The Story of the Amulet

had not received in a proper spirit, had wished that the servants might not notice the gifts which the Psammead gave. And when they parted from the Psam

t be noticed by the servants. And it was soon plain that in the Psammead's opinion old Nurse was still a servant, although she had now a house of her own, for she

fast with hot rolls to it, a luxury quite out of the common w

ed and sho

most unwholesomely,' it said, 'you

our,' said Anthea. 'Com

ing out its long eyes suddenly, 'we'd better begin as we mean to go on

e others. They'll think it most awfully sneakish of me t

ve remembered how glad it had been to jump into those same little arms onl

d it downstairs. It was welcomed in a thrill

Psammead, shooting its eyes ou

-room, of cours

like it,' said

you want us to. What was it you were going to say upstairs when I sai

nly at her, a

ite natural that you should like your brothers and sis

hea was quite right. What was it you w

You've saved my life-and I'm not ungrateful-but it doesn't change your nature or mine. You're

Anthea was beginning

you think what you've done is to give you the right to pet me or make me demean myself by playing with yo

il, 'it always was

d all of you with-but I don't wish to be offensive. Do you want me to tell you how I got into that hor

t even with all your cleverness, I don't believe you can pos

eted in their chairs. Robert spo

So it sat up on the green

and slept. I was tired out with all your silly wishes, and

?' Jane

You go to bed.

mention of bed ma

ead rabbit. And he took me to his house and put me out of the bag into a basket with holes that I could see through. And I bit him again. And then he brought me to this city, whi

ere isn't any. Father's gone to Manchuria, and Mother and The Lamb have gone to Madei

iry began to blow itself out,

d; 'I can't give y

call in old Nurse and get her to say SHE wi

same as your wishing yourself if you get so

y-with the man in th

m to wish, and you didn't know what would happen if

I've been thinking about it ever since we saved your life yesterday. I thought you

e began

it always upsets me if you cry. I can't feel safe a mo

sier said

so-the first one, I mean-went into a shop to ask how much something cost-I think he said it was a concertina-and while he was telling the man in the shop how muc

Psammead. Then Cyril coughed awkwardly and took

row or other, and we used to think you wouldn't have been pleased if they hadn't. Now, about this charm-we haven't got over and above

es, and of course they turned out badly, in a sort of way, because you hadn't the sense to wish for what was good for you. But this charm's quite d

mes home-unless he sends us some in a letter. But we DO trust you. And I say all of you,' she went on, 'don't you think it's worth sp

e Psammead; 'I'll go back to sand a

'We are quite mind made-up-don't you see we a

Psammead; 'how else wo

Farringdon Market with two pounds of filleted plaice in it. Now it contained about thre

t of The Lamb,' Robert s

top of the basket every now and then, and

w?' asked Robert. 'I can

d sharply, 'No-I don

ngs in a red lacquered basin. There were officers' epaulets and doctors' lancets. There were tea-caddies inlaid with red turtle-shell and brass curly-wurlies, plates of different kinds of money, and stacks of different kinds of plates. There was a beautif

out of the fish-basket to look

y there with r

much that they were as long and thin as new slate-pencils. Its fur bristl

t blue and yellow buckle, you can see a

s, that's it,' said the Psammead. 'Now, you do just as you did before. Ask the price of other things. That blue buckle would do

ge, dirty, short-fingered hand with a very big diamond ring came stretching thro

d to them that she had had time-if she had had money-to buy everything in the shop before the moment cam

ing omitted.] and it was made of

give the others a glimpse of it. 'Do let's get home. We ca

erful could happen so near the Tottenham Court Road. But the Psammead was there-and it in itself was wonderful. And it could talk-and it had shown them where a charm could be bought that would make the owner of it perfectly happy. So the four children hu

hot indeed, and set the Psam

en!' sa

d fetched for it, for it was quite faint. W

reen table-cover. The Psammead shot out his long eyes to look

s only half

s indee

knew it was not her fault. 'There should be another piece,' sa

It cost seven-and-six.'-'Oh, bother, bother, bother!'-'Don't be

wretched silenc

shall

ammead. 'I'll go to sand till you come back. Cheer up! Even the bit you've go

the other three went to dinner, which was now ready. An

em to see his face there was something about the slouch of his shoulders and set of his knickerbocker

hoping against hope o

y curios if they didn't know anything about arky-something or other, and that he never went back on a bargain, because it w

that Cyril wa

lead on everyone's spirits. Cyril had his dinner, and just as he was swallowing the last mouthf

worse. Only you won't be surprised if you have a few adventure

eral reply. 'And we d

listen with all your ears. Eight, are there? Right-I am glad you know arithmet

the hearth-rug-a sudden cold pain caught at Anthea's heart. Father-Mother-the darling Lamb-all far away. Then a warm, comfortable feeling flowed through her. The Psam

-looking. Still, you've saved my life-oh, when I think of that man and his pail of water!-so I'll tell you all I know.

o! Do!' sa

he waters flow, and the trees bear fruit, and the little new beautiful babies come. (Not that babies ARE beautiful, of course,' it

rt y

mmead w

d temper, pride, disagreeableness, greediness, selfishness, laziness. Evil spirits, pe

children, quite w

ve you strengt

etter,' s

vir

have that,' said Jane, b

ve you your he

talking,'

the Psammead tartly, 'so

s good enough for

an do. There's something that the half we've got can win off it

e power to take you anywhere you

lliant prospect t

know wher

head and answered, 'I d

yo

N

k for a needle in a bottle of hay. Yes-it

ink you know everything, but you are quite mistak

uldn't, for in spite of the parlour furniture the feeling of magic was growing

can. I suppose

e was rather hurt

on the part of the charm that you've got. And as soon as you say the

The red charm was pas

me on it,' sai

d the Psammead;

reading. It looks like pictures

on the charm: [Hie

Psammead; 'if you can't read you mus

's called a priest in the prayer-book, you know-but he only knows

tamped a furry

many stone images. Not so much, if I'm to tell the truth. Is there no

stone images in his room, and iron-looking ones too-we peeped in once when he was out. Old Nu

charm will be of no use. Bind him first with the chains of honour and upright dealing. And then ask his aid-oh, y

s was Anthea's idea-and went up to knock at the door of the 'poor learned