E. Nesbit's books have been special favorites with children for over fifty years, and those about the Five Children, with their unique blend of everyday family life and all kinds of magic adventure, are as funny and exciting as any she wrote.

In this, the second of the, Cyril, Robert, Anthea, Jane and the Lamb (their baby brother) discover that a second-hand carpet bought for the nursery is a flying one. Nor is this all—from an egg that falls out of the carpet hatches a flame colored bird, the Phoenix, whose assistance and advice prove invaluable. They find hidden treasure in France and with it restore the fortunes of a little boy how is heir to a castle; their own house is invaded by a thousand Persian cats, a cow, and a burglar, who eventually marries the cook on an island in the South Sea. From the dust jacket of the Vintage Looking Glass reprint