The Faraway Tree facts for kids
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The Enchanted Wood The Magic Faraway Tree The Folk of the Faraway Tree Up the Faraway Tree |
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| Author | Enid Blyton |
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| Cover artist | Georgina Hargreaves |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Newnes |
| Published | 1939–51 |
| No. of books | 4 |
The Faraway Tree is a beloved series of children's books. It was written by the famous British author Enid Blyton. The stories are about a huge, magical tree. This tree is so tall it reaches the clouds! It even has houses carved into its trunk.
The main books in the series are:
- The Enchanted Wood (1939)
- The Magic Faraway Tree (1943)
- The Folk of the Faraway Tree (1946)
- Up the Faraway Tree (1951)
These books take readers on exciting adventures. They explore the magical world at the top of the Faraway Tree.
Contents
About the Faraway Tree Books
The first book, The Enchanted Wood, came out in 1939. However, the Faraway Tree and a character called Moon-Face appeared earlier. They were in The Yellow Fairy Book in 1936. Later, a picture book called Up the Faraway Tree was published in 1951. Many artists have drawn pictures for these stories. These artists include Dorothy Wheeler and Georgina Hargreaves.
The Enchanted Wood Story
In the first book, three children move to a new house. Their names are Jo, Bessie, and Fanny. (In newer versions, they are Joe, Beth, and Frannie). They live near a big, enchanted wood. One day, they find a giant tree. Its branches seem to touch the sky. This is the amazing Faraway Tree!
When the children climb the tree, they meet many magical people. Some of these friends are Moon-Face, Silky the fairy, and the Saucepan Man. They also meet Dame Washalot and Mr. Watzisname. At the very top of the tree, they find a ladder. This ladder leads to a magical land.
Visiting Magical Lands
The land at the top of the tree changes each time they visit! One land moves away, and a new one appears. The children can explore these lands. But they must leave before the land moves on. If they don't, they will be stuck there! Sometimes, one of the children gets stuck.
Some lands are not very nice. For example, there is the Land of Dame Slap. (Now called Dame Snap in newer books). She is a strict teacher. Other lands are super fun! These include the Land of Birthdays and the Land of Goodies. There is also the Land of Take-What-You-Want.
The first land the children visit is the Roundabout Land. The last land in this book is the Land of Birthdays. Here, brownies and tree folk celebrate Bessie's birthday.
The Magic Faraway Tree Story
In this book, Jo, Bessie, and Fanny's cousin, Dick, comes to stay. (His name is Rick in newer books). He joins their secret adventures. At first, Dick isn't interested. But soon, he loves the magic! He even gets into some mischief. They visit many new lands together. For example, in the Land of Goodies, some houses are made of chocolate!
The Folk of the Faraway Tree Story
Connie, a girl who is a bit spoiled, comes to stay. Her mother is sick. At first, Connie doesn't believe in the Faraway Tree. She doesn't believe in the magical folk either. The Angry Pixie throws ink at her. Dame Washalot soaks her with water. Still, Connie doesn't believe!
Jo, Bessie, and Fanny take Connie to the lands at the top of the tree. Connie gets some big surprises there! Also, the Saucepan Man's mother decides to live in the tree. She used to be a baker. Now, she opens a surprising cake shop in the tree!
Faraway Tree Characters
The main characters are the three siblings: Jo, Bessie, and Fanny. (Or Joe, Beth, and Frannie in newer books). Fanny is the youngest. Bessie is in the middle. Jo is their older brother. They live near the Enchanted Wood. They become good friends with the magical people in the Faraway Tree.
Here are some other characters:
- The Angry Pixie: He lives in a house with a tiny window. He often throws cold water or other liquids at people. He does this if they peek into his house!
- The barn owl: This owl lives next to the Angry Pixie. He is a friend of Silky.
- Silky the fairy: She has long, golden hair. That's why she's called Silky! She often goes with the children on their adventures.
- Mr. Watzisname: He can't remember his own name. He sleeps and snores a lot. In one story, he finds out his name. But he forgets it right away because it's so long!
- Dame Washalot: She spends her time washing clothes. She throws the dirty water down the tree. If she has no clothes, she washes other people's laundry. She even washes the leaves of the Faraway Tree!
- Moon-Face: His face is round, like the moon. His house is also round. It has curved furniture. He owns the slippery-slip. This is a slide that goes from his house to the bottom of the tree. It's a quick way to leave the tree!
- The Saucepan Man: He lives with Mr. Watzisname. He is covered in saucepans and kettles! Sometimes, he can't hear his friends well. This is because he is partly deaf. The noise from his pans makes it worse.
- The Saucepan Man's mother: She lives with Dame Washalot. She runs a cake shop in the tree.
- Dame Slap: She runs a school for naughty pixies. (Her name is Dame Snap in newer books). The friends sometimes accidentally end up in her school.
Changes in Newer Books
Over time, some things in the Faraway Tree books have changed. In newer versions, some character names are different. Jo is now Joe. Bessie is now Beth. Fanny is now Frannie. Dick is now Rick. These changes make the names more common or avoid old meanings.
Dame Slap is now Dame Snap. She no longer uses hitting to teach students. Instead, she tells them off by shouting. Also, parts of the original stories have been rewritten. For example, when goblins took over the tree, the original books described fighting. Now, these parts just say the goblins were "chased away."
Faraway Tree Adaptations
The Faraway Tree stories have been made into movies and TV shows.
Film Version
In 2014, it was announced that the books would become a live-action movie. This means real actors would play the characters. The movie is being made by Sam Mendes' company, Neal Street Productions.
Television Series
In 1997, the stories were made into animated TV episodes. The show was called Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands. The first series was Enchanted Lands: The Magic of the Faraway Tree. The second was Enchanted Lands: The Adventures of the Wishing Chair. Many voice actors brought the characters to life. These included Roy Hudd and Kate Harbour.
