So, of course, Mother thought that he was one of the thieve. She would not listen to the children and decided to go at once into town to tell the police. The children could not stop her.
‘This is terrible!’ said Anthes. ‘Poor Martha And poor Mr. Beale – he isn’t a thief! What are we going to do?’ Then she cried, ‘Come on! We must find the Psammead!’
They all hurried down to the gravel-pit, and this time they found the Psammead, sitting on the sand enjoying the evening sun. When it saw them, it tried to get away, but Anthea put her arms round it. ‘Dear, kind Psammead…’ she begen.
‘Oh, you want something, do you?’ it said. ‘Well, I can’t give you any more wishes today.’
‘Don’t you like giving wishes?’ Anthea asked.
‘No, I don’t,’ it said. ‘Go away and leave me alone!’
But Anthea went on. ‘Listen,’ she said. ‘If you do what we want today, we’ll never ask you for another wish.’
‘I’ll do anything for that,’ it said. ‘I really don’t enjoy giving wishes. It’s very hard work, you know, and I get so tired.’