Five Have a Wonderful Time facts for kids
First edition
|
|
| Author | Enid Blyton |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Eileen A. Soper |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Famous Five series |
| Genre | Mystery, Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
|
Publication date
|
1952 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| Preceded by | Five On A Hike Together (1951) |
| Followed by | Five Go Down To The Sea (1953) |
Five Have A Wonderful Time is an exciting children's book by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1952. This book is the eleventh adventure in the super popular Famous Five series. Join Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy the dog as they uncover a thrilling mystery during their holiday.
Contents
The Famous Five's Caravan Holiday
The story begins with the Famous Five planning a caravan trip. George, however, catches a cold from swimming in the sea. Because of this, she cannot join Julian, Dick, and Anne right away. The other children set up their caravans on a hill. This hill is right across from an old place called Faynights Castle.
George starts to feel better soon. She sends a postcard to her cousins. She tells them to meet her at the train station the next day. While waiting, the children hear some worrying news. Two important scientists have gone missing! People think these scientists might be traitors. They worry the scientists have left the country to sell important secrets.
Meeting the Fair Performers
A traveling fair soon arrives. It sets up camp right next to the children's caravans. The fair has many interesting performers. These include Alfredo the Fire-Eater and Bufflo the Whip Cracker. Bufflo has an assistant named Skippy. There is also Mr. India Rubber and Mr. Slither, the snake-man.
The children try to make friends with the performers. But the performers are not very friendly back. Things get tense between them. One day, the children go for a walk. While they are gone, the performers do something sneaky. They hitch their horses to the children's caravans. Then they move them to a different field.
This new field belongs to a farmer. He is not happy and tells the children to leave his property. The Kirrin children cannot move their caravans without horses. They need to borrow horses from the fair performers. Julian and Dick try to ask for help. But they are not successful.
Jo Joins the Adventure
During this tricky time, an old friend arrives. It is Jo, who the children met in Five Fall into Adventure. Jo quickly joins the Kirrin children. She helps Julian and Dick. Together, they manage to convince the fair performers. The performers finally agree to let them borrow their horses. This allows the children to move their caravans.
A Face in the Castle Window
One day, Jo and the children are having a picnic. They are enjoying their meal on the hill. Suddenly, Dick spots something strange. He sees a face in the window of the castle tower! Julian also sees the face. He promises to investigate it more closely. The other children try to see it, but they cannot.
The children are sure the face belongs to one of the missing scientists. The next day, they take a tour of the castle grounds. They search everywhere but find no clues. The steps leading up to the tower are broken. This makes it impossible to reach the rooms at the top.
Julian learns something from the ticket lady. She says two men visited the castle yesterday. They were from the Society for the Preservation of Old Buildings. Julian calls the Society to check. But the Society tells him that no one from their group was there. This makes the mystery even deeper.
Uncovering the Secret Passage
The children decide to investigate the castle at night. They find a part of the castle wall that looks hollow. This hollow spot hides a secret! It is an entrance to a hidden passage. This passage leads right up to the tower. Inside, the children find one of the missing scientists. His name is Terry-Kane.
They quickly realize that the other scientist, Pottersham, is holding Terry-Kane captive. The children try to rescue Terry-Kane. But their plan fails, and they are captured too!
The Rescue and Solution
The fair performers soon notice that the children are missing. They decide to help. They climb up the tower to the window where the children first saw the face. Pottersham is powerful, but he is finally defeated. Mr. Slither's snake helps in the fight!
Pottersham is taken to the police. There, he tells them everything that happened. The mystery of the missing scientists is finally solved!
Other Versions of the Story
The gamebook The Missing Scientist Game (1988) was based on this exciting novel.
See also
In Spanish: Los Cinco lo pasan estupendo para niños
