I just finished listening to the audio book for Mary Poppins, by P.L. Travers.
(By the way, Sophie Thompson, an amazingly gifted actor, reads the story. I love it!)
And as I was listening, I got to thinking about all the magical elements to the story, and particularly Mary Poppins herself. I guess this is an early incarnation of what we now know as the Magical Realism genre.
Okay, so I have a question for you. If you could choose ONE of the following Mary Poppins attributes, which would it be?
- The ability to slide UP the banister.
- The carpet bag that weighs nothing and looks like it has nothing in it, but can carry just about anything.
- The power to float up like a balloon (as MP does to join Mr. Wigg and the children for their tea near the ceiling).
- The ability to speak to and understand animals (as MP does with Andrew the Dog).
So, which would YOU choose?
As for me, I think I’d pick #2… the carpet bag. Just think of the things you could carry without straining your back!
P.S. The photo above is the real umbrella from P.L. Travers that inspired Mary Poppins’ own umbrella. Its home is now at the New York Public Library in Manhattan (along with Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends).
I like your choice, but since you chose that one, I will choose communicating with animals. I sure would like to know what my little dog, Mason, is thinking at various times. Thanks for the fun post.
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Yes, communicating with pets would come in very handy!
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Νο4 for me lol !!!!!!!!!!
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I wonder what the animals would tell us if we could understand them?
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Instead of trying to teach human communication systems to animals, why don’t people decode theirs?
Have a nice day !!!!!
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I need the carpet bag! It would come in VERY handy.
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I know! I thought about the other ones. But they might be too conspicuous. I like that with carpet bag, nobody would know its secret.
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I’m between #2 and #4 lol. The bag would be very useful but I kind of want to talk to my dog haha. I think i’ll pick #4. Great post!! 🙂
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I talk to my pet goldfish all the time! (Although, we obviously don’t understand each other. I wonder what he would tell me?)
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Haha that reminds me of the fish from The Cat in the Hat!
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Exactly 😉
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Mary Poppins is one of those books that I keep telling myself I need to read! I’ve heard it’s different from the film and I’m interested in seeing how much!
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It IS different from the movie. Although I love the movie, too. I think Walt Disney did a wonderful adaptation. He (and his team) gave it a better/different story arc. More holistic. Which I think is key to a good movie.
The book is a little more episodic, which was definitely the style of the day. (Published in 1934, I think.) And there are some interesting characters that we don’t get to meet in the movie. There’s a scene at the zoo which is quite intriguing.
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Good to know!
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Pingback: Nancy Drew (#27): The Secret of the Wooden Lady by Carolyn Keene – Of All the Books in All the Libraries
#2 is pretty awesome, but I would probably pick sliding up the banister 😉
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Yes, sliding up the banister would be super fun and convenient. No need for elevators!
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hehehehe yes!!
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Neat post Maria!! I think I’ll give listening to Mary Poppins a try. I never thought of her like that but early magical realism sums it up so well!! I would totally pick the ability to speak to and understand animals!! Though I really want to have all of them!! Mary Poppins was a fav of mine as a kind. ❤️
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Yes, having ALL the MP magical traits would be awesome!
She’s such an interesting protagonist. She’s vain, and often stern, and yet Jane and Michael (and the twins) love her.
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As much as I’d love to be able to talk to my darling dog Elsa, I would have to pick the carpet bag because of my spinal condition; my life would be 100% different. Plus, my relationship with my dear Elsa is incredible already so there’s no need to change that!
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I know, right! My back would love for me to have that carpet bag.
And it sounds like you and your dog already understand one another perfectly! 🙂
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Will you allow me to use the picture of the umbrella in one of my future blog posts?
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No problem. As long as it’s not for commercial use (i.e. like an ad, or if you’re selling a print of it). And as long as you credit me, Maria Antonia, as the photographer.
It’s a cool umbrella, isn’t it? 🙂
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Thank you so much! I will credit you as the photographer and it is not for commercial use, only for a blogpost! Thank you again 🙂
It’s the coolest umbrella in the world as far as I am concerned but I’m partial 😉
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The magic carpet bag would be a life changer. Sometimes I have to pick and choose what items I can bring to work because not everything I’d like to bring will fit in a bag!
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Yes, definitely. I really would like that bag 🙂
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I’d go with the bag, for sure. It would make life so much easier! I’m also hoping, as it can hold that much, there’d be a little bit of magic to keep it organized too :). But, if I had to go with a second choice (as this is clearly the most popular!) it would be talking to and understanding animals! I think it would be as fun as it would be practical,
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Yeah, I agree. If they ran out of Mary Poppins’ bags, I’d go for the speaking to animals, too. 🙂
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I loved Mary Poppins when I was a kid. If I could choose one of her abilities, I’d prefer a carpet bag, too. An opportunity to put anything into a bag and carry it with you all the time looks alluring.
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I wish they’d invent a real Mary Poppins bag! 🙂
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Great umbrella photo! I’d like the bag. When we had cats I alway knew what they were saying – “Feed me, underling.”
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Thanks!
Wouldn’t it be great if they could market that bag? (And yes, cats are pretty much like that!)
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🙂
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