Five Children and It

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

17314

Title

Five Children and It

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In the idyllic countryside, four siblings and their baby brother discover a magical sand-fairy that grants wishes. Their adventures range from finding lost jewels to escaping a locked church tower, all while learning the heavy price of unlimited desire.

Summary up to 500 words

Set in a picturesque English village, E. Nesbit's *Five Children and It* follows the Chittenden siblings as they transition from the restrictive confines of London to a spacious country home. While exploring the local gravel-pits, the children unearth a Psammead, a small sand-fairy capable of granting any wish. However, the narrative quickly establishes that wishes carry unintended consequences. A careless desire for gold triggers a chaotic chase involving a baker's boy, while another wish results in the children being locked inside a church tower overnight. The story balances whimsical fantasy with grounded family dynamics as the children navigate the fallout of their magical interventions. Their adventures include a misunderstanding involving a gamekeeper and a missing necklace, which nearly leads to the arrest of an innocent servant and the gamekeeper himself. The children must manage these crises, learning that their power is not without responsibility. Ultimately, they choose to use their final wishes not for personal gain, but to restore order, return stolen jewels, and protect the fairy from scientific scrutiny. The narrative explores profound themes of responsibility, the distinction between childhood imagination and adult reality, and the enduring magic of friendship. Through their journey, the children grow from naive wish-grabbers into wise individuals who understand that true magic lies in restraint and compassion. The tale concludes with the children promising never to ask for another wish, having learned that the most powerful magic is the ability to let go and accept the natural order of things.

LLM editorial rating

4.5/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17314.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg17314.epub

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Categories

• Adventure
• Classics
• Fiction