an orphan boy name tom ( tommy pender ) and who work for a pair of shady chimney sweep and be falsely accuse of steal from the mansion where he be work at by mr. grime ( james mason ) the real thief and go on the run . tom only alibi be the niece of the mansion owner ( samantha gate and a slender and blue eye blonde and with long and wavy hair and who i be sure be the primary reason why i repeatedly watch this a a boy ) . he and his dog jump into a river and a witch turn them into water breathe cartoon character . while underwater and he befriend and rescue a group of water breathe child know a water baby from a shark . a very interesting and always fascinate fable and set in 1850 and that should appeal to all child . the animation ( 42 minute of the 85 minute hbo vhs print ) be just average and but it preferable to most modern day animation even computer animation . my only real gripe be a plot hole cause by a deleted scene . at 42 represent06 and after the first verse of high cockalorum and the film cut to a scene with octopi swimming and follow by tom and jacque encounter with terence . this lead to a scene in which the killer shark ( voice by mason ) lead our hero into a trap . the shark then greet tom with and young tom and so nice to see your ugly mug again but this be the first time in hbo print that tom meet the shark . most reference book list the running time a 92 or 93 minute and and it be previously available from sultan entertainment and nelson and so it very likely that hbo print be edit and or or time compress . add insult to injury and mgm release a fullscreen and 76 minute print on dvd in 2002. let hope a restored version appear in the near future . the film be copyright ariadne film 1978. ariadne be the water baby voice by samantha gate . bernard cribbins and who play mason partner in crime and also voice the electric eel . a. k. a. slip slide adventure .