The story of three wishes being granted is an old one and often takes the form of a precautionary tale with the resultant moral being âbe careful what you wish for!â Such is the fallibility of human nature that we canât easily be trusted to use those wishes wisely.
The great childrenâs author Edith Nesbit (1858 â 1924) took this popular concept for her 1903 book âFive Children and Itâ and extended the wishes from three to eleven, now granted to five young siblings in Edwardian England.
They have no Geni of the Lamp or Fairy Godmother, but instead, an irascible Sand Fairy dug accidently out of the sand of an abandon quarry. This strange âPsammeadâ, with his snailâs eyes on stalks, furry squat body and aversion to water reluctantly grants the four children their, often ill thought out, wishes.
Nesbit writes with her usual warmth and humour, placing her protagonists into funny and sometimes frightening adventures which gradually make the children âwise beyond their years.â
Head Stories Audio presents "Five Children and It" by E. Nesbit. Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music.