Five Children and It

Produced by Jason Isbell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Library of Congress)

[Illustration: The Psammead]

FIVE CHILDREN AND IT

BY E. NESBIT

AUTHOR OF "THE TREASURE-SEEKERS," "THE WOULD-BE-GOODS," ETC.

_ILLUSTRATED_

[Illustration]

NEW YORK DODD, MEAD & COMPANY

1905

COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY DODD, 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 the title 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