Five Children and It
"Done," said the creature after the proper interval.
"I wish," said Jane suddenly, "mother could forget all about the
diamonds."
"Done," said the Psammead; but its voice was weaker.
"Would you like to rest a little?" asked Anthea considerately.
"Yes, please," said the Psammead; "and, before we go any further, will
you wish something for me?"
"Can't you do wishes for yourself?"
"Of course not," it said; "we were always expected to give each other
our wishes--not that we had any to speak of in the good old Megatherium
days. Just wish, will you, that you may never be able, any of you, to
tell anyone a word about _Me_."
"Why?" asked Jane.
"Why, don't you see, if you told grown-ups I should have no peace 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 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 dull things like that; and
get them, and keep them, and the whole world would be turned
topsy-turvy. Do wish it! Quick!"
Anthea repeated the Psammead'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."
"It's like the 'Brass Bottle,'" said Jane.
"Yes, I'm glad we read that or I should never have thought of it."
"Now," said the Psammead faintly, "I'm almost worn out. Is there
anything else?"
"No; only thank you kindly for all you've done for us, and I hope you'll
have a good long sleep, and I hope we shall see you again some day."
"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 Psammead blow itself
out and collapse suddenly. It nodded to them, blinked its long snail's
eyes, burrowed, and disappeared, scratching fiercely to the last, and
the sand closed over it.
* * * * *
"I hope we've done right?" said Jane.
"I'm sure we have," said Anthea. "Come on home and tell the boys."
Anthea found Cyril glooming over his paper boats, and told him. 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 dear 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 at all. Lord Chittenden had taken them to be re-set and cleaned,
and the maid who knew about it had gone for a holiday. So that was all
right.
"I wonder if we ever shall see the Psammead 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.
"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 sand-pit either, but in a very, very, very different place. It was
in a---- But I must say no more.
* * * * *
Transcriber's notes:
Varied hyphenation retained where a majority could not be found.
Exceptions noted.
Page 60, "Peasemarch" changed to "Peasemarsh" to conform to rest of
text. "Billy Peasemarsh."
Page 111, "hasily" changed to "hastily" in "Jane hastily finished".
Page 116, extraneous " removed. "better. What"
Page 179, Quotation mark added. "...Anthea said. "It's creepy..."
Page 193, "gatehouse" changed to "gate-house" to conform to rest of
text, "in the gate-house."
Page 290, "Peasmarsh" changed to "Peasemarsh" in "at Peasemarsh Place",
also on page 297, "Peasemarsh Place".