Rubadub Mystery - men's descriptions

[booklover]

Hi everyone,

I have a small mystery about The Rubadub Mystery.

WARNING: IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE PLOT ARE REVEALED BELOW. PLEASE DON'T READ ON IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

Early on in the story (Chapter 3), while in the train Snubby looks at the two men sitting across from him and to amuse himself pretends to be a detective, memorising their appearance. He then repeats this to the others:

"He described the men exactly, down to a mole, crooked eyebrows, two overlapping teeth, bitten nails on one man's hands, and misshapen little finger on the other man's".

Towards the end of the story, Barney encounters a man who he can't describe except for a crooked little finger. In Chapter 29 when Snubby hears this, he remembers the man on the train. He shuts his eyes and says "Yes - here he is - a clean-shaven fellow - with a big mole on his right cheek - two teeth overlapping each other in front - hairs growing out of his ears - and a misshapen little finger ...".

But from the earlier text set out above (and the surrounding passage in the story) the man with the mole is not the man with the misshapen little finger - he's the other man on the train!

I like to think of this as Snubby's faulty memory, not a mistake by Blyton.

What would have happened when the man with the mole was spoken to? Obviously he would show he doesn't have a misshapen little finger. If he knew his travelling companion, he would then give the man's name. If not, travel papers and leave forms for that day should help reveal the man's identity. So we would get there in the end, just in a roundabout way.

[Venkat]

I noticed this mistake too. Blyton seems to have been an expert at mistakes.



My son wanted to see all the smileys in action!

[pete9012S]

This description has always reminded me of the one included in the film version of The Thirty Nine Steps:

British Intelligence are following a group called "The Thirty-Nine Steps"; all they know about their elusive leader is that he is missing the tip of a finger.

[Courtenay]

Reminds me of the old joke:

"The police are looking for a man with one eye called Murphy."

"Right, but what's his other eye called??"

[Judith Crabb]

Booklover, I think it could be read quite justifiably that Snubby is looking at two men with a number of features. He distinguishes between their hands. One man bites his fingernails, the other has the crooked finger. Say Bitten Nails has the crooked eyebrows that leaves Misshapen Finger with the mole and overlapping teeth. What do you think?

[pete9012S]

Good point Judith. I examined the earlier, briefer description given by Snubby when he was sitting next to the men:

He examined the men carefully, pretending he was a detective. Both clean-shaven. One with a mole on his right cheek. One with crooked eyebrows. Actually he thought they looked nice men. It was a pity they wouldn't talk. He sat and stared at them thoughtfully.

[Irene Malory Towers]

I had never noticed the slight discrepancy but then I was never one for details. I just love that book so much that even now seeing that discrepancy I am sure it won't detract from my enjoyment.