The Water Babies is Victorian fairy tale of epic proportions and strong moral overtones. The novel tells the story of Tom, a young chimney sweep, who escapes the toil and drudgery of his miserable apprenticeship through his magical transformation by fairies from a dirty little boy.
Chapter 15 At last after innumerable adventures, each more wonderful than the last, Tom saw before him a huge building.He walked towards this great building, wondering what it was. Having a strange fancy that he might find Mr. Grimes inside it, till he saw running towards him, and shouting “Stop!” three or four people, who,
Chapter 14 Here begins the account of the nine-hundred-and ninety-ninth part of the wonderful things which Tom saw on his journey to the Other-end-of-Nowhere.As soon as Tom had left Peacepool, he came to the white lap of the great Sea-mother, ten thousand fathoms deep. She made world-pap all day long, for the steam-giants to knead,
Chapter 13 Once inside, Tom met a white marble lady, sitting on a white marble throne. And from the foot of the throne there swam away, out and out into the sea, millions of new-born creatures, of more shapes and colours than man ever dreamed. And they were Mother Carey’s children, whom she makes out
Chapter 12 One day, Tom asked the fairy, “Where can I find Mr. Grimes?“Ah!” said the fairy, “that is a brave, good boy. But you must go farther than the world’s end, if you want to find Mr. Grimes. He is at the Other-end-of-Nowhere. You must go to the Shiny Wall, and through the white
Chapter 11 Let us study the history of the great and famous nation of the Doasyoulikes, who came away from the country of Hardwork, because they wanted to play on the Jews’ harp all day long.”These Doasyoulikes lived in the land of Readymade at the foot of the Happy-go-lucky Mountains, where flapdoodle grows wild.Instead of
Chapter 10 By and by, Tom grew so fond of the sea-bullseyes and sea-lollipops that his foolish little head could think of nothing else. He was always longing for more, and wondering when the strange lady would come again and give him some. What she would give him, and how much, and whether she would
Chapter 9 The home of the water-babies was in St. Brandan’s fairy Isle.When Tom got there, he found that the Isle stood all on pillars, and that its roots were full of caves. There were pillars of black basalt, like Staffa; and pillars of green and crimson serpentine, like Kynance; and pillars ribboned with red
Chapter 8 Tom was going along the rocks in three-fathom water, watching the pollock catch prawns. He saw a round cage of green withes. Inside it, looking very much ashamed of himself, sat his friend the lobster, twiddling his horns, instead of thumbs.“What, have you been naughty, and have they put you in the lock-up?”
Chapter 7 One day Tom was sitting with his friend the lobster. There walked the little white lady, Ellie herself, and with her a very wise man indeed—Professor Ptthmllnsprts.He was a very worthy kind good-natured little old gentleman, and very fond of children. He had met Sir John somewhere or other, and had made acquaintance
Chapter 6 One day, Tom had a very strange adventure. It was a clear still September night, and the moon shone so brightly down through the water, that he could not sleep, though he shut his eyes as tight as possible. So at last, he came up to the top, and sat upon a little
Chapter 5 But one day Tom had a new adventure. He was sitting on a water-lily leaf. He and his friend the dragon-fly were watching the gnats dance. The dragon-fly had eaten as many as he wanted, and was sitting quite still and sleepy. It was very hot and bright. The dragon-fly kept on chatting
Chapter 4 Tom was now quite amphibious, which means that he was both an animal and a fish. What is better still, he was clean. For the first time in his life, he felt how comfortable it was to have nothing on him but himself. But he only enjoyed it He did not know it,
Chapter 3 Tom was a brave little chimney-sweep. When he found himself on the top of a high cliff, instead of sitting down and crying, he said, “Ah, this will just suit me!” He was very tired. Down he went, by stock and stone, sedge and ledge, bush and rush, as if he had been
Chapter 2 Now they had gone three miles and more, and came to Sir John’s lodge-gates.Very grand lodges they were, with very grand iron gates and stone gate-posts, and on the top of each a most dreadful bogy, all teeth, horns and tail.Grimes rang at the gate, and out came a keeper on the spot.
Chapter 1 Once upon a time, there was a little chimney-sweep, and his name was Tom. He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend. He could not read nor write, and did