Milly-Molly-Mandy Stories

Molly-Molly Mandy Stories is the first of four original books in the Milly-Molly-Mandy series written by Joyce Lankester Brisley. It was published in 1928 in both paperback and hardback copies.

The book contains 13 short stories about the life of the title character and her family and friends.

1. Milly Molly Mandy Goes to a Party
2. Milly Molly Mandy Enjoys a Visit
3. Milly Molly Mandy Goes Gardening
4. Milly Molly Mandy Makes a Cosy
5. Milly Molly Mandy Keeps Shop
6. Milly Molly Mandy Gives a Party
7. Milly Molly Mandy Goes Visiting
8. Milly Molly Mandy Gets to Know Teacher
9. Milly Molly Mandy Goes to a Fête

Characters

Milly-Molly-Mandy.

Milly Molly Mandy's real name is in fact, Millicent Margaret Amanda but her family thought it too long a name to call every time they wanted her. She always wears a pink and white striped frock and sometimes a yellow hat. Milly Molly Mandy helps by running errands for the family. Milly Molly Mandy lives in a nice white cottage with a thatched roof with her large family.

Father.

Father's first name is John. Father does all the gardening and grows vegetables for the whole family to eat and sell.

Mother.

Mother's first name is Mary but she is called Polly in everyday use. Mother makes all the meals for the family and does all the washing.

Grandpa.

Grandpa takes the vegetables to market in his pony (Twinkletoes) and cart.

Grandma.

Grandma knits socks, mittens and nice warm woollies for them all. In "Milly-Molly-Mandy Spends A Penny", Grandma teaches her to knit a (tea) cosy.

Uncle.

Uncle's first name is Joe. Uncle keeps cows (to give them all milk) and chickens (to give them all eggs).

Aunty.

Aunty sews frocks and shirts for them all and does the sweeping and dusting. Aunty's first name is Alice.

Great Aunt Margaret.

Great Aunt Margaret is Grandma's sister and came to stay for a few days.

Topsy.

Topsy is Milly Molly Mandy's black and white cat.

Toby.

Toby is Milly Molly Mandy's small black and white terrier.

Duckling.

In the story Milly Molly Mandy spends a penny she saves up three pennies and buys a duckling.

Little Friend Susan.

Susan Moggs is Milly Molly Mandy's best friend. She lives with her mother and father and little sister Doris in a cottage near Milly Molly Mandy's.

Doris Moggs

Doris is Little Friend Susan's baby sister. Milly Molly Mandy helps look for a name for her and decides on Primrose but Mrs Moggs had already named her Doris. Milly Molly Mandy gets locked in her bedroom by accident and spends the whole day crocheting Doris a bonnet.

Billy Blunt.

Billy Blunt is another friend of Milly Molly Mandy's. Milly Molly Mandy, Susan, and Billy often go around playing together. Billy Blunt lives with his mother and father who own a corn shop in the village.

Jilly.

Jilly Muggins is another friend to Milly Molly Mandy. She lives with her Aunty Miss Muggins who owns a shop that sells sweets and material and other useful things that everybody in the village needs.

Bunchy

Bunchy's real name is Violet Rosemary May. In one story Milly Molly Mandy rips her dress while playing with Toby so Mother and Milly Molly Mandy go out to by some new material. This is where they meet Bunchy also buying material for a new dress. Unfortunately there are only two types of suitable dress making material: one is Milly Molly Mandy's pink and white stripes and the other is a pattern of daisies and forget-me-nots. Both girls want it but there is only enough for one dress, so Milly Molly Mandy decides Bunchy should have it because of her name and the two become friends.

Mr Rudge

Mr Rudge is a Blacksmith who Milly Molly Mandy invited to their party and then later in the last book he gets married and Milly Molly Mandy and Little Friend Susan are the bridesmaids.

Miss Edwards

Miss Edwards is a teacher at Milly Molly Mandy's school. In one of the stories Miss Sheppard the headmistress went away and Miss Edwards becomes the headteacher. She moves into the school cottage. Because she was moving from the town into the cottage, Miss Edwards writes to Milly Molly Mandy's mother to ask if she might stay for a few days while she gets the cottage sorted out. Mother agrees to this so Milly Molly Mandy is worried that she will have to be on her best behavior. In fact, teacher turns out to be completely a different person away from school; Billy Blunt and Little Friend Susan wish that she had come to their houses.

Milly Molly Mandy's world is a souvenir of the not so distant, ancient cultures of rural England. Beyond the interaction of people with people, there is an interaction of people and animals with nature. She grew up in the countryside, and her experiences reflect this. She and her cat acknowledge the summer solstice, she acknowledges Mayday, and there are numerous references to nature in the context of a people who relied on the seasons.

External links

• Gusworld plot summaries