A Blyton Guide to Mystery Solving and Survival Quiz

Answer: Right beside the bad guys, so we can spy on them, and play tricks to confound them at every opportunity

The kids in Blyton's books always seem to just "fall into an adventure" through no fault of their own. They inevitably end up living somewhere that they discover by pure luck, the bad guys will never find, and from where they can observe all the lovely mysterious comings and goings until the mystery is solved...

Answer: The girl - or if there is more than one girl, then the youngest girl

In most of Enid Blyton's adventure stories, the roles for boys and girls are well defined. The boys get the dangerous (exciting) stuff; the older girl wants to go with the boys but they are "well brought up and protect their sister/cousin/girls in general" and of course she is also afraid of spiders/the dark/thunder etc. The youngest girl tends to hate adventures, worry about the boys, and wants to go home. She then gets the job of dusting things with her handkerchief, arranging the tinned food, making the 'beds' and sweeping up with a broom made of twigs...

Answer: Eaten outdoors

Lucy-Anne of the "Adventure" series is particularly noted for commenting that "food always tastes better when it's eaten outdoors".
Of course, when one is a pupil at boarding school, it's when it's eaten at a Midnight Feast, but even then, a Midnight Feast outdoors is the best.

Answer: Coca cola through a straw

Lemonade, orangeade, and ginger beer are all nectar to delight the heart of any Blyton kid, but the one drink that never makes an appearance is Cola of any description.
There is very little 'fast food' in Enid Blyton books, in fact in one story, Roger and Diana get food poisoning from sausages they buy at the fair. Chips (French fries) do feature occasionally as a special treat of "chipped potatoes", but to be a Blyton Adventurer means eating a hearty, healthy, fresh, if possible homegrown or locally produced diet, and getting lots of exercise out in the fresh air...
If only our diets and lifestyles today were the same!

Answer: Using the kind of matches that will only strike on the box

Most notably in the "Famous Five" books, only the boys in Blyton's books get to carry matches, and then only "the kind that will only strike on the box".
The only example I could think of of a girl lighting a fire was circus girl Lotta in "Mr. Galliano's Circus" when she lit a cooking fire for Mrs. Brown, and we were never told how she did it...

Answer: Go to the toilet

Being well brought up, and having good manners, even living in a camp/cave/tree etc won't stop us washing our hands before meals, and bathing in the sea or a handy stream.
We can read Enid Blyton books too, the "Secret Seven" prefer to read the "Famous Five", so that's Ok.
Lying is out, it is just not done, but a small fib now and again is allowed, as long as it's done to either stop a parent or guardian from worrying, or send a bad guy off on the wrong trail...
The one thing that a kid in a Blyton book will never ever do, is go to the toilet!

Answer: Any of these methods are acceptable when dealing with nuisance grown ups

The adult in question inevitably turns out to be an undercover policeman or government agent. Fortunately they are usually amused and/or impressed by the 'pluck' of the kids and forgive them the time wasting and sometimes downright dangerous things they do in their efforts to solve the mystery and stop the supposed 'bad guy'.
Adults who fit this profile include Professor James in "The Rub A Dub Mystery", and Mr. King in "Rockingdown Mystery".
Bill Smugs from the "Adventure" series also falls into this category, but he is not quite as nuisancy as some. In his case the children like him a lot, so determine to ask him about his involvement with 'the baddies' rather than turn him in. It is just a shame that this plan almost leads to the deaths of Bill, Phillip and Jack, at the hands of the ruthless gang members...

Answer: False

Unfortunately, the adults who seem to be the most helpful, especially the ones who actually admit to being undercover policemen or government agents, are the very ones we should never ever trust! They are always one of the bad guys, and will use anything we tell them against us, and/or to further their nefarious plans!
One of the kids will have misgivings about this paragon of adult virtue, but the other kids will not listen until it is almost too late...
A perfect example of this type of adult is Mr. Marvel the Magician in "Rub A Dub Mystery"
The one failsafe way to spot this kind of person is if they don't like dogs, and especially if they try to kick the dog when they think nobody is watching.

Answer: Hoot like an owl through our thumbs

If only cell phones had been around for Enid to give her characters. How different the adventures in her books would have been...
Although in an emergency it is perfectly acceptable to try and send a note (using the pencil and paper in our pockets) via a dog, a monkey or a parrot, this is not a method guaranteed to either get the message delivered, or avoid the notice of the bad guys.
The tried and tested method of communication at night, without attracting unwanted attention, is to hoot like an owl through one's thumbs. Part of me always wanted a real owl to hoot at the wrong moment and put a spanner in the works of the carefully laid plans, but only a small part!

Answer: Several burly policemen under the supervision of an Inspector

For some reason, the police officers in Blyton books are always burly, are always accompanied by an Inspector, and always, but always, take dishevelled children telling wild tales seriously. They then take the children (well the boys anyway!) with them when they go to arrest the baddies, and it all ends with the parents or guardians of the children waking next morning to be shocked by the danger their little darlings have been in.
The exception to the "Enid Blyton Law of Policing" is PC Goon from the "Five Find-Outers" stories. He is invariably portrayed as incompetent, while Fatty cheerfully runs rings round him at every turn...

With thanks to Jabberwok and her Dad for inspiring this quiz :-D