The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Phoenix and the Carpet, by E. Nesbit

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Phoenix and the Carpet

Author: E. Nesbit

Posting Date: August 2, 2008 [EBook #836]
Release Date: March, 1997

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET ***

Produced by Jo Churcher

THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET

E. Nesbit

TO

My Dear Godson
HUBERT GRIFFITH
and his sister
MARGARET

TO HUBERT

Dear Hubert, if I ever found
A wishing-carpet lying round,
I'd stand upon it, and I'd say:
'Take me to Hubert, right away!'
And then we'd travel very far
To where the magic countries are
That you and I will never see,
And choose the loveliest gifts for you, from me.

But oh! alack! and well-a-day!
No wishing-carpets come my way.
I never found a Phoenix yet,
And Psammeads are so hard to get!
So I give you nothing fine--
Only this book your book and mine,
And hers, whose name by yours is set;
Your book, my book, the book of Margaret!

E. NESBIT
DYMCHURCH
September, 1904

CONTENTS

1 The Egg
2 The Topless Tower
3 The Queen Cook
4 Two Bazaars
5 The Temple
6 Doing Good
7 Mews from Persia
8 The Cats, the Cow, and the Burglar
9 The Burglar's Bride
10 The Hole in the Carpet
11 The Beginning of the End
12 The End of the End

CHAPTER 1. THE EGG

It began with the day when it was almost the Fifth of November, and a
doubt arose in some breast--Robert's, I fancy--as to the quality of the
fireworks laid in for the Guy Fawkes celebration.

'They were jolly cheap,' said whoever it was, and I think it was Robert,
'and suppose they didn't go off on the night? Those Prosser kids would
have something to snigger about then.'

'The ones _I_ got are all right,' Jane said; 'I know they are, because
the man at the shop said they were worth thribble the money--'

'I'm sure thribble isn't grammar,' Anthea said.

'Of course it isn't,' said Cyril; 'one word can't be grammar all by
itself, s