8/15/2019 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-enchanted-wood-by-enid-blytonpdf 1/5

6/4/2016 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=215 1/5

SocietyShed

Author of Adventure

Enid BlytonDay

FiresideJournal

Cave of Books

InteractiveIsland

SecretPassage

Lashingsof Links

OnlineShop

 

Home | Contact Us | Updated March 22 | Forums[ Member login ]

THE ENCHANTED WOOD BOOK 1 OF 3 IN THIS CATEGORY

Book Details...

First edition: 1939

Publisher: George Newnes

Illustrator: Dorothy M. Wheeler

Category: Faraway Tree

Genre: Fantasy

Type: Novels/Novelettes

On This Page...

Reprint Covers

Artwork

Review by Terry Gustafson

Further Illustrations

REPRINTS

Back to 1st edition

1. 1971 Dean, illustrations by Rene Cloke, cover uncredited

2. 1978 Beaver, illustrations by Lesley Smith, cover by Gerry Embleton

3. 1979 Dean, illustrations and cover by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone

4. 1985 Dean, illustrations and cover by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone

5. 1990 Dean, illustrations by Rene Cloke, cover uncredited

6. 1992 Mammoth, illustrations by Rene Cloke, cover by Bob Harvey

7. 1997 Dean, illustrations by Rene Cloke, cover by Bob Harvey

8. 1997 Mammoth, illustrations by Rene Cloke, cover uncredited9. 2002 Egmont, illustrations and cover by Jill Newton

10. 2005 Dean, illustrations by Jill Newton, cover uncredited

11. 2007 Egmont, illustrations by Jan McCafferty, cover by Paul Hess

12. 2010 Dean, illustrations by Jill Newton, cover uncredited

13. 2011 Dean, illustrations and cover by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone

14. 2013 Egmont, illustrations by Jan McCafferty, cover by Victoria Ball

15. 2013 Dean, illustrations by Jill Newton, cover uncredited

16. 2014 Egmont, illustrations by Jan McCafferty, cover by Mark Beech

17. 2015 Egmont, illustrations and cover by Mark Beech

ARTWORK 

8/15/2019 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-enchanted-wood-by-enid-blytonpdf 2/5

6/4/2016 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=215 2/5

1st edition, illustrated by Dorothy M. Wheeler

Frontis from the 1st edition, illustrated by Dorothy M. Wheeler

REVIEW BY TERRY GUSTAFSON

Brief Summary by Robert Houghton: When Jo, Bessie and Fanny leap over a ditch near their new house in

the country, they find themselves in an Enchanted Wood where trees whisper their secrets and magic is

everywhere. In the middle of the wood grows the most wonderful tree in the world – The Faraway Tree,

with its top‐most branches touching the clouds, magical fruit, the exciting Slippery‐Slip, and cosy houses set

in its vast trunk. The children soon explore the tree, meeting the strange people who live there, including

Moonface, Silky the pixie and Dame Washalot, and have amazing adventures in the lands that come and go

8/15/2019 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-enchanted-wood-by-enid-blytonpdf 3/5

8/15/2019 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-enchanted-wood-by-enid-blytonpdf 4/5

6/4/2016 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/book-details.php?id=215 4/5

pleasant because when you are spun all the time you get quite giddy. They have a problem getting off but

they manage to exit with the help of some rabbits and after a few dangerous maneuvers which are taken in

their stride, they manage to reach the Faraway tree again.

They're still at the top and the sheer distance from the ground finally makes its mark on poor Fanny but

she's still entitled to her medal because it is more tiredness that sets in rather than a fear of heights. If only

there was a quick way down. Enid Blyton's vivid imagination is really working overtime with this story and

we are introduced to a couple of Faraway Tree icons. A door in the tree‐trunk opens and out comes a little

man with a large, moon‐like face. This chap is rather stuck on toffee and he demands it from anyone who

wishes to use his own special way of getting down to the ground in a hurry. The rabbits that helped the kids

back onto the tree wish to descend as well but no one has any of the sweet stuff. A promise is made — the

kids will bring some toffee with them next time they climb the tree and this is accepted. It is then that theyare introduced to the Slippery‐Slip which is a hole in the floor of Moon‐face's little house. You sit on a

cushion (supplied) and as one did at Luna‐Park or at the Battersea Fun‐Fair in bygone years — down one

goes. The slide spirals round and down the tree‐trunk and at the base of the tree a l ittle door pops open and

the cushion with its passenger ends up on a tuft of green moss.

It's fantasy all the way as the children make use of the wonderful Faraway Tree. Moon‐face gets his toffee

and another land is visited which has the potential for negative consequences. During this adventure the

children re‐live the immortal story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and there is a battle with some Magic

Snowmen. They all live to climb the tree another day and enter a land where they meet up with a character

whose fame would probably equal that of Moon‐Face's. This new friend is a little man who is partially deaf 

— perhaps more than partially. The reason for that is his subjection to continuous clanking, clattering, and

crashing sounds which come from the saucepans and kettles he wears! Yes, he wears saucepans and kettles

because he sells them for a living and instead of owning a little barrow or stall he has chosen to live a very

uncomfortable life indeed with all his wares strung round his body but presumably he takes them off when

he goes to bed. The Saucepan Man as he is known eventually moves to the Faraway Tree and becomes veryestablished in the Faraway Tree tales... He's particularly adept at making up little rhymes and here is a

sample — the idea being that that the first three lines begin with the word "Two." :

Two beans for a pudding,

Two cherries for a Pie,

Two legs for a table,

With a hi‐tiddle‐hi!

Any kind of land can arrive at the top of the tree and some are really wonderful. Imagine visiting the Land

of Take what you Want or the Land of Goodies or the Land of Tea‐Parties although, despite their names,

things don't necessarily run 100% perfect even in those lands. Other places are scary and the three children

and their new friends sometimes have to battle the odds. In one situation they meet up with a strict school

teacher named Dame Slap. Now this is not the same Slap that had her own book (Dame Slap and her School)

because the teacher in that particular case was a rabbit. No, the Faraway Tree Slap is an elderly lady who

won't stand any nonsense and our heroes have a tough time when they are in her charge.

A battle with Red Goblins is on the menu and there is also a wonderful land which arrives in time for

Bessie's birthday although at one stage the Saucepan Man messes things up considerably and they find

themselves on a Little Lost Island for a spell but this is what can happen when you are in a place where

magic is the norm. Bessie even gets to fly with her own wings during her birthday party because the children

are in an environment where wishes can come true.

Toffee Shocks and Pop‐Biscuits are some of the delicious fare that is provided for afternoon tea in these

books and the latter leaves a particularly indelible memory because when you bite into one of these biscuits

they go "Pop!" and your mouth is filled with honey. Now that would be a welcome addition to anyone's diet

in this non‐fairy world. Later on in the series we learn of Hot‐Cold Goodies which I'm sure are delicious and

even Google Buns. Now if Enid Blyton had patented that "Google" word, we might never have Googled for

information about her!

The Enchanted Wood  was written just prior to the years when the author began producing her landmarkseries such as the Bill Smugs and Kirrin books not to mention the Holmesian Find‐Outers tales. The other

Faraway Tree books extended through that period during which the author was enjoying the high part of her

career and potential readers can begin with The Enchanted Wood  and follow on with the others. It doesn't

really matter if they are read out of order because the theme is centred mainly on the children's trips to the

various lands at the top of the tree.

The conceptual idea of a Faraway Tree was expressed in the mid 1930's when Enid Blyton produced a book

that featured two children who also climb a Faraway Tree in an Enchanted Wood. Their father has a cousin

who lives in the tree and would you believe it — the cousin's name is Moonface (without a hyphen). Now if 

we want to pursue this it can all get a bit strange because in Enid Blyton's New Noddy Colour Strip Book

Noddy visits The Man in the Moon and accompanies him on a trip to the Faraway Tree where Moon‐Face

lives. It turns out that Moon‐Face is The Man in the Moon's cousin so one could question the genetic make‐upof the extended family — but I think it's best that we leave it there.

There are references to the Faraway Tree characters in several of the Enid Blyton books and it is nice to

come across them because it keeps the characters alive and it is a l ittle like coming across old friends when

one reads about Chinky who starred in the Wishing Chair stories, visiting the Land of Goodies at the top of 

the Faraway Tree or the Saucepan Man visiting Big Ears' house for hot scones in Cheer Up, Little Noddy.

8/15/2019 The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-enchanted-wood-by-enid-blytonpdf 5/5