Of Dame Washalot and others

11th August 1897, born to a cutlery salesman, almost died to whooping cough, saved by providence was born Enid Blyton.

Enid Blyton was more than just an author; she was like a friend who quietly shaped the childhoods of millions of kids around the world including mine.

Her stories weren’t just fairy tales or adventures — they were life lessons wrapped in magic, mischief & mystery.

Her stories while captivating us, indirectly taught us something invaluable, good vs bad, fearlessness, kindness and the spirit of adventure that we all seem to be lacking today.

I remember wanting to become a detective myself, inspired by those stories, endlessly searching for mysteries to solve in my own little world. We didn’t need any fancy gadgets; our secret hangout places hidden under tanks or behind trees or store rooms, our code names, and we replaced jam tarts and scones with Parle G biscuits and Rasna and we tried to replicate our own world like the ones in the faraway tree and mysterious islands, on the beaches of cold countries where kids wore jackets and coats

Whether it was the detectives of the Secret Seven and Famous Five or the sweet kindness of Pat and Isabel, her characters felt like companions we all could resonate with at someone point in time of our childhood.

Who can forget those the courage of Julian and the wit of Dick to the strong will and kindness that Darrel possessed, or the kindness that that twins at Malory Towers showed or the complete wackiness of Moonface and Dame Washalot — each character carried a story and stayed with us much longer then the book.

The books themselves, dog-eared from endless reading, borrowed from friends or rented from library shelves (where are they now) that seem like a distant memory, were our lifelong friends, constant — faithful and undemanding.

Even though her tales were penned over 100 years ago, they still feel fresh, alive, and incredibly relatable. More than 600 million copies sold in over ninety languages are proof of the global family she created through her stories and the zillions kids she continues to inspire.

Her books shaped our childhood, became our friends when we were still figuring out who were our friends and became our post dinner companions in a time long gone, unadulterated by technology

The special gift that beyond the sales and the numbers is how much these books and these stories stayed with us over time and unwittingly helped shape our character.

““I wonder where you got that idea from? I mean, the idea that it’s feeble to change your mind once it’s made up. That’s a wrong idea, you know. Make up your mind about things, by all means — but if something happens to show that you are wrong, then it is feeble not to change your mind, Elizabeth. Only the strongest people have the pluck to change their minds, and say so, if they see they have been wrong in their ideas.”

― Enid Blyton, The Naughtiest Girl in the School