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Magic Woodland #2
The Stream That Stood Still
This is the second book in a trilogy first published in the 1940s. This volume is set several years later than the first. The heroine is Jill, Judy's daughter, who is helped by the fishes when the wicked witch Miss Smith kidnaps her brother, Jack.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
2 people are currently reading
194 people want to read
About the author
Beverley Nichols
102 books149 followersJohn Beverley Nichols (born September 9, 1898 in Bower Ashton, Bristol, died September 15, 1983 in Kingston, London), was an English writer, playwright, actor, novelist and composer. He went to school at Marlborough College, and went to Balliol College, Oxford University, and was President of the Oxford Union and editor of Isis.
Between his first novel, Prelude, published in 1920, and Twilight in 1982, he wrote more than 60 books and plays on topics such as travel, politics, religion, cats, novels, mysteries, and children's stories, authoring six novels, five detective mysteries, four children's stories, six plays, and no fewer than six autobiographies.
Nichols is perhaps best remembered as a writer for Woman's Own and for his gardening books, the first of which Down the Garden Path, was illustrated — as were many of his books — by Rex Whistler. This bestseller — which has had 32 editions and has been in print almost continuously since 1932 — was the first of his trilogy about Allways, his Tudor thatched cottage in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. A later trilogy written between 1951 and 1956 documents his travails renovating Merry Hall (Meadowstream), a Georgian manor house in Agates Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, where Nichols lived from 1946 to 1956. These books often feature his gifted but laconic gardener "Oldfield". Nichols's final trilogy is referred to as "The Sudbrook Trilogy" (1963–1969) and concerns his late 18th-century attached cottage at Ham, (near Richmond), Surrey.
Nichols was a prolific author who wrote on a wide range of topics. He ghostwrote Dame Nellie Melba’s "autobiography" Memories and Melodies (1925), and in 1966 he wrote A Case of Human Bondage about the marriage and divorce of William Somerset Maugham and Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo, which was highly critical of Maugham. Father Figure, which appeared in 1972 and in which he described how he had tried to murder his alcoholic and abusive father, caused a great uproar and several people asked for his prosecution. His autobiographies usually feature Arthur R. Gaskin who was Nichols’ manservant from 1924 until Gaskin's death from cirrhosis in 1966. Nichols made one appearance on film - in 1931 he appeared in Glamour, directed by Seymour Hicks and Harry Hughes, playing the part of the Hon. Richard Wells.
Nichols' long-term partner was Cyril Butcher. He died in 1983 from complications after a fall.
Between his first novel, Prelude, published in 1920, and Twilight in 1982, he wrote more than 60 books and plays on topics such as travel, politics, religion, cats, novels, mysteries, and children's stories, authoring six novels, five detective mysteries, four children's stories, six plays, and no fewer than six autobiographies.
Nichols is perhaps best remembered as a writer for Woman's Own and for his gardening books, the first of which Down the Garden Path, was illustrated — as were many of his books — by Rex Whistler. This bestseller — which has had 32 editions and has been in print almost continuously since 1932 — was the first of his trilogy about Allways, his Tudor thatched cottage in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. A later trilogy written between 1951 and 1956 documents his travails renovating Merry Hall (Meadowstream), a Georgian manor house in Agates Lane, Ashtead, Surrey, where Nichols lived from 1946 to 1956. These books often feature his gifted but laconic gardener "Oldfield". Nichols's final trilogy is referred to as "The Sudbrook Trilogy" (1963–1969) and concerns his late 18th-century attached cottage at Ham, (near Richmond), Surrey.
Nichols was a prolific author who wrote on a wide range of topics. He ghostwrote Dame Nellie Melba’s "autobiography" Memories and Melodies (1925), and in 1966 he wrote A Case of Human Bondage about the marriage and divorce of William Somerset Maugham and Gwendoline Maud Syrie Barnardo, which was highly critical of Maugham. Father Figure, which appeared in 1972 and in which he described how he had tried to murder his alcoholic and abusive father, caused a great uproar and several people asked for his prosecution. His autobiographies usually feature Arthur R. Gaskin who was Nichols’ manservant from 1924 until Gaskin's death from cirrhosis in 1966. Nichols made one appearance on film - in 1931 he appeared in Glamour, directed by Seymour Hicks and Harry Hughes, playing the part of the Hon. Richard Wells.
Nichols' long-term partner was Cyril Butcher. He died in 1983 from complications after a fall.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 8, 2013
Considering when it was written, it was very impressive that the girl got to be the hero and rescue her brother. As with the first in the series, this was utterly charming and magical. It had, as one reviewer on the back cover noticed, more than a little of the "Alice in Wonderland" about it. Beautifully written and atmospheric - a delightful read for either a child or an adult. My only slight issue was with the reference to Mrs Beaver being a good little obedient wife, but I put that down to the time it was written and it was entirely incidental. Well worth a read if you can get hold of a copy. I look forward to the final instalment.
August 9, 2017
So many inconsistencies, both within this book and as a continuation from the first one. It troubles me that Sam is now only 17, but Judy, who had to have been about the same age as Sam in the first book, now has a 9 year old daughter. Also, at the end of the first book it appeared that Sam found contentment working on a ship for the first honest wage of his life and had learned his lesson, and Miss Smith had found a new career as a cabaret singer, but none of that makes it into this book.
Just the tip of the iceberg. The charm of the first book was really in the subplots of the talking animals, and there's less of that in the second book, with only a brief mention of Bruno the Bear. The author seems to forget that Judy could talk to and sell ants' eggs to the goldfish in the first book, and the fish aren't nearly as well rounded as secondary characters as Bruno, Mrs Hare, PC Monkey, and Justice Owl had been in the first.
Just the tip of the iceberg. The charm of the first book was really in the subplots of the talking animals, and there's less of that in the second book, with only a brief mention of Bruno the Bear. The author seems to forget that Judy could talk to and sell ants' eggs to the goldfish in the first book, and the fish aren't nearly as well rounded as secondary characters as Bruno, Mrs Hare, PC Monkey, and Justice Owl had been in the first.
May 17, 2015
A very special, magical fantasy by Beverley Nichols. A little prince is turned into a fish by an evil witch. His sister has to make a magic mask that allows her to live underwater and rescue him. Truly good vs. evil. The witch is really nasty and cruel. The princess makes friends with the fish, frogs and beavers, who help her. The author obviously loves nature and wildlife. The prose is lovely and evocative. A grand little fantasy.
February 8, 2017
Not nearly as enjoyable as the first book in the trilogy (sorry, but princes, princesses and fish don't do it for me), but still a sweet, if quaint, children's adventure fantasy that recognises children's intelligence and curiosity by talking up not down to them. Mr and Mrs Beaver were charming characters which reminded me of the Mr and Mrs Beaver in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. For the record, this was published first (1945).
December 19, 2012
I really enjoyed re-reading this childhood favourite. The characters are timeless and sweet. Overall, an excellent quirky read!
December 17, 2020
I got it out of the local children's library in Southsea, which was a street away from where we lived, and I absolutely loved it. In fact it was some time before I read the other books in the trilogy. The whole idea of a witch called Mrs Smith seemed a very good one to me at the time. I learned to read when I went to school in June 1948, and this was one of the first books I got out when i discovered the library. There was a very nice librarian who helped one choose - and of course one could read whatever was there. In those pre-television days there was the theatre (the Kings also a street away from our flat), and a large number of cinemas Portsmouth which was still flooded with soldiers and sailors, and then there was reading what one could get out of the public libraries. Of course films were fun, or at least the ones for kids one got to see. But books were one's own imagination and an escape into the books one loved which one often read over and over again was everything one needed.
April 28, 2023
This was such an enjoyable fantasy, and the first book I've ever read set in a freshwater stream! I loved meeting all the different types of fish in the stream, as well as the nice beavers, and how they all come together to help a little girl save her brother, who has been magically turned into a fish by a witch. I felt I was swimming along in the beautiful stream with the fishes reading this. A lovely story with a satisfying ending!
January 10, 2019
my favorite so far of the magic woodland trilogy
March 30, 2015
Another Delightful Tale
The Sequel to The Tree that sat down is another recommendation for parents that might teach their children how to recognise evil and avoid it and of course the rest of us with more knowledge of the subject might just smile. In this the first close encounter between the Princess Jill and evil was the witch in a gold boat her real hideous appearance hidden behind magic and her evil toads turned into swans. It's hard for anyone to recognise this isn't imitation beauty isn't real without a lot of practice. It's so true of Mr Carp's and in his Widow and Orphan's which is set up for him to steal from the disadvantaged. Only in his case, he is turned into a carp for his misdeeds, while today they get away with it completely and then start something else. Of course you need friends to succeed and Princess Jill has loads, only they are mainly fish. Fish, a lot like our friends and neighbours, down to earth and snobs, brave tiny heroes and timid, and we mustn't forget the hard working beavers. They all want to help Jill because they see she is kind and thoughtful and will risk her own safety to help them, so they must reciprocate. For all ages the young to learn and the wiser to smile.
The Sequel to The Tree that sat down is another recommendation for parents that might teach their children how to recognise evil and avoid it and of course the rest of us with more knowledge of the subject might just smile. In this the first close encounter between the Princess Jill and evil was the witch in a gold boat her real hideous appearance hidden behind magic and her evil toads turned into swans. It's hard for anyone to recognise this isn't imitation beauty isn't real without a lot of practice. It's so true of Mr Carp's and in his Widow and Orphan's which is set up for him to steal from the disadvantaged. Only in his case, he is turned into a carp for his misdeeds, while today they get away with it completely and then start something else. Of course you need friends to succeed and Princess Jill has loads, only they are mainly fish. Fish, a lot like our friends and neighbours, down to earth and snobs, brave tiny heroes and timid, and we mustn't forget the hard working beavers. They all want to help Jill because they see she is kind and thoughtful and will risk her own safety to help them, so they must reciprocate. For all ages the young to learn and the wiser to smile.
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October 26, 2012This series is very 'sweet'. Not as bad as some others (I'm looking at you The Little White Horse) but it's still a bit 'innocent'. Having said that, it could suit some who are at that stage (although it's also very dated)
February 18, 2014
A lovely book - the second in this series. A nice, light read for busy times. I'm looking forward to starting the final book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews