Five Children And It Chapter 11: Bedtime Story

Hello beloveds,

Welcome to today's reading of Edith Nesbit's Five Children and It as we continue our adventures with chapter 11, our final chapter.

Five Children and It is a delightful story about 5 siblings who find themselves in the English countryside in summertime. Whilst out exploring one day they discover a sand fairy who has the ability to grant them wishes.

Let's see how the story ends shall we?

Have a beautiful day.

Transcript

Hello dear ones and welcome to today's reading of the five children and it by Edith Nesbitt.

This is our final chapter of the story so make yourselves comfortable and get ready to go on the final adventure with the children and it.

Chapter 11 The Last Wish Of course you who see above that this is the 11th and last chapter know very well that the day of which this chapter tells must be the last on which Cyril,

Anthea,

Robert and Jane will have a chance of getting anything out of the Samoyed or Sand Fairy.

But the children themselves did not know this.

They were full of rosy visions and whereas on the other days they had often found it extremely difficult to think of anything really nice to wish for,

Their brains were now full of the most beautiful and sensible ideas.

This,

As Jane remarked afterwards,

Is always the way.

Everyone was up extra early that morning and these plans were hopefully discussed in the garden before breakfast.

The old idea of 100 pounds in modern florins was still first favourite but there were others that ran it close.

The chief of these being the pony each idea.

This had a great advantage.

You could wish for a pony each during the morning,

Ride it all day,

Have it vanish at sunset and wish it back again the next day.

But at breakfast two things happened.

First there was a letter from mother.

Granny was better and mother and father hoped to be home that very afternoon.

A cheer arose among the children and of course this news at once scattered all the before breakfast wish ideas.

For everyone saw quite plainly that the wish of the day must be something to please mother and not to please themselves.

I wonder what she would like,

Pondered Cyril.

She'd like us all to be good,

Said Jane primly.

Yes but that's so dull for us,

Cyril rejoined.

And besides I should hope we could be that without sand fairies to help us.

No,

It must be something splendid that we couldn't possibly get without wishing for it.

Look out,

Said Anthea in a warning voice.

Don't forget yesterday.

Remember we get our wishes now just wherever we happen to be when we say I wish.

Don't let's let ourselves in for anything silly today of all days.

All right,

Said Cyril.

You needn't talk so much.

Just then Martha came in with a jug full of hot water for the teapot and a face full of importance for the children.

A blessing we're alive to eat our breakfast,

She said.

What's happened,

Everybody asked.

Oh nothing,

Said Martha.

Only it seems nobody's safe from being murdered in their beds nowadays.

Why has anyone been murdered in their beds,

Said Jane.

Well not exactly,

Said Martha,

But they might just as well be.

There's been burglars over at Peacemarsh Place,

Beals just told me,

And they've took every single one of the lady's diamonds and her jewels and things.

And she's going out of one And she's going out of one fainting fit into another without hardly any time to say in between,

Oh my diamonds.

And the Lord's away in London.

Oh Lady Chittenden,

Said Anthea.

We've seen her.

She wears a red and white dress and she has no children of her own and can't abide other folkses.

That's her,

Said Martha.

Well she's put all her trust in riches and you see how she's served.

They say the diamonds and things were worth thousands of pounds.

There was a necklace and a river,

Whatever that is,

And no end of bracelets and so,

So many rings.

But there,

I mustn't stand talking when all places to be cleaned down before your Ma comes home.

I don't see why she should ever have had such a lot of diamonds,

Said Anthea,

When Martha had flounced off.

She was not at all a nice lady,

I thought.

A mother hasn't any diamonds and hardly any jewels.

When I'm grown up,

I'll buy mother no end of diamonds,

Said Robert,

If she wants them.

Wouldn't it be jolly,

Said Jane dreamily,

If mother could find all these lovely things.

Necklaces and rivers of diamonds and tiaras and everything in her room when she come home.

Oh I wish she would,

And the others gazed at her in horror.

Well,

Now she will,

Said Robert.

You've wished,

My good Jane,

And our only chance now is to find the Samoyed,

And if it's in good temper,

It may take back the wish and give us another.

If not,

Well,

Goodness knows what we're in for.

The police,

Of course.

And don't cry,

Silly,

We'll stand by you.

Father says we need never be afraid if we didn't do anything wrong and if we always speak the truth.

But Cyril and Anthea exchanged gloomy glances.

They remembered how convincing the truth about the Samoyed had been once before when they told it to the police.

It was a day of misfortunes.

Of course the Samoyed could not be found,

Nor the jewels,

Though every one of the children searched the mother's room again and again.

Of course,

Robert said,

We couldn't find them.

It'll be mother who'll do that.

Perhaps she'll think they've been in the house for years and years and never know that they are the stolen ones at all.

Oh yes,

Cyril was very scornful.

Then mother will be the receiver of stolen goods and you know jolly well what's worse than that.

Another search of the sandpit failed to reveal the Samoyed,

So the children went back to the house slowly and sadly.

I don't care,

Said Anthea.

We'll tell mother the truth and she'll give back the jewels and make everything all right.

Do you think so?

Said Cyril.

Do you think she'll believe us?

Could anyone believe about a Samoyed unless they had seen it?

She'll think we're pretending,

Or else she'll think we're raving mad and then we shall be sent to the madhouse.

How would you like that?

How would you like it to be shut up in an iron cage with bars and padded walls and nothing to do but stick straws in your hair all day and listen to the howlings and ravings of the other maniacs?

Make up your minds to it,

All of you.

It's no use telling mother.

But it's the truth,

Said Jane.

Of course it is,

But it's not true enough for grown-up people to believe it,

Said Anthea.

Cyril's right.

Let's put flowers in all the vases and try not to think about the diamonds.

After all,

Everything has to come right in the end.

So they filled all the pots that they could find with flowers,

Until the house was a perfect boa.

And almost as soon as dinner was cleared away,

Mother arrived and was clasped in eight loving arms.

It was very difficult indeed not to tell her all about the Samoyed at once,

Because they had got into the habit of telling her everything.

But they did manage to succeed in not telling her.

Mother,

On her side,

Had plenty to tell them about granny and granny's pigeons and auntie Emma's lame donkey.

She was very delighted with the floweriness of the house and everything seemed so natural and pleasant now that she was home again,

That the children almost thought they must have dreamed the Samoyed.

But when mother moved towards the stairs to go up to her bedroom and take off her bonnet,

The eight arms clung around her as if she only had two children,

One the lamb and the other an octopus.

Oh don't go up mummy darling,

Said Anthea,

Let me take your things up for you.

Oh I will,

Said Cyril.

We want you to come and look at the rose tree,

Said Robert.

Oh don't go up mummy,

Said Jane helplessly.

Nonsense dears,

Said mother briskly.

I'm not such an old woman yet that I can't take my bonnet off in the proper place.

Besides,

I must wash these black hands of mine.

So up she went and the children following her exchanged glances of gloomy foreboding.

Mother took off her bonnet.

It was a very pretty hat,

Really pretty,

With white roses in it and when she had taken it off she went to the dressing table to do her pretty hair.

On the table,

Between the ring stand and the pin cushion,

Lay a green leather case.

Mother opened it.

Oh how lovely,

She cried.

It was a ring,

A large pearl ring with shining many lighted diamonds set around it.

Wherever did this come from,

Mother asked,

Trying it on her wedding finger which it fitted beautifully.

However did it come here?

I don't know,

Said each of the children truthfully.

Father must have told Martha to put it here,

Mother said.

I'll run down now and ask her.

Oh let me look at it,

Said Anthea,

Who knew Martha would not be able to see the ring.

But when Martha was asked,

Of course she denied putting the ring there and so did Eliza and Cook.

Mother came back to her bedroom very much interested and pleased about the ring.

But when she opened the dressing table drawer and found a long case containing an almost priceless diamond necklace,

She was more interested still,

Though not so pleased.

In the wardrobe,

When she went to put away her bonnet,

She found a tiara and several brooches and the rest of the jewellery turned up in various parts of the room during the next half hour.

The children looked more and more uncomfortable and now Jane began to sniff.

Mother looked at her gravely.

Jane,

She said,

I am sure you know something about this.

Now think before you speak and tell me the truth.

We found a fairy,

Said Jane.

And no nonsense,

Jane,

Please,

Said her mother sharply.

Don't be silly,

Jane,

Cyril interrupted.

Then he went on desperately.

Look here,

Mother,

We've never seen the things before,

But Lady Chittenden at Peasmarsh Place lost all of her jewellery by a wicked burglar last night.

Could this possibly be it?

All drew a deep breath.

They were saved.

But how could they have put it here?

And why should they?

Asked mother,

Not unreasonably.

Surely it would have been easier and safer to make off with it.

Suppose,

Said Cyril,

They thought it better to wait for sunset,

Nightfall I mean,

Nightfall I mean,

Before they went off with it.

No one but us knew that you were coming back today.

Well,

I must send for the police at once,

Said mother.

Oh,

How I wish daddy were here.

Wouldn't it be better to wait until daddy comes,

Asked Robert,

Knowing that his father would not be home before sunset.

No,

No,

I can't wait a minute with all this on my mind.

They put all the jewellery in the wardrobe and mother locked it.

Then she called Martha.

Martha,

Has any stranger been into my room since I've been away?

Now answer me truthfully.

No,

Mum,

Answered Martha.

Lease ways,

What I mean to say,

She stopped.

Come,

Said her mistress,

Kindly.

I see someone has.

You must tell me at once,

Martha.

Don't be frightened.

I'm sure you haven't done anything wrong.

Martha burst into heavy sobs.

I was going to give you warning this very day,

Mum,

To leave at the end of my month,

So I was,

On account of me going to make a respectable young man happy,

A gamekeeper by trade he is,

Mum.

And I wouldn't deceive you of the name of Beal.

And it's as true as I stand here.

It was your coming home in such a hurry and with no warning given.

Out of the kindness of his heart it was,

Kindness of his heart it was,

As he says.

Martha,

My beauty,

He says,

Which I ain't and never was.

But you know how them men will go on.

I can't see you a-toiling and a-moiling and not lend a helping hand,

Which mine is a stronger arm than yours is,

Martha,

Me dear,

Said he.

And so he helped me cleaning the windows.

But outside,

Mum,

The old time,

And me inside,

If I never say another breathing word,

It's gospel truth.

And were you with him the whole time,

Asked her mistress.

I'm outside and me in I was,

Said Martha.

That will do,

Said the children's mother.

I am not pleased with you,

Martha,

But you have spoken the truth and that counts for something.

When Martha had gone,

The children clung round their mother.

Oh,

Mummy darling,

Cried Anthea.

It isn't Beals's fault.

It really isn't.

He's a dear and honourable and honest as the day.

Oh,

Don't let the police take him,

Mummy.

Oh,

Don't,

Don't,

Please.

It was truly awful.

Here was an innocent man accused of robbery through that silly wish of Jane's,

And it was absolutely useless to tell the truth.

All longed to,

But they thought of the straws in the hair and the shrieks of the other frantic maniacs,

And they could not do it.

Is there a cart about,

Asked the mother,

Feverishly.

A trap of any sort.

I must drive into Rochester and tell the police at once.

All the children sobbed.

There's a cart at the farm,

But oh,

Don't go.

Please,

Mummy,

Don't go.

Wait till daddy comes home.

Mother took not the faintest notice.

When she had set her mind on a thing,

She always went straight through with it.

She was rather like Anthea in this respect.

Look here,

Cyril.

I leave you in charge.

Stay in the dressing room.

You can pretend to be swimming boats in the bath or something.

Say I gave you leave,

But you stay there with the door on the landing open.

I've locked the other.

And don't let anyone go into my room.

Remember,

No one knows the jewels are there except me and all of you,

And the wicked thieves who put them there.

Robert,

You stay in the garden and watch the windows.

If anyone tries to get in,

You must run and tell the two farm men that I'll send up to wait in the kitchen.

I'll tell them there are dangerous characters about,

And that's true enough.

Now remember,

I trust you both,

But I don't think they'll try it until after dark,

So I believe you're quite safe.

Goodbye,

My darlings.

Goodbye,

My darlings.

And she locked her bedroom door and went off with the key in her pocket.

The children could not help admiring the dashing and decided way in which she had acted.

They thought how useful she would have been in organising escape from some of the tight places in which they had found themselves of late,

In consequence of their ill-timed wishes.

She's a born general,

Said Cyril,

But I don't know what's going to happen to us,

Even if the girls were to hunt for that old Samoyed and find it,

And get it to take the jewels away again.

Mother would only think we hadn't looked out properly and let the burglars sneak in and get them,

Or else the police will think we've got them,

Or else that she's been fooling them.

Oh,

It's a pretty decent average ghastly mess this time,

Make no mistake.

He savagely made a paper boat and began to float it in the bath,

Just as he had been told to do.

Robert went into the garden and sat down on the worn yellow grass,

With his miserable head between his helpless hands.

Anthea and Jane whispered together in the passage downstairs,

And Martha's voice could be heard in the kitchen,

Grumbling loud and long.

It's simply quite dreadfully awful,

Said Anthea.

How do you know all the diamonds are there too?

If they aren't,

The police will think Mother and Father have got them,

And that they've only given up some of them for a kind of desperate blind,

And they'll be put in prison,

And we shall be branded outcasts,

The children of felons,

And it won't at all be nice for Father and Mother either,

She added.

But what can we do?

Asked Jane.

Nothing.

At least we might look for the Samoyed again.

It's a very,

Very hot day.

He might have come out to warm that whisker of his.

He won't give us any more beastly wishes today,

Said Jane,

Flatly.

He gets crosser and crosser every time we see him.

I believe he hates having to give wishes.

Anthea had been shaking her head gloomily.

Now,

She stopped shaking it so suddenly,

That it really looked as though she were pricking up her ears.

What is it?

Asked Jane.

Have you thought of something?

Our one last chance,

Cried Anthea.

The last lone,

Lone,

Forlorn hope.

Come on.

At a brisk trot,

She led the way to the sandpit.

And there was the Samoyed,

Basking in the golden sandy hollow,

And preening its whiskers happily in the glowing afternoon sun.

The moment it saw them,

It whisked round and began to burrow.

It evidently preferred its own company to theirs.

But Anthea was too quick for it.

She caught it by its furry shoulders gently but firmly,

And held it.

Here,

None of that,

Said the Samoyed.

Let go of me,

Will you?

But Anthea held him fast.

Dear,

Kind,

Darling Samoyed,

She said.

Oh yes,

It's all very well,

It said.

You want another wish,

I expect.

But I can't keep on slaving from morning until night,

Giving people their wishes.

I must have some time to myself.

Do you hate giving wishes?

Asked Anthea,

Gently.

And her voice trembled with excitement.

Of course I do,

It said.

Let go of me,

Or I'll bite you.

I really will.

I mean it.

Oh well,

If you choose to risk it.

And Anthea risked it,

And held on.

Look here,

She said.

Don't bite me,

Just listen to reason.

If you'll only do what we want you to do today,

We'll never ask you for another wish as long as we live.

The Samoyed was very much moved.

I'd do anything,

It said in a tearful voice.

I'd almost burst myself to give you one wish.

Another,

As long as I held out.

If you'd only,

Never,

Never ask me again to do it.

If you knew how I hate to blow myself out with other people's wishes,

And how frightened I always am that I shall strain a muscle or something,

And then to wake up every morning and know that you've got to do it.

You don't know what it is.

You just don't know what it is you don't.

And its voice cracked with emotion.

Anthea set it down gently on the sand.

It's all over now,

She said soothingly.

We promise faithfully never to ask for another wish after today.

Well,

Go ahead,

Said the Samoyed.

Let's get it over.

How many can you do?

I don't know.

As long as I can hold out,

I guess.

Well,

First,

I wish Lady Chittenden may find that she never lost her jewels.

The Samoyed blew itself out,

Collapsed,

And said,

Done.

And I wish,

Said Anthea,

That Mother may not go to the police.

Done,

Said the creature after the proper interval.

I wish,

Said Jane suddenly,

That Mother could forget all about the diamonds.

Done,

Said the Samoyed,

A little weaker this time.

Would you like to rest a little,

Asked Anthea,

Considerately.

Yes,

Please,

Said the Samoyed.

And before we go any further,

Will you wish something for me?

Can't you do wishes for yourself?

Of course not,

It said.

It said we were always expected to give each other our wishes.

Not that we had any to speak of,

Really,

In those days.

Just wish,

Will you,

That you may never be able,

Any of you,

To tell anyone a word about me.

But why,

Asked Jane.

Why don't you see,

If you told grown-ups I should have no peace in all of my life,

They'd get hold of me.

And they wouldn't wish silly things like you do,

But real earnest things.

And the scientific people,

They would hit on some way of making things last after sunset,

As likely as not.

And they'd ask for a graduated income tax,

And old-age pensions,

And manhood suffrage,

And free secondary education,

And all those dull things like that.

And they'd get them,

And keep them,

And the whole world would be turned topsy-turvy.

So please,

Do wish it,

Quick.

Anthea repeated the Samoyed's wish,

And it blew itself out to a larger size than they had yet seen it attain.

And now,

It said,

As it collapsed,

Can I do anything more for you?

Just one thing,

And I think that clears everything up,

Doesn't it,

Jane?

I wish Martha to forget about the diamond ring,

And Mother to forget about the keeper cleaning the windows.

Now,

I'm almost worn out.

Is there anything else?

Said the Samoyed.

No.

Only to thank you,

Kindly,

For all that you've done for us.

And I hope that you'll have a good,

Long sleep.

And I hope that we shall see you again,

Someday.

Is that a wish?

It said,

In a weak voice.

Yes,

Please.

Said the two girls together.

Then,

For the last time in this story,

They saw the Samoyed blow itself out and collapse suddenly.

It nodded to them,

Blinked its long snail eyes,

Burrowed and disappeared,

Scratching fiercely to the last,

And the sand closed over it.

I hope we've done right,

Said Jane.

Oh,

I'm sure that we have,

Said Anthea.

Come on home,

And let's tell the boys.

Anthea found Cyril glooming over his paper boats and told him,

And Jane told Robert.

The two tales were only just ended when Mother walked in,

Hot and dusty.

She explained that as she was being driven into Rochester to buy the girls' autumn school dresses,

The axle had broken,

And but for the narrowness of the lane and the high,

Soft hedges,

She would have been thrown out.

As it was,

She was not hurt,

But she had had to walk home.

And oh,

My dearest chicks,

She said,

I am simply dying for a cup of tea.

Do run and see if the water boils.

So you see,

It's all right,

Jane whispered.

She doesn't remember.

No more does Martha,

Said Anthea,

Who had been to ask after the state of the kettle.

As the servants sat at their tea,

Beale,

The gamekeeper,

Dropped in.

He brought the welcome news that Lady Chittenden's diamonds had not been lost after all.

Lord Chittenden had taken them to be reset and cleaned,

And the maid who knew about it had gone on holiday.

So that was all right.

I wonder if we shall ever see the Samoyed again,

Said Jane,

Wistfully as they walked in the garden while Mother was putting the lamb to bed.

I'm sure we shall,

Said Cyril,

If you really wished it.

We've promised never to ask it for another wish,

Said Anthea.

And I never want to,

Said Robert earnestly.

They did see it again,

Of course,

But not in this story.

And it was not in a sandpit either,

But in a very,

Very,

Very different place.

It was in a.

.

.

Oh,

But I must say no more.

The end.

Reviews

Wow, I was going to say they never got a good wish, but in the end Anthea made it all right… what a tale! Thank you so much for reading!!❤️🙏🏼