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The Phoenix and the Carpet

by E. Nesbit (1858–1924)

  • Free to read
  • 4 hours to read
  • 12 chapters
  • Reading level: 6th grade

"The Phoenix and the Carpet" by E. Nesbit is a fantasy novel published in 1904. When five siblings accidentally destroy their nursery carpet with fireworks, their parents buy a replacement that contains a mysterious glowing egg. The egg hatches into a talking Phoenix, who reveals the carpet is magical and can grant three wishes daily. The children embark on exotic adventures across time and space, accompanied by their vain and eccentric feathered companion, though their magical gifts prove more fragile than expected.

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  • Fantasy fiction
  • Siblings
  • Magic
  • Great Britain · History · Edward VII, 1901-1910
  • Phoenix (Mythical bird)

Read the opening

Chapter 1: The Egg

It began with the day when it was almost the Fifth of November, and a doubt arose in some breast—Robert’s, I fancy—as to the quality of the fireworks laid in for the Guy Fawkes celebration.

‘They were jolly cheap,’ said whoever it was, and I think it was Robert, ‘and suppose they didn’t go off on the night? Those Prosser kids would have something to snigger about then.’

‘The ones I got are all right,’ Jane said; ‘I know they are, because the man at the shop said they were worth thribble the money—’

‘I’m sure thribble isn’t grammar,’ Anthea said.

‘Of course it isn’t,’ said Cyril; ‘one word can’t be grammar all by itself, so you needn’t be so jolly clever.’

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Contents

  1. Chapter 1: The Egg
  2. Chapter 2: The Topless Tower
  3. Chapter 3: The Queen Cook
  4. Chapter 4: Two Bazaars
  5. Chapter 5: The Temple
  6. Chapter 6: Doing Good
  7. Chapter 7: Mews from Persia
  8. Chapter 8: The Cats, the Cow, and the Burglar
  9. Chapter 9: The Burglar’s Bride
  10. Chapter 10: The Hole in the Carpet
  11. Chapter 11: The Beginning of the End
  12. Chapter 12: The End of the End

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About this edition

This free edition of The Phoenix and the Carpet by E. Nesbit comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #836, released 1997-03-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Children & Young Adult Reading, Science-Fiction & Fantasy, Novels, British Literature.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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