If you can only buy THAT, you will be able to have your heart's desire.' The children looked at each other and then at the Psammead.

Then Cyril coughed awkwardly and took sudden courage to say what everyone was thinking.
'I do hope you won't be waxy,' he said; 'but it's like this: when you used to give us our wishes they almost always got us into some row or other, and we used to think you wouldn't have been pleased if they hadn't.

Now, about this charm--we haven't got over and above too much tin, and if we blue it all on this charm and it turns out to be not up to much--well--you see what I'm driving at, don't you ?' 'I see that YOU don't see more than the length of your nose, and THAT'S not far,' said the Psammead crossly.

'Look here, I HAD to give you the wishes, and of course they turned out badly, in a sort of way, because you hadn't the sense to wish for what was good for you.

But this charm's quite different.