The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit
"The Story of the Treasure Seekers," written by E. Nesbit, is a children's novel featuring the adventures of Oswald Bastable and his siblings as they attempt to restore their family's fortune after a series of misfortunes. Following the death of their mother and their father's illness, the Bastable children face financial struggles, leading them to believe that finding treasure is the solution to their problems. The narrative unfolds through a series of whimsical and humorous escapades, including attempts at digging for treasure, detective work, and entrepreneurial ventures such as selling poetry and creating a newspaper.
Each scheme is marked by a combination of innocent mischief and the naiveté of childhood, showcasing the children's resilience and creativity in the face of adversity. The story reflects themes of family loyalty and the imaginative spirit of youth. E. Nesbit's storytelling, characterized by realistic dialogue and engaging character interactions, marks a significant contribution to children's literature during the late 19th century. "The Story of the Treasure Seekers" remains a beloved classic, illustrating the charm and challenges of childhood amidst changing social circumstances.
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The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit
First published: 1899; illustrated
Type of work: Adventure tale
Themes: Family, poverty, and social issues
Time of work: The late nineteenth century
Recommended Ages: 10-13
Locale: Lewisham, England
Principal Characters:
Dora , the eldest child, who tries to take care of the other childrenOswald , an intelligent child who conceives the idea of looking for treasures and excels in LatinDicky , who is good at math and wants everything precisely thought out and statedAlice , a twin, the adventuresome sisterNoel , her twin brother, a poetHorace Octavius , the youngest childAlbert-next-Door , the unfortunate child who lived next doorAlbert’s Uncle , a novelist, the friend and protector of the Bastable children
The Story
The Story of the Treasure Seekers is a series of stories told by Oswald Bastable. Each one is filed with realistic mischief, subtle humor, and the sometimes pathetic, sometimes charming adventures of this nineteenth century family. Some of the events seem to be based on childhood remembrances of the author; others are perhaps from her wide readings and her fertile imagination.
A series of events leads the children to believe that they need to restore the fallen fortunes of the Bastable House. First, the mother dies. Then, while the father is very ill, his business partner leaves with the business’ money. The servants leave, the family silver is gone, and there are no more fancy dinner parties. The children no longer attend boarding schools, bill collectors are constantly at the door, and a policeman leaves a warrant for their father. At this point, the children decide to look for treasure. Their search begins in the garden. Albert-next-door helps them to dig. The ground caves in on him, and Albert’s uncle gets him out. After telling the children that no treasure more than a half-crown has ever been found in the yard, Albert’s uncle finds two half-crowns that he divides among the children.
The children next decide to become detectives. Alice thinks that burglars may be in the house next door because the neighbors are supposed to be away. Oswald looks through a window, falls, and makes enough noise to alert the “burglars.” The “burglars” are really the people next door, who are pretending to be gone to the seaside.
The next scheme the children decide to undertake is for Noel to sell his poetry to the newspapers. On their way to London, he and Dora meet Mrs. Leslie. She befriends them and gives them two shillings. Dora and Noel try several newspaper offices before they locate an editor who will talk with them. The editor pays Noel one pound seven for the poetry.
They next plan an ambush on the Heath. Their victim turns out to be Albert. They send a ransom note to Albert’s mother. Albert’s uncle pays an eight pence ransom for his nephew after he explains the seriousness of kidnapping, even in play. Albert’s uncle then suggests that journalism could provide a permanent money source. The children edit a newspaper. Instead of selling their newspapers, the Lewisham Recorder, they give them away. Next, after reading about a money-lender, Mr. Rosenbaum, the children decide that he must be a generous benefactor. He lends them fifteen shillings and sells a bottle of perfume to them, but charges a very high rate of interest. Even though they do not get money, they get their father’s attention after Mr. Rosenbaum contacts him. The children continue to try new schemes for making money, but these plans inevitably fail or get them into trouble.
The last episode of the story involves the children’s befriending the “poor Indian Uncle” who visits the family. They serve rabbit and currant pudding when he comes to dinner and recount their efforts to restore the Bastables’ fortune. Because the children believe him to be very poor, they offer him what little money they have. This selfless offer brings treasures to the family. First, Uncle brings gifts to them, and then he extends an invitation to a party. Finally, he offers to share his home.
Context
The Story of the Treasure Seekers appears to have been written during a turning point in the career of E. Nesbit. Her extensive writings include several genres-—— poetry, short stories, novels, retold stories of William Shakespeare and English history-——but her venture into children’s books blossomed with the appearance of The Story of the Treasure Seekers. It was not only well received by readers, but also one of her first profitable works. Moreover, beginning with this book, Nesbit’s writing began to exhibit greater discipline and organization, and in it she used dialogue in an entirely new style. The Story of the Treasure Seekers continues to be listed among favorites of children. Other novels for which Nesbit is known are The Woodbegoods(1901), The Phoenix and the Carpet(1904), Five Children and It(1902), and The Railway Children(1906).