I. Analysis. At first Tom is a real boy, a little grimy, ignorant chimney sweep, next a water baby or eft, in which character, under the tutelage of the fairies, he gains his education. Briefly at the end he is a man, an engineer, but all that is delightfully vague, for he has ceased to be the little Tom we like so thoroughly.

Chapters I and II.

  1. Tom, the Chimney Sweep,
  2. Works for Mr. Grimes;
  3. Summoned to sweep the chimney at Hartover Place;
  4. Overtakes the poor Irishwoman, who
  5. Walks with Tom;
  6. Asks about his prayers and makes him sad;
  7. Tells about the sea and makes him wish to be clean;
  8. Helps him pick flowers;
  9. Frightens Grimes for beating Tom,
  10. Warns them both to be clean;
  11. Promises to see them again;
  12. Disappears.
  13. Meets the keeper who warns Grimes against poaching;
  14. Walks up the avenue;
  15. Sees the deer, trees, bees, and makes friends with the keeper;
  16. Enters the house and sweeps chimneys;
  17. Comes out in a beautiful room and sees the little white lady;
  18. Sees himself for the first time and cries;
  19. Escapes from the nurse by window and tree;
  20. Is chased by everybody;
  21. Is lost in the woods;
  22. Scales a wall;
  23. Is followed by the Irishwoman, who throws the pursuers off the scent;
  24. Crosses the river, climbs a mountain;
  25. Descends Lewthwaite Crag;
  26. Drags himself to the cottage;
  27. Begs for water of the dame;
  28. Is given milk, and put in an outhouse;
  29. Is feverish and out of his mind;
  30. Thinks he must be clean;
  31. Drags himself to the stream, looks into the clear water, and undresses;
  32. Does not see the Irishwoman transform herself to the queen of the fairies;
  33. Tumbles himself into the stream;
  34. Falls asleep in the water;
  35. Is turned into a water-baby by the fairies;
  36. Is mourned as dead by the people who find his poor dirty body.

Chapters III and IV.

  1. Tom, the Water Baby,
  2. Watches the caddis-flies build their homes (page 262) and go into the chrysalis state (page 262);
  3. Sees the metamorphosis of the dragon-fly (pages 263-264);
  4. Meets and makes friends with the otters (pages 270-274);
  5. Travels towards the sea after the storm;
  6. Finds the salmon and witnesses the death of Grimes (pages 278-286);
  7. Passes the sleeping villages and reaches the sea;
  8. Greets the seal and looks for water babies;
  9. Plays with the lobsters (pages 292-294);
  10. Is caught by Professor Ptthmllnsprts and shown to Ellie, the little white lady, who flies away (pages 296-299). (Can you make out what Kingsley had in mind, by filling in the vowels of the Professor’s name?)

Chapter V.

  1. Tom, the Water Baby,
  2. Has an adventure in the lobster pots (pages 300-303);
  3. Joins the water babies;
  4. Is met by Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid, who
  5. Examines Tom;
  6. Rewards the good children;
  7. Punishes those who know no better, viz.:
  8. Tom,
  9. The doctors,
  10. The foolish ladies,
  11. The careless nurserymaids,
  12. The cruel school teachers,
  13. Tells Tom about those who knew better.
  14. Sees Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby, who
  15. Mothers Tom;
  16. Tells him the story.

Chapter VI.

  1. Tom, the Water Baby,
  2. Steals the candy from the cabinet;
  3. Becomes prickly and ugly from sin;
  4. Confesses to Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid;
  5. Goes to school to rid himself of his ugliness;
  6. Is taught by the beautiful little girl;
  7. Gains his own smooth, clean skin;
  8. Recognizes the little white lady, Ellie;
  9. Learns how to join Ellie in the beautiful place;
  10. Loses her by being unkind;
  11. Hears the history of the Doasyoulikes;

Chapter VII.