# III: The Past explained — The Story of the Amulet

> Chapter companion for The Story of the Amulet by E. Nesbit.

## What happens

The children learn from the Amulet's voice that the missing half was destroyed in the past. The Psammead explains that they must travel into the Past to find it, as it still exists there. They visit the learned gentleman to seek his help in reading the charm's name, but he is initially distracted by his studies. The chapter sets up the mechanism for time travel through the Amulet.

## Themes in this chapter

### Power of Knowledge and History

The Amulet's voice reveals the history of its loss, and the children seek the learned gentleman's expertise to understand the charm.

### Wish Fulfillment and Consequences

The children's desire to find the missing half leads to the dangerous possibility of being trapped in the Past forever.

### Magic and the Ordinary

The magical voice of the Amulet contrasts with the mundane setting of the learned gentleman's cold mutton chop and dusty study.

## Character check-ins

### Anthea

Politely thanks the Amulet's voice and later persuades the others to let her wear the charm for safekeeping.

### Cyril

Takes the lead in speaking to the learned gentleman and asks the Amulet's voice about the missing half.

### Robert

Suggests traveling to the Past to find the other half of the Amulet and expresses concern about being trapped there.

### Jane

Present during the conversation with the Amulet's voice and the visit to the learned gentleman.

### The Psammead

Explains that time and space are forms of thought and guides the children to ask the Amulet about the Past.

### The Learned Gentleman

Receives the children in his study, treats them with courtesy, and is asked to help read the charm's name.

## Key lines

> Then one coming with stones to rebuild the shrine, dropped a hewn stone on the Amulet as it lay, and one half was sundered from the other.

A worker accidentally broke the Amulet in two when a stone fell on it.

_The Amulet's voice describes how the two halves were separated._

> If you would find it, you must seek it where it still is, perfect as ever.

To find the missing half, you need to look for it in the Past, where it remains intact.

_The Amulet's voice instructs the children to travel back in time._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_the_amulet_se/chapters/iii-the-past
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_the_amulet_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_story_of_the_amulet_se/chapters