Five Children & It by E. Nesbit

  

                                                             TO JOHN BLAND

                                                My Lamb, you are so very small,
                                             You have not learned to read at all.
                                            Yet never a printed book withstands
                                            The urgence of your dimpled hands.
                                             So, though this book is for yourself,
                                                Let mother keep it on the shelf
                                              Till you can read. O days that Pass,
                                              That day will come too soon, alas!*

And with this sweet dedication, Edith Nesbit begins her tale about five children and a Psammead (little wonder she refers to the creature as "it" in the title).  What is a Psammead, you might ask?  A Psammead is a Sand Fairy - a creature quite rare nowadays.

The five children are Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and the Lamb.  The four older children are the main protagonists, while the Lamb, their two year old brother, is a minor player in most of the adventures.  Another recurring character is Martha, a servant who takes care of the house and the Lamb.  The children's parents do not feature prominently in the story.

The children meet the Psammead (or Sammyadd, as they call him) on holiday in the country.  They are digging in the gravel pit - trying to reach Australia - when they unearth this strange, little creature.  The Psammead is not your typical fairy - sweet and with wings and a magic wand.  He is a small, furry creature, with "snail-like eyes."  He lives buried in the sand away from water, because water kills sand fairies.  As he tells the children, a long time ago people used to build sand castles for Sand Fairies.  The Psammeads enjoyed these delightful homes - until people began digging moats to go with the castles.

Just like beautiful fairies, the Psammead can grant wishes.  But his method is quite unorthodox.  He inflates himself and then lets out his breath.  Granting a wish exhausts the fairy and aggravates his already sullen nature.  The girls, though, treat him kindly.  In one touching scene, Anthea offers to let him sit in her lap to keep warm.  He does.  It's sweet, but I can't help but shudder at the thought of a warm, little, furry creature with "snail-like eyes" sitting in my lap.

The Psammead grants the children nine wishes over the course of the book.  Each wish turns into a misadventure as best and danger at worst.  But is it the children's naivety or the Psammead's sullen nature that causes the trouble?

I am a fan of E. Nesbit's books for children.  Her style is child-like.  She pictures things as children do and includes only the details that would appeal to children.  Her humor it witty and her tales imaginative.  She is very honest about the motives that drive us to do and act as we do.  I think it is this honesty that I particularly find real in her style of writing.

Her characters differ very little from story to story.  Anthea is quite like Bobby, from "The Railway Children", and Jane is just like Dora from "The Treasure Seekers."  The personalities alter little, but they are such fun to begin with that it makes little difference to me.  The pure, innocent fun is refreshing; the stories original; the setting always a delight.

I wish I had a first edition of this story - the cover is gorgeous.  But as the likelihood of finding a first edition of an E. Nesbit book is rare or way beyond the reach of my pocketbook, I found a very modern nice edition.  It is from the "Looking Glass Library", published by Random House.  It features the original illustrations by H.R. Millar.  Some may find the pictures outdated, but I love the Victorian artwork.

There are film adaptions of this story.  I haven't seen the 1991 BBC miniseries, but I did watch the 2004 version starring Freddie Highmore and Kenneth Branagh (in a very "un-Shakespearean" role).  The story is based during WWI, and tells the story of five children sent to the country because of the war.  Their father (Alex Jennings), is a pilot serving his country overseas.  The story has more of a feel of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe," with Freddie Highmore's character a bit like Edmund Pevensie, as interpreted in the 2005 a film adaption of the C.S. Lewis classic.  However, the screenplay writers borrowed from Lewis; Lewis did not borrow from Nesbit.  I enjoyed this version, though it is nothing at all like the book, so I would not recommend it as a substitute to reading the original story.  I would like to see another adaption - one that tells E. Nesbit's story.

Five Children and It is the first in a trilogy.  The following works are The Phoenix and the Carpet and The Story of the Amulet.  Before I finished the book, I had logged onto the library's website and requested the sequel.  This may show you how much I enjoyed the story!  It's a tale for all ages, but whether all ages will enjoy it, I don't know.  If you enjoy the adventures, magic, and cleverness of "Peter Pan", "Winnie the Pooh", or any other E. Nesbit tale, you will not be disappointed in this choice.  After reading the story you may find yourself wondering If I were to unearth a Psammead, what would I wish for?

*Five Children and It.  Nesbit, E.  1902.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

     Cholera invades the British colony of India, changing young Mary Lennox's life forever.  Her father was an officer in the British army stationed in India.  Her mother was a popular socialite, who seemed to want to deny the fact that she had a little daughter.  Neither parent has been attentive.  Mary has been mostly raised by servants native to India.  She is spoiled and does not know how to do the simplest things for herself.
     When the cholera epidemic kills her parents, her nurse, and forces the servants to flee, Mary is left alone in her parents' bungalow.  A couple of British soldiers find her.  They take her to stay with another British family.  The children nickname the disagreeable girl "Mary, Mary, quite contrary." 
     The late Mrs. Lennox had a sister.  She was married to a wealthy British gentleman, Mr. Archibald Craven.  Mrs. Craven died many years ago, but her husband respects his connection to Mary, and sends for her to live with him in his manor on the English moor.
     Mary travels to England and begins her new life at Missilthwaite, under the care of the strict housekeeper Mrs. Medlock.  Mary does not meet her uncle right away.  He chooses not to see her.  All she knows about him is that he is a middle-aged, solitary hunchback.
     Mary's low spirits and serious nature are foiled by Martha, one of Mr. Craven's maids.  Warm and kindhearted, Martha takes Mary under her wing.  She tells Mary all about her large family, especially her brother Dickon.  Dickon spends most of his time on the moor with the animals.  He understands animals and they trust him.
     Under the grey, early spring skies, Mary explores the gardens on her uncle's estate.  She makes two more friends (Ben Weatherstaff, the crusty gardener, and Robin Red Breast, a friendly robin).  In the garden, where she loves to play, Mary finds a secret garden, with no door.  Ben and Martha both know something about this doorless garden, but both are reluctant to tell her the entire story.  All Mary can learn is that it was once Mrs. Craven's, and it has been locked up ever since she died.
     Another mystery appears to live inside Misselthwaite manor.  At night Mary can hear moans and crying.  Although Martha tries to persuade her it is just the wind, one particular night, Mary decides to uncover the truth.
     Contrary to many stories that feature an angelic girl who changes lives for the better, Mary Lennox must experience a change within her own heart before she can help and understand those she meets in her new home.  Her feisty temper and spoiled nature make her a miserable companion.  But with time, friendship, and the garden, Mary's character improves and she becomes another charming daughter of literature.

Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter 1913

     You can always find something to be glad about.  At least that is Pollyanna Whittier's philosophy.  And it's a philosophy that impacts an entire town.
     Pollyanna is the daughter of a poor Western pastor.  After her mother died, the Ladies Aid tried to teach her the basics of housekeeping.  Her father, however, teaches Pollyanna her most valuable lesson:  how to be glad in the worse circumstances.  Father and daughter play "the game" - until Rev. Whittier joins his wife in death, and Pollyanna becomes an orphan.
     The Ladies Aid sends Pollyanna to her mother's younger sister, Miss Polly who lives in Beldingsville, Vermont.  Eager and excited, Pollyanna journeys to Beldingsville.  But Miss Polly is not enthusiastic or "glad" about this sudden addition to her household.  Passionate only about her duty, Miss Polly considers all the drawbacks of having a child live with her.
     When Pollyanna arrives, Miss Polly sends Nancy, her maid, to meet the girl at the train station.  Nancy knows the cool welcome awaiting Pollyanna.  She was the one to clean the poorly furnished attic room for the little girl, when there are many lovely rooms quite vacant in other parts of the house.  Pollyanna's bright spirit is not daunted by the large mansion and its strict mistress, even when Miss Polly forbids her from mentioning her father.
     Nancy befriends Pollyanna, and becomes the first to learn "the game."  Others who live in Beldingsville soon learn to appreciate the friendly, sweet child.  Pollyanna's friends include Mrs. Snow, a cranky invalid, Mr. Pendleton, the silent recluse, Jimmy Bean, an orphan looking for a home, and Dr. Chilton, Mr. Pendleton's amiable physician.  She wins the affections of everyone she meets, touching many lives.  Only Miss Polly appears indifferent and uncaring.
     In her mother's old haunts, Pollyanna finds ghosts of love lost, festering grudges, and Nancy says Mr. Pendleton even has a skeleton in his closet!  But the secrets cannot long withstand the optimistic Pollyanna, who knows how to bring the best out of everyone.
     Do you know how to be glad for crutches when you wanted a doll?  Or how you can be glad you have a broken leg?  Pollyanna knows.  But the game is put to the ultimate test one day.  Will it work?
     Come play the game with Pollyanna, a child full of unconditional love and an unstoppable spirit.

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter

     Dear friends of mine introduced me to this book by the American naturalist Gene Stratton Porter.  It was published in 1909, and the next year Richard W. Pascoe, Hans Von Holstein, & Richard A. Whiting wrote a song of the same name.  I discovered this delightful piece of sheet music in an older relative's music treasury. 

     Set in Indiana, where the author herself lived, the story circles around the life of Elnora Comstock, who lives on the edge of the Limberlost Swamp.  Her father died when she was a baby, and her mother does not appear to care very much for her.  Elnora spends most of her time in the Limberlost, collecting moths, moss, and other pieces of nature.  Like the author, Elnora is a naturalist and loves the outdoors. 
     The book begins with Elnora going to her first day of highschool in Onabasha, much against her mother's wishes.  Mrs. Comstock uncaringly sends her daughter to school in an ugly hat and out-dated dress.  But receiving an education is most important to Elnora and it outweighs everything else.  Right away, the reader is filled with respect for this brave young girl.  Anyone who has been self-conscious on their first day of school will sympathize with her. 
     Elnora's dreams are almost instantly dashed when she learns that she will have to pay a tuition to attend highschool and buy her own books.  She knows she will receive no help from her mother.  Not only does Mrs. Comstock not approve of highscool, but she is very poor.  Our heroine finds her "fairy godmothers" in her dear neighbors Uncle Wesley and Aunt Maggie.
     A very bright and intelligent girl, Elnora does well in school, and even makes friends with the city girls.  In addition to her regular classes, she studies the violin at school.  Her dead father used to love his violin, but now Mrs. Comstock will not tolerate it.  Elnora has inherited her musical talent from her father, but she does not understand why her mother hatres this instrument.  Elnora loves the violin and cherishes its music from the depths of her soul.
     The mystery surrounding Mr. Comstock's death hangs over Elnora and the first half of the book.  Whatever happened that fateful day has turned Mrs. Comstock's heart bitter and cold, unable to give the love that Elnora craves.
     I loved the first half of this young adult novel.  I liked learning what American highschool was like way back in 1909.  If you enjoy the outdoors, you will like all the references to the birds, plants, and moths native to the Limberlost and Indiana.  I really liked Uncle Wesley and Aunt Maggie, and the character arch of Mrs. Comstock is different and touching.  Elnora herself was different, in that I had never read a book in which the main character is a naturalist. 
     In reading the book, I felt that the novel was actually two stories.  A long time ago I saw a 1990 TV version of Mrs. Porter's book, and it told only the first half of the story.  While the first "story" is about Elnora and her mother's dark heart, the second half focuses on Elnora's love story.  Unfortunately, the love story was disappointing.  I could see the end coming chapters before it came.  I do find comfort in recurring patterns, but I could not fully enjoy this one. 
     Nonetheless, do not let this dissuade you from reading this book.  I enjoyed it, and I would read it again, it's just that the fist half is my favorite.  I have not read anything else by Gene Stratton Porter, but I want to.  She is another one of those delightful lady authors of the early 1900s.  Once well known, her works have been surpassed in the waves of time by such contemporaries as Lucy Maud Montogomery.  If you like the Anne of Green Gables books, learning about everyday life in America during the turn-of-the-century, or nature you are sure to delight in "A Girl of the Limberlost."

Oh, just as a side note, this book makes references to another tale by Gene Stratton Porter.  It is "Freckles," published around 1900.  It is not necessary to have read "Freckles" to appreciate "A Girl of the Limberlost." 

The Racketty-Packetty House

     A short story by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

     Before Pixar's Toy Story, there was Racketty-Packetty House.  In young Cynthia's nursery is a doll house.  It once belonged to her grandmamma, who was a little girl during the childhood of Queen Victoria.  Her grandmother loved and cared for the doll house and its 10 occupants.  Decades later, Cynthia receives the doll house.  Cynthia does not care much for the little run-down house and its shabby inhabitants.  Only six dolls still live in their dear home: Ridiklis, Meg, Peg, Kilmanskeg, Gustibus, and Peter Piper.  Embarrassed by its shabby appearance, Cynthia and her nurse hide "Racketty-Packetty House" behind a chair, out of sight.
     However, unknown to Cynthia, these little dolls have their own lives and personalities.  They play, dance, entertain, and shop whenever Cynthia is gone.  The five brothers and sisters and their maid are jolly souls who are good friends with the cat, the puppy, the Gentleman Mouse, the two cock sparrows, and the Fairies. 
     Their happy life changes when Cynthia is given Tidy Castle for her birthday.  It's a brand new doll house, inhabited by lords and ladies, gardeners and servants.  Cynthia devotes all her time to playing with these new dolls, forgetting completely about Racketty-Packetty House.  This is probably all for the better, because the nurse had threatened to burn the disgraceful house.  Hidden behind the chair, the little dolls' home is temporarily forgotten.
     The dolls enjoy watching the lords and ladies of Tidy Castle from their windows.  The dolls of Tidy Castle, though, look down their noses at the Racketty-Packetty dolls.  All except the lovely Lady Patsy.  She loves their jolly lifestyle.
     Danger threatens Racketty-Packetty House again.  A princess is coming to visit Cynthia, and the nurse decides that the old, run-down doll house must be burned.  Will Ridiklis, Meg, Peg, Kilmanskeg, Gustibus, and Peter Piper be homeless, or will their friends help to save their home?
     From "The Velveteen Rabbit" to "Racketty-Packetty House," the idea of toys coming alive and having special adventures is not new.  Each story is warm, amusing, and touching.  Although short in length, "Racketty-Packetty House" was fun to read, full of fantasy and imagination.


Illustration by Wendy Anderson Halperin

This is a perfect story to share with children.  My favorite edition of this book is illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, 2006.  The pictures are enchanting.  I give it 5 stars!

Special Edition: Bobtail Dixie, Chapter I

     "Bobtail Dixie" by Abbie N. Smith.  My grandmother owned this book.  My grandmother lived next door, and I spent a lot of time with her.  I cannot really remember reading this book at her house.  I remember reading other books there, such as "Dandie: The Tale of the Yellow Cat" and "The Sunbonnet Babies Trip to Italy."  This book now sits on our bookshelves.
     Bobtail Dixie is a dog, owned by Preacher Smith and his family.  I have a copy of the 4th edition, copyrighted in 1901 by Abbey Press and 1902 by the authoress.  The story is in first person and told from the dog's perspective.  It is an interesting child's book, filled with photographs that act as illustrations, in addition to drawings.
     Following the Table of Contents is the dedication:  "To my nephews and nieces, this book is affectionately dedicated by the Author."  Chapter I is preambled by this question:  "Every dog has his day, why not I?"
     I have copied the first chapter of this charming little book.  Enjoy!

                                                    Chapter I.
                                         WHEN I WAS A PUPPY.

     First, you will want to know who I am and what I look like.  As far as I know, from glimpses I have caught of myself while drinking from a shiny tin basin, I am a little dog, white in color, except a dark brown mark over my right ear and eye; my eyes seem to match in color the brown on my ear, and I do not seem to have a tail worthy of mention.
     I was born "way down South in Dixie," on a farm, near Houston. Texas.  My master's name was Smith; perhaps you have heard the name before, as they say there are a great many Smiths in the world; but I am very sure that not one of them is quite as nice and good as my master Roy.  When a little boy, Roy was a great favorite of his grandfather, who loved animals and was kind to them, so perhaps that is the reason my master has always been kind and good to them, too.
     Roy owned several other dogs besides myself, and we did have such good times running around and playing on the farm.  One of our duties was to make some pigs stay where they belonged, and as there were no fences on our farm, we sometimes had great sport chasing the pigs out of the yard and garden.  It was funnier for us than for them, as we sometimes pulled their ear to teach them to stay at home.  Roy's grandfather said it reminded him of the way teachers used to pull the ears of unruly pupils in school.
     Our home was so happy I wanted to stay there always, but could not, as you will see.  It happened this way: an uncle of my master came to visit him, and Roy, who was very proud of us, showed us to the gentleman.
     "I have two little cousins, living up North, and I would like to send them a present; how do you think they would like one of my dogs?"  I heard master say as I listened to their conversation.
     I was greatly interested, and listened eagerly for his answer.  I heard the uncle say he was sure nothing would please them more, and as he and his wife were soon going to visit them, he would gladly take them a dog.  This excited me still more, and I thought, "Can it be they will select me?"  On second thought, I was sure there were handsomer and nicer dogs than I on the farm, though I am proud to say I am not a mongrel, but a real aristocratic dog.  I thought it would be a fine thing to go away and see more of the world, and I wanted to see those little children.  But I soon thought how I should miss the other dogs, even though we did not always agree, and sometimes grieved our kind master, who reproved us for quarreling.
     As I was one of the smallest dogs, I usually came out of a fight feeling very humble, and sometimes looking pretty rough.  But that is an unpleasant subject to me, so I will drop it.
     They took some time to decide which dog to take, looking us over very carefully several times.  Then they looked at me again, and my master said,"This is a cute little fellow and I believe I will send him, although I shall miss him."
     I was glad and sorry, too; but it did not seem to make much difference how I felt about the matter, for I was no consulted int eh least, thought it was to make such a difference in my life.
     I forgot to tell you that I was to be a Christmas present.  They knew Master Roy was to send them something, but had no idea it would be alive; probably thought it would be a drum or a doll; they surely did not think a little dog would go so far to see any one.
     At this time I was only three months old, but you know dogs know a great deal more than babies do at that age, at least they are not so helpless; for while babies cannot even creep, dogs can run real fast.  I will confess, though, that when babies do walk they walk on two legs, which the oldest and wisest of dogs cannot do, unless they are what are called trained dogs; and between you and me they do not like it, and never do it except when compelled to do so by their master, and then they drop down and walk on four legs just as soon as they dare.  They are not comfortable at all walking on two legs.  Some trained dogs are even dressed up like folks and try to act like them - the "Snyder Family," for instance, who, with their master, travel about giving exhibitions.  Roy took me to see them one day, and bought one of their pictures.  Would you like to see it?
                                             

      Isn't it an adorable photo?  I wonder if the child this book was given to enjoyed the story and smiled at the pictures.  My grandmother's copy has a little message written on the first page:  Miss Ruth Walters  Xmas
From Uncle Jim.  It was a sweet note.

     April update coming soon! 

"The Adventurs of Pinocchio" by Carolo Collodi

     Once there was a block of wood.  It had a life, albeit short, before it came into the hands of a woodcarver, named Geppetto.  This block of wood is nothing but trouble from the start.  As Geppetto carves out the legs and arms of his future puppet, his creation instantly strikes out and hurts him.  No wish or Blue Fairy are necessary here to bring the little marionette to life.  But do not fear, the Blue Fairy does play an important role in the overall story.
     Pinocchio has his share of adventures as he learns to be a good boy.  He is tempted by the Fox and the Blind Cat, kidnapped by Stromboli - the shady entertainer - and goes to "The Land of Toys."  Along the way, he meets many unusual and frightening characters with whom Disney fans will not be familiar.  Pinocchio spends most of his time searching for Geppetto or the Blue Fairy, who raises him as her boy.  For a time he lives with the Blue Fairy and obediently attends school.  Then, a couple of hours before he becomes a boy, he falls to the greatest temptation of running away from home with a bunch of other boys.  There at "The Land of Toys" all the boys turn into donkeys, including our little marionette friend - miserable, mute donkeys.
     After watching Disney's fun, family-friendly 1940 animated version of Collodi's fairytale, I figured I should read the original.  While it follows the basic plot line of Disney's classic, the book has many subplots and characters that did not make it into the movie.  The story is much darker than the film:  Pinocchio actually kills the Cricket who tries to help him, and, when he falls asleep by the fire, his little feet burn off.  Pinocchio is certainly not a character to be admired.  He constantly disobeys and is easily deceived by those who wish him harm.  Certainly most of us can relate to Pinocchio - we've given in to things we know we should not have, gone down the wrong roads, met the wrong people.  We repent and try to make things right, but the damage can already be done and may be pass repairing.
     Published in 1881, "The Adventures of Pinocchio" follows one puppet's journey from "puppethood" to boyhood.  It's a long lesson and a long journey to becoming a real boy, but it is well worth the sacrifice and struggles.    

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit

     Bobbie (Roberta), Phyllis, and Peter have an idyllic home situation: a comfortable house, servants, and loving parents.  In one terrible evening everything changes.  Several men arrive at their London home, and soon the children learn that their father has had to leave home quite quickly on business.  Their mother spends much time away from home, seeing many people, and returning to her children weary and discouraged.  The servants whisper, but Mother does not tell Bobbie, Phyllis, or Peter where Father is.  They try to be understanding and be a support to her.    
     A second great change occurs when Mother announces that they must move from the city and take a home in the country.  They arrive by train late one evening in a small country English village.  From there they walk to their new home, "Three Chimneys."  The children love their new life in the country, even though the mystery surrounding their father hangs over their heads.
     Bobbie is a sweet, understanding older sister.  She is perceptive and tries to lessen Mother's burden.  Peter does his best to be the man of the house.  This duty drives him to commit a felony - but all comes out alright in the end.  Phyllis, like Bobbie, is sweet, but she is not quite as clever or quick as her siblings.  Her literal interpretation of phrases and pictures is humorous and adds lightness and comedy to the children's adventures.
     A train, the 9:15, passes through the village and the land adjoining their house.  They decide to wave to the train each morning, imagining that it will take their love to Father.  They create an unique friendship with one of the wealthy passengers.  They refer to him as the Old Gentleman.  He always waves back, and several times he plays an important role in their adventures and the outcome of their story.
     Bobbie, Phyllis, and Peter also make friends with Mr. Perks, who works at the train station, and decide to help him celebrate his birthday, which has almost disastrous results.  The other adventures of the Railway Children include a houseboat fire, an encounter with danger, a poor refugee, and a paper chase.
     The Railway Children may not take place in an exotic locale, but its magic is in its simplicity of life and characters.  It does not have a strong plot line; its enjoyment is in the little stories and subplots that fill their lives at the "Three Chimneys."  The people the children help and the people who help them, the loyalty and love of the family, and bravery and courage reside in this little story.  I hope you will join Bobbie, Phyllis, and Peter at the "Three Chimneys," wave to the 9:15, and remember the simple joys and hopes of childhood.

     If you're like me, you love great stories but cannot always find the time to sit down with the physical copy of the book. Whether I'm doing chores around the house or driving to school, I love having a good audiobook to listen to. I highly recommend this excellent recording of Edith Nesbit's classic children's story by Tantor.  It is performed by Renee Raudman. 

 

"Sir Gibbie" by George MacDonald

     Though edited, Sir Gibbie looked imposing and a little boring when my aunt and uncle gave it to me years ago.  However, once I started reading, I fell in love with the story, finishing it in four days.  The pictures were not the best, but I had matured to the age when I knew that you cannot judge a book by its cover or by its illustrations.  

      Sir Gibbie is the son of the impoverished Sir George Galbraith.  Gibbie’s mother is dead, and his father is slowly killing himself with alcohol purchased in Mistress Croale's whisky parlor.  They live in a tiny attic in the Old House of Galbraith, which was sold to pay the family’s debts.  Gibbie is a tender, loving boy but, sadly, he is unable to speak.  He communicates with the people of the Scottish town through smiles and kind actions.   
     When Sir George dies, Gibbie leaves the town, wandering through the Scottish countryside.  He finally arrives at the Glashgar highlands.  He takes refuge in a barn, helping the lady of the house secretly each morning before the house awakes.  The barn is located at the Mains of Glashruach, leased by John Duff, and the lady is Jean Mavor, John Duff's half-sister.  She believes a brownie (Scottish fairy) is working the daily magic.

     On Glashgar Peak, Gibbie meets Janet Grant, a wife and mother with the child-like faith that Jesus praised in the Gospel of Matthew: “And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3 NIV)  Gibbie also befriends Donal Grant, Janet’s son, who works as a herdsman for the Lord of Glashruach.  Donal reads and writes his own poetry.  He and Gibbie become best friends.

      The news of Jean Mavor’s brownie greatly disturbs the Lord of Glashruach, Thomas Galbraith, a greedy, pompous, cowardly man.  He dislikes anything relating to magic and myth.  He orders Fergus Duff (John Duff’s son) to capture the person who is secretly helping Jean and to prove to everyone – especially Mr. Galbraith’s daughter, Ginevra – that brownies are not real. 

     Poor Gibbie is apprehended.  Fergus beats him, then takes him to Mr. Galbraith.  No one understands that Gibbie cannot speak.  Thus they make the erroneous mistake of assuming that he won’t speak.  Mr. Galbraith sends Gibbie and one of his workers, Angus MacPholp, to the coach-house, with orders for Angus to whip Gibbie.  Fergus strips the boy of his shirt and lays the whip to his back twice: first across his waist and then vertically down his back.  He is about to strike again when Ginevra rushes into the coach-house and rescues Gibbie.  Gibbie escapes to Janet Grant’s house.  Janet and her husband Robert adopt Gibbie, and he lives with them and becomes like a brother to Donal.  Gibbie enjoys many happy years in Glashruach, and he might have spent the rest of his life quietly and happily with his new family.  However, someone is searching for him.

     After Gibbie had left the town of his birth, the local pastor, Rev. Sclater, learns that Gibbie is heir to a large fortune from his uncle, Mr. William Fuller Winthrop.  Rev. Sclater offers a 100 pound reward for information concerning the whereabouts of Gibbie Galbraith.  During a terrible flood, an old friend arrives in Glashruach searching for Gibbie.  The friend sees him and, in the turmoil, travels to the city to give Rev. Sclater the news of Gibbie’s whereabouts.    

     Rev. Sclater comes to Glashgar and convinces Gibbie to return to the city with him and begin his education as a wealthy gentleman.  Gibbie leaves, but only on the condition that Donal Grant may come too and share the benefits of a higher education.  The two boys leave their simple lives behind at Glashgar, preparing for the new life that awaits them in the city, little knowing that Ginevra will also be leaving for the city and school, too.

     The beauty of Sir Gibbie is in its delightful, charming characters.  Most of them are poorly educated farm-folk, but they are honest and sincere.  The villain, the selfish Mr. Galbraith, is rather like a Dickens character.  He is slightly unbelievable because he is unimaginably selfish and narrow-minded.

     The character of Sir Gibbie is worth a great deal of study: a mute boy with a face like an angel’s, overflowing with kindness and unselfishness.  He is truly the opposite of Mr. Galbraith.  Gibbie is integrity itself.  The life of prosperity does not spoil him; he does not really change: he is the same person at the end of the story as he is in the beginning.  Those who change are the people who live around him.  They change because of his loving, gentle influence.

     I used to think that Gibbie was a slightly unrealistic character.  He was too good to be true.  His goodness did not irritate me or hinder the book, but I knew there was really no one truly like him.  Then I read a book that changed my mind.  It was a book that explained how literature professors view plots and characters.  Through this book I realized that Gibbie isn’t exactly to be taken as your average character.  Actually, he is an allegorical character: the Christ-figure of the story.  It is always exciting to make a discovery, and now I’m surprised I didn’t realize it sooner.  When Angus whips Gibbie, he whips him across the waist and down his back.  It is the shape of the Cross. 

     Like Jesus, Gibbie walks on earth, living true Christianity, a kind not practiced even by the churchgoers and the pastor.  “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 NIV

   

"The Light Princess" by George MacDonald

     I became familiar with The Light Princess through a recorded dramatic reading - another treasure located at the local library.  It was the second MacDonald fairytale I heard, the first being At the Back of the North Wind.  The Light Princess is an easier read than The Golden Key, but it is not the latter's inferior. 
     The Light Princess begins like so many fairy tales:  a kingdom, a king and a queen facing the great dilemma of having no heir, a spell, a prince, even a witch.  The king is slightly pompous and comical, and the queen is serious and more sensible.  Eventually, the couple are blessed with the birth of their daughter.  The story may have been happy but uneventful if the king had not forgotten to invite his spiteful sister, Princess Makemnoit, to the christening.  Princess Makemnoit, easily forgotten since she is an awful person, is the instigator of all misery and sorrow that plagues the characters.
     To take her revenge for being overlooked, she casts a spell on the princess, depriving the baby girl of all her gravity.  The spell and its result are discovered one day when the princess miraculously floats to the ceiling of her nursery, put afloat by the wind coming in through the open window.  As the child grows up, her loss of gravity is felt keenly by the entire palace.
     The loss of gravity is a horrible condition.  Not only can the slightest breath of wind carry the princess away, but she has no gravity of spirit.  She knows neither sadness nor sorrow nor anything grave.  She laughs often, but even that lacks sincerity.
     King John and his queen decide to consult the college of Metaphysicians.  The materialist Hum-Drum and the spiritualist Kopy-Keck both try to solve the princess's problem, but the king and queen cannot possibly take their harsh advice.  Instead, a temporary solution presents itself when, by accident, the princess discovers that her gravity is restored whenever she is submerged in water.  From that day forward, the princess spends all her time swimming in the lake next to the palace.
      The hero of the tale - aye, the prince - meets the princess one evening as she is swimming in the lake.  She bewitches the prince, and he becomes her devoted admirer.  As, however, true love requires some gravity of mind, his love is not returned by the princess, who is light of body, mind, and heart.
     Princess Makemnoit learns of the princess's happiness and regained gravity in the lake, and, being the kill-joy that she is, she brings to life a giant serpent to drain the lake of all its water.  The princess, who, despite of her loss of gravity, loves the lake. As she watches the water mysteriously drain away, she begins to fade and draw close to death.  The king desperately searches for a way to save the lake and thus his daughter.  Finally, a message is found in the mud that was once covered by the lake:

                                       "Death alone from death can save.
                                       Love is death, and so is brave - 
                                       Love can fill the deepest grave.
                                       Love loves on beneath the wave."

          "If the lake should disappear, they must find the hole through which the water ran.  But it would be useless to try to stop it by any ordinary means.  There was but one effectual mode - The body of a living man could alone stanch the flow.  The man must give himself of his own will; and the lake must take his life as it filled.  Otherwise the offering would be of no avail.  If the nation could not provide one hero, it was time it should perish."* 

      Published in 1864, The Light Princess is a beautiful story - not devoid of its gravity to be sure.  As with The Golden Key, it has a deeper meaning, another level of understanding aside from its surface story.  It tells of a Prince who loved his princess with the truest, purest love.  But it has much more to offer than that: it reminds its reader of a greater love, indeed, the Greatest love story ever told.

*MacDonald, George.  The Light Princess.  United States of America:  The Meriden Gravure Company, 1969.  Print.

The Golden Key by George MacDonald

     I wish I could say that I found a copy of this book tucked away in a charming antique shop.  Yet the plain truth is that I became acquainted with this story by listening to a reading of The Golden Key, borrowed from the local library.  No embossed cover, not thick paper pages, no musty smell - which is probably best since I am allergic to dust, mildew, and the like.  What a tragic thing for an old-book collector such as myself!  Yet, this did not subtract from the interesting story which is The Golden Key.
     The protagonists of the fairytale are a girl named Tangle and a boy named Mossy.  Mossy's great-aunt tells him about a key that can be found at the end of the rainbow.  His father, the great-aunt tells Mossy, found the key.  Mossy decides that he too will find the key.  So he ventures into Fairyland to search for the end of the rainbow.  The rainbow in Fairyland is different from what we know as a rainbow.  It does not appear to be made of moisture and sunshine, but an actual place.  There is a world within the rainbow.  Mossy can actually see people moving in this strange, colorful world.  It is here, where his great-aunt said it would be, that Mossy finds the Golden Key.
     The merchant and his daughter, Tangle, live close Mossy and his great-aunt.  The merchant leaves Tangle to the charge of their two unkind and untidy servants.  The fairies of Fairyland dislike the two servants because they are messy, which is a thing that angers these fairies.  In an effort to rid themselves of the lazy servants, the fairies chase Tangle out of her home.  Tangle, frightened, runs into the forest.  She is followed by a flying fish that has feathers like those of a bird - it is an air fish.  It leads her to a cottage, owned by a woman who has been waiting for her.  The woman is thousands of years old, and yet she is lovely.  She is wise, too.  Tangle stays at the cottage belonging to this woman, who becomes her grandmother.  The day the air fish brings her to this cottage is three years after she ran away from her home.
     The woman sends another air fish to bring Mossy to her.  When he arrives, the woman entrusts Tangle to Mossy's care, and the two journey to find the lock that the Golden Key will unlock and to discover the land where shadows fall.  The children see many curious yet wondrous things.  Their journey lasts for years, and they develop a strong friendship - though it is not said that they fall in love.  When Tangle and Mossy finally come to the door the Golden Key unlocks, they begin the greatest adventure of their lives.
     The Golden Key, published in 1867, is one of the deepest stories of the fantasy genre I have ever read.  While the plot is short and simple - no battles involving thousands of soldiers or wizards weaving spells - it has a unique charm and leaves you with a feeling that you have only had a mere whiff of a scrumptious pie or cake.  The story is like a hard boiled egg - to use an unromantic simile.  The hard boiled egg has the shell, the egg white, and, at the center, the golden yoke.  This story requires three stages of understanding.  I have barely accomplished the first stage.  I am by no means a literature professor, but I know that there is much to be learned and gathered from this story.  What are the themes?  What do each of the characters represent?  What is the Golden Key?  The story raises endless questions.
     To be honest, The Golden Key is not my favorite George MacDonald story.  This is simply because the story is far above my understanding and full comprehension.  Perhaps it will endear itself to the reader with each consecutive reading.  But whether it becomes your favorite fairytale or not, it will arouse thoughts and speculations, leaving you hungry for a deeper, richer understanding of MacDonald's short story The Golden Key. 

For more information about George MacDonald, please visit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Macdonald

"The Story of the Treasure Seekers" by E. Nesbit

"The Story of the Treasure Seekers: Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune."

      This is a charming story about six siblings: Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Alice and Noel (twins), and Horace Octavius - better known as H.O.  Their mother died, and the children are basically left to raise themselves.  They have a loving father, but he is usually preoccupied with business, leaving the children to have unusual and memorable adventures.  The story is told by one of the children, but never stated by which one until the very end of the story. 
     When Mr. Bastable loses his money, Oswald, the leader among the children, decides that it is up to the young Bastables to recover the family fortune.  This noble mission instigates most of the misadventures.  How often their good intentions are bitterly reversed! 
     Their quest leads them to dig for treasure with the aid of Albert-next-door and Albert-next-door's uncle; they pretend at being detectives; they try to sell Noel's poems (such classics as "Lines on a Dead Beetle That Was Poisoned"); they try their hand at editing a newspaper; they meet a real princess; and they have a memorable run-in with Lord Tottenham.
     Written in 1899, "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" is a wonderful example of the genius of British writers.  C.S. Lewis even mentions it in one of his Chronicles of Narnia books, The Magician's Nephew: 
     "In those days Mr. Sherlock Holmes was still living in Baker Street and the Bastables were looking for treasure in the Lewisham Road."*
     Full of imagination and British humor, E.Nesbit's book is a merry romp in Victorian England through the eyes of six imaginative children.




*Lewis, C.S. Chapter One. The Magician's Nephew. The Chronicles of Narnia. New York City. HarperCollins Children's Books, 1994. pg 1.

"Peter Pan and Wendy" by J.M. Barrie

     "All children, except one, grow up."  Since Peter Pan first flew into the pages of literature, he has enchanted and endeared himself to generations of children that, unlike him, did grow up, and to adults who never fully lost the innocence, joy, and excitement of youth.
     First written as a play in 1904, "Peter and Wendy" was published as a book in 1911.  I have seen several movie and television adaptions of this lovely story, but none fully do justice to Barrie's amazing wit and incomparable style.  It is a wondrous testimony to its author that after one hundred years people still read and love his masterpiece.  Perhaps this is because Peter Pan is not merely a child's book: it is much more.  Its themes, the depth of its characters, and its insight into life fascinates us just as much as the tale.
     I have included a couple of excerpts from this timeless book that I hope encourages you to read and cherish "Peter and Wendy":

     '[Mrs. Darling] was a lovely lady, with a romantic mind and such a sweet mocking mouth.  Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East, however many you discover there is always one more; and her sweet mocking mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous in the right-hand corner.
      'The way Mr. Darling won her [Mrs. Darling] was this: the many gentlemen who had been boys when she was a girl discovered simultaneously that they loved her, and they all ran to her house to propose to her except Mr. Darling, who took a cab and nipped in first, and so he got her.  He got all of her, except the innermost box and the kiss.  He never knew about the box, and in time he gave up trying for the kiss.  Wendy thought Napoleon could have got it, but I can picture him trying, and then going off in a passion, slamming the door.'* 

     And about a special place in Neverland, Barrie writes . . .
     'If you shut your eyes and are a lucky one, you may see at times a shapeless pool of lovely pale colours suspended in the darkness; then if you squeeze your eyes tighter, the pool begins to take shape, and the colours become so vivid that with another squeeze they must go on fire.  But just before they go on fire you see the lagoon.  This is the nearest you ever get to it on the mainland, just one heavenly moment; if there could be two moments you might see the surf and hear the mermaids singing.'*

     * Barrie, James M.  Peter Pan and Wendy.  United Kingdom: Hodder & Stoughton, 1911.  Print.