I am currently performing my annual reading of The Halloween Tree with my daughter for the fifth year, and I (finally) noticed a continuity problem that I wondered if anybody else had noticed.

In chapter 5 (near the end), there is reference made to a "Devil Boy", who wonders aloud why he is dressed the way he is. I can't recall any other reference to the Devil Boy throughout the rest of the story.

Has anybody else noticed this, or has there ever been any kind of comment made?

I realize this is a picky question, and only several readings would reveal this to me, but I'm curious nonetheless.

Thanks!
Chris

Yes, it's been noted in another discussion that there should be eight boys and eight costumes--as I remember, gorilla, ghost, hobo, "Mr. Death," skeleton, mummy, and witch were seven of them. Was the devil the eighth, or was there another--gargoyle, maybe? The "devil boy" turned up in an illustration (perhaps a cover done by a different artist than the interior pictures.) This is similar to a continuity problem in Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" stories. Anyone familiar with "Ramona the Pest" knows that Ramona went to her Kindergarten class parade as "the baddest witch in the world." Yet readers of "Henry and the Clubhouse" will note that Ramona trick-or-treated in a devil costume, ALSO in her Kindergarten year! "Ramona the Pest" ends with the parade (around noon/early afternoon on Halloween) while in "Henry and the Clubhouse" Henry sees Ramona later on, closer to dark or trick-or-treat time. Did some accident befall the witch costume in the intervening hours, causing Ramona to switch to the devil costume? Or does this mysterious devil costume simply insinuate itself into certain stories? Where will it turn up next? Also see the thread with the excerpt of the Ray Bradbury and Chuck Jones interview, in which Bradbury discusses his reasons for writing "The Halloween Tree."

Dandelion-

Thanks! I thought I recalled reading that in a thread somewhere, but it didn't click until now.

Also, you were correct - the eighth costume is a gargoyle.