In which a wet day finds the five children thwarted in their attempts to tell their mother about the magical Psammead, and Anthea devises a thoughtful plan to share their wishes more wisely, leading to the gift of beautiful wings that give the children the joy and peril of flight. Their newfound power brings about adventures and mishaps, including a daring and uneasy raid on a farmer's larder, culminating in a predicament high atop a church tower as the wings vanish with the setting sun.