The Enchanted Wood (novel)

The Enchanted Wood
1st edition cover
Author(s)	Enid Blyton
Illustrator	Dorothy M. Wheeler
Country	UK
Language	English
Series	The Faraway Tree
Genre(s)	Fantasy
Publisher	George Newnes
Publication date	May, 1939
Media type	Print (Hardcover)
Pages	192 pp
Followed by	The Magic Faraway Tree

The Enchanted Wood is a children's novel written by Enid Blyton; it is the first in The Faraway Tree series.

Plot summary

Jo (also known as Joe in later editions), Bessie (Beth in later editions), and Fanny (Frannie in later editions) move to the country and find an Enchanted Wood right on their doorstep. In the wood stands the magic Faraway Tree, which is home to the magical characters that soon become their new friends - Moonface, Silky the Fairy, and Saucepan Man. Together they visit the strange lands (the Roundabout Land, the Land of Ice and Snow, Toyland and the Land of Take What You Want) which lie at the top of the tree and have exciting adventures.

Lands in the book

• The Roundabout Land

This land spins round and round like a roundabout, and plays music as it spins. In the land live a number of rabbits and an old man who sings along with the music while tapping his hand to the beat. The land only stops spinning once in a blue moon.

• The Land of Ice and Snow

The land is full of ice and snow. It has a moon and a sun in the sky at the same time. In the land lives the polar bears, and the Magic Snowman used to live there before Moonface melted him.

• The Land of the Old Saucepan Man

The Saucepan Man used to live there before he came to live in the Faraway Tree. The island has mist around it and a set of saucepans as steps, leading down to the Saucepan Man’s home.

• The Rocking Land

Is a land where you can’t take one step forward without taking ten steps back! Hills in the land go up and down and sometimes the land will tip completely sideways and you have to grab hold of a tree or roll off! It is believed that it is held by a giant who is trying to throw the land of his back.

• The Land of Take-What-You-Want

Is a land in which, as the name suggests, you can take whatever you want for free.

• The Land of Dame Slap (Snap in later editions.)

Is the land where Dame Slap has her school for naughty brownies, pixies and fairies, and results with very horrid punishments (eg: Got to bed without supper, slaps, etc). This was later changed into 'Dame Snap', who shouts instead of slaps, in order to reduce the image of violence and to be more politically correct.

• The Land of Sea-Gulls

Is a land full of Sea-Gulls.

• The Land of the Red Goblins

The Red Goblins used to live in the land before Wizard Mighty-One took them prisoner in the Land of Wizards.

• The Land of Wizards

Is home to several wizards and Wizard Mighty-One and the prisoner Red Goblins.

• The Land of Birthdays

Is a land you can only visit if someone has a birthday. It is land which provides party food and games for you if you have a birthday party.