... Mother would ask me to get out of her way by packing a picnic basket for me, full of sandwiches, a pound of chocolate cake and a meat pie. The pinic basket must be covered by a checked cloth and I would pick ripe blueberries along the way to the forest for the picnic with my doll.
... I was enrolled in a boarding school where I lived, ate, played, rode horses and milked cows with all my friends under one roof. Mother would send me pocket money and sweet goodies from home as treats.
... Mother would send me to bed without dinner as punishment for bad behaviour.
... I would stumble across an old rickety shop full of magical items on my way to the nearby provision shop while running errands for Mother.
... I could invite friends over for tea and the cook would prepare scones, shortcakes, jelly, brownies and tea in quaint little teacups with matching saucers.
... Silky the fairy, Dame Washalot, the Saucepan man, Mr Whatsisname and the Angry Pixie were my secret friends. Moonface would offer me his Toffee Shock and a ride down the slippery slip on the big fat cushion.
... my best friends and I would unwittingly, get caught in situations turned adventures and be famed as a group of young investigators.
... my toys would come alive at night and fairy folks would visit them and sometimes held midnight paties. I would stumble upon them on my way for the night's pee and be invited to the parties!!!
Very, very wishful but nonetheless delightful thoughts. If I had evoked your childhood fanciful wishes much like those above, like me, you must had been a young Enid Blyton's fan as well!
Invitation To A Wizard's Birthday Party
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Since young, when it comes to choosing children's authors, I have two I call favourites. Both British authors, both masters of children's make-believe and both enthralled me with their more-than-rich imagination. Their stories opened a whole new world for me and I mean that not just in literal sense.
Other than the above, however, I personally felt both can't be more different as children's literature writers, in terms of the realms of their imaginativeness and fanciful inventiveness. As my subject title indicates, one's none other than Enid Blyton and the other, a male Brit author of which his stories I hope to touch on for my next entry. I 'll let in a little fun and keep the identity secret for now and see if you guess the author correctly. A little clue, this blog is named after one of his famous verbal quotes, it's an easy guess by the way. In my opinion, his stories are forerunner for children's English titles until JK Rowling comes along.
From ages seven to nine, I only wanted to read anything by Enid Blyton. My then best friend was my supplier and ticket to Enid Blyton's world. She had a mini library at home and thank my good fortune, a generous spirit too. *Hey Tracy Gan, if you are reading this, you never knew you played a part in this too yeah?*
If Hans Christian Andersen and the brothers Grimm introduced a land of princesses and magic spells to me, Enid Blyton captivated my childhood with old Western folkore of fairies, brownies, pixies and gnomes. Other than that, I was also much intrigued and in love with the charms of old Great Britain. A foreign but charming culture to me. Being an Asian and had never travel before at that point of time, I always wondered how scones, shortcakes and mudpie looked and tasted like. Was mudpie made of mud? Why can't my mother allow me tea parties? Why golliwogs were never on sale in our toy shops? Why did children eat their supper at 7 o' clock? Why was it that my school had no horse-riding lessons or nature walks as part of our lessons?
Scones, Shortcakes or Mudpie?
(Pic Taken From: The Wishing Chair)
Going To School By Train?
(Pic Taken From: The Naughtiest Girl In School Again)
I Had Always Liked Golliwog(Pic Taken From: Amelia Jane)
A Toy Party Illustration(Pic Taken From: Amelia Jane)
However much bewildered I were, somehow, I kept all these thoughts to myself. You can also say, I loved my day dreamings.
I Felt It Was My Secret Too!(Pic Taken From: The Wishing Chair)
The Wishing Chair Series
Book Cover - The Naughtiest Girl In School Again
Book Cover - Amelia Jane
Elizabeth's Redeeming Words(Taken From: The Naughtiest Girl In School)
A Typical Enid Blyton's Ending(Taken From: Amelia Jane)
An Illustration From The Wishing Chair - Children and Chinny The Pixie Escaping From The Police In The Land of Goodies