Les Cinq Détectives

Article by Paul from Australia (November 30, 2005)

See also: Swedish Titles, Dutch Titles and Finnish Titles

There's a French website that features the French editions of the Five Find-Outers. They are called "Les Cinq DétectivesTranslation: The Five Detectives). Apparently Fatty is called Ray and Mr Goon is Mr Groddy in the French editions! As I noted on the Enid Blyton Society forum, the French titles have also been changed, as is set out below, with my best efforts of a translation...

The Mystery Of The Burnt Cottage
Le mystère du pavillon rose
Translation: The Mystery of the Pink Pavilion

The Mystery Of The Disapearing Cat
Le mystère du chat siamois
Translation: The Mystery of the Siamese Cat

The Mystery Of The Secret Room
Le mystère de la maison vide
Translation: The Mystery of the Empty House

The Mystery Of The Spiteful Letters
Le mystère des enveloppes mauves
Translation: The Mystery of the Mauve Envelopes

The Mystery Of The Missing Necklace
Le mystère du collier de perles
Translation: The Mystery of the Pearl Necklace

The Mystery Of The Hidden House
Le mystère de la maison des bois
Translation: The Mystery of the House in the Woods

The Mystery Of The Pantomime Cat
Le mystère du chat botté
Translation: The Mystery of Puss 'n Boots

The Mystery Of The Invisible Thief
Le mystère du voleur invisible
Translation: The Mystery of the Invisible Thief

The Mystery Of The Vanished Prince
Le mystère du camp de vacances
Translation: The Mystery of the Holiday Camp

The Mystery Of The Strange Bundle
Le mystère du sac magique
Translation: The Mystery of the Magic Sack

The Mystery Of Holly Lane
Le mystère du camion fantôme
Translation: The Mystery of the Ghost Truck

The Mystery Of Tally-Ho-Cottage
Le mystère du caniche blanc
Translation: The Mystery of the White Poodle

The Mystery Of The Missing Man
Le mystère de la fête foraine
Translation: The Mystery of the Fun Fair

The Mystery Of The Strange Messages
Le mystère de l'ennemi sans nom
Translation: The Mystery of the Enemy Without a Name

The Mystery Of The Banshee Towers
Le mystère de la chaloupe verte
Translation: The Mystery of the Green Launch (ie boat)

Some of the French titles give away way too much information (eg, numbers 12 and 15)!

With thanks to the French website these titles were taken from.

De fem deckarna och spårhunden

Article by Emma Ivarsson (August 13, 2006)

And to add to the translations on this page, Emma Ivarsson kindly supplied the Swedish titles of the Find-Outer series...

The Find-Outers are translated as "De fem deckarna och spårhundenTranslation"—The five sleuths/dicks and the tracker dog—and the novels more or less literally:

The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage
Mysteriet med den brunna stugan
Translation: The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage

The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat
Mysteriet med den försvunna katten
Translation: The Mystery of the Vanished Cat

The Mystery of the Secret Room
Mysteriet med det hemliga rummet
Translation: The Mystery of the Secret Room

The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters
Mysteriet med de anonyma breven
Translation: The Mystery of the Anonymous Letters

The Mystery of the Missing Necklace
Mysteriet med det stulna halsbandet
Translation: The Mystery of the Stolen Necklace

The Mystery of the Hidden House
Mysteriet med det gömda huset
Translation: The Mystery of the Hidden House

The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat
Mysteriet med teaterkatten
Translation: The Mystery of the Theater Cat

The Mystery of the Invisible Thief
Mysteriet med den osynlige tjuven
Translation: The Mystery of the Invisible Thief

The Mystery of the Vanished Prince
Mysteriet med den försvunne prinsen
Translation: The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

The Mystery of the Strange Bundle
Mysteriet med det konstiga byltet
Translation: The Mystery of the Strange Bundle

The Mystery of Holly Lane
Mysteriet vid Ekallén
Translation: The Mystery at Oak Alley

The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage
Mysteriet i Jägarvillan
Translation: The Mystery in Hunter's House (the Lorenzo house, not the Larkin cottage)

The Mystery of the Missing Man
Mysteriet med rymmaren
Translation: The Mystery of the Escaper

The Mystery of the Strange Messages
Mysteriet med tjuvgömman
Translation: The Mystery of the Stolen Property Hiding-Place

The Mystery of Banshee Towers
Mysteriet i Spökslottet
Translation: The Mystery in Haunted Castle

De Vijf Detectives

Article by Wouter van de Ridder (July 6, 2008)

And yet more translations! – these Dutch titles are courtesy of Wouter van de Ridder...

The series is simply called "De Vijf Detectives" in Dutch and the individual titles are as follows:

The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage
Een geheimzinnige brand
Translation: A Mysterious Fire

The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat
Het raadsel van de verdwenen kat
Translation: The Riddle of the Lost Cat

The Mystery of the Secret Room
Het geheim van de verborgen kamer
Translation: The Secret of the Secret Room

The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters
Het raadsel van de boze brieven
Translation: The Riddle of the Angry Letters

The Mystery of the Missing Necklace
Het raadsel van het vermiste halssnoer
Translation: The Riddle of the Stolen Necklace

The Mystery of the Hidden House
Het verborgen huis
Translation: The Hidden House

The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat
De verdachte poes
Translation: The Suspect Cat

The Mystery of the Invisible Thief
De onzichtbare dief
Translation: The Invisible Thief

The Mystery of the Vanished Prince
De ontvoerde prins
Translation: The Kidnapped Prince

The Mystery of the Strange Bundle
Een zak vol geheimen
Translation: A Bag Full of Secrets

The Mystery of Holly Lane
De geheimzinnige roof
Translation: The Mysterious Robbery

The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage
Het verdwenen schilderij
Translation: The Lost Painting

The Mystery of the Missing Man
De ontsnapte gevangene
Translation: The Escaped Prisoner

The Mystery of the Strange Messages
De vreemde waarschuwingen
Translation: The Strange Warnings

The Mystery of Banshee Towers
De verborgen tunnel
Translation: The Hidden Tunnel

Viisi etsivää ja vainukoira

Article by Keiju from Finland (August 25, 2009)

And now for something completely different – the titles in Finnish, courtesy of Keiju from Finland...

Firstly, the series is called the Secret series. This may have something to do with the fact that "mysteeri", the Finnish word for mystery is not in a wide use among kids. The original Secret series has never been published in or translated into Finnish. The Five Find-Outers and Dog are called "Viisi etsivää ja vainukoira" which means either "Five Detectives and Sleuth-hound" or, literally, "Five Seekers and Scent Dog."

The Finnish book titles are the following:

The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage
"Palaneen talon salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Burnt House

The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat
"Kadonneen kissan salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Vanished Cat

The Mystery of the Secret Room
"Aution talon salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Abandoned House

The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters
"Nimettömien kirjeiden salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Anonymous Letters

The Mystery of the Missing Necklace
"Kadonneen kaulakorun salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Vanished Necklace

The Mystery of the Hidden House
"Lukitun talon salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Locked(-up) House

The Mystery of the Pantomime Cat
"Teatterikissan salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Theatre Cat

The Mystery of the Invisible Thief
"Näkymättömän varkaan salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Invisible Thief

The Mystery of the Vanished Prince
"Kadonneen prinssin salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Vanished Prince

The Mystery of the Strange Bundle
"Kummallisen nyytin salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Strange Bundle

The Mystery of Holly Lane
"Rahakätkön salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Money Cache

The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage
"Metsästysmajan salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Hunting Cabin

The Mystery of the Missing Man
"Karanneen vangin salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Escaped Prisoner

The Mystery of the Strange Messages
"Timanttikätkön salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Diamond Cache

The Mystery of Banshee Towers
"Haamulinnan salaisuus"
Translation: The Secret of the Ghost Castle

Furthermore, for some reason, in Finland the books are numbered in a false order. The Missing Necklace and the Hidden House mysteries have become #3 and #4 (before the Secret Room and Spiteful Letters mysteries that are numbers 5 and 6). The Invisible Thief is No. 7 before the Siamese Cat. Numbers 10-15 are all in an incorrect order; in Finland it goes this way: 10 - Tally-Ho Cottage, 11 - the Strange Messages, 12 - Holly Lane, 13 - the Strange Bundle, 14 - Banshee Towers and 15 - the Missing Man.

Even more curious is the fact that the names of the characters do not look very familiar. Of Five Find-Outers and Dog, only Larry Daykin has kept his own name. Bets has lost her third letter becoming Bes, while Fatty is called Pulla which means "plain coffeebread", "baked roll" or "bun." Daisy, Pip and Buster have transformed into Kris, Riki and Nono for no obvious reason. Naturally, the names of the other characters, places etc. have often been changed as well.