The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby facts for kids
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The Water Babies (illustrated by Linley Sambourne), Macmillan & Co., London 1885
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| Author | Charles Kingsley |
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| Language | English |
| Genre | Satire |
| Published | London: Macmillan, 1863 |
| Media type | Book |
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The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a famous children's novel written by Charles Kingsley. It was first published in 1863. The story was very popular in England for many years.
This book is a fairy tale, but it also makes fun of some ideas to teach lessons. It even supported Charles Darwin's ideas about how living things change over time. Over time, the book became less popular because it contained some outdated and unfair views about different groups of people.
Contents
Discover the Story of Tom
The main character in the book is a young boy named Tom. He works as a chimney sweep, cleaning chimneys. One day, Tom falls into a river. He seems to drown, but then he changes into a "water-baby."
Tom's New Life as a Water-Baby
A caddisfly, which is an insect that sheds its skin, tells Tom about his new life. This is where Tom's journey of learning right from wrong begins. The story teaches about making up for mistakes and becoming a better person. Kingsley also used the book to show how England treated its poor people unfairly. He also questioned the practice of child labour.
Adventures and Important Lessons
Tom goes on many adventures and learns important lessons. He meets other water-babies on Saint Brendan's Island. He can join their community once he shows he is a good and moral creature.
The most important leaders in his new water world are three fairies:
- Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby (who teaches about treating others as you want to be treated)
- Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid (who teaches that you get what you deserve)
- Mother Carey (who is like a mother figure for all living things)
Tom also gets to see Ellie, a girl who became a water-baby after him, once a week.
Helping His Old Master
Tom's old master, Grimes, also drowns. In his last adventure, Tom travels to the end of the world. He wants to help Grimes, who is being punished for his bad actions. Tom helps Grimes to feel sorry for what he did. Grimes is then given a second chance if he can complete one final task.
Tom's Return and Future
By showing he is willing to do difficult things if they are right, Tom earns his way back to human form. He becomes a "great man of science." He learns to design things like railways, steam-engines, and electric telegraphs. Tom and Ellie are reunited. The book jokingly says they never marry, because in fairy tales, only princes and princesses get married.
The book ends by reminding readers that it is just a fairy tale. It tells them not to believe any of it, "even if it is true."
Book Adaptations
The Water-Babies has been adapted into different forms of entertainment. This shows how popular the story has been over the years.
Film Adaptation
The book was made into an animated film in 1978. It was called The Water Babies. Famous actors like James Mason and Bernard Cribbins lent their voices to the film. The movie kept many main ideas from the book. However, its storyline was quite different. For example, it added a new part where Tom saves the Water-Babies from sharks.
Stage Plays and Musicals
The story has also been performed on stage:
- A musical theatre version opened in London in 1902 at the Garrick Theatre. It was called a "fairy play."
- Another play was created by Jason Carr and Gary Yershon in 2003. It was performed at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
- In 2014, a new musical version was created by Fiona Ross and Sue Colverd. It was performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and later at the Playhouse Theatre in Cheltenham.
Radio Series
The Water-Babies has also been adapted for radio:
- A radio series was produced by BBC Audiobooks Ltd in 1998. It featured the voices of Timothy West and Julia McKenzie.
- In 2013, BBC Radio 4 created a modern update of the tale. This version was written by Paul Farley. In this story, the main character, Tomi, was a child worker from Nigeria.
See also
In Spanish: Los niños del agua para niños
