Five Children And It Chapter 3: Bedtime Story

Hello beloveds,

Welcome to today's reading of Edith Nesbit's Five Children and It as we continue our adventures with chapter 3.

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.

What could possibly go wrong?

Let's head into their world and see what unfolds.

Have a beautiful day.

Transcript

Hello dear ones and welcome to today's reading of five children and it chapter three chapter three being wanted the morning after the children had been the possessors of boundless wealth and had been unable to buy anything really useful or enjoyable with it except two pairs of cotton gloves and 12 penny buns and a ride in a pony cart they awoke without any of the enthusiastic happiness which they had felt on the previous day when they remembered how they had had the luck to find a samoyed or sand fairy and to receive its promise to grant them a new wish every day for now they had had two wishes beauty and wealth and neither had exactly made them happy but the happening of strange things even if they are not completely pleasant things is more amusing than those times when nothing happens but meals and they are not always completely pleasant especially on the days when it is cold mutton or hash there was no chance of talking things over before breakfast because everyone overslept as it happened and needed a vigorous and determined struggle to get dressed so as to only be 10 minutes late for breakfast during this meal some efforts were made to deal with the question of the samoyed but it is very difficult to discuss anything thoroughly and at the same time to attend faithfully to your baby brother's breakfast needs the baby was particularly lively that morning he not only wriggled his body through the bar of his high chair and hung by his head choking and purple but he seized the tablespoon with desperate suddenness and hit Cyril heavily on the head with it and then cried because it was taken away from him he put his fat fist in his bread and milk and demanded nam which was only allowed for tea he sang he put his feet on the table he clamored to go walkie the conversation was something like this look here about that sand fairy oh look out he'll have the milk over and the milk removed to a safe distance yes about that fairy no lamb dear give panther the narky poon then Cyril tried nothing we've had yet has turned out he nearly had the mustard that time I wonder whether we'd better wish oh hello you've done it now my boy and in a flash of glass and pink baby paws the bowl of golden carp in the middle of the table rolled on its side and poured a flood of mixed water and goldfish into the baby's lap and into the laps of the others everyone was almost as much upset as the goldfish the lamb only remaining calm when the pool on the floor had been mopped up and the leaping gasping goldfish had been collected and put back in the water the baby was taken away to be entirely redressed by Martha and most of the others had to change completely too the pinafores and jackets that had been bathed in goldfish and water were hung out to dry and then it turned out that Jane must either mend the dress that she had torn the day before or appear all day in her best petticoat it was white and soft it was white and soft and frilly and trimmed with lace and very very pretty quite as pretty as a frock if not more so only it was not a frock and Martha's word was law she wouldn't let Jane wear her best frock and she refused to listen for a moment to Robert's suggestion that Jane should wear her best petticoat and call it a dress it's not respectable she said and when people say that it's no use anyone saying anything you'll find this out for yourself someday so there was nothing for it but for Jane to mend her frock the hole had been torn the day before when she happened to tumble down in the high street of Rochester just where a water cart had passed on its silvery way she had grazed her knee and her stocking was much more than grazed and her dress was cut by the same stone which had attended to the knee and to the stocking of course the others were not such sneaks as to abandon a comrade in misfortune so they all sat on the grass plot around the sundial and Jane donned away for dear life the lamb was still in the hands of Martha having its clothes changed so conversation was possible Anthea and Robert timidly tried to conceal their innermost thoughts which was that the Samoyed was not to be trusted but Cyril said speak out say what you've got to say I hate hinting and sneakish ways like that so then Robert said as in honour bound sneak yourself Anthea and me weren't so goldfishy as you two were so we got changed quicker and we've had time to think it's over and if you ask me I didn't ask you said Jane biting off a needle full of thread as she had always been strictly forbidden to do so I don't care who asks or who doesn't said Robert but Anthea and I think the Samoyed is a spiteful brute if it can give us our wishes I suppose it can give itself its own and I feel almost sure it wishes every time that our wishes shan't do us any good let's leave the tiresome beast alone and just go and have a jolly good game of forts on our own in the chalk pit Cyril and Jane were more hopeful they generally were I don't think the Samoyed does it on purpose Cyril said and after all it was silly to wish for boundless wealth 50 pounds in two shilling pieces would have been much more sensible and wishing to be beautiful as the day was simply donkeyish I don't want to be disagreeable but it was we must try to find a really useful wish and then wish it Jane dropped her work and said I think so too it's too silly to have a chance like this and to not use it I never heard of anyone else outside a book who had such a chance there must simply be heaps of things we could wish for that wouldn't turn out dead sea fish like these two things have let's think hard and wish something nice so that we can have a real jolly day what there is left of it Jane donned away again like mad for time was indeed getting on and everyone began to talk at once if you had been there you could not possibly have made head or tail of the talk but these children were used to talking by force and each of them could say what it had to say quite comfortably and listen to the agreeable sound of its own voice and at the same time have three quarters of two sharp ears to spare for listening to what the others said when the frock was darned the start for the gravel pit was delayed by Martha's insisting on everybody washing their hands which was nonsense because nobody had been doing anything at all except Jane and how can you get dirty doing nothing that is a difficult question and I cannot answer it on paper in real life I could very soon show you or you me which is much more likely during the conversation it had been decided that 50 pounds in two shilling pieces was the right wish to have and the lucky children who could have anything in the wide world by just wishing for it hurriedly started for the gravel pit to express their wishes to the Samiad Martha caught them at the gate and insisted on their taking the baby with them not want him indeed why everybody want him with all their hearts they would and you know you promised you more to take him out every blessed day said Martha I know we did said Robert in gloom but I wish the lamb wasn't quite so young and small it would be much better fun taking him out then he'll mend of his youngness with time said Martha and as for smallness I don't think you'd fancy carrying him anymore however big he was besides he can walk a bit bless his precious fat legs he feels the benefit of the new lady so he does her pet with this and a kiss she plumped the lamb into Anthea's arms and went back to make new pinnifles on the sewing machine the lamb laughed with pleasure and said walkie with panty and rode on Robert's back with yells of joy and tried to feed Jane with stones and altogether made himself so agreeable that nobody could long be sorry that he was part of the party the enthusiastic Jane even suggested that they should devote a week's wishes to assuring the baby's future by asking such gifts for him as the good fairies give to infant princes in proper fairy tales but Anthea soberly reminded her as the sand fairy's wishes only lasted until sunset they could not ensure any benefit to the baby's later years and Jane owned that it would be better to wish for 50 pounds in two shilling pieces and buy the lamb a 3 pound 15 rocking horse like those in the big stores with part of the money it was settled that as soon as they had wished for the money and got it they would get Mr Crispin to drive them into Rochester again taking Martha with them if they could not get out of taking her and they would make a list of things that they really wanted before they started full of high hopes and excellent resolutions they went round the safe slow cart road to the gravel pits and as they went in between the mounds of gravel a sudden thought came to them and would have turned their ruddy cheeks pale if they had been children in a book being real live children it only made them stop and look at each other with rather blank and silly expressions for now they remembered that yesterday when they had asked the Samoyed for boundless wealth and it was getting ready to fill the quarry with the minted gold of bright guineas millions of them it had told the children to run along outside the quarry for fear that they should be buried alive in the heavy splendid treasure and they had run and so it happened that they had not had time to mark the spot where the Samoyed was with a ring of stones as before and it was this thought that put such silly expressions on their faces never mind said the hopeful Jane we'll soon find him but this though easily said was very hard in the doing they looked and they looked and though they found their seaside spades nowhere could they find the sand fairy at last they had to sit down and rest not at all because they were weary or disheartened of course but because the lamb insisted on being put down and you cannot look very carefully after anything you may have happened to lose in the sand if you have an active baby to look after at the same time get someone to drop your best knife in the sand next time you go to the seashore and then take your baby brother with you when you go back to look for it and you will see that i am right the lamb as Martha had said was feeling the benefit of the country air and he was as frisky as a sand hopper the elder ones longed to go on talking about the new wishes that they would have if they found the samiyad again but the lamb wished to enjoy himself he watched his opportunity and threw a handful of sand into anthia's face and then suddenly burrowed his own head in the sand and waved his fat legs in the air then of course the sand got into his eyes as it had into anthias and he howled the thoughtful robert had brought one solid brown bottle of ginger beer with him relying on a thirst that had never yet failed him this had to be uncorked hurriedly it was the only wet thing within reach and it was necessary to wash the sand out of the lamb's eyes somehow of course the ginger hurt horribly and he howled more than ever and amid his anguish of kicking the bottle was upset and the beautiful ginger beer frothed out into the sand and was lost forever it was then that robert usually a very patient brother so far forgot himself as to say anybody would want him indeed only they don't martha doesn't not really or she jolly well keep him with her he's a little nuisance that's what he is it's too bad i only wish everybody did want him with all their hearts we might get some peace in our lives the lamb stopped howling now because jane had suddenly remembered that there is only one safe way of taking things out of little children's eyes and that is with your own soft wet tongue it's quite easy if you love the baby as much as you ought to do then there was silence robert was not proud of himself for having been so cross and the others were not proud of him either you often notice that sort of silence when somebody has said something that they ought not to and everyone else holds its tongue and waits for the one who oughtn't have said it to say sorry the silence was broken by a sigh a breath suddenly let out the children's heads turned as if there had been string tied to each nose and somebody had pulled all the strings at once and everyone saw the sand fairy sitting quite close to them with the expression which it used as a smile on its hairy face good morning it said i did that quite easily everyone wants him now it doesn't matter said robert sulkily because he knew that he had been behaving rather like a pig no matter who wants him there's no one here to anyhow ingratitude said the samiad is a dreadful vice we're not ungrateful jane made haste to say but we didn't really want that wish robert just said it can't you take it back and give us a new one no i can't said the sand fairy shortly chopping and changing it's not business you ought to be careful what you wish for there was a little boy once he'd wished for a plesiosaurus instead of a itchy thiosaurus because he was too lazy to remember the easy names of everyday things and his father had been very vexed with him and had made him go to bed before tea time and wouldn't let him go out in the nice flint boat along with the other children it was the annual school treat day on the next day and he came and flung himself down near me on the morning of the treat and he kicked his little prehistoric legs about and said that he wished he was dead and of course then he was how awful said the children all together only until sunset of course the samiad said still it was quite enough for his mother and father and he caught it when he woke up i tell you he didn't turn to stone i forget why but there must have been some reason they didn't know that being dead is only being asleep and you're bound to wake up somewhere or other either where you go to sleep or in some much better place you may be sure he caught it giving them such a turn why he wasn't allowed to taste megatherium for a month after that nothing but oysters and periwinkles and common things like that all the children were quite crushed by this terrible tale they looked at the samiad in horror suddenly the lamb perceived that something brown and furry was near him poof poof poofy he said and made a grab for the sand fairy who leaped back oh my left whisker it said don't let him touch me he's wet and its fur stood on end with horror and indeed a good deal of the ginger beer had been spilt on the blue smock of the lamb the samiad dug with its hands and feet and vanished in an instant and a whirl of sand the children marked the spot with a ring of stones we may as well get along home said robert i'll say i'm sorry but anyway if it's no good it's no harm and we know where the sandy thing is for tomorrow the others were noble no one reproached robert at all cyril picked up the lamb who was now quite himself again and off they went by the safe cart road at the gate into the road the party stopped to shift the lamb from cyril's back to robert's and as they paused a very smart open carriage came into sight with a coachman and a groom on the box and inside the carriage a lady very grand indeed with a dress all white lace and red ribbons and a parasol all red and white and a white fluffy dog on her lap with a red ribbon around its neck she looked at the children and particularly at the baby and she smiled at him the children were used to this for the lamb was as all the servants said a very taking child so they waved their hands politely to the lady and expected her to drive on but she did not instead she made the coachman stop and she beckoned to cyril and when he went up to the carriage she said what a dear darling duck of a baby oh i should so like to adopt it do you think its mother would mind she'd mind very much indeed said anthia shortly oh but i would bring it up in luxury you know i am lady chittenden you must have seen my photograph in the illustrated papers they call me a beauty you know but of course that's all nonsense she opened the carriage door and jumped out she had the wonderfulest red high heeled shoes with silver buckles let me hold him for a minute she said and she took the lamb and held him very awkwardly as if she was not used to babies then suddenly she jumped into the carriage with the lamb in her arms and slammed the door and said drive on the lamb roared the little white dog barked and the coachman hesitated drive on i tell you cried the lady and the coachman did for as he said afterwards as much his place was worth not to the four children looked at each other and then with one accord they rushed after the carriage and held on behind down the dusty road went the smart carriage and after it at double quick time ran the twinkling legs of the lambs brothers and sisters the lamb howled louder and louder but presently his howls changed by slow degrees to hiccupy gurgles and then all was still and they knew he had gone to sleep the carriage went on and the eight feet that twinkled through the dust were growing quite stiff and tired before the carriage stopped at the lodge of a grand park the children crouched down behind the carriage and the lady got out she looked at the baby as it lay on the carriage seat and hesitated oh the darling i won't disturb it she said and went into the lodge to talk to the woman about a setting of eggs that had not turned out well the coachman and footman sprang from the box and bent over the sleeping lamb he's a fine boy wish he was mine said the coachman he wouldn't favour you much said the groom soundly he's too handsome the coachman pretended not to hear he said wonder at her now i do really hates kids got none of her own and can't abide other folks's the children crouched in the white dust under the carriage exchanged uncomfortable glances i'll tell you what the coachman went on firmly i'm blowed if i don't hide the little nipper in the edge and tell her his brothers took him then i'll come back for him afterwards no you don't said the footman i've took to that kid so as never was if anyone's to have him it's me so there stop your talk the coachman rejoined you don't want no kids and if you did one kid's the same as another to you but i'm a married man and a judge of breed i knows a first-rate yearling when i sees him i'm gonna have him i should have thought said the footman sneeringly that you'd almost enough what with alfred and albert and louise and victor stanley and helena beatrice the coachman hit the footman in the chin the footman hit the coachman in the waistcoat the next minute the two were fighting here and there in and out up and down and all over everywhere and the little dog jumped on the box of the carriage and began barking like mad cyril still crouching in the dust waddled on bent legs to the side of the carriage farthest from the battlefield he unfastened the door of the carriage the two men were far too much occupied with their quarrel to notice anything and he took the lamb in his arms and still stooping carried the sleeping baby a dozen yards along the road to where a style led into a wood the others followed and there among the hazels and young oaks and sweet chestnuts covered by a high strong scented break fern they all lay hidden until the angry voices of the men were hushed at the angry voice of the red and white lady and after a long and anxious search the carriage at last drove away cyril drew a deep breath as the sound of the wheels at last died away everyone does want him and no mistake that samiad has done us again tricky brute for any sake let's get the kids safe home and so they peeked out and finding on the right hand only lonely white road and nothing but lonely white road on the left they took courage and the road anthia carrying the sleeping lamb adventures dogged their footsteps a boy with a bundle of faggots on his back dropped his bundle by the roadside and asked to look at the baby and then offered to carry him but anthia was not to be caught that way twice they all walked on but the boy followed them and cyril and robert couldn't make him go away till they had more than once invited him to smell their fists afterwards a little girl in a blue and white checked pinafore actually followed them for a quarter of a mile crying for the precious baby and then she was only got rid of by threats of tying her to a tree in the wood with all their pocket handkerchiefs so that bears can come and eat you as soon as it gets dark said cyril severely then she went off crying it presently seemed wise to the brothers and sisters of the baby who was wanted by everyone to hide in the hedge whenever they saw anyone coming and thus they managed to prevent the lamb from arousing the inconvenient affection of a milkman a stone breaker and a man who drove a cart with a paraffin barrel on the back of it they were nearly home when the worst thing of all happened turning a corner suddenly they came upon two vans a tent and a company of gypsies encamped by the side of the road the vans were all hung round with wicker chairs and cradles and flower stands and feather brushes a lot of ragged children were making dust piles in the road two men lay on the grass smoking and three women were doing the family washing in an old red watering can with the top broken off in a moment every man woman and child surrounded anthia and the baby let me hold him little lady said one of the gypsy women who had a mahogany coloured face and dust coloured hair i won't hurt a hair of his head a little picture i'd rather not said anthia oh let me have him said the other woman whose face was also the hue of mahogany and her hair jet black in curls i've 19 of my own so i have no said anthia bravely but her heart beat so that it nearly choked her then one of the men pushed forward swelt me if it ain't my own lost child have you a strawberry mark on his left ear no then he's my own babby stolen from me in infancy and i'll have the law on you this time and he snatched the baby from anthia who turned scarlet and burst into tears of pure rage the others were standing quite still this was much the most terrible thing that had ever happened to them even being taken up by the police in rochester was nothing compared to this cyril was quite white and his hands trembled a little but he made a sign to the others to shut up he was silent a minute thinking hard and then he said we don't want to keep him if he's yours but you see he's used to us you shall have him if you want him no cried anthia and cyril glared at her of course we want him said the woman trying to get the baby out of the man's arms the lamb howled loudly oh he's hurt cried anthia and cyril in a savage undertone bade her to stop it you trust me he whispered look here he went on he's awfully tiresome with people he doesn't know very well suppose that we stay here a bit until he gets used to you and then when it's bedtime i give you my word of honor that we'll go away and let you keep him if you want to and then when we're gone you can decide which of you is to have him as you all want him so much that's fair enough said the man who was holding the baby cyril whispered to the others sunset we'll get away then and then his brothers and sisters were filled with wonder and admiration at his having been so clever to remember this what about dinner said robert suddenly and the others looked at him with scorn fancy bothering about your beastly dinner when baby jane whispered hotly robert carefully winked at her and went on you won't mind my running home to get our dinner would you he said to the gypsy i can bring it out here in a basket his brothers and sisters felt themselves very noble and despised him they did not know his thoughtful secret intention but the gypsies did in a minute oh yes they said and then fetched the police with a pack of lies about it being your baby instead of ours if you're hungry you can pick a bit along with us here levi that blessed kid will howl all his buttons off give him back to the little lady and see if they can't get him used to us a bit so the lamb was handed back but the gypsies crowded so closely that he could not possibly stop howling then the man with the red handkerchief said here make up the fire and you girls see to the pot give the kid a chance so the gypsies very much against their will went off to their work and the children and the lamb were left sitting on the grass he'll be all right at sunset jane whispered but oh it is awful suppose they are frightfully angry when they come to their senses they might beat us or leave us tied to trees or something no they won't anthias said they aren't unkind people or they wouldn't be going to give us any dinner dinner said robert i won't touch their nasty dinner the others thought so too but when the dinner was ready they were all glad enough to take what they could get it was boiled rabbit with onions and some bird rather like chicken but stringier about its legs and with a lot stronger taste the lamb had bread soaked in hot water and brown sugar sprinkled on the top he liked this very much and consented to let the two gypsy women feed him with it as he sat on anthias lap all that long hot afternoon robert and cyril and anthia and jane had to keep the lamb amused and happy while the gypsies looked eagerly on by the time the shadows grew long and black across the meadows he had really taken to the women and even consented to kiss his hand to the children and to stand up and bow with his hand on his chest like a gentleman the whole gypsy camp was in raptures with him and his brothers and sisters could not help taking some pleasure in showing off his accomplishments to an audience so interested and enthusiastic but they longed for sunset we're getting into the habit of longing for sunset cyril whispered how i do wish that we could wish something really sensible that would be of some use so that we should be quite sorry when sunset came the shadows got longer and longer and at last there were no separate shadows anymore but one soft glowing shadow over everything for the sun was out of sight behind the hill and he had not really set yet the people who make the laws about lighting bicycle lamps are the people who decide when the sun sets she has to do it too to the minute or they would know the reason why but the gypsies were getting impatient now youngens the red handkerchief man said it's time you were laying of your heads on your pillars so it is the kids all right and friendly with us now so you just hand him over and get home like you said you would the women and children came crowding around the lamb arms were held out fingers snapped invitingly friendly faces beaming with admiring smiles but all failed to tempt the loyal lamb he clung with arms and legs to jane who happened to be holding him and uttered the gloomiest roar of the whole day it's no good the woman said hand him over miss we'll soon quiet him and still the sun would not set tell her about how to put him to bed whispered cyril anything to gain some time and be ready to bolt when the sun really does make up its silly old mind to set yes i'll hand him over in a minute and thea began talking very fast but do let me just tell you he has a warm bath every night and a cold one in the morning and he has a crockery rabbit to go into the warm bath with him and little samuel saying his prayers in white china on a red cushion for the cold bath and he hates you to wash his ears but if you must and if you get soap into his eyes the lamb the woman laughed as if i hadn't ever bathed a baby come give us a hold of him come to melian my precious go away replied the lamb yes but about his meals you really must let me tell you he has an apple or banana every morning and bread and milk for breakfast and an egg for his tea i've brought up ten said the black ringlet woman besides the others come on miss and hand him over i can't bear it no longer i just must give him a hug everyone was beginning to get angry the dark gypsy faces were frowning and anxious looking suddenly a change swept over them as if some invisible sponge had wiped away these cross and anxious expressions and left only a blank the children saw that the sun had set but they were afraid to move and the gypsies were feeling so muddled because of the invisible sponge that had washed all their feelings of the last few hours out of their hearts that they could not say a word the children hardly dared to breathe supposed the gypsies when they recovered speech should be furious to think how silly they had been all day it was an awkward moment suddenly anthea greatly daring held out the lamb to the red handkerchief man here he is she said the man drew back i shouldn't like to deprive you miss he said coarsely after all i've got enough of my own he's a nice little chap though i don't think i must have had a touch of the sun i don't want him then shall we take him away said anthia well suppose you do and we'll say no more about it and with great haste all the gypsies began to be busy about their tents for the night all but amelia she went with the children as far as the bend in the road and there she said let me give him a kiss miss i don't know what made us go for behaving so silly us gypsies don't steal babies whatever they might tell you we've enough of our own own she leaned towards the lamb and he looking in her eyes unexpectedly put up a grubby soft paw and stroked her face and he let the gypsy woman kiss him and what is more he kissed her brown cheek in return a very nice kiss as all his kisses are not a wet one like some babies give the gypsy woman moved her finger about on his forehead as if she had been writing something on there and the same with his chest and his hands and his feet then she said may he be brave and have the strong head to think with and a strong heart to love with and strong arms to work with the strong feet to travel with and always come safe home to his own then she said something in a strange language no one could understand and suddenly added well i must be saying so long and glad to have made your acquaintance and she turned and went back to her home the tent by the grassy roadside the children looked after her after she was out of sight then robert said how silly of her even sunset didn't put her right what rot she talked well said cyril if you ask me i think it was rather decent of her decent said anthia it was very nice indeed of her i think she's a dear she's just too frightfully nice for anything said jane and they went home very late for tea and unspeakably late for dinner martha scolded of course but the lamb was safe i say it turned out that we wanted the lamb as much as anyone said robert later of course but do you feel different about it now the sun set no said all of the others together then it's lasted over sunset with us no it hasn't cyril explained the wish didn't do anything to us we always wanted him with all our hearts only we were all pigs this morning especially you robert robert bore this much with a strange calm i certainly thought i didn't want him this morning said he perhaps i was a pig but everything looked so different when we thought we were going to lose him

Reviews

Amazing the pickles they keep getting into! So creative… the Lamb, what a baby🥰 thanks for reading, you got me to sleep about ten times through the night before I finished!🙏🏼❤️