The Wishing Wand and other stories by Enid Blyton is a collection of fourteen short stories titled The Wishing Wand, Mr. Big-Hat's Button, Mr. Stamp-About's Walking-Stick, Caterpillars’ Party, The Toys Go on Strike, The Boy Whose Toys Came Alive, “I Dare You To!”, The Very Long Tail, Pimmy is Very Busy, The Tale of Yah-Boo, Pixie Mirrors, The Biscuit Tree, Tippy's Trick and Fly-Pie.
The Wishing Wand is about two pixies called Pickle and Goof who live in Corner Cottage in Feefo Village. The Lord Chamberlain had promised wishing wands to all the pixies and fairies in the village. Blyton says, “Now all the pixies and fairies long to have a wishing wand more than anything else in the world, because if they have a magic wand their wishes will come true”. Pickle and Goof did not have a wishing wand because they were naughty, but they were to have one this year because they had been good. But Pickle and Goof get into a silly argument and can you imagine what happens next?
The Toys Go on Strike is about a little boy and girl named Betty and Tom whose toys don’t behave the way they should. Betty’s doll won’t stand up because she is a sit-down doll and Tom’s toy train won’t work and Tom and Betty are annoyed and they go to the garden to play.
As soon as the children leave the nursery, the toy monkey speaks up and says, “Toys! I know that we are not supposed to come alive until its dark – but really, we simply must do something”. The toys decide to go on strike and Tom and Betty can’t play anymore.
Reviewed by Hannah William