Five Children and It · Chapter
Grown Up explained
Cyril wakes early and negotiates with the Psammead to allow wishes to be granted instantly wherever the children happen to be.
What happens
Cyril wakes early and negotiates with the Psammead to allow wishes to be granted instantly wherever the children happen to be. Later, while the children are in the woods, the Lamb breaks Cyril's borrowed watch, prompting Cyril to impulsively wish the Lamb would grow up. The wish is granted, and the Lamb transforms into a young man in flannels and a straw hat. The children struggle to manage the grown-up Lamb, who insists on going to town alone. They eventually trick him into returning home by pretending to have a broken bicycle. At sunset, the Lamb reverts to his baby self, and the children resolve to raise him properly.
Themes in this chapter
Wish Fulfillment and Its Consequences
Cyril's impulsive wish for the Lamb to grow up leads to immediate and troubling consequences, illustrating the theme that wishes often bring unexpected and problematic outcomes.
Childhood vs. Adulthood
The Lamb's sudden transformation into a young man highlights the contrast between the innocence of childhood and the complexities of adulthood, as the children struggle to deal with a grown-up who still has a baby's mind.
Family and Sibling Dynamics
The siblings must work together to manage the crisis caused by Cyril's wish, and they ultimately debate how to raise the Lamb properly, reflecting their familial bonds and responsibilities.
Characters to notice
- Cyril
Cyril wakes early and negotiates with the Psammead to allow instant wishes; later, in frustration, he wishes the Lamb would grow up, causing the central crisis.
- The Psammead
The Psammead agrees to Cyril's request for instant wishes and later fulfills the wish that makes the Lamb grow up.
- The Lamb
The Lamb is the subject of Cyril's wish; he transforms from a baby into a young man with a moustache, then reverts at sunset.
- Anthea
Anthea warns Cyril to be careful just before he makes the wish, and later defends the Lamb against plans to bully him.
- Robert
Robert suggests waking the grown-up Lamb and taking him to a pastrycook's; he also reflects on the need to correct the Lamb gradually.
- Jane
Jane draws the lot to wake the grown-up Lamb and later advocates taming him by kindness.
Key passages
“Cyril had once pointed out that ordinary life is full of occasions on which a wish would be most useful.”
Cyril had observed that everyday situations often present opportunities where a wish could be handy.
This sets up Cyril's motivation to negotiate with the Psammead for instant wishes.
“The faithful Psammead was true to its promise, and there, before the horrified eyes of its brothers and sisters, the Lamb suddenly and violently grew up.”
The Psammead kept its word, and the Lamb abruptly and alarmingly transformed into an adult before the shocked siblings.
This describes the pivotal moment of the wish being fulfilled.
“The grown-up Lamb (nameless henceforth) was gone forever.”
The adult version of the Lamb disappeared permanently.
This marks the end of the crisis and the return to normalcy.