The first edition dust jacket of Boody the Great Goblin and Other Stories.

This is a book that I had very little idea about until I came across it in a lovely little bookshop in a recent trip to Alton. It was an intriguing find, and I had to have it.

My copy has a pleasant, bright dust jacket, with one elephant telling the stories to two younger elephants. Its bright and friendly cover of this slim volume makes for magical reading. The stories are aimed at younger children; they are short  fairy tale stories. The book is only 80 pages long and makes a good afternoon’s easy reading.

Boody the Great Goblin is the first and longest story in the book and is about a goblin who is trying to make his fortune. He starts out by trying to create the best potion for make people young again. He sends servant to find the last key ingredient, seventeen  gold hairs from the head of a princess. Boody comes and captures Princess Goldie and takes her away to his cave to keep her until his potion is finished.

The servant, Peepo doesn’t like this plan because at the end of the month  the young beautiful princess will become old and haggard. So he runs off to give a small boy the message and then the boy passes it on to the local prince who begins to tunnel into Boody’s cave prison to rescue the princess.

It is a lovely little story about good triumphing over evil or greed and the bad guy getting his comeuppance.

The other stories, Pretty-Star the Pony, In Nursery-Rhyme Land, The Bold, Ban  Brownie, The Grumple Goblin, and The Noisy Boy are all nice little stories as well, each with their own narrative. Those of us who are more used to Blyton’s longer stories might find some of the plots lacking in depth, but these stories are meant for younger children. The stories are exactly the right length for one or two at bedtime.

My least favourite story is probably In Nursery-Rhyme Land  just because I felt it came from a much younger place. The style and the children felt much younger  to me. My favourite was probably The Grumple Goblin where a little poor elfin cobbler outwits Grumple the Goblin with a pair of shoes. I felt this was a most marvellous little story indeed,  and was quite ingenious.

I like this little book, it’s got some nice stories that are perfect for a cosy afternoon with a cup of tea or reading to your children, grandchildren, young nephews or nieces. It is hard to get hold of, the only copy online that I found was on eBay, and cost a lot. It is also part of the Pitkin Pleasure Series, which is made up of 14 other titles. I wonder if I shall manage to find any others in this series to add to my collection? Well if I do, I shall let you know!