Five Children and It

isfortune - so you must not blame her. She only thought she was doing her duty. You know grown-up people often say they do not like to puni

h as they hated to be punished. For one thing, she knew what a no

s knocked off some of these days, if I don't put my foot down. You make them a cake for tea to-morrow, dear. And we'll have Baby along of us soon as we've got a bit fo

Kent when they mean

as the day's wish. He had no difficulty in finding the Sand-fairy, for the day was already so hot that it had actually, for the first time, come out of its

een looking out for you. Where are the rest of you?

hes always do. So the others are kept indoors, and I was only let out for

s head but little things for himself, like toffee, a foreign stamp album, or a clasp- knife with three blades and a corkscrew. He sat down to think better, but it was no use. He cou

st, 'you'd better hurry up with

for. I wish you could give one of the others their wish w

ts proper size, and now it collapsed like a pricked bubble, and with a deep s

ly hard - but I did it. Run along home, or they're s

ulty from the beginning. So few things are amusing indoors when the sun is shining outside and you mayn't go out, however much you want to. Robert was running as fast as he could, but when he turned the corner that ought to have brought him within sight of the architect's nightmare - the ornamental iron-work on the top of the house - he opened his eyes so wide that he had to drop into a walk; for you cannot run with your eyes wide open. Then suddenly he stopped short, for there was no house to be seen. The front-garden railings were gone too, and where th

shed for a castle, and it's being besieged! It's just like

ottle of 'Combined Toning and Fixing Solution' into the drawer where they were. Robert waved back, and immediately felt that he had been unwise. For his signal had been seen by the besieging force, and two men in steel-caps were coming towards him. They had high brown boots on their lon

said one, 'a br

ked in historical romances for the young, he knew, and it was evidently not meant for rudeness. He only hoped he would be able to und

id the other. 'Some outla

hat brings t

then, youngster, what are you

ase, I want

and nought lets us to follow. Zooks!' he added in a cautious u

g knave?' inquired the man

directly he had said it he knew

oined the longest boo

atter for o

t was dragged forthwith

hield was thirteenth-century, while the sword was of the pattern used in the Peninsular War. The cuirass was of the time of Charles I, and the helmet dated from the Second Crusade. The arms on the shield were very grand - three red running lions on a blue ground. The tents were of the latest brand and the whole appearance of camp, army, and leader

a few low eager words. And he took off his helmet, because he could not see properly with it o

'scathe' was, and if it was nastier than t

aid the leader kindly. 'Whence com

t?' sai

ou wanderest here alone among these rough men-at-arms? Poor chi

d Robert; 'you see, she

exactly as a leader in a historica

my child; thou hast nought t

chester, or the clergyman of yesterday, the true tale of the wishes and the Psammead. The only difficulty was that he knew he could never remember enough 'quothas' and 'beshrew me's', and things

hope you're not in a hurry, because the story's rather a breather. Father and mo

y! A Sammyadd?'

t's it, an enchanter; and he said we could have a w

at-arms, looking at Robert, who went on as if he had no

e couldn't spend it. And yesterday we wished for wings, a

e and uncouth,' said

words - what

contented with our lot - that's what I mean

fix? A fr

ray. A - a -

hful fettered limbs!' said th

shed by not being allowed to go out. That's where I live,' - he pointed to the castle. 'The others are in there, an

enchanter

might and m

t have lent strength to the besieging party,' said the gallant leader; 'but know th

- you wouldn't, you know. But, all the same, it's partly his fault, but we'

aughtily. 'Thy speech is dark, and eke s

t all. You're only here because the others must have been idiots enough to wish fo

n sterner, as the longest-booted man said, 'Beware, noble my lord; the urchi

ps not so much - only, I was an idiot to think you'd unders

believed all the enchanter story till it came to

.' Robert pointe

news of su

ea; 'then let me go somewhere else.' His mind sought

to - to keep a chap - I mean one who has done him no hurt - when

added thoughtfully. 'Go where thou wilt,' he added nobly, 'thou art free. Wulfric de Talbot warreth not with babes, and Jakin here shal

nner, and set off running to the sand-p

ry. He dug it up

t to give him

it grumbled, 'and one was as sti

on with an expression of open-mouthed horror at the strang

napped the Psammead,

the siege away. Of course he knew they had all come out of a wish, but swords and daggers and pikes and lances seemed much to

y said. 'How awfully jolly of you

erstood that was

told us. Suppose we'd w

w much sillier could you have been, I'd like t

. But they praised his courage and cleverness so much that he presently got back his lo

or you. We're going to shoot at them through these little loopholes w

ite, quite real. It's not just a - a picture, or a vision, or anything; they can hurt us - or kill us even, I shouldn't wonder. I can feel my ear all sore still. Look here - have you explored the castle? Because I think we'd

ed to go upside down, and,when it came straight we looked out of the window, and saw the camp and things

barred. There was a window in a little room at the bottom of the round turret up which the stair wound, rather larger than the other windows, and looking through it they saw that the drawbridge was up and the portcullis down; the moat looked very wide and d

ok was stooping down and moving her hands, also in a very curious way. But. the oddest and at the same time mo

reaching out her arms to take him, Martha said cr

he DOING?'

s gold, a precious, watching me doing of the ironi

visible fire with an unseen poker - the cook seemed

u won't get no dinner if you come a-hindering of me like this. C

mb's all right?' as

him. I thought you'd like to be rid of him for to-day

r even suspended in mid-air in an invisible kitchen than in the guardroom of a besieged castle. They went thr

e together; and Jane added, 'I f

don't like it. I wish we'd wished for something pl

NOW,' said Robert bit

a sec; I wa

of. There were wooden tables along it, and one across at the end of the room, on a sort of raised platform. T

up suddenl

t to. So of course they don't notice the castle or anything. But then the castle is on the same place where our house was - is, I mean - and the servants have to go on being in the house, or else they

that's all - because if it's invisible it'll be unfeelable as well, and then we can't eat it! I KNOW it will, because I tried to feel if I could feel the

d Anthea. 'Let's go on exploring. Pe

you can possibly imagine, and furnished in the most complete and beautiful manner, neither food nor men-at-arms were to be found

know,' said Anthea. 'I should think

ng-room of the invisible house was. Presently they saw Martha carrying an invisible tray across the courtyard, for it seemed that, by the most fortunate accident, the

g of mutton and serving invisible greens and potatoes with a spoon that no one could see.

d Robert, who had not till now bee

aid Anthea, trying to make

elt ostentatiously. J