The Mr Pink-Whistle Thread

[RainbowJude]

I just read The Adventures of Mr Pink-Whistle for the first time in ages and will continue with the series this week. I thought it might be a nice time to start a decent thread about Enid Blyton's magical little philanthropist, although I gather from browsing the boards that not everyone is Mr Pink-Whistle's greatest fan. Anyway, here goes. Copy and paste the questions, filling in your own answers. Any other discussion that arises is, of course, welcome! I'll answer the questions a bit later once I've had some more time to finish revisiting the other books.

1. Are you a fan of the Mr Pink-Whistle stories? Why or why not? Do you like some stories more than others? Which is your favourite and/or least favourite Mr Pink Whistle story?

2. Have you got a favourite Mr Pink-Whistle illustrator, in regard to both cover and internal illustrations? Who? Why do you like his/her work so much?

3. Do you think Mr Pink-Whistle has a place in today's world?

4. Mr Pink-Whistle originated as a series of short stories, which have been collected in the books listed in the poll. It seems to me that the books aren't as popular as they used to be. How would you like to see the stories re-launched and or re-packaged for the children of today?

5. Would you like to see Mr Pink-Whistle make a jump to other media - television, film, animated shorts, comic strips, toys and so on? If so, what would you like to see?

[Aurélien]

Old Aurélien leans toward the illustrator of the Dean editions, even though he/she isn't listed in the books. (I'm too lazy to check for the artist's name in Tony's Cave of Books!)

Whilst the Kevin Kimber illustrations inside my Bloomsbury paperback copy of 'Mr. Pink-Whistle Interferes' show more character the cover picture is an utter let-down.

Yes, I acknowledge that the Dean illustrations are fairly bland but they do better reflect the world of my youth.

'Aurélien Arkadiusz'

[Anita Bensoussane]

Interesting questions, but I'll have to have a think before answering so I'll come back to them later.

Old Aurélien leans toward the illustrator of the Dean editions, even though he/she isn't listed in the books...Yes, I acknowledge that the Dean illustrations are fairly bland but they do better reflect the world of my youth.

I grew up with the Dean illustrations, which are by Rene Cloke, and I find them charming and lively.

[Moonraker]

I grew up with the Dean illustrations...and I find them charming and lively

I guess that is what kids may say in later years about the awful new Famous Five books. What an impact that'll have on future discussions.

[Aurélien]

Old Aurélien Digresses:

One aspect of posting messages that I've never seen written up anywhere (Keith, where art thou?) is the lingering impact of some posts (by some people, anyway) over time.....

Lately there's been plenty of news items about how we incautiously expose so much of ourselves on-line to a wider audience than we think.

Last month a (Facebook?) computer guru even suggested that when today's teenagers reached the age of seeking employment some of them just might find it desirable to change their names so that their too-candid maunderings did not come back to bite them on the....er, whatever. Of course old Aurélien immediately called up a mental picture of a sinister interviewer on a job interview panel hissing something like:

• "And tell me, Mr. Kool, do you really believe that all people over 50 should be locked up in penal institutions for ancient has-beens, as you said in your post on the Teenz Rulz website on such-and-such a date "

What of those of our posts that somehow get copied over into others' posts, maybe on other websites, and survive us by years, even decades? In turn, photos, sound recordings and movie/video recordings of those who have passed on to their reward (died) have provoked sometimes surprised (even shocked) comments from later generations interested in how folks (including their own fuddy-duddy ancestors) looked and behaved back in the 'olden days'.

Thus, one cannot help wondering which of our on-line posts will somehow survive into the future, and what the verdict(s) will be?

The Anonymous ‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’

[Moonraker]

And, of course, something we have said can be picked up by Google when someone types in a keyword. That could be embarrassing! I must be careful in case someone 'searches' for Jemima Rooper!

Drat! I've done it again!

[Aurélien]

Coming back on-topic, my favourite Pink-Whistle book is 'The Adventures of Mr. Pink-Whistle', which I have in a battered 1969 Dean & Son edition.

The first tale, 'The Little Secret Man' which introduces the lonely half-human, half-brownie Pink-Whistle, resounds with the catch-cry of

• "It's not fair!"

It is completed by 'Mr. Pink-Whistle Puts Things Right', in which Mrs. Spink is given new clothes for her children.

This homely 2-part tale of successive old-time laundry disasters, and the righting of wrongs, grabbed me when I read it as a kid, and still brings back memories of moi (occasionally & reluctantly) helping to hang out the wet laundry and, (more frequently), taking-in the dry washing from the clothes-line after getting home from school.

Honesty compels me to admit that I was known to grumble at being asked to help with these chores....I mean, a chap didn't like to be caught by his chums doing women's work. Typical boy, I guess.

'Aurélien Arkadiusz'

[Spitfire]

I didn't own any Mr Pink-Whistle books when I was a kid - I think my only visit to him was when I borrowed one of my cousin's books. I remember not liking Sooty much - I couldn't suspend reality enough to make a talking, house-keeping, apron-wearing cat come alive! (Goodness knows why, I liked Beatrix Potter!). I suppose I just didn't get into the stories that much. I do remember being impressed by Mr. Pink-Whistle, though. I loved the fact that everybody knew about him and it was always ok for girls and boys to go to tea with Mr. Pink-Whistle - the parents wouldn't question it for a moment.

I only have 'Pink-Whistle's Party' now, and my favourite story is 'Mr Pink-Whistle Has Some Fun'. It's the one where he makes himself invisible, follows two trouble-makers home and accuses them of their crimes in front of other people and their families.

I think there's quite artistic effect in this:

' "I'm going," said Mr. Pink-Whistle solemnly. "I'm going. I'm going." HIs voice got softer and softer. Then suddenly and most frighteningly it got loud again. "But I'm coming back if you don't keep your word. Yes - I'm COMING back!" '

Neither the boys or the parents know it's Mr. Pink-Whistle of course!

Good old Mr. Pink-Whistle!

[quote="RainbowJude"]3. Do you think Mr Pink-Whistle has a place in today's world?[/quote]

Yes. It's that old timeless good against evil theme!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I wrote a 2-part article on Mr. Pink-Whistle for Enid Blyton Society Journals 38 and 39 (Spring and Summer 2009) so I'll use extracts from that article in my answers.

1. Are you a fan of the Mr Pink-Whistle stories? Why or why not? Do you like some stories more than others? Which is your favourite and/or least favourite Mr Pink Whistle story?

The Pink-Whistle stories have a special place in my heart, partly because Mr. Pink-Whistle's Party was the very first Enid Blyton book I read - in fact, I think it may have been my first ever "chapter book". It was the summer of 1974 and I was four and a half, and relatives who came to stay bought me the book as a present.

At that age I had no idea who Enid Blyton was. Indeed, I had little notion of the concept of an "author" - books simply were. Yet as I read the stories I had a feeling of someone "narrating" them in my head and I somehow imagined the "narrator" looking as Mr. Pink-Whistle did on the cover, plump and cheery with rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes. That's how I continued to picture Enid Blyton in my mind's eye for a while, even after someone had told me a little about her, including the fact that she was female!

I was entranced by the tales and devoured them eagerly. A bright, cosy world opened up before me - one in which characters sometimes experienced disappointment, sadness or cruelty but in which, ultimately, justice was done, jollity and goodness prevailed and there were copious supplies of buns for tea.

Perhaps because it was my first book, Mr. Pink-Whistle's Party remains my favourite. The story I love most is 'Mr. Pink-Whistle at Work Again', about a little girl named Alice who has no parents and yearns for someone to be a mother to her. I don't want to spoil the story by giving too many details but it contains a charming description of a home: "It's a home, isn't it, not just a house. You've so many flowers about, and I like your gay cushions, and your clock has such a nice loud tick, and isn't it lovely the way the cats all curl up in their own baskets." Poor old Pink-Whistle gets called "wicked" at one point, but of course he isn't really!

I found the "cosiness" of the stories appealing as a child and was also attracted by the slightly old-fashioned feel. The tales I liked most were the heartwarming ones. Besides the story about Alice, other favourites included 'Mr. Pink-Whistle's Party', about a girl named Merry ("Merry by name and merry by nature") who swings on her gate and helps passers-by cross the road, and 'Mr. Pink-Whistle Comes Along', relating the tale of Robin and his dog, Buddy. Tales in which wayward children are justly punished also appealed to me, e.g. 'Mr. Pink-Whistle and the Scribbler', in which Harold writes nasty things about other children on walls all over the town and has a terrible shock when an invisible Pink-Whistle writes harsh truths about Harold all over the walls of the boy's living-room. I agree with Spitfire that 'Mr. Pink-Whistle Has Some Fun!' is another memorable story. Bullies Tom and Len are cruel to other boys and girls and to animals, so Mr. Pink-Whistle gives them a fright by following them (after having made himself invisible) and shouting out about their misdeeds in a loud, booming voice so that everyone stares at them.

One of the stories I like least is 'Mr. Pink-Whistle Laughs' as the ending is weak, with a bully being scared to climb down a tree because there's a dog at the bottom. It's only a toy dog left there accidentally by another child, but he believes it to be real. I wasn't convinced by that even as a youngster!

It also annoys me when Pink-Whistle suddenly develops previously unmentioned magical powers, just to fit the demands of a particular tale. In the earliest stories he has the ability to a) make himself invisible and b) talk to animals. However, in later stories his powers seem to have increased and we see him casting spells, repairing things by magic and transforming himself in order to solve problems. In 'Mr. Pink-Whistle is Rather Funny', for instance, he changes into a small boy and then into a small girl, and uses magical items. These suddenly-acquired powers strike me as rather too convenient but it's typical of Enid Blyton, who wrote at speed, to be inconsistent in such matters and adapt things to suit the plot.

This post is getting very long so I'll answer the other questions separately!

[Spitfire]

At that age I had no idea who Enid Blyton was. Indeed, I had little notion of the concept of an "author" - books simply were. Yet as I read the stories I had a feeling of someone "narrating" them in my head and I somehow imagined the "narrator" looking as Mr. Pink-Whistle did on the cover, plump and cheery with rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes. That's how I continued to picture Enid Blyton in my mind's eye for a while, even after someone had told me a little about her, including the fact that she was female!

I reckon you were just the right age to step into these stories! Your childish perception of the narrator is quite sweet and a good example of how a four-year-old's mind works!

The story I love most is 'Mr. Pink-Whistle at Work Again', about a little girl named Alice who has no parents and yearns for someone to be a mother to her. I don't want to spoil the story by giving too many details but it contains a charming description of a home: "It's a home, isn't it, not just a house. You've so many flowers about, and I like your gay cushions, and your clock has such a nice loud tick, and isn't it lovely the way the cats all curl up in their own baskets." Poor old Pink-Whistle gets called "wicked" at one point, but of course he isn't really!

Yes, I remember being touched by this story. Actually, I still am. Alice is an appealing child and it's easy to imagine being her, as Enid Blyton relates her situation and feelings so simply and strongly. Of course, the reader knows that Mr. Pink-Whistle will put things right somehow, but it's still absorbing to read how it happens.

[Anita Bensoussane]

2. Have you got a favourite Mr Pink-Whistle illustrator, in regard to both cover and internal illustrations? Who? Why do you like his/her work so much?

My favourite Pink-Whistle illustrator is Rene Cloke, who illustrated the Dean & Son versions of the Mr. Pink-Whistle, Mr. Meddle, Amelia Jane, Three Golliwogs, Wishing-Chair, Faraway Tree and Naughtiest Girl books. Her pictures are lively and the boys are often blessed with gloriously thick mops of unruly hair, while the girls skip around merrily in flower-patterned dresses. Her illustrations capture perfectly the carefree, joyous feeling of an Enid Blyton story. Rene Cloke's Pink-Whistle pictures retain something of the essence of the drawings of original illustrator Dorothy Wheeler, though Cloke's are sketchier and more full of "movement".


3. Do you think Mr Pink-Whistle has a place in today's world?

I consider the Mr. Pink-Whistle stories as relevant today as they ever were, despite having been written in the 1940s-50s. For children to read about a little man who "goes about the world putting wrong things right" is inspiring as well as comforting. Pink-Whistle is motivated by a love of justice, feeling great compassion for anyone who is treated badly, and he realises that merely feeling sorry is not enough. As he says in 'The Little Secret Man', "It's no good being sorry about things if you don't do something to put them right!" How many campaigners for justice have been inspired by Enid Blyton, I wonder, or even specifically by Mr. Pink-Whistle? To empathise with Mr. Pink-Whistle is to aspire to make a difference in society. The idea of children aspiring to be like the little man is made explicit in some of the tales, including 'Mr. Pink-Whistle's Party' in which Merry declares: "I love you, Mr. Pink-Whistle. You go round the world putting wrong things right - and that's what I'm going to do too!" He replies, "You do it already," indicating that he recognises in her a kindred spirit. Merry sums up the Pink-Whistle stories when she says, "...my Mother says everyone ought to do something to help other people, and if we can't see something we've got to look for it."

Cautionary tales have long been popular with children but Enid Blyton's stories have a readability and lightness of touch which few other authors can match. Because the Pink-Whistle stories and other tales by Blyton deal with universal themes, for example dishonesty doesn't pay; facing up to your fears is the only way to conquer them; you make your own luck; etc, they have a timeless quality despite being set firmly in her own era. They are beautifully-structured and, since they deal with moral absolutes, it's impossible for young readers to miss the message or get the wrong end of the stick. In the black-and-white world of the Pink-Whistle books, even people's names are often indicative of their character or simply sketch the essence of a person's role within a story. Mrs. Toffee owns a sweet-shop, while Mr. Lame and Mrs. Limp have trouble with their legs. Nasty characters are called things like Twisty, Mr. Crooky, Mr. Mean, Mr. Smarmy and Mrs. Clamp, whereas a name like Merry or Dame Gentle is a guarantee of goodness. This might not be "realistic" but it's a device used frequently in fairy-tales and folk-tales and is helpful in enabling young children to form an immediate mental image of a character. Through these characters, children are introduced to concepts like justice, bravery, honesty and responsibility in a way they can readily grasp. Although simplistic in some respects, the stories serve to point up general truths and basic moral lessons in an entertaining manner. They are moralistic yet far from preachy as thought-provoking topics are lightened by mischief and humour, they are peopled with lively characters and the plots are pacey, sweeping the reader up into the fictional world.


4. Mr Pink-Whistle originated as a series of short stories, which have been collected in the books listed in the poll. It seems to me that the books aren't as popular as they used to be. How would you like to see the stories re-launched and or re-packaged for the children of today?

The language has already been updated in modern versions of the Pink-Whistle books, but personally I think that's a pity as I feel that the stories don't need altering. Enid Blyton's style is so utterly readable and the tales largely timeless, so why meddle with them?

Just thought I'd mention that, as well as the three books listed in the poll, there's a fourth volume of Pink-Whistle stories called Mr. Pink-Whistle's Big Book, first published in 1958. Dean didn't do a printing of that book and therefore it's not as well-known as the others.


5. Would you like to see Mr Pink-Whistle make a jump to other media - television, film, animated shorts, comic strips, toys and so on? If so, what would you like to see?

Animated shorts and comic strips could work quite well, as could toys and games such as board games, computer games and jigsaws (there have been a few Pink-Whistle jigsaws in the past). However, other Enid Blyton creations such as Noddy, the Faraway Tree, St. Clare's, Malory Towers and the Famous Five are much better-known, so it's understandable that most Blyton merchandising revolves around those series (in fact, most of it these days revolves around Noddy). It looks as though Mr. Pink-Whistle and other lesser-known characters are set to remain on the printed page only - unless an Enid Blyton-themed magazine were to be launched which would give such characters more prominence, rather like Sunny Stories and Enid Blyton's Magazine did during Enid's lifetime. But much of the success of those magazines was due to the fact that the great woman herself was behind them.

[shadow]

I've voted for Mr Pink-Whistle's party as, like Anita, this book was one of the first Enid Blyton books I read and the only one of the three that I read as a child. That said I had the complete opposite reaction to the book that Anita did. I can still remember reading the book as a child and looking over my shoulder all the time as I was convinced that Mr Pink-Whistle was watching me in case I was bad. This then led to me thinking that he was following me around and could see me when I went to the bathroom and when I was asleep in bed. It didn't help that when I asked my Mum if Mr Pink-Whistle was real and could turn himself invisible she said of course he can!

I have only just recently added the other two books to my collection and have only read the adventures of once as an adult. The stories were pleasant enough but I think you need to have that childhood innocence to really enjoy the stories. I did look through my copy of Mr Pink-Whistles Party recently as it badly needed repairing and as I looking at my battered jacketless copy that I have written all over and coloured in the pictures, I realised it is a first edition. It got my vote, not for the stories, but for the memories that the scribble on the book brings. As for illustrators the only ones I can visualise are the ones in Mr Pink Whistle's party (after carefully colouring them in 34 years ago) so they would have to be the ones that stand out.

Thanks to Anita for the information about Mr Pink-Whistles big book. I have seen this for sale but just assumed it was a compilation of stories available in the above mentioned three titles. Looks like my collection is missing yet another book. (I'll add it onto my list of missing titles, assuming the piece of paper has any room left).

[Aurélien]

Two items I'll always remember from 'The Adventures of Mr. Pink-Whistle':

• 1) Mr. Pink-Whistle enthusiastically jumping up and down with his very dirty boots on the white sheets of the selfishly neglectful Winnie and Morris's beds;
  2) How that mean bully, Wilfrid, was reformed by a series of tell-tale notices pinned to his back.

‘Aurélien Arkadiusz’, who may have looked like a bit like a cherub in his infant years, but was definitely no little angel...

[Anita Bensoussane]

I've voted for Mr Pink-Whistle's party as, like Anita, this book was one of the first Enid Blyton books I read and the only one of the three that I read as a child. That said I had the complete opposite reaction to the book that Anita did. I can still remember reading the book as a child and looking over my shoulder all the time as I was convinced that Mr Pink-Whistle was watching me in case I was bad. This then led to me thinking that he was following me around and could see me when I went to the bathroom and when I was asleep in bed. It didn't help that when I asked my Mum if Mr Pink-Whistle was real and could turn himself invisible she said of course he can!

I always pictured Mr. Pink-Whistle as a kindly little man and would have been overjoyed to have met him. It never occurred to me that he might turn up to "put me right"!

Thanks to Anita for the information about Mr Pink-Whistles big book. I have seen this for sale but just assumed it was a compilation of stories available in the above mentioned three titles.

If I remember correctly, the stories are all different from the ones in those three books and there are a few poems and puzzles too.

[RainbowJude]

I've managed to reread The Adventures of Mr Pink-Whistle and Mr Pink-Whistle Interferes and was hoping to read Mr Pink-Whistle's Party too, but my copy is packed away in another city and I couldn't track down any edition here. So I'll revisit that book over Christmas perhaps and then maybe revisit this thread in turn, as I really wanted to answer my own questions! I'm so glad to see other responses too. I was surprised to see Mr Pink-Whistle feature so poorly on the boards, as he was a childhood favourite of mine, which was the main reason I started the thread. Anyway, here are my replies to the questions.

1. Are you a fan of the Mr Pink-Whistle stories? Why or why not? Do you like some stories more than others? Which is your favourite and/or least favourite Mr Pink Whistle story? I really am a fan of the Mr Pink-Whistle stories. The Adventures of Mr Pink-Whistle was one of the first books I read and some of the stories in that anthology are incredibly memorable and I remember them to this day. I also love the fact that its an interaction between the fairy world and our human world and I enjoy the humour that sometimes creates in the stories too.

I do enjoy some stories more than others, though. I enjoy the stories where Mr Pink-Whistle simply rights an unfair situation most and also am very fond of the stories where Mr Pink-Whistle finds a creative punishment for naughty children, resulting in a change of their behaviour for the better. I like it less when Mr Pink-Whistle gets a bit too spiteful in his punishments and it is at moments like that when I'm not certain the person involved learned their lesson in the end. I guess I don't like them as much because, in moments like those, Mr Pink Whistle seems to become the very thing that he feels is wrong with the world. I also found a couple of the stories involving adults in Mr Pink-Whistle Interferes a bit hard going, namely "Mr Pink-Whistle and the Money Box" and "Mr Pink-Whistle and the Eggs", the latter of which I ended up enjoying nonetheless. I think this was because the grown-ups seemed much more real than fantasy adults like Dame Gentle or Mr Mean: because they were realistically depicted members of the community, I found their transgressions all the more shocking and, at times, downright creepy.

Of those that I read, my absolute favourites were the two stories about Wilfrid in The Adventures of Mr Pink-Whistle. That story is one that I remembered as soon as I read the first word. It's delightful; the punishment with the tell-tale signs is cleverly worked out; we see Wilfrid change his behaviour; and the final tell-tale sign is a lovely way to end the story. I was also very moved by "The Two Ugly Creatures" - what a beautiful tale of the transformative power of joy. Mt least favourite of the stories I read was "Mr Pink-Whistle and the Money Box". I've summed up the reasons for this above.

2. Have you got a favourite Mr Pink-Whistle illustrator, in regard to both cover and internal illustrations? Who? Why do you like his/her work so much? I must admit that I've not got a wide range of experience when it comes to Mr Pink-Whistle illustrators. I do enjoy the Rene Cloke illustrations in my editions very much indeed, so my default they are my favourites. Browsing through the covers in the Cave of Books, it doesn't surprise me then that the set of covers I like most were also illustrated by Cloke, those created for the 1969/1970/1971 of the Dean editions of the books. I really do not like at all the more recent covers for the books. They look garish and badly drawn.

3. Do you think Mr Pink-Whistle has a place in today's world? Yes, I do. I think the stories are as effective today as they would have been when they were first written. Young children still need to know about the responsibilities of looking after their pets and about how to treat one another well. That lessons like these are taught through such entertaining stories can help to instill values and ideas like these in a way that is far more effective than an adult saying, "Be polite to your classmates." All that aside, the stories themselves are so vividly told. They are a treat to read whether you're young or young at heart.

4. Mr Pink-Whistle originated as a series of short stories, which have been collected in the books listed in the poll. It seems to me that the books aren't as popular as they used to be. How would you like to see the stories re-launched and or re-packaged for the children of today? All right, it's just a fantasy and it would never happen, but I love to see someone sit with all the Mr Pink-Whistle stories ever written, those collected in these three books and those which are housed in other anthologies, and repackage the lot in a series of hardcover books that resemble in size and layout the 2008 Harper Collins editions of the Noddy series. I would love to see the stories illustrated in full colour in the way those books are in a classic storybook illustration style like that of Rene Cloke. Obviously, there would be more books as the Noddy books aren't all that thick, so I'd like to see the stories grouped by theme. For example, there could be Mr Pink-Whistle and the Bad Bullies, which would include 3 or 4 of the stories about Mr Pink Whistle dealing with bad boy bullies, or Mr Pink-Whistle Goes to School, which could include some of the adventures of Mr Pink-Whistle when he sets things right at school. There could also be books themed around looking after one's pets or books about parties and presents. What would also be super is if somehow the series of books followed some kind of progression in difficulty. I noticed when reading the books that the stories are on slightly different reading ability levels and it would be great to see that reflected as the series went on. How wonderful a series like that would be.

5. Would you like to see Mr Pink-Whistle make a jump to other media - television, film, animated shorts, comic strips, toys and so on? If so, what would you like to see? I must admit, I would love to see a series of animated shorts based on the stories or maybe an animated television series that includes two stories per episode. That would be fun to watch if it was done well.

Well, those are my answers. I'm going to scroll up and read through everyone else's now. I didn't want to influence my own answers before I wrote them down.