all this Coronavirus stuff going on.
"What a lot of trouble one avoids if one refuses to have anything to do with the common herd. To have no job, to devote ones life to literature, is the most wonderful thing in the world. - Cicero
Well done, Michael! Good to see you again. Hope you're keeping well.
Society Member
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
Thanks for reviving this Michael - I've enjoyed looking at the earlier posts as well as enjoying your contribution. Great stuff! Here's mine.
"Sit down and have a rest Anne, It's my turn to do the cooking," said George as she briskly picked up the rashers of bacon and put them into the frying pan.
'Tis loving and giving that makes life worth living.
Glad a few of you liked that. Must try to think of more.
I know I was "on a roll" a few years back, and I did a whole string of them; and it's very easy to write such things if the ideas come to me; but if they don't, I can't do a thing - and anything I forced would be lame rather than funny.
I did have a slight concern some might see my recent effort as sexist and anti-female.
Not at all: I was simply playing upon the often-expressed idea that Barbara and Pam don't pull their weight in most books, and do the odd job here and there, with much giggling in between.
And if anyone has concerns about this, remember that it *is* in "Lines you would never hear in Enid Blyton".
I would be the first to agree that, in a group of friends like this, including people who are friends is *much* more important than imposing some quota of contribution. I would fully agree that the other five were quite brutal to Pam and Barbara in this scenario.
Regards, Michael.
Last edited by MJE on 13 May 2020, 13:14, edited 1 time in total.
I don't think it could be taken as sexist and anti-female at all, when the proposed replacement members (Susie and Binkie) were also female, so there! (AND it makes the point that Susie and Binkie are smarter than any of the Seven anyway, which is almost certainly true.)
Society Member
It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
"Mother, if that's Dr.Drew, please send us back to school rather than convalescence - we're all in total agreement that our education must come first!"
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
- The Christmas Tree Aeroplane - Society Member