Whistle Down the Wind was a novella written by Mary Hayley Bell

Mary Hayley Bell

Mary Hayley Bell, Lady Mills was an English actress, writer and dramatist.Mary Hayley Bell was born in Shanghai, China, where her father served in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, and the family later moved to Tianjin . It was there that she first met John Mills, although exactly when is not...

. It was published in 1959 by Boardman and retailed for 12 shillings and sixpence. The central characters are three children — Swallow, Brat and Poor Baby. The story of the Great Secret is told by Brat.

The story was filmed as the successful movie, Whistle Down the Wind

Whistle Down the Wind (film)

Whistle Down the Wind is a 1961 British film, directed by Bryan Forbes, screenplay by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, from the novel by Mary Hayley Bell.-Plot:...

, starring the author's daughter, Hayley Mills

Hayley Mills

Hayley Mills is an English actress. The daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay , the Academy Juvenile Award...

.