Children of the Pool
In the small Welsh village of Llandalffen, a mysterious pool is said to have the power to grant wishes. When a young girl named Elsie discovers the pool, she is granted three wishes. But as Elsie soon discovers, the pool's power comes with a price. Elsie's wishes bring her into contact with a strange and dangerous world of fairies, witches, and other supernatural creatures. As she struggles to understand the power of the pool, Elsie must also confront the dark secrets of her own past. Children of the Pool is a dark fantasy novel about the power of wishes, the consequences of secrets, and the strength of family.
By Arthur Machen · First published 1905 · Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery · 8,066 words
First lines
A couple of summers ago I was staying with old friends in my native county, on the Welsh border. It was in the heat and drought of a hot and dry year, and I came into those green, well-watered valleys with a sense of a great refreshment. Here was relief from the burning of London streets, from the close and airless nights, when all the myriad walls of brick and stone and concrete and the pavements that are endless give out into the heavy darkness the fires that all day long have been drawn from the sun. And from those roadways that have become like railways, with their changing lamps, and their yellow globes, and their bars and studs of steel; from the menace of instant death if your feet stray from the track: from all this what a rest to walk under the green leaf in quiet, and hear the stream trickling from the heart of the hill.
What this Textopian page supports
Children of the Pool is listed on Textopian as a novel by Arthur Machen, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Arthur Machen
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Adventure
- Length: 8,066 words
- Structure: 1 section, 239 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Children of the Pool by Arthur Machen
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Children of the Pool?
- How does this novel by Arthur Machen fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
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Similar titles
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- The Novel Of The Black Seal by Arthur Machen
- The White People by Arthur Machen
- The Inmost Light by Arthur Machen
- The Novel Of The White Powder by Arthur Machen
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Genres
- Fantasy — The book follows a group of children who discover a mysterious pool in a forest, which leads them to a magical world of fantasy and adventure.
- Horror — The book contains elements of horror, such as the mysterious pool and the creatures that inhabit it, as well as the dark and sinister forces that the children must face.
- Mystery — The book follows the children as they try to uncover the secrets of the pool and the creatures that inhabit it, creating a sense of mystery and suspense.
- Adventure — The book follows the children as they embark on a thrilling adventure to explore the mysterious pool and the creatures that inhabit it.
Tags
Fantasy · Horror · Supernatural Fiction · Weird Fiction · bed · black · called · country · dark · darkness · evening · farm