Five Children and It
Five Children and It is one of the best loved of all children’s fantasy stories, written by E. Nesbit and published in 1902. Staying in the country for the summer, five brothers and sisters dig in a gravel pit and unearth the Psammead, a grumpy, ancient sand-fairy with the power to grant one wish a day, though each wish lasts only until sunset. The children wish for beauty, for wealth, for wings, and for much else besides, and every time their heart’s desire goes comically and alarmingly wrong. Funny, clever, and warm, the book set the pattern for a whole tradition of magic breaking into ordinary family life. This free PDF and EPUB offers the complete story.
About the Author
E. Nesbit (1858-1924) was an English author and poet who transformed children’s literature with realistic, funny, and magical stories such as The Railway Children and Five Children and It.
See all books by E. Nesbit →
Listen to Five Children and It Audiobook Free
Listen to Five Children and It by E. Nesbit free online. The full audiobook (5 hr 39 min, 11 chapters, read by volunteer narrators) streams free on this page.
Five Children and It (1902) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beautiful as the Day | 43:34 | |
| 2 | Golden Guineas | 38:02 | |
| 3 | Being Wanted | 42:04 | |
| 4 | Wings | 39:51 | |
| 5 | No Wings | 16:07 | |
| 6 | A Castle and No Dinner | 27:27 | |
| 7 | A Seige and Bed | 21:32 | |
| 8 | Bigger Than the Baker’s Boy | 38:03 | |
| 9 | Grown Up | 22:21 | |
| 10 | Scalps | 26:36 | |
| 11 | The Last Wish | 23:09 |
Prefer reading? Read Five Children and It online free or download the PDF and EPUB above.
