The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage facts for kids
First edition cover
|
|
| Author | Enid Blyton |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Joseph Abbey |
| Series | The Five Find-Outers |
| Published | 1943 |
| Publisher | Methuen |
| Media type | |
The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage is an exciting children's book written by Enid Blyton. It's the very first story in her popular series called Five Find-Outers. This book was first published in 1943 and is still enjoyed by many readers today.
Contents
What's the Story About?
This book is all about solving a big mystery! Mr. Hick's cottage has burned down, and no one knows who did it. Five clever children team up to find out the truth.
The Five Find-Outers
The detective team includes:
- Larry Daykin
- Daisy Daykin
- Pip Hilton
- Bets Hilton
- Frederick Algernon Trotteville (who gets the nickname Fatty)
They all meet at the scene of the fire and decide to work together.
Finding Clues
The children look for clues and think about who might be responsible. They consider a few people, including an old traveler, a former worker, and even the cook.
They discover important clues like:
- Flattened plants in a ditch.
- A footprint in a grassy field.
- Mr. Hick mentioning seeing planes flying overhead.
Solving the Mystery
The children soon notice something strange about Mr. Hick's story. He said he was on a train to London when the fire happened. But he also claimed to have seen planes flying over the village at the same time. This doesn't make sense!
Fatty, the smartest of the group, discovers that Mr. Hick had insurance on his cottage. He also had insurance on some important papers that were supposedly burned. The children put all the pieces together. They figure out that Mr. Hick burned his own cottage to get the insurance money.
The book also introduces Inspector Jenks. He is a friendly police inspector who becomes a good friend to the Five Find-Outers. He often helps them with their cases.
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the people you'll meet in the story:
- Mrs. Minns - She is Mr. Hick's housekeeper. She often suffers from a condition called rheumatism.
- Clear-Orf (Mr. Goon) - He is the local policeman in Peterswood. He often tries to solve the mysteries himself, but the children are usually faster!
- Mr. Horace Peeks - He used to work for Mr. Hick. He was let go for wearing Mr. Hick's clothes. He is one of the suspects in the fire.
- Mr. Smellie - A very smart scholar and an old friend of Mr. Hick. He loves papers and documents, just like Mr. Hick. He is also a suspect.
- Miss Miggle - A kind and gentle person who works for Mr. Smellie.
- Hannah - Mrs. Minns's sister. She is the first to smell the fire.
- Lily - She works for Mr. Hick. She is secretly dating Horace Peeks, even though her father doesn't approve.
- Inspector Jenks - A police inspector who is very cheerful and kind. He is a great friend to the Five Find-Outers and often makes Mr. Goon nervous.
- Mrs. Hilton - Pip and Bets's mother. She is quite strict.
- Mr. Hick - The owner of the burnt cottage.
- The Five Find-Outers - The group of five children who solve the mystery!
