The Water BabiesWordsworth Editions, 1994 - 214 pages Tom, a poor orphan, is employed by the villainous chimney-sweep, Grimes, to climb up inside flues to clear away the soot. While engaged in this dreadful task, he loses his way and emerges in the bedroom of Ellie, the young daughter of the house who mistakes him for a thief. He runs away, and, hot and bothered, he slips into a cooling stream, falls asleep, and becomes a Water Baby. In his new life, he meets all sorts of aquatic creatures, including an engaging old lobster, other water babies, and at last reaches St Branden's Isle where he encounters the fierce Mrs Bedonebyeasyoudid and the motherly Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby. After a long and arduous quest to the Other-end-of-Nowhere young Tom achieves his heart's desire. |
Contents
Section 1 | 4 |
Section 2 | 5 |
Section 3 | 31 |
Section 4 | 54 |
Section 5 | 81 |
Section 6 | 95 |
Section 7 | 110 |
Section 8 | 113 |
Section 9 | 134 |
Section 10 | 146 |
Section 11 | 180 |
Section 12 | 213 |
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Common terms and phrases
afraid asked backstairs beasts beautiful Bedonebyasyoudid began birch-rod birds brains butterwort catch caught chimney chimney-sweep clean crag creatures cried crying dear little dirty dovekies dragonfly Epimetheus eyes fairy fairy tale fancy fast feet fellow fish folks frightened gentleman grew grey Grimes Harthover head heard Hellebore hippopotamus hole Holothurian hundred Irishwoman jumped knew lady laughed legs little boys little children little dear little Ellie live lobster looked Mother Carey mouth nasty naughty never night nose once otter perhaps petrels poor little pretty professor rock round salmon seen Shiny Wall Sir John sleep St Brandan stone strange stream Struwwelpeter stupid sure swam sweet tail tell things thought thunderbox told Tom longed Tom waited Tom's took trout truncheon turned ugly Vendale water babies wings wonderful