The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.html.images 431 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.epub3.images 24.5 MB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.epub.images 24.5 MB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.epub.noimages 216 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.kf8.images 24.6 MB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.kindle.images 24.6 MB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1018.txt.utf-8 394 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/1018/pg1018-h.zip 24.5 MB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Kingsley, Charles, 1819-1875
Title The Water-Babies
Note Project Gutenberg has several editions of this eBook:
#36309 (Illustrated in B & W and Color)
#25564 (Illustrated in Color)
#1018 (Plain HTML file)
Note Reading ease score: 78.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Credits Transcribed from the 1889 Macmillan and Co. edition by David Price
Summary "The Water-Babies" by Charles Kingsley is a children's novel written during the late 19th century. The book follows the adventures of Tom, a young chimney-sweep who encounters various fantastical elements and moral lessons after he is transformed into a "water-baby." The story explores themes of innocence, growth, and the beauty of nature, serving not only as a fairy tale for young readers but also as a commentary on the social conditions of the time. The opening of the novel introduces Tom, a poor chimney-sweep living in the North of England, whose life is filled with hardship and neglect. Through vivid descriptions, the text paints a picture of his struggles, including the physical labor he endures and his lack of education and parental guidance. One day, Tom encounters an Irishwoman who offers him a glimpse of kindness. After an altercation with his cruel master, Tom embarks on a journey that leads him to a magical spring, where he finds himself longing for cleanliness and purity. This desire culminates in his dramatic transformation into a water-baby, a pivotal moment that sets the stage for his adventures in the water and eventual quest for self-discovery. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres
Subject Chimney sweeps -- Juvenile fiction
Subject Fairy tales -- England
Category Text
EBook-No. 1018
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Sep 8, 2019
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 355 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!