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Excerpt from The Wouldbegoods: Being the Further Adventures of the Treasure Seekers, by E. Nesbit

The words that followed I am not going to tell you. It is no use telling
you what you know before--as they do in schools. And you must all have
had such words said to you many times. We went away when it was over.
The girls cried, and we boys got out books and began to read, so that
nobody should think we cared. But we felt it deeply in our interior
hearts, especially Oswald, who is the eldest and the representative of
the family.

We felt it all the more because we had not really meant to do anything
wrong. We only thought perhaps the grown-ups would not be quite pleased
if they knew, and that is quite different. Besides, we meant to put all
the things back in their proper places when we had done with them before
anyone found out about it. But I must not anticipate (that means telling
the end of the story before the beginning. I tell you this because it is
so sickening to have words you don’t know in a story, and to be told to
look it up in the dicker).

We are the Bastables--Oswald, Dora, Dicky, Alice, Noel, and H. O. If you
want to know why we call our youngest brother H. O. you can jolly well
read The Treasure Seekers and find out. We were the Treasure Seekers,
and we sought it high and low, and quite regularly, because we
particularly wanted to find it. And at last we did not find it, but
we were found by a good, kind Indian uncle, who helped Father with his
business, so that Father was able to take us all to live in a jolly big
red house on Blackheath, instead of in the Lewisham Road, where we lived
when we were only poor but honest Treasure Seekers. When we were poor
but honest we always used to think that if only Father had plenty of
business, and we did not have to go short of pocket money and wear
shabby clothes (I don’t mind this myself, but the girls do), we should
be happy and very, very good.

Explanation ​

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Wouldbegoods by E. Nesbit ​

1. Context of the Source ​

The Wouldbegoods: Being the Further Adventures of the Treasure Seekers (1899) is the second book in E. Nesbit’s Treasure Seekers series, following The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899). The series follows the mischievous but well-meaning Bastable children—Oswald, Dora, Dicky, Alice, Noel, and H.O.—as they navigate childhood adventures, often with humorous and sometimes disastrous results.

The Bastables are a middle-class Edwardian family who, in the first book, were poor but resourceful, constantly scheming to restore their family’s fortunes. By The Wouldbegoods, their financial situation has improved thanks to a "good, kind Indian uncle" (a trope of colonial-era children’s literature) who helped their father’s business. Now living in a "jolly big red house on Blackheath," the children are no longer poor—but they are still prone to mischief, often with good intentions that go awry.

This excerpt comes early in the book, after the children have been scolded (though the exact offense is left unspecified). The passage captures Nesbit’s signature blend of childlike narration, humor, moral ambiguity, and social commentary, all while maintaining a conversational, almost confessional tone.

2. Themes in the Excerpt ​

A. Childhood Morality and Adult Hypocrisy ​

The children distinguish between "not meaning to do wrong" and knowing that "the grown-ups would not be quite pleased"—a key theme in Nesbit’s work. The Bastables operate in a moral gray area: they don’t see themselves as truly bad, just pragmatic and curious. Their logic is that if they put things back before being caught, no real harm is done. This reflects a child’s perspective on rules, where intentions matter more than consequences.

The narrator (Oswald) also mockingly critiques adult authority by refusing to repeat the scolding ("it is no use telling you what you know before"), suggesting that adult reprimands are predictable and hollow. This aligns with Nesbit’s broader theme of children being more clever and observant than adults give them credit for.

B. Class and Social Mobility ​

The Bastables’ shift from poverty to comfort is central to the series. In The Treasure Seekers, they were "poor but honest", dreaming of wealth as a solution to their problems. Now, in The Wouldbegoods, they live in a "jolly big red house"—symbolizing upward mobility—but their behavior hasn’t changed. They still scheme, still test boundaries, and still chafe against adult expectations.

This raises questions:

  • Does wealth make children "better"? (The title Wouldbegoods suggests they try to be good but fail.)
  • Is middle-class respectability just a performance? (The children pretend not to care about the scolding by reading books, but internally, they do feel it.)

Nesbit, a socialist, often critiqued class structures in her work, and the Bastables’ struggles with money and morality reflect Edwardian anxieties about social climbing and respectability.

C. Gender and Emotional Expression ​

The passage notes:

"The girls cried, and we boys got out books and began to read, so that nobody should think we cared."

This highlights gendered expectations of the time:

  • Girls are allowed to openly cry (emotional expression is acceptable).
  • Boys must suppress emotion, pretending indifference even when they feel deeply ("we felt it deeply in our interior hearts").

Oswald, as the eldest, bears the burden of family representation, adding to the pressure to appear stoic. This reflects Victorian/Edwardian ideals of masculinity, where boys were taught to hide vulnerability.

D. The Unreliable (But Charming) Narrator ​

Oswald’s narration is self-aware, digressive, and slightly defensive. He:

  • Breaks the fourth wall ("if you want to know why we call our youngest brother H. O. you can jolly well read The Treasure Seekers").
  • Explains literary terms ("anticipate means telling the end of the story before the beginning") in a patronizing yet endearing way.
  • Mocks adult conventions (e.g., looking up words in a "dicker"—a deliberate misspelling of "dictionary").

This meta-narrative style makes the reader feel like a conspirator, as if Oswald is confiding in us rather than lecturing us. It also undermines adult authority by implying that children’s logic is just as valid—if not more honest.

3. Literary Devices ​

A. First-Person Plural ("We") and Collective Identity ​

The Bastables narrate as a unit ("we felt it deeply"), emphasizing their shared experiences and loyalty. However, Oswald occasionally asserts his individuality ("especially Oswald, who is the eldest"), showing the tension between group identity and personal responsibility.

B. Irony and Understatement ​

  • "We only thought perhaps the grown-ups would not be quite pleased if they knew" → A comically mild way to describe knowing they’d be in trouble.
  • "We meant to put all the things back... before anyone found out about it" → The logic of a child, where secrecy = innocence.
  • "poor but honest" → A cliché that Oswald uses unironically, highlighting the naivety (or sarcasm?) of childhood morality.

C. Digressions and Asides ​

Oswald frequently interrupts the story to:

  • Explain words ("anticipate").
  • Mock the reader ("you can jolly well read The Treasure Seekers").
  • Defend himself ("I don’t mind this myself, but the girls do").

These digressions mimic a child’s stream-of-consciousness storytelling, making the narrative feel authentic and spontaneous.

D. Symbolism of the "Jolly Big Red House" ​

The shift from Lewisham Road to Blackheath represents:

  • Economic improvement (from poverty to comfort).
  • Social aspiration (a bigger house = respectability).
  • But also, the same old problems—the children are still mischievous, suggesting that money doesn’t fix everything.

The color red might symbolize:

  • Warmth and security (a happy home).
  • But also danger or rebellion (the children’s schemes often go wrong).

4. Significance of the Passage ​

A. A Child’s-Eye View of the World ​

Nesbit revolutionized children’s literature by writing from a child’s perspective, not a moralizing adult’s. The Bastables are flawed but relatable—they don’t learn lessons easily, they resent authority, and they justify their actions in creative ways. This realism was groundbreaking in the late 19th/early 20th century, when most children’s books were didactic fables.

B. Subversion of Moralistic Children’s Stories ​

Unlike morality tales (e.g., The Water-Babies or Little Lord Fauntleroy), where children are punished until they reform, Nesbit’s stories embrace ambiguity. The Bastables rarely face severe consequences, and their mischief is often rewarded with humor. This challenged the idea that children’s literature had to be instructive.

C. Social Commentary on Edwardian England ​

The Bastables’ financial struggles and class anxiety reflect real societal changes:

  • The rise of the middle class and the pressure to maintain appearances.
  • The gap between adult expectations and children’s realities.
  • The hypocrisy of "respectability"—the children are supposed to be "good" now that they’re wealthy, but their nature hasn’t changed.

D. Influence on Later Children’s Literature ​

Nesbit’s conversational tone, unreliable child narrators, and blend of humor and pathos influenced:

  • C.S. Lewis (Narnia’s child protagonists).
  • J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter’s mischievous trio).
  • Roald Dahl (rebellious, clever children vs. clueless adults).

5. Key Takeaways from the Text Itself ​

  1. The Bastables’ Logic vs. Adult Rules

    • They don’t see themselves as wrong—just practical.
    • Their moral code is flexible: if no one finds out, it’s not really bad.

  2. The Performance of Not Caring

    • Boys hide emotions (reading books to appear indifferent).
    • Girls express sadness openly—but all feel the scolding deeply.

  3. Wealth Doesn’t Fix Everything

    • They thought money would make them "very, very good"—but they’re still mischievous.
    • Comfort doesn’t change their nature—just their circumstances.

  4. Narrative Voice as a Tool of Rebellion

    • Oswald talks back to the reader, mocking adult conventions.
    • The tone is defiant yet vulnerable, making the reader sympathize with the children.

6. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

This excerpt encapsulates E. Nesbit’s genius in capturing the authentic voice of childhood—defiant, funny, self-justifying, and deeply feeling. The Bastables are not heroes or villains, but real children navigating a world of unfair rules, class expectations, and adult hypocrisy.

The passage is significant because:

  • It challenges traditional morality tales by making mischief relatable and even admirable.
  • It exposes the absurdity of adult authority through a child’s sharp observations.
  • It blends humor and pathos, making the reader laugh at the children’s logic while feeling for their struggles.

Ultimately, The Wouldbegoods (and this excerpt) celebrates the chaos, creativity, and resilience of childhood—a theme that remains timeless and universally appealing.

Would you like any specific aspect explored further (e.g., Nesbit’s socialism, comparisons to other children’s books, or deeper analysis of Oswald’s narration)?