It's that time again, when we wait eagerly by the letterbox for the latest Enid Blyton Magazine!
And here it is - with a lovely illustration on the cover from the first story, '
A Queer Punishment'. It's a really lovely story, but unfortunately has never been reprinted - maybe not surprising, given its title - but well worth reading. Its all about some children taking presents and toys to children who are in hospital, and how one of the girls in the school hates hospitals and is scared of sickness, so thinks its all rather silly...until she is made to accompany the head boy to the hospital herself. A story about facing your fears and also about becoming a better person - it's one of the nicest stories of its kind I've ever read.
On the
editorial page, Enid tells us of the places she will be in the next few weeks, signing books, and greeting children who want to see her. On Wednesday 22 August she will be at Derry and Toms, 'the big store in Kensington High Street' at 2:30 until 4:30, where she will sign autographs and books and chat with children to find out what books they would like her to write next. Then, on Wednesday 29 August Enid will be at The Boys' and Girls' Exhibition at Olympia from 3-4 in the afternoon.
Enid tells us that the WH Smith stand, where she will be signing books, will also have a display of equipment used in the 'exciting Trans-Arctic Expedition' - the tent, clothing and sledge, etc. Enid writes 'The boys will like to see these (and so will most girls!)'
Enid also encourages her readers to write in and tell her how their silkworm eggs got on - if they hatched, and how much silk they were able to get from them!
Next we have the
Letter page - with two entertaining letters - the prize winning one being about a little girl, Freda Hoyle, who found a tiny abandoned puppy and took it home to look after it. It was just new born, and was feared it wouldn't survive, but Freda's mummy fed it every two hours through the night. The puppy is now six months old, and 'a very happy dog' as Freda tells us.
The next story is
The Tale Of Busybody - a very entertaining story which I'd never read before - a classic Enid Blyton 'consequence' tale, where Busybody borrows a ladder to get someone down from a tree...and in doing so traps someone on a roof, so borrows a washing line to help them down...which in turn means the washing gets blown around - and so on. It was a very amusing story, and I was interested to see in The Cave that it's available in Enid Blyton's Bedtime Annual 1973.
After this amusing story comes the
Puzzle Page - and an interesting riddle for Famous Five Club members -
I've got a head and a tail
And I've got a milling.
I'm half of a crown
Plus three quarters of a shilling'
Animal Hints tells us all about Cats, this time - and I found it interesting given a conversation some of us were having on another thread about cats eating flies and spiders. Enid tells us 'Do not let your cat eat cockroaches or flies'...Whether this is just cockroaches and flies, and doesn't include moths, spiders, earwigs, ants, etc, I'm not sure!
Enid recommends that
'cats should be fed twice a day. A light meal in the morning, such as milk or porridge and the chief meal after sunset...' I've never imagined a cat eating porridge! Would it be any good for them?!
Next comes the
Noddy strip story - four frames a fortnight. This time Noddy is in a car crash (his little car crashes into a steam-roller!) Hopefully he will survive till the next episode!
Next - chapter 7 of '
Five Go To Billcock Hill' - we're all familiar with this story - and I can't help wishing I could have read a new Famous Five like this, but could I have waited two weeks for each chapter? Patience isn't what it used to be - in a world where everything has to be instantly gratifying! In this chapter the children meet Mrs Janes, who mutters a string of strange sounding words at them, George gets frightened by a giant spider, and they discover a pool to swim in which says 'Keep Out'
Next comes another interesting story, all about two cats, and how one pounced on a seagull's tail and got carried into the air! This is called
Smokey and the Seagull - and is, according to Enid, based on a story told by
Christine of Inverness' who wrote to Enid and told her the true story of what happened to her cat!
Next - the
poem - taken from 'Enid Blyton's Book of the Year' -
A Roof Above His Head
"I may be slow, and stupid too,"
The crawling Tortoise said.
"But still, I'm sharp enough to keep
A roof above my head!
"You rabbits have to seek your homes
When enemies are near,
You birds spend hours building nests,
A new one every year!
"You mice make homes of flimsy grass
That any wind would scatter,
But if a storm blows over mine
It really doesn't matter!
"My home is hard and strong and safe,
It has a splendid roof,
And though it's out in wind and rain
It's always weatherproof!"
Finally - some things to look for -
The Drinker moth - so called because it's caterpillar's drink from drops of dew. The moth has yellowish wings with two white spots, in case you should see one!
Also - Enid suggests looking in the wheat for the nests of the harvest mouse. I'm sure they were far more abundant in Enid's day than in 2016, sadly.
This week, there are some interesting adverts - one for Anita - 'The Big New Noddy Book' -
A new Worzel Gummidge book - 'Worzel Gummidge and the Railway Scarecrows, plus an advertisement for Robertson's golliwog brooches - 10 labels get you a brooch! I have a few of these myself, but I'm sure I didn't have to collect as many as 10 labels!
Hopefully, my Magazine Badge will arrive next week - which I bought from eBay for just 99p!
Were they the sort where you pour plaster of Paris into a rubber mould, turn it out when it's dry and paint it? We had one of those when I was little, except it was for Disney characters. Quite fun, except when the plaster cracked and your model came out minus its head! 
I would definitely have preferred a Noddy set to a Disney one.
