The Enid Blyton Society

This is one of the reasons why the Cave exists folks!

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/sear ... in+the+Fog" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I know "bonce" as a rather slangy word for "head" - but my spell checker accepts it!

pete9012S wrote:Anyone know where we can read that story of the top of their bonce?

I bought a large book called The House in the Fog only the other day. It is the award edition, published in 2000. The House in the Fog is a truly enchanting story and as are the rest of the selection of stories in that book.

Moonraker wrote:A short story, "The House in the Fog" was a supernatural story.

Thank you for such a swift reply. Will try hunt down a copy!

I wouldn't use bonce myself but I knew what it meant.

'Bonce' does indeed man 'head'. A ''biff on the bonce' is often used jocularly when someone accidentally knocks their head.

Domino

Grrrr, The Twelve Holiday Book is the only one of that series I don't have, so I can't read the story.

Unsurprisingly I forgot to look last night, someone remind me this afternoon? I've pulled it out and stuck it by my bed but it's not beyond the realms of belief that I would still forget to look at it.

I'm just missing the first and third holidays books now.

Someone has very kindly e-mailed me a copy of the story in question.

I've just found a thread devoted to "The House in the Fog".-
http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... f=4&t=4363" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Enid Blyton never wrote any ''ghost'' stories. In fact she discouraged her readers from believing in '' ghosts''-- In ''Ragamuffin Mystery''-- when the owners of the ruined hotel dissuade her from taking one of the rooms on the grounds that it's spooky-- Miss Pepper just rubbishes it off. Enid Blyton never believed in things bringing good and bad luck--- it is we ourselves who make our luck.

I don't know whether Enid Blyton really believed in good or bad luck or not, but she certainly wrote about good luck in several of her short stories. I'm afraid I can't remember any titles, but there was one that I remember particularly well about someone who got a stone in their shoe, and all that day they had good luck until they eventually threw the stone away. All I can remember is that the stone was in the shape of a star.

I think there's a similar story about a magic shoe lace too.

Katharine wrote:...there was one that I remember particularly well about someone who got a stone in their shoe, and all that day they had good luck until they eventually threw the stone away. All I can remember is that the stone was in the shape of a star.

I can't check as I'm pushed for time, but I'm pretty sure that's 'The Good Luck Morning'. Toppy is the one who has the good luck, and the star-shaped stone is blue.

There are several tales in which a four-leaved clover brings good luck, e.g. 'A Bit of Good Luck' in which a girl hunts for one to give to her granny. But in those stories I think the children are usually generous enough to give the four-leaved clover to someone else, though as it happens they themselves benefit from the good fortune as well.

As Snehalatha said, there are also numerous short stories (and incidents in longer novels) which show how some things which may seem like good luck or bad luck are actually a result of our own behaviour.

Anita, yes, that's the story I was thinking of. According to The Cave, it was originally printed in The Seventh Holiday Book, but I would have read it in Fireside Tales which is a book I had as a child.

I don't know what the ratio is, but I would say Enid Blyton wrote probably wrote more stories which emphasised that 'good luck' is a result of an act of kindness. I like both types of stories. I used to love the way she would suggest that maybe if I was walking down a country lane I'd find Toppy's blue star shaped stone.