Five Children and It

In Short

Relocated from London to a white house in the Kentish countryside, Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother—the Lamb—discover a prehistoric Sand-fairy called a Psammead. The creature grants them one wish each day, but every fantasy proves disastrously impractical, whether it is sudden physical perfection, piles of unusable gold coins, or giant wings that leave them stranded on a church tower. As each enchantment vanishes at sunset, the siblings must navigate tight corners, bewildered adults, and their own miscalculations, learning that getting exactly what you ask for is a dangerous business.

The Story

The story begins with the move from a cramped London row house to a country dwelling near a chalk-quarry and gravel-pit. Exploring their new surroundings while their mother is away, the four older children—Cyril, Anthea, Robert, and Jane—dig into the sand-pit and unearth the Psammead. This prickly, fur-covered creature with bat's ears and snail's eyes reveals that thousands of years ago, children wished for Megatheriums and Pterodactyls for dinner. It agrees to grant the siblings one wish a day, warning that all magic vanishes at the exact moment of sunset.

Their first wish—to be "beautiful as the day"—causes instant chaos when their own baby brother fails to recognize them, and the servants refuse to let the "strange" children into the house. The next day, wishing for "golden guineas" leaves them rich but helpless, as local shopkeepers and stablemasters at the Saracen's Head accuse them of passing counterfeit money or trying to buy entire studs without a penny of real currency. When they wish for wings, they enjoy a glorious afternoon flying over the county, only to end up trapped atop a church tower. Starving, Cyril climbs through a vicarage larder window to pilfer bread, chicken, and a soda-water syphon, leaving half-a-crown behind. Caught by the vicar and his gamekeeper, they escape legal trouble only when the adults assume the children are loyally covering up for an older accomplice.

Subsequent wishes fare no better. A request for a medieval castle leads to a full-scale siege by knights under Sir Wulfric de Talbot; a hot-headed wish by Robert renders him an eleven-foot giant, forcing his siblings to put him on display at a travelling fair as a side-show attraction; and a careless desire for their baby brother to be "wanted by everyone" results in gipsies attempting to kidnap the child. When Cyril inadvertently transforms the Lamb into a haughty, bicycle-mending adult named St Maur, the older kids are forced to watch their infant brother flirt with young ladies and carry a gold watch until evening falls.

The climax arrives when Jane offhandedly wishes that their mother could find Lady Chittenden's stolen diamonds in her own bedroom. The jewels materialize, but as sunset approaches, the children realize their mother will be branded a thief. Anthea makes an early-morning visit to the sand-pit, snuggling the shivering Psammead in her pinafore to seek its advice. Through a final, delicate sequence of wishes, the creature removes the diamonds, erases the domestic memory of the incident, and secures a promise that the siblings will never ask it for wishes again.

How It Unfolds

The white house in Kent Moving from London to the countryside, the four children and the Baby scramble through an ordinary house and its wild garden, treating the chalk-quarry and gravel-pit as an earthly paradise free from urban confinement.

Unearthing the Sand-fairy While digging in the sand-pit, the children uncover the furry, cross-tempered Psammead, who explains its prehistoric past and reluctantly grants them a daily wish that lasts strictly until sunset.

Beauty and gold coins The children test the magic by wishing for radiant beauty and chests of gold guineas, but both backfire immediately: their servants lock them out as strangers, and local tradesmen threaten them with the police for passing ancient money.

Stranded on the tower Granted wings, the siblings fly across the countryside until hunger strikes, leading to a larder burglary at a vicarage, a confrontation with a skeptical gamekeeper, and a tense wait for sunset to strip them of their flight.

Castles and giants Escalating desires bring a medieval siege to their doorstep and transform Robert into an eleven-foot giant, who must be hidden inside a fairground tent and fed enormous teas while waiting for his normal height to return.

The diamond disaster A careless wish places a local aristocrat's stolen diamond collection in their mother's room, forcing Anthea to consult the exhausted Psammead to undo the magic before their mother is arrested for theft.

The People

• Anthea: The most empathetic and practical of the siblings, Anthea often acts as the group's moral compass. She wants to keep her brothers and sisters out of trouble, though her maternal instincts and obstinacy sometimes conflict with the boys' impulsive plans. She eventually wins over the Psammead by wrapping it in her pinafore and treating it with gentleness.
• Cyril: The eldest boy, known for his pragmatic logic and occasional arrogance. Cyril wants to be seen as authoritative and clever, but his quick temper and offhand remarks often trigger accidental magical mishaps. He ends up humbled by the real-world consequences of his wish-making.
• Robert: Quick-tempered and competitive, Robert wants to hold his own against older boys and local bullies. His desire for physical superiority leads directly to his transformation into a giant, forcing him to endure the humiliation of being exhibited like a circus curiosity.
• Jane: The youngest sister, imaginative and sentimental. Jane wants everyone to be happy and often suggests romantic or overly generous wishes, but her unthinking outbursts—such as wishing for the stolen diamonds—repeatedly plunge the family into their worst crises.
• The Psammead: An ancient, furry sand-fairy with eyes on long stalks. It wants nothing more than to be left alone in the warm sand, but it is bound by ancient law to grant daily wishes, growing exhausted and irritable as the children's requests become more complex.

In Its Own Voice

"London is like prison for children, especially if their relations are not rich."

Before the magic begins, the narrator frames the family's escape to the Kent countryside as a liberation from urban confinement.

"People used to send their little boys down to the seashore early in the morning before breakfast to get the day's wishes, and very often the eldest boy in the family would be told to wish for a Megatherium, ready jointed for cooking."

The Psammead explains the ancient history of sand-fairies, where wishes were treated as routine household errands rather than magical wonders.

"Trying not to believe things when in your heart you are almost sure they are true, is as bad for the temper as anything I know."

The narrator dryly observes Cyril's internal struggle as he realizes his careless words are about to bring a band of hostile Red Indians down upon the household.

What It's Really About

Behind its comedic surface, the novel is a clear-eyed exploration of the law of unintended consequences and the gap between desire and reality. Children frequently imagine that unlimited power, wealth, or physical transformation will grant them independence from adult authority. Instead, the book demonstrates that unearned privilege isolates people from their communities and creates social chaos. Money is useless without credibility; absolute beauty alienates loved ones; and physical size brings unwanted scrutiny rather than true strength. True safety and happiness lie not in the magical fulfillment of every stray impulse, but in self-restraint, mutual loyalty, and the steady, unglamorous bounds of ordinary domestic life.

Why Read It Today

This novel remains one of the foundational masterpieces of modern children's fantasy, pioneering the trope of magical elements intruding directly into a realistic, everyday setting. Readers who enjoy dry humor, sibling banter, and logical magic systems will find it immensely satisfying. The narrative voice is sharp, witty, and surprisingly modern, treating children as complex, flawed human beings rather than moralizing caricatures.

Modern readers should be prepared for period-specific elements, including casual Edwardian class distinctions, the patronizing treatment of servants like Martha, and stereotypical portrayals of gipsies and Native Americans during the later wish episodes. However, the core of the book—the energetic, often exasperating dynamic between four distinct brothers and sisters—feels entirely fresh. It offers a delightfully unsentimental look at childhood, capturing the precise feeling of summer days where vast possibilities constantly collide with awkward realities.