TOM, THE WATER BABY

By Charles Kingsley

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

Charles Kingsley, who was born in 1819, and became Canon of the Church of England at Chester, wrote, in addition to his interesting and brilliant novels, The Water Babies, which is a charming fairy story for young people.  It is, however, one of those stories that can be read more than once, and read by all classes of people.

Besides telling the delightful story of Tom, the water baby, and his wonderful adventures on land and in water, Canon Kingsley gives in a very amusing style accounts of many of the animals that live in and near the water.  But he brings them all into the story in such a way that they seem to be real, living characters, and you are almost as much interested in the stately salmon and his wife, or even in the funny old lobster, as you would be if they were actual human beings.

As the story was written originally, there was a great deal in it for children of much larger growth than those who will read it here.  In some respects the story resembles Gulliver’s Travels, for Kingsley took occasion to be satirical about many of the things which men and women say, do and believe.  Some of this satire children will enjoy thoroughly, but some of it could not be understood well except by persons who have lived in this world for many years.  Accordingly, in this book, we have thought it best to leave out some things, giving you only the story of Tom, and hoping that when you young readers grow to manhood or womanhood you will find The Water Babies, complete, a good story to read.  You will enjoy recalling the delight you have in it now, and will find out that even a children’s story may be so told as to keep a man thinking.

Moreover, the story was written by an Englishman for an English boy, and there are a great many allusions to things that only English boys appreciate or understand, and it has seemed wise to omit most of these.  On the other hand, nothing has been omitted to weaken the story of Tom, and nothing has been added to destroy the charm of Canon Kingsley’s writing.

CHAPTER I

Once upon a time there was a little chimney-sweep, [Footnote:  A boy would have a hard time crawling through some of our chimneys nowadays, but years ago, when houses had open fireplaces instead of steam plants, there was a network of huge chimneys through which a small boy could easily work his way, brushing off the soot as he went.] and his name was Tom.  That is a short name, and you have heard it before, so you will not have much trouble in remembering it.  He lived in a great town in the North country, where there were plenty of chimneys to sweep, and plenty of money for Tom to earn and his master to spend.  He could not read nor write, and did not care to do either; and he never washed himself, for there was no water up the court where he lived.  He had never been taught to say his prayers.  He never had heard of God, or of Christ, except in words which you never have heard, and which it would have been well if he had never heard.