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[Illustration: Cover]

[Illustration: "The thing whirred up into the air, and hung poised on
its wings,... a dragon fly,... the king of all the flies."--P. 74.
(_Frontispiece_)]





THE WATER-BABIES

A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby

BY CHARLES KINGSLEY

          WITH ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR BY
          WARWICK GOBLE

          MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
          ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
          1922




  _First Published 1863_
  _Edition with 32 Illustrations in Colour by Warwick Goble, Crown
      4to, 1909_
  _With 16 Illustrations in Colour by Warwick Goble, Demy 8vo, October
      1910_
  _Reprinted November 1910, 1912_
  _With 16 Illustrations in Colour by Warwick Goble, Medium 8vo, 1922_

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN




                      TO

                MY YOUNGEST SON

                GRENVILLE ARTHUR

                     AND

         TO ALL OTHER GOOD LITTLE BOYS


  COME READ ME MY RIDDLE, EACH GOOD LITTLE MAN;
   IF YOU CANNOT READ IT, NO GROWN-UP FOLK CAN.




ILLUSTRATIONS

                                                          FACING PAGE

  The thing whirred up into the air, and hung poised on its
     wings,... a dragon fly,... the king of all the
     flies.--p. 74                                        _Frontispiece_

  In rushed a stout old