Five Children and It

Nicknamed “Squirrel,” Cyril is the oldest of the siblings. Since he is aware of his status, he is rather bossy. On the other hand, he is brave, resourceful, and quick to take charge when the children get into trouble, as when he invents the plan to steal food from the vicarage.

Cyril is also honorable in a family that greatly values honor; for instance, he tells his siblings that he hates “hinting, and ‘don’t know,’ and sneakish ways like that” (57). He is a master at the sort of double speak that allows him to tell the truth without mentioning the magic or the Psammead, as the others all do at some point. For instance, when the Roma want to claim the Lamb, Cyril gives them his word of honor that they can have the baby at bedtime if they want to. He knows perfectly well that once the spell wears off, nobody will want the Lamb except his own family.

Called “Bobs,” Robert is the middle boy in the family. He is often thoughtless, as when he wishes that everyone would want the Lamb or tells the leader of the besieging army in Chapter 6 that he isn’t real.