Classic Characters You May Not Remember From Children’s Literature -The Toast

How many of these characters can you recall? You see, they all remember you.

Agatha “Sister Night-Wind” Brimlap, Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins’ elder sister who lives in the coal-cellar and visits the children when they are asleep. She visited you, too. Don’t you remember? She keeps all the things the wind carries away. She’s very tidy, Agatha Brimlap, and you’ve misplaced ever so many things. What’s that? Why, the West Wind can’t carry Miss Agatha away. Nothing can. She’s as heavy as a lie and unyielding as a shadow. Can’t move a shadow. Did you ever wonder where things go when they get forgotten? As soon as you forget them, Sister Agatha learns what they are. Sister Agatha’s always learning things, and you’re never too grown-up to get a visit from her.

The Fox-Eyed Man, The Little Prince
Have you ever seen the man with fox-colored eyes? What is essential is not invisible to him. You might not remember him because he was never written or drawn onto the page, but he was there just the same.

The Princess of Nothing, The Phantom Tollbooth
The black-eyed sister to Princesses Rhyme and Reason who lives under the stairs of the Castle in the Air and latches on to Milo’s ankles as he runs away from the Terrible Trivium. She has never let go, of him or of anything.

No-Eyes, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
No-Eyes, No-Eyes, what do you see?

“Nothing and no one! Nothing and no one! Nothing and no one! You!”

The Attic Girl, A Little Princess
“When you will not fly into a passion people know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in your rage, and they are not, and they say stupid things they wish they hadn’t said afterward. There’s nothing so strong as rage, except what makes you hold it in–that’s stronger. It’s a good thing not to answer your enemies.” In the attic at Miss Minchin’s is a girl littler than all the others. She is as thin as hunger and as raw as want. She never has rages. She never makes a sound above a whisper. The Attic Girl holds in all things and is held in by all things. What will Miss Minchin do when they are the only two left in the house?

Mrs. Helpheart, A Wrinkle In Time
Mrs Helpheart, older than Mrs Whatsit, older than IT, lives in the heart of the tesseract. Meg saw her once, and now she sees her whenever she closes her eyes to sleep. Charles Wallace closed his eyes so he wouldn’t see her, and now he can’t open them. Mrs Helpheart knows about the darkness that existed before Camazotz, the darkness that will come again.

Margaret, The Little House On The Prairie
They buried Margaret in what Ma would normally have called unseemly haste. “Get the body in the ground, Pa,” she whispered, her mouth tight. “Get it in the ground.”

Nail-Hands Sarah, Harry Potter
Harry left her under the stairs! Harry left her under the stairs! Harry got his letter out, and what did Sarah get? Nothing, and no one! Nothing, and no one! Nothing, and no one! Nail-Hands Sarah only wants her due, and Harry’s had her share of things for too long! Harry left! Harry left, and never came back! That cupboard was cramped and you left her alone! You left, Harry! Harry, you left! Harry! Harry! Come back and look at me!

Shadow Gretl, Heidi
The girl who lives in Heidi’s shadow and giggles madly with every word that Heidi says! She follows Heidi wherever she goes! In the winter, on the mountains, when the shadows get long very soon in the day, she comes earlier and earlier! Heidi cannot shake her, and now she never tries!

Mother, Encyclopedia Brown
Encyclopedia’s Mother is always very ill. When her door is closed, he may run about and read books and answer questions and see other children and talk to Sally. When her door is open – Oh Encyclopedia! How you hush and skulk about! What if Mother hears? What if Mother calls for you? Her voice is so tired! Her voice is so tiresome! Her door is open, and she can see and hear you! Where will you go, Encyclopedia?