Pantomime as Pantalone; and "zanni" (servants) such as Arlecchino, Colombina, Scaramouche and Pierrot. Italian masque performances in the 17th century sometimes included the Harlequin character. In the 17th century, adaptations of the commedia characters became familiar in English entertainments. From these, the standard English harlequinade developed, depicting the eloping lovers Harlequin and Columbine, pursued by the girl's father Pantaloon and his comic servants Clown and Pierrot. In English versions, by the 18th century, Harlequin became the central figure and romantic lead. The basic plot of the harlequinade remained essentially the same for more than 150 years, except that a bumbling policeman
Noddy (character) Noddy (character) Noddy is a fictional character created by English children's author Enid Blyton, originally published between 1949 and 1963. Noddy was illustrated by the Dutch artist Eelco Martinus ten Harmsen van der Beek from 1949 until his death in 1953, after which the work was continued by Peter Wienk. Television shows based on the character have run on British television since 1955 and continue to appear to this day. The first book explains Noddy's origins. He was made by a woodcarver in a toy store but ran away after the man began to make a wooden lion, which scared