INTRODUCTION

Pollyanna must be one of the best-loved stories for children of all time; there is something about it that instantly captures your imagination and becomes an inspiration for years to come. Children and adults alike can identify with Pollyanna and sympathize with the little orphan who suddenly finds herself landed in the strange Harrington household. Everyone revels in the wonderful transformation which Pollyanna produces in her lonely aunt, Polly Harrington; the stuffy old town full of miserable people; cantankerous, bed-ridden Mrs. Snow; and mean old Mr. John Pendleton, not to mention her faithful friend, the orphaned rascal Jimmy Bean. Pollyanna's positive approach to life, or as she calls it, "The Glad Game", her sense of humour, directness, and courage make her an unforgettable character, and the change she brings about in the town is really miraculous. I was lucky enough to play the part of Pollyanna in Walt Disney's film and it has always been one of my favourite roles. I was thirteen years old at the time and the experience made a considerable impresion on me. Pollyanna's philosophy has always stuck in my memory and there have been many times when I've played "The Glad Game", and found that it works. As Pollyanna said, quoting Abraham Lincoln, "When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will." Equally so, when you look for the good in mankind . . . What a joy is waiting between the pages of this book for those who haven't read the story before -- you'll never be quite the same again. Hayley Mills