The Magic Doctor
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Cover Story
Through star filled skies on Christmas Eve Kay Harker, in a sleigh pulled by eight unicorns and driven by Herne the Hunter, returns in triumph to Tatchester. The illustration on the cover of this issue of BfK is by Faith Jaques and is taken from The Box of Delights, a newly illustrated edition of John Masefield's classic children's book, abridged by Patricia Crampton and published by Heinemann, 0 434 95052 1, £7.95. A paperback edition (without colour plates) is available from Fontana Lion (0 00 572415 9, £1.50). We are grateful to Heinemann and Fontana for help in using this illustration.
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Send to friendThe Magic Doctor
When a poor boot maker visits the doctor to get some medicine for his wife and sees how easily the doctor earns his living, he decides to becomes a doctor too. Before long the magic Doctor, for so he is known, becomes rich and famous; but his reputation nearly results in his losing his head and he needs all his cunning and a great deal of luck to save himself. This lively tale, based on a traditional Hungarian story, is matched by the droll humour of Val Biro's illustrations. However, the telling could have been improved by rather more judicious editing of the text which in places does not read aloud well and will certainly present problems to some children tackling the book for themselves.
