Five Children and It Read online

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  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