The Famous Five (Three Exciting Adventures) 01 Edition

This book contains three novels in the popular Famous Five Series by Enid Blyton.

Summary Of The Book

The Famous Five are a group of four children and their dog. Three of them, Julian, Dick, and Anne, are siblings. The other is their cousin Georgina, or George as she insists on being called. Timothy is her dog and the five of them come together on holidays, and fall into exciting adventures.

This book contains three of those adventures, book seven to book nine in the series. They are, Five Go Off To Camp, Five Get Into Trouble, and Five Fall Into Adventure.

In Five Go Off To Camp, the five are on a camping holiday in a moor, accompanied by Mr. Luffy, a teacher at Julian and Dick’s school. Their camping site is close to a farm, from where they get the food they need. They soon become friends with Jock, whose mother and step-father run the farm.

The five go exploring around the moor and discover some rail tracks near a tunnel that has apparently been abandoned. A man called Wooden Leg Sam warns them to keep off, saying that ‘spook trains’ run on the tracks at night.

Their curiosity aroused, the kids decide to see whether this is true. They find that there is indeed a train running on those lonely tracks. But where does it disappear to? And what about those mysterious farm equipments that Jock’s step father has bought, presumably for use on the farm, but nobody uses? Why is Mr. Andrews so anxious to keep Jock and the others away from the railway line? The Famous Five decide that all this might be well worth looking into.

In Five Get Into Trouble, they are on a cycling holiday, completely on their own, and enjoying themselves. On the way, while in search of a camping site, they see a lake, called Green Pool. They meet a boy, Richard Kent. He is the son of an extremely wealthy businessman, Thurlow Kent. He gives the five permission to swim in the lake. He then asks them if he can ride with them on the way to his aunt’s house, which is a little distance away.

When they come near his aunt’s house, Richard just shouts good bye and leaves them. They find this odd, but move on. They find a camping site and Julian and George set off to see if they can find a farm that will supply them with food. Dick and Anne are left behind, as Dick’s bicycle is punctured and he has to mend it. Only, he is not allowed to finish the job. He is dragged off by two men who keep calling him Richard. Then Richard Kent shows up, asking for help, as some men are after him. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Where is Dick? Will they be able to rescue him without getting Richard Kent into trouble?

In Five Fall Into Adventure, they are alone at Kirrin Cottage. George’s parents have left them with the Joan, the cook. Julian pleasurably takes up the role of man of the house and makes sure all windows and doors are locked. Only one tiny pantry window cannot be locked which he ignores due to its size. Meanwhile, on the beach, tension flares up between George and a ragamuffin girl called Jo. At night, Anne is frightened by a face at her window. Timmy is mysteriously drugged one night and Uncle Quentin’s study is in a mess as the children realize that there had been a break-in. The next night, George accompanies Timmy on his walk, and neither of them come back. Jo delivers a ransom note that demands Uncle Quentin’s notes be handed over in exchange for George. What is so important about those notes? Where is George? Who could have broken into the house the night before? Julian, Dick, and Anne decide that they have to take matters into their own hands to get George and Timmy back, and enlist the help of the reluctant Jo.

About Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was a popular British children’s author. She has written innumerable books, ranging from books for very small children to books for children in their early teens.

Other books by Enid Blyton include Five Run Away Together, Five Go To Mystery Moor, Shock For The Secret Seven, Mystery Of The Burnt Cottage, and The Twins at St Clare's.

Her books are mostly about children who fall into adventurous situations, and then set out to solve the mystery surrounding the event.

Enid Blyton was born in 1897 in East Dulwich, London. She was a gifted pianist, but gave that up to train as a teacher at Ipswich High School. She worked as a teacher for five years and simultaneously started writing. Her first work was a collection of poems. Soon, she started writing regularly, and book after book, series after series followed, fantastic tales of magical places, mysteries and adventures, and girls boarding school stories. Her books are still popular in spite of dated attitudes like the stereo typing based on genders and some racial attitudes. Many of her books and series have been adapted for television.