The Water-Babies Read online

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  THE WATER-BABIES

  _He looked up at the broad yellow moon . . . and thoughtthat she looked at him_

  _Page_ 102]

  The Water-Babies

  by Charles Kingsley

  Illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith

  New York Dodd, Mead & Company Publishers

  Copyright, 1916, By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.

  PRINTED IN U. S. A.

  TO MY YOUNGEST SON GRENVILLE ARTHUR AND TO ALL OTHER GOOD LITTLE BOYS

  _Come read me my riddle, each good little man; If you cannot read it, no grown up folk can._

  INTRODUCTION

  "IT was in 1863 that _The Water-Babies_ was written, showing thenaturalist in the fulness of his strength, fearlessly, yet tenderly,playing with the tremendous results of advanced science in thenineteenth century. . . .

  "The writing of the book was the outcome of a gentle reminder, atbreakfast one spring morning, of an old promise, to the effect that asthe three elder children had their book--_The Heroes_--the baby, myyoungest brother, then four years old, 'must have his.' My father madeno answer, 'but got up at once and went to his study, locking the door,'and in an hour came back with the first chapter of _The Water-Babies_ inhis hand. At this pace and with the same ease the whole book wascomposed. . . .

  "A visit in 1858 to Mr. W. E. Forster in Wharfedale, and to Mr. Morrisonat Malham, gave him the local setting of the beautiful opening chapters.For the grandeur of the scenery of Godale Scar and Malham Cove had madea profound impression on his mind, as did the beauty of the Wharfe belowDenton Park.

  "Places he had seen, and many more he had read and dreamed of in hisfather's fine library of voyages and travels, fairies and men ofscience, fads and foibles, education true and false, Pandora's box andsanitary science--a matter always dear to his heart--the ways of beastsand birds, fishes and insects, of plant and tree and rock, of river andtide, are all interwoven here with the deepest truths of life andliving, of morals and religion. So that while the book enchants thechild, it gives the wise man food for thought. . . .

  "Happy are the children who get their first ideas of the marvels ofnature all around them from such a lesson-book as this. . . .

  "And perchance, when they are grown men and women, and like Tom have wontheir spurs in the great battle, they may look back with thankful heartsto certain pages in _The Water-Babies_; pages which taught them, whileas little children they read a fairy tale, what a fine thing it is tolove truth, mercy, justice, courage, and all things noble and of goodreport."

  Thus Rose G. Kingsley, in a preface to her father's fairy tale,describes the impromptu manner in which _The Water-Babies_ was written.Dashed off for the pleasure of his own little son, this book has charmedand entertained thousands of children for more than fifty years, and hasundoubtedly in many cases taught "what a fine thing it is to love truth,mercy, justice, courage, and all things noble and of good report."

  THE EDITOR.

  CONTENTS

  PAGE CHAPTER I 1 CHAPTER II 37 CHAPTER III 67 CHAPTER IV 102 CHAPTER V 129 CHAPTER VI 165 CHAPTER VII 194 CHAPTER VIII 229