Five Children and It

mind when he happened to wake early on the morning after the morning after Robert had wished to be bigger than the baker's boy, and

once done, and ran through the dewy morning to the sand-pit. He dug up the Psammead very carefully and kindly, and began the conversation by asking it whet

something for yourself, something your brothers and sisters aren't to know about eh? Now,

'What I really wanted to say was - you know how you're a

,' said the Ps

on't you let us have our wish just when we think of it, and just where we happen t

castle,' said the Psammead, stretching its brown arms and yawning. 'It's always the same sin

' said Cyr

ng snail's eyes - 'I'm getting tired of you - all of you. You have no

had failed to wash the mould from the works and make the watch go again. Cyril had said several things in the heat of the moment; but now he was calmer, and had even consented to carry the Lamb part of the way to the woods. Cyril had persuaded the others to agree to his plan, and not to w

aid Anthea. 'Does

or vocabulary gave out here. But anyway it was the longest speech the Lamb had ever made, and it charmed e

chestnut-leaves. But at that moment the Lamb, struggling gaily with Cyril, thrust a stoutly-shod little foot against his brother's chest;

he Lamb down on the grass. 'I daresay he will when

t was too late - like music to a song her words and Cyril's came

as not so sudden as the wish-changes usually were. The Baby's face changed first. It grew thinner and larger, lines came in the forehead, the eyes grew more deep-set and darker in colour, the mouth g

the spectacle of a very proper-looking young man in flannels and a straw hat - a young man who wore the same little black moustache which just before they had actually seen growing upon the Baby's lip. This, then, was the Lamb - grown up! Their own Lamb! It was a terrible moment. The grown-up Lamb moved gracefully across the moss and settled himself against the

urried council held among the yellowing bracke

stand our looking after him; and if he's still a baby inside of him how on earth are we to get him to d

dn't have half enough dinner yesterday. Couldn't we tie him to

the same if we go back with him in the state he is now. Yes, I know it's my doing; don't rub it in! I know I'm a beast,

chester or Maidstone and get some grub a

you've got your work cut out for you if you try to take that young man anywhere. The Lamb alw

s HE'LL take us to Maidstone and stand Sam. He ought to have a lot of mone

of bracken. It fell to jane's

a twig of wild honeysuckle. He said 'Bother

d tone, 'still here? What's the giddy

all,' said Ro

home,' said th

ur grub, thoug

hink? I've a sort of notion that I'll run u

o have tea there. Perhaps sunset would come upon him amid the dazzling luxury of club-land, and a helpless cross sleepy baby would find itself al

ou mustn't do that!'

my name is Hilary or St Maur or Devereux? - any of my baptismal names are free to my

he? Well, of course he was, if he was grown up - sin

ing from the Psammead wishes were maki

r didn't wish you to go to London. He wouldn't like us to be left alone withou

ot behave as such and take us over to Maidstone and give us

efer solitude. Go home to your lunch - I mean your dinner. Perhaps I may loo

glances flashed betwe

be for them if they

a

t of you if we took you out,'Jane sa

her, 'little girls should be seen and not heard. You kids must learn not to make yourselves a nu

is command, 'where are you going, old man? You might let Bo

did care much about being seen in public with the La

o man' ton

ttle black moustache. 'I can lunch at The Crown - and perhaps I'll have a pull on the river

oad. There, sure enough, stood a bicycle - a beautiful new free-wheel. Of course Robert understood at once that if the Lamb was grown up he MUST have a bicycle. This had always been one of Robert's own reasons for wishing to be grown up. He hastily began to use the pin - eleven punctures in the back

obert, wondering how he could

is,' sa

, and standing up again with a thorn which sh

ust now call him) fixed his pump and blew up the

ewhere near - where one could ge

Robert when he was a giant - for the Lamb, it appeared, had unfortunately no money about him. This was a great disappointment for the others; but it is a thing that will happen, even to the most grown-up of us. However, Robert had enough to eat, and that was something. Quietly but persistently the

ed rather dirty, because, earlier in the day, the Lamb, in his infant state, had sprinkled a good deal of garden soil over them. The grown-up Lamb's voice was so tyrant-like, as Jane said afterwa

he children could not hear what she said, though they were craning round the corner by the pig-pail and listening wi

guid voice heavy with polite

'Can I not be of any assistan

he pig-pail - the grown-up Lamb (otherwise Devereu

Lamb. She looked rather shy, but, as the boys put

ht he'd had enough bicycle-mending for one day - and if she only kn

ple only let him alone. It's our own precious Lamb still,

tfully su

he had been a chubby child of two years breaking other people's Waterbury watches. Devereux (as he ought to be called for the future) took out a gold watch when he had mended the lady's bicycle, and all the onlookers behind the pig-pail

ers and sisters with a glance, and then said to th

, I will ride with yo

ng late, and there

e, she rushed out, knocking against the pig-pail, which overflowed in a turbid stream, and caught the Lamb (I suppose I ou

dy, and she spoke with intense earnest

ur (as we will now call him) in a

now reckless Anthea went on. 'He doesn't know who he is.

ux (as I must term the grown-up Lamb) tried vainly to push Anthe

How would you like to suddenly see a poor little helpless baby spinning alo

ad turned

' she asked the grown-up Lamb (some

ow,' he lie

isters,' she explained, turning to the lady, who with trembling hands was now turning her bicycle towards the gate, 'and we've got to take care of him. An

oper explanation was possible. The lady rode hastily away, and electrified her relatives at dinner by telling them of her escape from a f

izzed away down the roa

tell you the things you've said when you are yourself again, say to- morrow morning, you wouldn't even understand them - let alone believe th

really one of his Christian names)

said bitterly, 'I suppose I HAD better take you home. But you're not to suppose I

r her breath, 'but it won't be at all the

b - so different from the affected tones of the dreadful grown-up Lamb (one of w

gloomy party that went home through the soft evening. During Anthea's remarks Robert had again made play with the pin and the bicycle tyre and the L

e lane till the complete sunsetting turned the grown-up Lamb (whose Christian names I will not further weary you by repeating) into the

dren. Therefore Martha merely saw the usual party, with the baby Lamb, about whom she had been desperately anxious all the afternoon, trotting beside Anthea on fat baby le

Martha, then - a

hat picture. The neat grey-flannel-suited grown-up young man with the green tie and the little black moustache - fortunately, he was slightly built, and not tall - struggling in the sturdy arms of Martha, who bore him away helpless, imploring him, as she went, to be a good b

old enough to be bullied, we must jolly well begin to bully

' said Anthea stoutly;

him by kindnes

lenty of time to correct him as he goes along. The awful thing to-day w

voice of the Lamb came cooing through the open door,

- wants to com