The Story of the Treasure Seekers · Chapter
XIV: The Divining-Rod explained
The Bastable children, stuck indoors during a chaotic cleaning day, turn to imaginative play to pass the time.
What happens
The Bastable children, stuck indoors during a chaotic cleaning day, turn to imaginative play to pass the time. After a quarrel is resolved by Noël's impromptu poetry, Alice leads them in a divining-rod treasure hunt using an old umbrella. To their astonishment, the rod leads them to a loose floorboard where they discover a real half-sovereign. Albert's uncle confirms the find and advises them to tell their father, who allows them to keep the coin. They decide to spend it on a feast, and Father mentions that their mother's Indian Uncle is coming to dinner the next day, setting the stage for a memorable event.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Closing
This moment is the story's dramatic climax because it represents the peak of the children's anxiety and desper…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Childhood Adventure and Imagination
The children transform a dreary cleaning day into an elaborate treasure hunt with a divining-rod, priestess, and chants, showcasing their boundless creativity.
- Innocence and Moral Development
The children learn to resolve quarrels through Noël's poetry, and they demonstrate honesty by telling their father about the found half-sovereign, reflecting moral growth.
Characters to notice
- Oswald Bastable
Narrates the chapter; acts as peacemaker during the quarrel and participates in the divining-rod game as a 'doctor' and later as a digger.
- Alice Bastable
Takes the role of the priestess in the divining-rod game, leading the children to the discovery of the half-sovereign.
- Noël Bastable
Creates impromptu poetry to resolve the quarrel; is crowned poet laureate with laurel leaves; contributes to the divining-rod chant.
- Dora Bastable
Helps organize the children; makes the laurel crown for Noël; participates in the treasure hunt and later plans the feast.
- H. O. Bastable
Gets a bump on his head from a broom; plays the wounded hero; is given hardbake to help keep his vow not to touch the feast.
Key passages
“You have no idea how uncomfortable the house was on the day when we sought for gold with the divining-rod. It was like a spring-cleaning in the wintertime.”
The house was extremely chaotic and uncomfortable during our gold-seeking adventure with the divining-rod, resembling a spring-cleaning in the middle of winter.
Oswald sets the scene, emphasizing the disruption caused by the cleaning and the children's treasure hunt.
“Quarrelling is an evil thing, It fills with gall life's cup; For when once you begin It takes such a long time to make it up.”
Noël's poem warns that quarreling is harmful and difficult to resolve once started.
Noël's poetry serves as a peacemaking tool, reflecting the theme of moral development.
“The great high priest will bite it to see if it's good,” he said, and he did. “I congratulate you,” he went on; “you are indeed among those favoured by the Immortals.”
Albert's uncle, acting as the high priest, tests the half-sovereign by biting it and congratulates the children on their good fortune.
Albert's uncle humorously validates the children's discovery, blending adult authority with playful imagination.
