The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage
Encyclopedia
The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage is the first in the "The Five Find-Outers
" series of children's novels by Enid Blyton
. It was first published in 1943 and continues to be frequently reissued.
Their suspects include an old tramp
, a dismissed servant, a hostile colleague, and the housekeeper
. They find certain clues: Broken-down nettles in a ditch, a footprint in a grassy field, jet planes
(by Mr. Hick’s seeing).
The children realise that as Mr Hick claims to have been in the London
train
when the cottage was burnt, but by his own report he saw the planes which flew over the village at the same time, he is contradicting himself. Fatty finds out that the cottage and the burnt papers Mr Hick describes as 'most important' were insured
. The children deduce that Mr Hick burnt his own cottage for the insurance money.
The Five Find-Outers
The Five Find-Outers and Dog , also known as the Enid Blyton Mystery Series, is a series of children's mystery books written by Enid Blyton and first published between 1943 and 1961...
" series of children's novels by Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton
Enid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
. It was first published in 1943 and continues to be frequently reissued.
Plot summary
The novel centres on the mystery of who could have set fire to Mr Hick’s cottage. The five children, Larry and Daisy Daykin, Pip and Bets Hilton, and newcomer Frederick Algernon Trotteville (later nicknamed Fatty from his initials), meet at the scene of the fire and end up solving the mystery together.Their suspects include an old tramp
Tramp
A tramp is a long term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking or hiking all year round. In British English meanwhile a tramp simply refers to a homeless person, usually not a travelling one....
, a dismissed servant, a hostile colleague, and the housekeeper
Housekeeper
Housekeeper may refer to:* Housekeeper , a woman heading up domestic maintenance* Maid, a female with various domestic duties* Janitor, a person responsible for institutional maintenance* A person engaged in housekeeping...
. They find certain clues: Broken-down nettles in a ditch, a footprint in a grassy field, jet planes
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...
(by Mr. Hick’s seeing).
The children realise that as Mr Hick claims to have been in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
when the cottage was burnt, but by his own report he saw the planes which flew over the village at the same time, he is contradicting himself. Fatty finds out that the cottage and the burnt papers Mr Hick describes as 'most important' were insured
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. The children deduce that Mr Hick burnt his own cottage for the insurance money.
Characters
- Larry (Laurence Daykin) - The leaderLeaderA leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
of the Five Find-Outers - Daisy (Margaret Daykin) - The sister of the leader of the Five Find-Outers
- Fatty (Frederick Trotteville) - One of the members of the Five Find-Outers and their leader from the third book.
- Pip (Philip Hilton) - One of the members of the Five Find-Outers
- Bets (Elizabeth Hilton) - One of the members of the Five Find-Outers
- Mr. Hick - The owner of the destroyed cottage
- Mr. Thomas - The chauffeurChauffeurA chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
of Mr. Hick - Mrs. Minns - The housekeeper of Mr. Hick
- Clear-Orf (Mr. Goon) - The policeman of Peterswood
- Mr. Horace Peeks - A former employeeEmploymentEmployment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...
of Mr. Hicks, sacked for wearing Mr Hick's clothes while Mr Hick was out - Mr. Smellie - A learned scholarScholarly methodScholarly method or scholarship is the body of principles and practices used by scholars to make their claims about the world as valid and trustworthy as possible, and to make them known to the scholarly public.-Methods:...
and former friend of Mr. Hick's - Miss Miggle - An employee of Mr. Smellie
- Hannah - The sister of Mrs. Minns
- Lily - An employee of Mr. Hick's, girlfriendGirlfriendGirlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
of Mr. Peeks - InspectorInspectorInspector is both a police rank and an administrative position, both used in a number of contexts. However, it is not an equivalent rank in each police force.- Australia :...
Jenks - A good friend of the Five Find-Outers