by E. Nesbit
Produced by Jason Isbell and the Online DistributedProofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file wasproduced from images generously made available by theLibrary of Congress)
The Psammead]
FIVE CHILDREN AND IT
BYE. NESBIT
AUTHOR OF "THE TREASURE-SEEKERS,""THE WOULD-BE-GOODS," ETC.
_ILLUSTRATED_
NEW YORKDODD, MEAD & COMPANY
1905
COPYRIGHT, 1905, BYDODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
_Published October, 1905_
_TO_
JOHN BLAND
_My Lamb, you are so very small, You have not learned to read at all; Yet never a printed book withstands The urgence of your dimpled hands. So, though this book is for yourself, Let mother keep it on the shelf Till you can read. O days that pass, That day will come too soon, alas!_
NOTE
Parts of this story have appeared in the _Strand Magazine_ under thetitle of
"THE PSAMMEAD."
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I BEAUTIFUL AS THE DAY 1
II GOLDEN GUINEAS 36
III BEING WANTED 70
IV WINGS 108
V NO WINGS 141
VI A CASTLE AND NO DINNER 159
VII A SIEGE AND BED 183
VIII BIGGER THAN THE BAKER'S BOY 203
IX GROWN UP 236
X SCALPS 261
XI THE LAST WISH 287
ILLUSTRATIONS
The Psammead _Frontispiece_
That First Glorious Rush Round the Garden _Facing page_ 2
Cyril Had Nipped His Finger in the Door of a Hutch " " 4
Anthea Suddenly Screamed, "It's Alive!" " " 12
The Baby Did Not Know Them! " " 28
Martha Emptied a Toilet-jug of Cold Water Over Him " " 32
The Rain Fell in Slow Drops on to Anthea's Face " " 36
He Staggered, and Had to Sit Down Again in a Hurry " " 50
Mr. Beale Snatched the Coin, Bit It, and Put It in His Pocket " " 58
They Had Run Into Martha and the Baby " " 64
He Said, "Now Then!" to the Policeman and Mr. Peasemarsh " " 66
The Lucky Children Hurriedly Started for the Gravel Pit " " 78
"Poof, poof, poofy," He Said, and Made a Grab " " 86
At Double-quick Time Ran the Twinkling Legs of the Lamb's Brothers and Sisters " " 88
The Next Minute the Two Were Fighting " " 90
He Snatched the Baby from Anthea " " 94
He Consented to Let the Two Gypsy Women Feed Him " " 98
The Sand-fairy Blew Himself Out " " 122
They Flew Over Rochester " " 126
The Farmer Sat Down on the Grass, Suddenly and Heavily " " 128
Everyone Now Turned Out His Pockets " " 132
These Were the Necessaries of Life " " 134
The Children Were Fast Asleep " " 138
The Keeper Spoke Deep-Chested Words through the Keyhole " " 150
There the Castle Stood, Black and Stately " " 164
Robert Was Dragged Forthwith--by the Reluctant Ear " " 166
He Wiped Away a Manly Tear " " 168
"Oh, Do, Do, Do, _Do_!" Said Robert " " 174
The Man Fell with a Splash Into the Moat-water " " 196
Anthea Tilted the Pot over the Nearest Leadhole " " 198
He Pulled Robert's Hair " " 210
"The Sammyadd's Done Us Again," Said Cyril " " 214
He Lifted Up the Baker's Boy and Set Him on Top of the Haystack " " 216
It Was a Strange Sensation Being Wheeled in a Pony-carriage by a Giant " " 220
When the Girl Came Out She Was Pale and Trembling " " 228
"When Your Time's Up Come to Me" " " 230
He Opened the Case and Used the Whole Thing as a Garden Spade " " 238
She Did It Gently by Tickling His Nose with a Twig of Honeysuckle " " 244
There, Sure Enough, Stood a Bicycle " " 248
The Punctured State of It Was Soon Evident " " 250
The Grown-up Lamb Struggled " " 258
She Broke Open the Missionary Box with the Poker " " 266
"Ye Seek a Pow-wow?" He Said " " 278
Bright Knives Were Being Brandished All about Them " " 284
She Was Clasped in Eight Loving Arms " " 294
"We Found a Fairy," Said Jane, Obediently " " 298
It Burrowed, and Disappeared, Scratching Fiercely to the Last " " 308
