The water-babies
Ratings6
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings6
Average rating3.3
Tom, an ill-treated chimney-boy, jumps into a cool stream to clean the soot off himself, and becomes a water baby, cleaner and happier than he has ever been, in a fairy world under river and sea. Meeting beautiful and frightening creatures, Tom travels to the Other-End-of-Nowhere on an unforgettable voyage of discovery.
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Tom is a wretchedly poor chimney sweep, just a boy, and yet without any education or religion or family and completely subject to the cruel whims of his master. He happens upon a beautiful rich girl in the process of cleaning the chimneys of a large home, and a misunderstanding occurs, and Tom runs away and (seemingly) drowns. He doesn't drown, however; he is changed into a water-baby, and he is sent off on adventures and trials by fairies to improve his moral character.
I was of two minds about this book: I loved the clever writing, the wild twists and turns that come from the mind of every young child, but I didn't care for Victorian moralizing. In the end, I loved the zaniness of the story enough to forgive the didactic bits.
I have no idea what children of today would make of this story, but I think they'd be shocked to be presented with Tom's life and they'd enjoy his wild adventures in the water.
