Some Little People

In Short

Some Little People by George Kringle follows young 'Lisbeth Lillibun, an impulsive girl growing up a hundred miles outside London who becomes obsessed with moving to the great city. After her initial runaway attempts fail, economic hardship forces her family to relocate to London's cramped tenements. Facing urban poverty, 'Lisbeth tries various schemes to earn money until she learns that true helpfulness requires yielding her self-willed schemes to her mother's wiser guidance. Warm and moral, the novel endures as a gentle, grounded portrait of childhood restlessness, family resilience, and the value of home.

The Story

The narrative opens in the countryside, a hundred miles from London, where 'Lisbeth Lillibun lives with her mother and brothers. Fixated on the idea that London is the only proper place to reside, 'Lisbeth tries to convince those around her to make the long journey. Her mother laughs off the suggestion, while her older brother Gorham recognizes the plan's absurdity. Undeterred, 'Lisbeth gathers local neighborhood boys for a march toward London, but the boys abandon the trek early to return home. Not easily discouraged, she recruits the village girls next, but as night approaches and exhaustion sets in, 'Lisbeth herself breaks down and leads the weeping party back to their families.

'Lisbeth’s restless mind continually strays from her chores. Instructed to pick beans, she sits on a hogshead barrel to daydream, accidentally falls inside, and ends up deprived of her dinner. She later tries to become a "sheep-boy" for neighbor Gilham to earn money for a new dress, going so far as to borrow her brother Dickon's trousers, only to be turned away and sent on a wild-goose chase for gold hidden in flower-hearts. Enrolled in Miss Pritchet’s school, 'Lisbeth demands to learn about London rather than her letters and mischievously helps a classmate plant the teacher's flowers upside down.

Financial circumstances soon force her mother to relocate the family to London in search of mill work. Far from the grand paradise 'Lisbeth envisioned, London delivers tiny, dark rooms in a filthy alleyway. As her mother grows thin and the family slides deeper into poverty, 'Lisbeth tries independent schemes to earn money. She spends an entire day sweeping a street crossing without receiving a single coin. Next, she persuades a local wigmaker to let her hide beneath a shop counter to pull the mechanism that turns a wax mannequin's head. Later, she buys gingerbread cakes on credit to resell on the street, only to fall asleep on the sidewalk after selling just two.

Her well-meaning but chaotic efforts culminate when she hires a rag-and-paper buyer to enter their home without her mother's knowledge, causing complete domestic disorder. Her mother firmly rebukes 'Lisbeth, calling her a "hindering child." Confronted with the truth of her meddling ways, 'Lisbeth undergoes a genuine change of heart. She ceases her independent schemes and begins following her mother's direction. Her cooperative labor lightens the family burden, allowing them to save enough money over two months to leave London and return to their village. Re-established in her country home, 'Lisbeth attends school, helps care for her family, and sits contentedly by the milestone she once yearned to leave.

How It Unfolds

The distant city calls 'Lisbeth becomes obsessed with the idea of moving to London, a hundred miles away, though her mother and brothers dismiss the notion. She tries to rally the local children into marching down the road, but both the boys and the girls turn back long before reaching their goal.

Chafing at domestic quiet 'Lisbeth repeatedly neglects her daily chores, tumbling into a hogshead barrel while daydreaming instead of picking beans. She tries to get hired as a sheep-herd in borrowed trousers and gets sent off to hunt for nonexistent gold in wild flowers.

Lessons in the schoolroom Sent to Miss Pritchet's school to learn discipline, 'Lisbeth demands that her reading books lead her directly to London. Instead of studying quietly, she joins Jemmy Jenkins in uprooting the school garden's marguerites and replanting them upside down.

The journey to the city Rising poverty forces 'Lisbeth’s mother to move the family into two cramped, dark attic rooms in a London alley. 'Lisbeth initial excitement quickly fades as she witnesses the heat, noise, and poverty of her new surroundings.

Schemes on the street Desperate to make money, 'Lisbeth spends a day sweeping a dirty street crossing for tips that never arrive. She takes a job hidden under a shop counter operating a wax figure's mechanism, and later falls asleep on the sidewalk while attempting to sell gingerbread cakes.

A turning point at home 'Lisbeth causes severe domestic chaos by bringing a rag buyer into the family's tiny living space without permission. Her mother calls her a "hindering child," prompting 'Lisbeth to abandon her independent schemes and yield to her mother's guidance.

Return to the country By working cooperatively under her mother's direction, the family saves enough money to leave the city behind. They return to their rural cottage, where a humbled 'Lisbeth finds lasting happiness in home life and steady duties.

The People

• 'Lisbeth Lillibun wants to escape her quiet rural life and reach London, believing it to be a paradise of wealth and opportunity. Her headstrong nature, impatience, and self-reliance stand in her way, repeatedly leading to foolish schemes. By the end of the book, she learns humility, yields to her mother's authority, and becomes a dutiful, contented daughter.

• Mother wants to feed, house, and discipline her children while enduring severe poverty. Her life is burdened by hard labor at the mill and 'Lisbeth’s disruptive antics. She remains a firm, patient anchor who eventually succeeds in guiding 'Lisbeth toward practical obedience, leading the family back to rural stability.

• Dickon wants to play and support his sister's games, though he lacks her stubborn single-mindedness. His easygoing nature means he quickly abandons 'Lisbeth's wilder schemes, though he remains a loyal companion throughout their moves.

• Gorham wants quiet stability and practical sense. He recognizes the folly of 'Lisbeth’s London plans early on and adapts resignedly to their urban tenement, ultimately returning with relief to the country.

• Miss Pritchet wants order in her schoolhouse and proper conduct from her pupils. She struggles against 'Lisbeth’s willful resistance to traditional lessons before the family leaves for the city.

In Its Own Voice

"'Lisbeth Lillibun lived a hundred miles from London. If she had not lived a hundred miles from London, it is likely you would never have heard of her."

The narrator introduces the young protagonist and her immediate preoccupation with the distant metropolis.

"If we want to be very comfortable we must be contented where we find ourselves."

The narrator reflects on the lesson 'Lisbeth fails to grasp after her initial attempt to walk to London ends in fatigue and tears.

"'Lisbeth, you are a very hindering child!' Had she said anything else, anything else at all, 'Lisbeth would not have felt it so much..."

The mother's stern rebuke forces 'Lisbeth to confront the real impact of her unguided schemes on the struggling family.

What It's Really About

Beneath its episodic narrative of childhood escapades, Some Little People is a meditation on contentment and the limits of self-will. The novel contrasts the deceptive promise of urban excitement with the quiet stability of rural home life. 'Lisbeth’s persistent belief that happiness lies elsewhere is tested and broken by the realities of London's tenement poverty.

The story argues that enthusiasm and hard work are harmful when divorced from wise guidance and obedience. 'Lisbeth’s well-intentioned schemes to earn money fail because she relies entirely on her own childish judgment rather than submitting to her mother's direction. Only when individual will aligns with family duty does true relief and happiness become possible.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in 19th-century juvenile fiction will appreciate Some Little People for its direct tone and realistic handling of working-class struggles. Unlike many moral tales of its period that rely on idealized Sentimentality, Kringle’s narrative maintains an unvarnished view of urban poverty—detailing the grim, cramped reality of London tenements, thin mothers, and dirt-streaked streets.

The prose style is understated and straightforward, making it an easy, quick read despite its vintage origins. Readers should be prepared for explicit moralizing from the omniscient narrator, who frequently pauses the action to emphasize lessons about contentment and obedience. However, 'Lisbeth remains a genuinely compelling child protagonist: stubborn, imaginative, and fiercely independent even in her mistakes. Her journey from restless ambition to quiet appreciation of home offers a timeless glimpse into the emotional life of childhood.