"The Phoenix and the Carpet" is a 1904 fantasy children's novel by E.
Nesbit. The second in a trilogy of novels beginning with "Five Children
and It" (1902), it follows the escapades of the same five children:
Anthea, Cyril, Robert, Jane and the "Lamb". In this story, the children
receive a new carpet from their mother to replace one destroyed in a
fire. The children discover an egg inside it, which eventually hatches
into a wish-granting phoenix that enables the children to go on many
fantastical adventures. Edith Nesbit (1858 - 1924) was an English poet
and author. She is perhaps best remembered for her children's
literature, publishing more than 60 such books under the name E. Nesbit.
She was also a political activist and co-founded the Fabian Society,
which had a significant influence on the Labour Party and British
politics in general. Other notable works by this author include: "The
Prophet's Mantle" (1885), "Something Wrong" (1886), and "The Marden
Mystery" (1896). Many vintage books such as this are becoming
increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are
republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality
edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the
author.