the only grown-ups i can remember at this point who believed in "childish fancies" of the sort mentioned below were the parents of jo, bessie and fanny of the enchanted wood trilogy. their mother allowed moon face and the saucepan man to stay over when mr watzisname was angry with the both of them. and she said, when jo stayed over with moon face in the FIRST book, "i expect jo is just staying over with moon face for a treat!". as an aside, jo only did so because the policeman from the Land of Topsy-Turvy whom he was rude to made him able only to walk on his hands. you wouldn't like to go home to your mother walking upside down, would you?
when the three children and cousin dick came home from the Rocking Land - was that what it was called, in the second book? - their father scolded them and said he would not let them go about with their friends or get them nice clothes if they would come back with the clothes all tattered.
when they came back with lovely presents from the Land of Presents these two very enlightened grown-ups willingly accepted the goat, hens, garden tools, purse, pipe and tobacco (this is still book two, the magic faraway tree) instead of asking whether they stole these things or some such other nonsense - to their very obvious benefit, don't you think?
finally, when connie comes to stay in book three (the folk of the faraway tree) her initial incredulity at the existence of the enchanted wood is partially dispelled by the mother of jo, bessie and fanny telling her otherwise. she also lets them have a tea party at their house for silky, moon face and the saucepan man - who never made it there because they were shut up in the slippery slip by lady yell-around and lord shout-alot (i can't remember their names exactly!) from the Land of Tempers.
you can see how often i have read and re-read these books.
the point is, smart parents.
when the three children and cousin dick came home from the Rocking Land - was that what it was called, in the second book? - their father scolded them and said he would not let them go about with their friends or get them nice clothes if they would come back with the clothes all tattered.
when they came back with lovely presents from the Land of Presents these two very enlightened grown-ups willingly accepted the goat, hens, garden tools, purse, pipe and tobacco (this is still book two, the magic faraway tree) instead of asking whether they stole these things or some such other nonsense - to their very obvious benefit, don't you think?
finally, when connie comes to stay in book three (the folk of the faraway tree) her initial incredulity at the existence of the enchanted wood is partially dispelled by the mother of jo, bessie and fanny telling her otherwise. she also lets them have a tea party at their house for silky, moon face and the saucepan man - who never made it there because they were shut up in the slippery slip by lady yell-around and lord shout-alot (i can't remember their names exactly!) from the Land of Tempers.
you can see how often i have read and re-read these books.
the point is, smart parents.
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