| June 20, 2017 – Avan N. Cooverji says: Once there lived on BILLYCOCK HILL a family of mother, father and their three sons. When they were little, the boys loved to GO OFF TO CAMP. The parents too were glad to see them OFF IN A CARAVAN as it would mean that the boys could HAVE PLENTY OF FUN for they knew that merely idling away could make their sons GET INTO TROUBLE. However though the lads would often FALL INTO ADVENTURE, they were sensible and could distinguish between healthy fun and bad ways. So they liked to go to KIRRIN ISLAND OR TREASURE ISLAND where they could go ON A HIKE TOGETHER but avoided going on a SECRET TRAIL to DEMON'S ROCK and to SMUGGLER'S TOP as that was known to be fraught with danger and they could GET INTO A FIX. One holiday, they asked their parents if they could GO DOWN TO THE SEA. The parents willingly gave their permission and off went the boys. They made two new friends there who also had come down to enjoy the beach and its surroundings. However one of their new friends did not know swimming very well and got caught in a huge wave , so the brothers bravely went into the waters and at risk of their own lives saved him or else there was a real danger of the lad getting drowned. The boy who was thus saved was so grateful that he invited the three brothers to spend the next summer at his home at FINNISTON FARM in the north of England. So during the next holidays, they went there and all were so happy to be TOGETHER AGAIN. They even came across A MYSTERY TO SOLVE at MYSTERY MOOR and that was very exciting indeed. After that , many a time did they RUN AWAY TOGETHER and GO ADVENTURING AGAIN and again and HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. They remained good friends for life therafter. |
| June 24, 2017 – Avan N. Cooverji says: Old Mr. Jones was a good family man. He had lost his wife when his three boys were very young, yet he brought them up with love and care and was both a mother and father to them. The years soon went by and the children grew up, married and went away. Mr. Smith was now left all alone in his house at BILLYCOCK HILL. His property had also now increased many fold times in value as tourists were drawn to it because of the wonderful view one could get from SMUGGLER'S TOP and there were many walks and even A SECRET TRAIL where people could go ON A HIKE TOGETHER which could lead them to DEMON'S ROCK. Also nearby was MYSTERY MOOR which would provide a great opportunity for holiday makers to FALL INTO ADVENTURE. Hence property developers were keen to build new houses and hotels in that once secluded place. When Mr. Jones's sons came to know that their father was being offered a very good price for his house, they wanted him to sell his house and come and live with them in turns. The ever obliging man sold his house, distributed the proceeds amongst the sons and now began to divide his time amongst his children. For a while all went well. But after a month or two , the sons and their wives began to tire of having the old man around, would not treat him well and each son would try to push him off to the other's home. The old man bitterly regretted having sold his house but he had not imagined then that he would GET INTO TROUBLE as he had trusted his children. One day he related his sorry situation to an old friend who came to visit him. Now this friend was a wily old fellow and very shrewd. He felt that Mr. Jones had indeed been foolish to GET INTO A FIX as he had but he thought of a plan to get him out of it. Accordingly he came visiting to the eldest son's house when he knew that all the three brothers would be there and where Mr. Jones was staying at that time. He brought with him a heavy locked trunk which it took two men to bring inside the house. He told Mr. Jones that he had looked after this trunk for him for a long time as he was asked to but now he was getting old and did not know how long he would live, so he was returning it to its owner. The sons were naturally perplexed and wondered what was inside the trunk but neither of the men would reveal the contents of the trunk. It was like having A MYSTERY TO SOLVE. Then the friend invited Mr. Jones to GO OFF IN A CARAVAN with him for a few days so that they could relive their youth and be TOGETHER AGAIN. This was purposely done by the two old fellows to give some time to the sons to ponder over the matter. So OFF TO CAMP they went , chuckling at the trick they were playing on the ungrateful sons. They had A WONDERFUL TIME visiting places that they had been to long ago as well as to the nearby TREASURE ISLAND. It felt so good to GO ADVENTURING AGAIN. After a few days they returned and once again the sons pleaded with their father to reveal the secret of the trunk. This time the old man pretended to give in reluctantly and said that it contained some very rare jewels that he had inherited from his parents and also some very rare objects of art and antiques that today would be priceless. He added that he was going to leave all this to whoever treated him best in his old age. Now each son hoped that the treasure would be left to him. Their attitude changed at onceand it almost became a race amongst them to provide the best care for their father. The eldest son who lived on the coast entreated his father to come and live with him only as the sea air would do him the most good so DOWN TO THE SEA went Mr. Jones. The Middle son insisted that his home ON KIRRIN ISLAND was the ideal place for their father as it would give him all the privacy and quiet that were so essential to a person of his advanced age. But the eldest son argued that his poor father had become so old and weak that it would be best to live with him and his wife ON FINNISTON FARM where he could have warm milk from the farm cow, fresh newly laid eggs and potted cream everyday. Now Mr. Jones who was once pushed from one house to another found himself spoilt for choice as his sons could not do enough for him. He took full advantage of this wonderful change in circumstances and for the rest of his life divided his time equally between all his sons , enjoying the sea air, the peace and quiet and the lovely nutritious food that he was served day after day. And best of all, Mr. Jones and his friend had no need to RUN AWAY TOGETHER anymore for he had PLENTY OF FUN imagining the look on the faces of his sons when they would open the trunk after he was dead and gone and find it full of rocks! |
Enid Blyton
The Official
The
Keith Robinson