the adventures of peter pan.doc

8/19/2019 The Adventures of Peter Pan.doc

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-adventures-of-peter-pandoc 1/111



($ ha%e one pound se%enteen here, and two and six at the o<ce5 $ can cut o9 myco9ee at the o<ce, say ten shillings, making two nine and six, with your eighteenand three makes three nine se%en, with 7%e naught naught in my cheue6+ookmakes eight nine se%en 66 who is that mo%ing= 66 eight nine se%en, dot and carryse%en 6 don)t speak, my own 66 and the pound you lent to that man who came to thedoor 66 uiet, child 66 dot and carry child 66 there, you)%e done it* 66 did $ say nine nine

se%en= yes, $ said nine nine se%en5 the uestion is, can we try it &or a year on ninenine se%en=(

("& course we can, >eorge,( she cried But she was preudiced in !endy)s &a%our, andhe was really the grander character o& the two

(?emem+er mumps,( he warned her almost threateningly, and o9 he went again(Mumps one pound, that is what $ ha%e put down, +ut $ daresay it will +e more likethirty shillings 66 don)t speak 66 measles one 7%e, >erman measles hal& a guinea,makes two 7&teen six 66 don)t waggle your 7nger 66 whooping6cough, say 7&teenshillings( 66 and so on it went, and it added up di9erently each time5 +ut at last!endy ust got through, with mumps reduced to twel%e six, and the two kinds o&measles treated as one

There was the same excitement o%er John, and Michael had e%en a narrower sueak5+ut +oth were kept, and soon, you might ha%e seen the three o& them going in a rowto Miss ;ulsom)s @indergarten school, accompanied +y their nurse

Mrs 'arling lo%ed to ha%e e%erything ust so, and Mr 'arling had a passion &or +eingexactly like his neigh+ours5 so, o& course, they had a nurse As they were poor, owingto the amount o& milk the children drank, this nurse was a prim 8ew&oundland dog,called 8ana, who had +elonged to no one in particular until the 'arlings engaged herhe had always thought children important, howe%er, and the 'arlings had +ecomeacuainted with her in @ensington >ardens, where she spent most o& her spare timepeeping into peram+ulators, and was much hated +y careless nursemaids, whom she&ollowed to their homes and complained o& to their mistresses he pro%ed to +e uite

a treasure o& a nurse 2ow thorough she was at +ath6time, and up at any moment o&the night i& one o& her charges made the slightest cry "& course her kennel was in thenursery he had a genius &or knowing when a cough is a thing to ha%e no patiencewith and when it needs stocking around your throat he +elie%ed to her last day inold6&ashioned remedies like rhu+ar+ lea&, and made sounds o& contempt o%er all thisnew6&angled talk a+out germs, and so on $t was a lesson in propriety to see herescorting the children to school, walking sedately +y their side when they were well+eha%ed, and +utting them +ack into line i& they strayed "n John)s &ooter /in 4nglandsoccer was called &oot+all, (&ooter &or short0 days she ne%er once &orgot his sweater,and she usually carried an um+rella in her mouth in case o& rain There is a room inthe +asement o& Miss ;ulsom)s school where the nurses wait They sat on &orms,while 8ana lay on the #oor, +ut that was the only di9erence They a9ected to ignoreher as o& an in&erior social status to themsel%es, and she despised their light talk he

resented %isits to the nursery &rom Mrs 'arling)s &riends, +ut i& they did come she7rst whipped o9 Michael)s pina&ore and put him into the one with +lue +raiding, andsmoothed out !endy and made a dash at John)s hair

8o nursery could possi+ly ha%e +een conducted more correctly, and Mr 'arling knewit, yet he sometimes wondered uneasily whether the neigh+ours talked

2e had his position in the city to consider



8ana also trou+led him in another way 2e had sometimes a &eeling that she did notadmire him ($ know she admires you tremendously, >eorge,( Mrs 'arling wouldassure him, and then she would sign to the children to +e specially nice to &athero%ely dances &ollowed, in which the only other ser%ant, i3a, was sometimes allowedto oin uch a midget she looked in her long skirt and maid)s cap, though she hadsworn, when engaged, that she would ne%er see ten again The gaiety o& those

romps* And gayest o& all was Mrs 'arling, who would pirouette so wildly that all youcould see o& her was the kiss, and then i& you had dashed at her you might ha%e gotit There ne%er was a simpler happier &amily until the coming o& Peter Pan

Mrs 'arling 7rst heard o& Peter when she was tidying up her children)s minds $t isthe nightly custom o& e%ery good mother a&ter her children are asleep to rummage intheir minds and put things straight &or next morning, repacking into their properplaces the many articles that ha%e wandered during the day $& you could keep awake+ut o& course you can)t you would see your own mother doing this, and you would7nd it %ery interesting to watch her $t is uite like tidying up drawers -ou would seeher on her knees, $ expect, lingering humorously o%er some o& your contents,wondering where on earth you had picked this thing up, making disco%eries sweetand not so sweet, pressing this to her cheek as i& it were as nice as a kitten, and

hurriedly stowing that out o& sight !hen you wake in the morning, the naughtinessand e%il passions with which you went to +ed ha%e +een &olded up small and placedat the +ottom o& your mind and on the top, +eauti&ully aired, are spread out yourprettier thoughts, ready &or you to put on

$ don)t know whether you ha%e e%er seen a map o& a person)s mind 'octorssometimes draw maps o& other parts o& you, and your own map can +ecomeintensely interesting, +ut catch them trying to draw a map o& a child)s mind, which isnot only con&used, +ut keeps going round all the time There are 3ig3ag lines on it,

ust like your temperature on a card, and these are pro+a+ly roads in the island, &orthe 8e%erland is always more or less an island, with astonishing splashes o& colourhere and there, and coral ree&s and rakish6looking cra&t in the o<ng, and sa%ages andlonely lairs, and gnomes who are mostly tailors, and ca%es through which a ri%er

runs, and princes with six elder +rothers, and a hut &ast going to decay, and one %erysmall old lady with a hooked nose $t would +e an easy map i& that were all, +ut thereis also 7rst day at school, religion, &athers, the round pond, needle6work, murders,hangings, %er+s that take the dati%e, chocolate pudding day, getting into +races, sayninety6nine, three6pence &or pulling out your tooth yoursel&, and so on, and eitherthese are part o& the island or they are another map showing through, and it is allrather con&using, especially as nothing will stand still

"& course the 8e%erlands %ary a good deal John)s, &or instance, had a lagoon with#amingoes #ying o%er it at which John was shooting, while Michael, who was %erysmall, had a #amingo with lagoons #ying o%er it John li%ed in a +oat turned upsidedown on the sands, Michael in a wigwam, !endy in a house o& lea%es de&tly sewntogether John had no &riends, Michael had &riends at night, !endy had a pet wol&

&orsaken +y its parents, +ut on the whole the 8e%erlands ha%e a &amily resem+lance,and i& they stood still in a row you could say o& them that they ha%e each other)snose, and so &orth "n these magic shores children at play are &or e%er +eaching theircoracles

/simple +oat0 !e too ha%e +een there5 we can still hear the sound o& the sur&, thoughwe shall land no more



he explained in uite a matter6o&6&act way that she thought Peter sometimes cameto the nursery in the night and sat on the &oot o& her +ed and played on his pipes toher Dn&ortunately she ne%er woke, so she didn)t know how she knew, she ust knew

(!hat nonsense you talk, precious 8o one can get into the house without knocking(

($ think he comes in +y the window,( she said

(My lo%e, it is three #oors up(

(!ere not the lea%es at the &oot o& the window, mother=(

$t was uite true5 the lea%es had +een &ound %ery near the window

Mrs 'arling did not know what to think, &or it all seemed so natural to !endy thatyou could not dismiss it +y saying she had +een dreaming

(My child,( the mother cried, (why did you not tell me o& this +e&ore=(

($ &orgot,( said !endy lightly he was in a hurry to get her +reak&ast

"h, surely she must ha%e +een dreaming

But, on the other hand, there were the lea%es Mrs 'arling examined them %erycare&ully5 they were skeleton lea%es, +ut she was sure they did not come &rom anytree that grew in 4ngland he crawled a+out the #oor, peering at it with a candle &ormarks o& a strange &oot he rattled the poker up the chimney and tapped the wallshe let down a tape &rom the window to the pa%ement, and it was a sheer drop o&thirty &eet, without so much as a spout to clim+ up +y

Certainly !endy had +een dreaming

But !endy had not +een dreaming, as the %ery next night showed, the night onwhich the extraordinary ad%entures o& these children may +e said to ha%e +egun

"n the night we speak o& all the children were once more in +ed $t happened to +e8ana)s e%ening o9, and Mrs 'arling had +athed them and sung to them till one +yone they had let go her hand and slid away into the land o& sleep

All were looking so sa&e and cosy that she smiled at her &ears now and sat downtranuilly +y the 7re to sew

$t was something &or Michael, who on his +irthday was getting into shirts The 7re was

warm, howe%er, and the nursery dimly lit +y three night6lights, and presently thesewing lay on Mrs 'arling)s lap Then her head nodded, oh, so grace&ully he wasasleep ook at the &our o& them, !endy and Michael o%er there, John here, and Mrs'arling +y the 7re There should ha%e +een a &ourth night6light

!hile she slept she had a dream he dreamt that the 8e%erland had come too nearand that a strange +oy had +roken through &rom it 2e did not alarm her, &or shethought she had seen him +e&ore in the &aces o& many women who ha%e no childrenPerhaps he is to +e &ound in the &aces o& some mothers also But in her dream he had



rent the 7lm that o+scures the 8e%erland, and she saw !endy and John and Michaelpeeping through the gap

The dream +y itsel& would ha%e +een a tri#e, +ut while she was dreaming the windowo& the nursery +lew open, and a +oy did drop on the #oor 2e was accompanied +y astrange light, no +igger than your 7st, which darted a+out the room like a li%ing thing

and $ think it must ha%e +een this light that wakened Mrs 'arling

he started up with a cry, and saw the +oy, and somehow she knew at once that hewas Peter Pan $& you or $ or !endy had +een there we should ha%e seen that he was%ery like Mrs 'arling)s kiss 2e was a lo%ely +oy, clad in skeleton lea%es and the

uices that oo3e out o& trees +ut the most entrancing thing a+out him was that he hadall his 7rst teeth !hen he saw she was a grown6up, he gnashed the little pearls ather

Chapter 2: The Shadow

Mrs 'arling screamed, and, as i& in answer to a +ell, the door opened, and 8ana entered,returned &rom her e%ening out he growled and sprang at the +oy, who leapt lightly throughthe window Again Mrs 'arling screamed, this time in distress &or him, &or she thought he waskilled, and she ran down into the street to look &or his little +ody, +ut it was not there5 and shelooked up, and in the +lack night she could see nothing +ut what she thought was a shootingstar

he returned to the nursery, and &ound 8ana with something in her mouth, which pro%ed to +ethe +oy)s shadow As he leapt at the window 8ana had closed it uickly, too late to catch him,+ut his shadow had not had time to get out5 slam went the window and snapped it o9

-ou may +e sure Mrs 'arling examined the shadow care&ully, +ut it was uite the ordinary kind

8ana had no dou+t o& what was the +est thing to do with this shadow he hung it out at thewindow, meaning (2e is sure to come +ack &or it5 let us put it where he can get it easily withoutdistur+ing the children(

But un&ortunately Mrs 'arling could not lea%e it hanging out at the window, it looked so like thewashing and lowered the whole tone o& the house he thought o& showing it to Mr 'arling, +uthe was totting up winter great6coats &or John and Michael, with a wet towel around his head tokeep his +rain clear, and it seemed a shame to trou+le him5 +esides, she knew exactly what hewould say: ($t all comes o& ha%ing a dog &or a nurse(

he decided to roll the shadow up and put it away care&ully in a drawer, until a 7ttingopportunity came &or telling her hus+and Ah me*

The opportunity came a week later, on that ne%er6to6+e6&orgotten ;riday "& course it was a;riday

($ ought to ha%e +een specially care&ul on a ;riday,( she used to say a&terwards to her hus+and,while perhaps 8ana was on the other side o& her, holding her hand

http://www.disneyclips.com/characters/pchapter2.html




(8o, no,( Mr 'arling always said, ($ am responsi+le &or it all $, >eorge 'arling, did it M4ACDPA, M4A CDPA( 2e had had a classical education

They sat thus night a&ter night recalling that &atal ;riday, till e%ery detail o& it was stamped ontheir +rains and came through on the other side like the &aces on a +ad coinage

($& only $ had not accepted that in%itation to dine at EF,( Mrs 'arling said

($& only $ had not poured my medicine into 8ana)s +owl,( said Mr 'arling

($& only $ had pretended to like the medicine,( was what 8ana)s wet eyes said

(My liking &or parties, >eorge(

(My &atal gi&t o& humour, dearest(

(My touchiness a+out tri#es, dear master and mistress(

Then one or more o& them would +reak down altogether5 8ana at the thought, ($t)s true, it)strue, they ought not to ha%e had a dog &or a nurse( Many a time it was Mr 'arling who put thehandkerchie& to 8ana)s eyes

(That 7end*( Mr 'arling would cry, and 8ana)s +ark was the echo o& it, +ut Mrs 'arling ne%erup+raided Peter5 there was something in the right6hand corner o& her mouth that wanted hernot to call Peter names

They would sit there in the empty nursery, recalling &ondly e%ery smallest detail o& that dread&ue%ening $t had +egun so une%ent&ully, so precisely like a hundred other e%enings, with 8anaputting on the water &or Michael)s +ath and carrying him to it on her +ack

($ won)t go to +ed,( he had shouted, like one who still +elie%ed that he had the last word on thesu+ect, ($ won)t, $ won)t 8ana, it isn)t six o)clock yet "h dear, oh dear, $ shan)t lo%e you anymore, 8ana $ tell you $ won)t +e +athed, $ won)t, $ won)t*(

Then Mrs 'arling had come in, wearing her white e%ening6gown he had dressed early+ecause !endy so lo%ed to see her in her e%ening6gown, with the necklace >eorge had gi%enher he was wearing !endy)s +racelet on her arm5 she had asked &or the loan o& it !endylo%ed to lend her +racelet to her mother

he had &ound her two older children playing at +eing hersel& and &ather on the occasion o&!endy)s +irth, and John was saying:

($ am happy to in&orm you, Mrs 'arling, that you are now a mother,( in ust such a tone as Mr'arling himsel& may ha%e used on the real occasion

!endy had danced with oy, ust as the real Mrs 'arling must ha%e done

Then John was +orn, with the extra pomp that he concei%ed due to the +irth o& a male, andMichael came &rom his +ath to ask to +e +orn also, +ut John said +rutally that they did not want



any more

Michael had nearly cried (8o+ody wants me,( he said, and o& course the lady in the e%ening6dress could not stand that

($ do,( she said, ($ so want a third child(

(Boy or girl=( asked Michael, not too hope&ully

(Boy(

Then he had leapt into her arms uch a little thing &or Mr and Mrs 'arling and 8ana to recallnow, +ut not so little i& that was to +e Michael)s last night in the nursery

They go on with their recollections

($t was then that $ rushed in like a tornado, wasn)t it=( Mr 'arling would say, scorning himsel&5

and indeed he had +een like a tornado

Perhaps there was some excuse &or him 2e, too, had +een dressing &or the party, and all hadgone well with him until he came to his tie $t is an astounding thing to ha%e to tell, +ut thisman, though he knew a+out stocks and shares, had no real mastery o& his tie ometimes thething yielded to him without a contest, +ut there were occasions when it would ha%e +een+etter &or the house i& he had swallowed his pride and used a made6up tie

This was such an occasion 2e came rushing into the nursery with the crumpled little +rute o& atie in his hand

(!hy, what is the matter, &ather dear=(

(Matter*( he yelled5 he really yelled (This tie, it will not tie( 2e +ecame dangerously sarcastic(8ot round my neck* ?ound the +ed6post* "h yes, twenty times ha%e $ made it up round the+ed6post, +ut round my neck, no* "h dear no* +egs to +e excused*(

2e thought Mrs 'arling was not su<ciently impressed, and he went on sternly, ($ warn you o&this, mother, that unless this tie is round my neck we don)t go out to dinner to6night, and i& $don)t go out to dinner to6night, $ ne%er go to the o<ce again, and i& $ don)t go to the o<ceagain, you and $ star%e, and our children will +e #ung into the streets(

4%en then Mrs 'arling was placid (et me try, dear,( she said, and indeed that was what hehad come to ask her to do, and with her nice cool hands she tied his tie &or him, while thechildren stood around to see their &ate decided ome men would ha%e resented her +eing a+le

to do it so easily, +ut Mr 'arling had &ar too 7ne a nature &or that5 he thanked her carelessly, atonce &orgot his rage, and in another moment was dancing round the room with Michael on his+ack

(2ow wildly we romped*( says Mrs 'arling now, recalling it

("ur last romp*( Mr 'arling groaned



(" >eorge, do you remem+er Michael suddenly said to me, G2ow did you get to know me,mother=)(

($ remem+er*(

(They were rather sweet, don)t you think, >eorge=(

(And they were ours, ours* and now they are gone(

The romp had ended with the appearance o& 8ana, and most unluckily Mr 'arling collidedagainst her, co%ering his trousers with hairs They were not only new trousers, +ut they werethe 7rst he had e%er had with +raid on them, and he had had to +ite his lip to pre%ent the tearscoming "& course Mrs 'arling +rushed him, +ut he +egan to talk again a+out its +eing amistake to ha%e a dog &or a nurse

(>eorge, 8ana is a treasure(

(8o dou+t, +ut $ ha%e an uneasy &eeling at times that she looks upon the children as puppies

("h no, dear one, $ &eel sure she knows they ha%e souls(

($ wonder,( Mr 'arling said thought&ully, ($ wonder( $t was an opportunity, his wi&e &elt, &ortelling him a+out the +oy At 7rst he pooh6poohed the story, +ut he +ecame thought&ul whenshe showed him the shadow

($t is no+ody $ know,( he said, examining it care&ully, (+ut it does look a scoundrel(

(!e were still discussing it, you remem+er,( says Mr 'arling, (when 8ana came in withMichael)s medicine -ou will ne%er carry the +ottle in your mouth again, 8ana, and it is all my

&ault(

trong man though he was, there is no dou+t that he had +eha%ed rather &oolishly o%er themedicine $& he had a weakness, it was &or thinking that all his li&e he had taken medicine +oldly,and so now, when Michael dodged the spoon in 8ana)s mouth, he had said repro%ingly, (Be aman, Michael(

(!on)t5 won)t*( Michael cried naughtily Mrs 'arling le&t the room to get a chocolate &or him,and Mr 'arling thought this showed want o& 7rmness

(Mother, don)t pamper him,( he called a&ter her (Michael, when $ was your age $ took medicinewithout a murmur $ said,

GThank you, kind parents, &or gi%ing me +ottles to make we well)(

2e really thought this was true, and !endy, who was now in her night6gown, +elie%ed it also,and she said, to encourage Michael, (That medicine you sometimes take, &ather, is muchnastier, isn)t it=(

(4%er so much nastier,( Mr 'arling said +ra%ely, (and $ would take it now as an example to you,



Michael, i& $ hadn)t lost the +ottle(

2e had not exactly lost it5 he had clim+ed in the dead o& night to the top o& the wardro+e andhidden it there !hat he did not know was that the &aith&ul i3a had &ound it, and put it +ack onhis wash6stand

($ know where it is, &ather,( !endy cried, always glad to +e o& ser%ice ($)ll +ring it,( and she waso9 +e&ore he could stop her $mmediately his spirits sank in the strangest way

(John,( he said, shuddering, (it)s most +eastly stu9 $t)s that nasty, sticky, sweet kind(

($t will soon +e o%er, &ather,( John said cheerily, and then in rushed !endy with the medicine ina glass

($ ha%e +een as uick as $ could,( she panted

(-ou ha%e +een wonder&ully uick,( her &ather retorted, with a %indicti%e politeness that was

uite thrown away upon her (Michael 7rst,( he said doggedly

(;ather 7rst,( said Michael, who was o& a suspicious nature

($ shall +e sick, you know,( Mr 'arling said threateningly

(Come on, &ather,( said John

(2old your tongue, John,( his &ather rapped out

!endy was uite pu33led ($ thought you took it uite easily, &ather(

(That is not the point,( he retorted (The point is, that there is more in my glass that in Michael)sspoon( 2is proud heart was nearly +ursting (And it isn)t &air: $ would say it though it were withmy last +reath5 it isn)t &air(

(;ather, $ am waiting,( said Michael coldly

($t)s all %ery well to say you are waiting5 so am $ waiting(

(;ather)s a cowardly custard(

(o are you a cowardly custard(

($)m not &rightened(

(8either am $ &rightened(

(!ell, then, take it(

(!ell, then, you take it(



!endy had a splendid idea (!hy not +oth take it at the same time=(

(Certainly,( said Mr 'arling (Are you ready, Michael=(

!endy ga%e the words, one, two, three, and Michael took his medicine, +ut Mr 'arling slippedhis +ehind his +ack

There was a yell o& rage &rom Michael, and (" &ather*( !endy exclaimed

(!hat do you mean +y G" &ather)=( Mr 'arling demanded (top that row, Michael $ meant totake mine, +ut $ 66 $ missed it(

$t was dread&ul the way all the three were looking at him, ust as i& they did not admire him(ook here, all o& you,( he said entreatingly, as soon as 8ana had gone into the +athroom ($ha%e ust thought o& a splendid oke $ shall pour my medicine into 8ana)s +owl, and she willdrink it, thinking it is milk*(

$t was the colour o& milk5 +ut the children did not ha%e their &ather)s sense o& humour, and theylooked at him reproach&ully as he poured the medicine into 8ana)s +owl (!hat &un*( he saiddou+t&ully, and they did not dare expose him when Mrs 'arling and 8ana returned

(8ana, good dog,( he said, patting her, ($ ha%e put a little milk into your +owl, 8ana(

8ana wagged her tail, ran to the medicine, and +egan lapping it Then she ga%e Mr 'arlingsuch a look, not an angry look: she showed him the great red tear that makes us so sorry &orno+le dogs, and crept into her kennel

Mr 'arling was &right&ully ashamed o& himsel&, +ut he would not gi%e in $n a horrid silence Mrs'arling smelt the +owl (" >eorge,( she said, (it)s your medicine*(

($t was only a oke,( he roared, while she com&orted her +oys, and !endy hugged 8ana (Muchgood,( he said +itterly, (my wearing mysel& to the +one trying to +e &unny in this house(

And still !endy hugged 8ana (That)s right,( he shouted (Coddle her* 8o+ody coddles me "hdear no* $ am only the +readwinner, why should $ +e coddled66why, why, why*(

(>eorge,( Mrs 'arling entreated him, (not so loud5 the ser%ants will hear you( omehow theyhad got into the way o& calling i3a the ser%ants

(et them*( he answered recklessly (Bring in the whole world But $ re&use to allow that dog tolord it in my nursery &or an hour longer(

The children wept, and 8ana ran to him +eseechingly, +ut he wa%ed her +ack 2e &elt he was astrong man again ($n %ain, in %ain,( he cried5 (the proper place &or you is the yard, and thereyou go to +e tied up this instant(

(>eorge, >eorge,( Mrs 'arling whispered, (remem+er what $ told you a+out that +oy(

Alas, he would not listen 2e was determined to show who was master in that house, and whencommands would not draw 8ana &rom the kennel, he lured her out o& it with honeyed words,



;or a moment a&ter Mr and Mrs 'arling le&t the house the night6lights +y the +eds o& the three children continued to +urn clearly They were aw&ully nice little night6lights,and one cannot help wishing that they could ha%e kept awake to see Peter5 +ut!endy)s light +linked and ga%e such a yawn that the other two yawned also, and+e&ore they could close their mouths all the three went out

There was another light in the room now, a thousand times +righter than the night6lights, and in the time we ha%e taken to say this, it had +een in all the drawers in thenursery, looking &or Peter)s shadow, rummaged the wardro+e and turned e%erypocket inside out $t was not really a light5 it made this light +y #ashing a+out souickly, +ut when it came to rest &or a second you saw it was a &airy, no longer thanyour hand, +ut still growing $t was a girl called Tinker Bell exuisitely gowned in askeleton lea&, cut low and suare, through which her 7gure could +e seen to the +estad%antage he was slightly inclined to 4MB"8P"$8T /plump hourglass 7gure0

A moment a&ter the &airy)s entrance the window was +lown open +y the +reathing o&the little stars, and Peter dropped in 2e had carried Tinker Bell part o& the way, andhis hand was still messy with the &airy dust

(Tinker Bell,( he called so&tly, a&ter making sure that the children were asleep, (Tink,where are you=( he was in a ug &or the moment, and liking it extremely5 she hadne%er +een in a ug +e&ore

("h, do come out o& that ug, and tell me, do you know where they put my shadow=(

The lo%eliest tinkle as o& golden +ells answered him $t is the &airy language -ouordinary children can ne%er hear it, +ut i& you were to hear it you would know thatyou had heard it once +e&ore

Tink said that the shadow was in the +ig +ox he meant the chest o& drawers, and

Peter umped at the drawers, scattering their contents to the #oor with +oth hands,as kings toss ha)pence to the crowd $n a moment he had reco%ered his shadow, andin his delight he &orgot that he had shut Tinker Bell up in the drawer

$& he thought at all, +ut $ don)t +elie%e he e%er thought, it was that he and hisshadow, when +rought near each other, would oin like drops o& water, and whenthey did not he was appalled 2e tried to stick it on with soap &rom the +athroom, +utthat also &ailed A shudder passed through Peter, and he sat on the #oor and cried

2is so+s woke !endy, and she sat up in +ed he was not alarmed to see a strangercrying on the nursery #oor5 she was only pleasantly interested

(Boy,( she said courteously, (why are you crying=(

Peter could +e exceeding polite also, ha%ing learned the grand manner at &airyceremonies, and he rose and +owed to her +eauti&ully he was much pleased, and+owed +eauti&ully to him &rom the +ed

(!hat)s your name=( he asked

(!endy Moira Angela 'arling,( she replied with some satis&action (!hat is your



name=(

(Peter Pan(

he was already sure that he must +e Peter, +ut it did seem a comparati%ely short

name

($s that all=(

(-es,( he said rather sharply 2e &elt &or the 7rst time that it was a shortish name

($)m so sorry,( said !endy Moira Angela

($t doesn)t matter,( Peter gulped

he asked where he li%ed

(econd to the right,( said Peter, (and then straight on till morning(

(!hat a &unny address*(

Peter had a sinking ;or the 7rst time he &elt that perhaps it was a &unny address

(8o, it isn)t,( he said

($ mean,( !endy said nicely, remem+ering that she was hostess, (is that what theyput on the letters=(

2e wished she had not mentioned letters

('on)t get any letters,( he said contemptuously

(But your mother gets letters=(

('on)t ha%e a mother,( he said 8ot only had he no mother, +ut he had not theslightest desire to ha%e one 2e thought them %ery o%er6rated persons !endy,howe%er, &elt at once that she was in the presence o& a tragedy

(" Peter, no wonder you were crying,( she said, and got out o& +ed and ran to him

($ wasn)t crying a+out mothers,( he said rather indignantly ($ was crying +ecause $

can)t get my shadow to stick on Besides, $ wasn)t crying(

($t has come o9=(

(-es(

Then !endy saw the shadow on the #oor, looking so draggled, and she was&right&ully sorry &or Peter (2ow aw&ul*( she said, +ut she could not help smiling when



('o you really think so, Peter=(

(-es, $ do(

($ think it)s per&ectly sweet o& you,( she declared, (and $)ll get up again,( and she sat

with him on the side o& the +ed he also said she would gi%e him a kiss i& he liked,+ut Peter did not know what she meant, and he held out his hand expectantly

(urely you know what a kiss is=( she asked, aghast

($ shall know when you gi%e it to me,( he replied stiHy, and not to hurt his &eelingshe ga%e him a thim+le

(8ow,( said he, (shall $ gi%e you a kiss=( and she replied with a slight primness, ($&you please( he made hersel& rather cheap +y inclining her &ace toward him, +ut hemerely dropped an acorn +utton into her hand, so she slowly returned her &ace towhere it had +een +e&ore, and said nicely that she would wear his kiss on the chain

around her neck $t was lucky that she did put it on that chain, &or it was a&terwardsto sa%e her li&e

!hen people in our set are introduced, it is customary &or them to ask each other)sage, and so !endy, who always liked to do the correct thing, asked Peter how old hewas $t was not really a happy uestion to ask him5 it was like an examination paperthat asks grammar, when what you want to +e asked is @ings o& 4ngland

($ don)t know,( he replied uneasily, (+ut $ am uite young( 2e really knew nothinga+out it, he had merely suspicions, +ut he said at a %enture, (!endy, $ ran away theday $ was +orn(

!endy was uite surprised, +ut interested5 and she indicated in the charming

drawing6room manner, +y a touch on her night6gown, that he could sit nearer her

($t was +ecause $ heard &ather and mother,( he explained in a low %oice, (talkinga+out what $ was to +e when $ +ecame a man( 2e was extraordinarily agitated now($ don)t want e%er to +e a man,( he said with passion ($ want always to +e a little +oyand to ha%e &un o $ ran away to @ensington >ardens and li%ed a long long timeamong the &airies(

he ga%e him a look o& the most intense admiration, and he thought it was +ecausehe had run away, +ut it was really +ecause he knew &airies !endy had li%ed such ahome li&e that to know &airies struck her as uite delight&ul he poured out uestionsa+out them, to his surprise, &or they were rather a nuisance to him, getting in his way

and so on, and indeed he sometimes had to gi%e them a hiding /spanking0 till, heliked them on the whole, and he told her a+out the +eginning o& &airies

(-ou see, !endy, when the 7rst +a+y laughed &or the 7rst time, its laugh +roke into athousand pieces, and they all went skipping a+out, and that was the +eginning o&&airies(

Tedious talk this, +ut +eing a stay6at6home she liked it



(And so,( he went on good6naturedly, (there ought to +e one &airy &or e%ery +oy andgirl(

("ught to +e= $sn)t there=(

(8o -ou see children know such a lot now, they soon don)t +elie%e in &airies, ande%ery time a child says, G$ don)t +elie%e in &airies,) there is a &airy somewhere that&alls down dead(

?eally, he thought they had now talked enough a+out &airies, and it struck him that Tinker Bell was keeping %ery uiet ($ can)t think where she has gone to,( he said,rising, and he called Tink +y name !endy)s heart went #utter with a sudden thrill

(Peter,( she cried, clutching him, (you don)t mean to tell me that there is a &airy inthis room*(

(he was here ust now,( he said a little impatiently (-ou don)t hear her, do you=(

and they +oth listened

(The only sound $ hear,( said !endy, (is like a tinkle o& +ells(

(!ell, that)s Tink, that)s the &airy language $ think $ hear her too(

The sound come &rom the chest o& drawers, and Peter made a merry &ace 8o onecould e%er look uite so merry as Peter, and the lo%eliest o& gurgles was his laugh2e had his 7rst laugh still

(!endy,( he whispered glee&ully, ($ do +elie%e $ shut her up in the drawer*(

2e let poor Tink out o& the drawer, and she #ew a+out the nursery screaming with&ury (-ou shouldn)t say such things,( Peter retorted ("& course $)m %ery sorry, +uthow could $ know you were in the drawer=(

!endy was not listening to him (" Peter,( she cried, (i& she would only stand stilland let me see her*(

(They hardly e%er stand still,( he said, +ut &or one moment !endy saw the romantic7gure come to rest on the cuckoo clock (" the lo%ely*( she cried, though Tink)s &acewas still distorted with passion

(Tink,( said Peter amia+ly, (this lady says she wishes you were her &airy(

Tinker Bell answered insolently

(!hat does she say, Peter=(

2e had to translate (he is not %ery polite he says you are a great /huge0 ugly girl,and that she is my &airy

2e tried to argue with Tink (-ou know you can)t +e my &airy, Tink, +ecause $ am an



gentleman and you are a lady(

To this Tink replied in these words, (-ou silly ass,( and disappeared into the+athroom (he is uite a common &airy,( Peter explained apologetically, (she iscalled Tinker Bell +ecause she mends the pots and kettles /tinker I tin worker0(

/imilar to (cinder( plus (elle( to get Cinderella0

They were together in the armchair +y this time, and !endy plied him with moreuestions

($& you don)t li%e in @ensington >ardens now 66 (

(ometimes $ do still(

(But where do you li%e mostly now=(

(!ith the lost +oys(

(!ho are they=(

(They are the children who &all out o& their peram+ulators when the nurse is lookingthe other way $& they are not claimed in se%en days they are sent &ar away to the8e%erland to de&ray expenses $)m captain(

(!hat &un it must +e*(

(-es,( said cunning Peter, (+ut we are rather lonely -ou see we ha%e no &emalecompanionship(

(Are none o& the others girls=(

("h, no5 girls, you know, are much too cle%er to &all out o& their prams(

This #attered !endy immensely ($ think,( she said, (it is per&ectly lo%ely the way youtalk a+out girls5 John there ust despises us(

;or reply Peter rose and kicked John out o& +ed, +lankets and all5 one kick Thisseemed to !endy rather &orward &or a 7rst meeting, and she told him with spirit thathe was not captain in her house 2owe%er, John continued to sleep so placidly on the#oor that she allowed him to remain there (And $ know you meant to +e kind,( she

said, relenting, (so you may gi%e me a kiss(

;or the moment she had &orgotten his ignorance a+out kisses ($ thought you wouldwant it +ack,( he said a little +itterly, and o9ered to return her the thim+le

("h dear,( said the nice !endy, ($ don)t mean a kiss, $ mean a thim+le(

(!hat)s that=(



($t)s like this( he kissed him

(;unny*( said Peter gra%ely (8ow shall $ gi%e you a thim+le=(

($& you wish to,( said !endy, keeping her head erect this time

Peter thim+led her, and almost immediately she screeched (!hat is it, !endy=(

($t was exactly as i& someone were pulling my hair(

(That must ha%e +een Tink $ ne%er knew her so naughty +e&ore(

And indeed Tink was darting a+out again, using o9ensi%e language

(he says she will do that to you, !endy, e%ery time $ gi%e you a thim+le(

(But why=(

(!hy, Tink=(

Again Tink replied, (-ou silly ass( Peter could not understand why, +ut !endyunderstood, and she was ust slightly disappointed when he admitted that he cameto the nursery window not to see her +ut to listen to stories

(-ou see, $ don)t know any stories 8one o& the lost +oys knows any stories(

(2ow per&ectly aw&ul,( !endy said

('o you know,( Peter asked (why swallows +uild in the ea%es o& houses= $t is to listento the stories " !endy, your mother was telling you such a lo%ely story(

(!hich story was it=(

(A+out the prince who couldn)t 7nd the lady who wore the glass slipper(

(Peter,( said !endy excitedly, (that was Cinderella, and he &ound her, and they li%edhappily e%er a&ter(

Peter was so glad that he rose &rom the #oor, where they had +een sitting, andhurried to the window

(!here are you going=( she cried with misgi%ing

(To tell the other +oys(



('on)t go Peter,( she entreated, ($ know such lots o& stories(

Those were her precise words, so there can +e no denying that it was she who 7rsttempted him

2e came +ack, and there was a greedy look in his eyes now which ought to ha%ealarmed her, +ut did not

("h, the stories $ could tell to the +oys*( she cried, and then Peter gripped her and+egan to draw her toward the window

(et me go*( she ordered him

(!endy, do come with me and tell the other +oys(

"& course she was %ery pleased to +e asked, +ut she said, ("h dear, $ can)t Think o&mummy* Besides, $ can)t #y(

($)ll teach you(

("h, how lo%ely to #y(

($)ll teach you how to ump on the wind)s +ack, and then away we go(

("o*( she exclaimed rapturously

(!endy, !endy, when you are sleeping in your silly +ed you might +e #ying a+outwith me saying &unny things to the stars(

("o*(

(And, !endy, there are mermaids(

(Mermaids* !ith tails=(

(uch long tails(

("h,( cried !endy, (to see a mermaid*(

2e had +ecome &right&ully cunning (!endy,( he said, (how we should all respectyou(

he was wriggling her +ody in distress $t was uite as i& she were trying to remain onthe nursery #oor

But he had no pity &or her

(!endy,( he said, the sly one, (you could tuck us in at night(



("o*(

(8one o& us has e%er +een tucked in at night(

("o,( and her arms went out to him

(And you could darn our clothes, and make pockets &or us 8one o& us has anypockets(

2ow could she resist ("& course it)s aw&ully &ascinating*( she cried (Peter, would youteach John and Michael to #y too=(

($& you like,( he said indi9erently, and she ran to John and Michael and shook them(!ake up,( she cried, (Peter Pan has come and he is to teach us to #y(

John ru++ed his eyes (Then $ shall get up,( he said "& course he was on the #ooralready (2allo,( he said, ($ am up*(

Michael was up +y this time also, looking as sharp as a kni&e with six +lades and asaw, +ut Peter suddenly signed silence Their &aces assumed the aw&ul cra&tiness o&children listening &or sounds &rom the grown6up world All was as still as salt Thene%erything was right 8o, stop* 4%erything was wrong 8ana, who had +een +arkingdistress&ully all the e%ening, was uiet now $t was her silence they had heard

("ut with the light* 2ide* uick*( cried John, taking command &or the only timethroughout the whole ad%enture And thus when i3a entered, holding 8ana, thenursery seemed uite its old sel&, %ery dark, and you would ha%e sworn you heard itsthree wicked inmates +reathing angelically as they slept They were really doing itart&ully &rom +ehind the window curtains

i3a was in a +ad tamper, &or she was mixing the Christmas puddings in the kitchen,and had +een drawn &rom them, with a raisin still on her cheek, +y 8ana)s a+surdsuspicions he thought the +est way o& getting a little uiet was to take 8ana to thenursery &or a moment, +ut in custody o& course

(There, you suspicious +rute,( she said, not sorry that 8ana was in disgrace (Theyare per&ectly sa&e, aren)t they= 4%ery one o& the little angels sound asleep in +edisten to their gentle +reathing(

2ere Michael, encouraged +y his success, +reathed so loudly that they were nearlydetected 8ana knew that kind o& +reathing, and she tried to drag hersel& out o&i3a)s clutches

But i3a was dense (8o more o& it, 8ana,( she said sternly, pulling her out o& theroom ($ warn you i& +ark again $ shall go straight &or master and missus and +ringthem home &rom the party, and then, oh, won)t master whip you, ust(

he tied the unhappy dog up again, +ut do you think 8ana ceased to +ark= Bringmaster and missus home &rom the party* !hy, that was ust what she wanted 'oyou think she cared whether she was whipped so long as her charges were sa&e=Dn&ortunately i3a returned to her puddings, and 8ana, seeing that no help would



come &rom her, strained and strained at the chain until at last she +roke it $n anothermoment she had +urst into the dining6room o& EF and #ung up her paws to hea%en,her most expressi%e way o& making a communication Mr and Mrs 'arling knew atonce that something terri+le was happening in their nursery, and without a good6+yeto their hostess they rushed into the street

But it was now ten minutes since three scoundrels had +een +reathing +ehind thecurtains, and Peter Pan can do a great deal in ten minutes

!e now return to the nursery

($t)s all right,( John announced, emerging &rom his hiding6place ($ say, Peter, can youreally #y=(

$nstead o& trou+ling to answer him Peter #ew around the room, taking themantelpiece on the way

(2ow topping*( said John and Michael

(2ow sweet*( cried !endy

(-es, $)m sweet, oh, $ am sweet*( said Peter, &orgetting his manners again

$t looked delight&ully easy, and they tried it 7rst &rom the #oor and then &rom the+eds, +ut they always went down instead o& up

($ say, how do you do it=( asked John, ru++ing his knee 2e was uite a practical +oy

(-ou ust think lo%ely wonder&ul thoughts,( Peter explained, (and they li&t you up in

the air(

2e showed them again

(-ou)re so nippy at it,( John said, (couldn)t you do it %ery slowly once=(

Peter did it +oth slowly and uickly ($)%e got it now, !endy*( cried John, +ut soon he&ound he had not 8ot one o& them could #y an inch, though e%en Michael was inwords o& two sylla+les, and Peter did not know A &rom K

"& course Peter had +een tri#ing with them, &or no one can #y unless the &airy dusthas +een +lown on him ;ortunately, as we ha%e mentioned, one o& his hands wasmessy with it, and he +lew some on each o& them, with the most super+ results

(8ow ust wiggle your shoulders this way,( he said, (and let go(

They were all on their +eds, and gallant Michael let go 7rst 2e did not uite mean tolet go, +ut he did it, and immediately he was +orne across the room

($ #ewed*( he screamed while still in mid6air



John let go and met !endy near the +athroom

("h, lo%ely*(

("h, ripping*(

(ook at me*(

(ook at me*(

(ook at me*(

They were not nearly so elegant as Peter, they could not help kicking a little, +uttheir heads were +o++ing against the ceiling, and there is almost nothing so deliciousas that Peter ga%e !endy a hand at 7rst, +ut had to desist, Tink was so indignant

Dp and down they went, and round and round 2ea%enly was !endy)s word

($ say,( cried John, (why shouldn)t we all go out=(

"& course it was to this that Peter had +een luring them

Michael was ready: he wanted to see how long it took him to do a +illion miles But!endy hesitated

(Mermaids*( said Peter again

("o*(

(And there are pirates(

(Pirates,( cried John, sei3ing his unday hat, (let us go at once(

$t was ust at this moment that Mr and Mrs 'arling hurried with 8ana out o& EF Theyran into the middle o& the street to look up at the nursery window5 and, yes, it wasstill shut, +ut the room was a+la3e with light, and most heart6gripping sight o& all,they could see in shadow on the curtain three little 7gures in night attire circlinground and round, not on the #oor +ut in the air

8ot three 7gures, &our*

$n a trem+le they opened the street door Mr 'arling would ha%e rushed upstairs, +utMrs 'arling signed him to go so&tly he e%en tried to make her heart go so&tly

!ill they reach the nursery in time= $& so, how delight&ul &or them, and we shall all+reathe a sigh o& relie&, +ut there will +e no story "n the other hand, i& they are notin time, $ solemnly promise that it will all come right in the end

They would ha%e reached the nursery in time had it not +een that the little starswere watching them "nce again the stars +lew the window open, and that smallest



star o& all called out:

(Ca%e, Peter*(

Then Peter knew that there was not a moment to lose (Come,( he cried imperiously,

and soared out at once into the night, &ollowed +y John and Michael and !endy

Mr and Mrs 'arling and 8ana rushed into the nursery too late The +irds were #own

Chapter 4: The Fliht

(econd to the right, and straight on till morning(

That, Peter had told !endy, was the way to the 8e%erland5 +ut e%en +irds, carryingmaps and consulting them at windy corners, could not ha%e sighted it with these

instructions Peter, you see, ust said anything that came into his head

At 7rst his companions trusted him implicitly, and so great were the delights o& #yingthat they wasted time circling round church spires or any other tall o+ects on theway that took their &ancy

John and Michael raced, Michael getting a start

They recalled with contempt that not so long ago they had thought themsel%es 7ne&ellows &or +eing a+le to #y round a room

8ot long ago But how long ago= They were #ying o%er the sea +e&ore this thought+egan to distur+ !endy seriously John thought it was their second sea and their thirdnight

ometimes it was dark and sometimes light, and now they were %ery cold and againtoo warm 'id they really &eel hungry at times, or were they merely pretending,+ecause Peter had such a olly new way o& &eeding them= 2is way was to pursue+irds who had &ood in their mouths suita+le &or humans and snatch it &rom them5then the +irds would &ollow and snatch it +ack5 and they would all go chasing eachother gaily &or miles, parting at last with mutual expressions o& good6will But !endynoticed with gentle concern that Peter did not seem to know that this was rather anodd way o& getting your +read and +utter, nor e%en that there are other ways

Certainly they did not pretend to +e sleepy, they were sleepy5 and that was a danger,

&or the moment they popped o9, down they &ell The aw&ul thing was that Peterthought this &unny

(There he goes again*( he would cry glee&ully, as Michael suddenly dropped like astone

(a%e him, sa%e him*( cried !endy, looking with horror at the cruel sea &ar +elow4%entually Peter would di%e through the air, and catch Michael ust +e&ore he couldstrike the sea, and it was lo%ely the way he did it5 +ut he always waited till the last





moment, and you &elt it was his cle%erness that interested him and not the sa%ing o&human li&e Also he was &ond o& %ariety, and the sport that engrossed him onemoment would suddenly cease to engage him, so there was always the possi+ilitythat the next time you &ell he would let you go

2e could sleep in the air without &alling, +y merely lying on his +ack and #oating, +utthis was, partly at least, +ecause he was so light that i& you got +ehind him and +lewhe went &aster

('o +e more polite to him,( !endy whispered to John, when they were playing(;ollow my eader(

(Then tell him to stop showing o9,( said John

!hen playing ;ollow my eader, Peter would #y close to the water and touch eachshark)s tail in passing, ust as in the street you may run your 7nger along an ironrailing They could not &ollow him in this with much success, so perhaps it was rather

like showing o9, especially as he kept looking +ehind to see how many tails theymissed

(-ou must +e nice to him,( !endy impressed on her +rothers (!hat could we do i&he were to lea%e us*(

(!e could go +ack,( Michael said

(2ow could we e%er 7nd our way +ack without him=(

(!ell, then, we could go on,( said John

(That is the aw&ul thing, John !e should ha%e to go on, &or we don)t know how tostop(

This was true, Peter had &orgotten to show them how to stop

John said that i& the worst came to the worst, all they had to do was to go straight on,&or the world was round, and so in time they must come +ack to their own window

(And who is to get &ood &or us, John=(

($ nipped a +it out o& that eagle)s mouth pretty neatly, !endy(

(A&ter the twentieth try,( !endy reminded him (And e%en though we +ecame good apicking up &ood, see how we +ump against clouds and things i& he is not near to gi%eus a hand(

$ndeed they were constantly +umping They could now #y strongly, though they stillkicked &ar too much5 +ut i& they saw a cloud in &ront o& them, the more they tried toa%oid it, the more certainly did they +ump into it $& 8ana had +een with them, shewould ha%e had a +andage round Michael)s &orehead +y this time



Peter was not with them &or the moment, and they &elt rather lonely up there +ythemsel%es 2e could go so much &aster than they that he would suddenly shoot outo& sight, to ha%e some ad%enture in which they had no share 2e would come downlaughing o%er something &ear&ully &unny he had +een saying to a star, +ut he hadalready &orgotten what it was, or he would come up with mermaid scales still sticking

to him, and yet not +e a+le to say &or certain what had +een happening $t was reallyrather irritating to children who had ne%er seen a mermaid

(And i& he &orgets them so uickly,( !endy argued, (how can we expect that he willgo on remem+ering us=(

$ndeed, sometimes when he returned he did not remem+er them, at least not well!endy was sure o& it he saw recognition come into his eyes as he was a+out topass them the time o& day and go on5 once e%en she had to call him +y name

($)m !endy,( she said agitatedly

2e was %ery sorry ($ say, !endy,( he whispered to her, (always i& you see me&orgetting you, ust keep on saying G$)m !endy,) and then $)ll remem+er(

"& course this was rather unsatis&actory 2owe%er, to make amends he showed themhow to lie out #at on a strong wind that was going their way, and this was such apleasant change that they tried it se%eral times and &ound that they could sleep thuswith security $ndeed they would ha%e slept longer, +ut Peter tired uickly o&sleeping, and soon he would cry in his captain %oice, (!e get o9 here( o withoccasional ti9s, +ut on the whole rollicking, they drew near the 8e%erland5 &or a&termany moons they did reach it, and, what is more, they had +een going prettystraight all the time, not perhaps so much owing to the guidance o& Peter or Tink as+ecause the island was looking &or them $t is only thus that any one may sight thosemagic shores

(There it is,( said Peter calmly

(!here, where=(

(!here all the arrows are pointing(

$ndeed a million golden arrows were pointing it out to the children, all directed +ytheir &riend the sun, who wanted them to +e sure o& their way +e&ore lea%ing them &orthe night

!endy and John and Michael stood on tip6toe in the air to get their 7rst sight o& the

island trange to say, they all recogni3ed it at once, and until &ear &ell upon themthey hailed it, not as something long dreamt o& and seen at last, +ut as a &amiliar&riend to whom they were returning home &or the holidays

(John, there)s the lagoon(

(!endy, look at the turtles +urying their eggs in the sand(



($ say, John, $ see your #amingo with the +roken leg*(

(ook, Michael, there)s your ca%e*(

(John, what)s that in the +rushwood=(

($t)s a wol& with her whelps !endy, $ do +elie%e that)s your little whelp*(

(There)s my +oat, John, with her sides sto%e in*(

(8o, it isn)t !hy, we +urned your +oat(

(That)s her, at any rate $ say, John, $ see the smoke o& the redskin camp*(

(!here= how me, and $)ll tell you +y the way smoke curls whether they are on thewar6path(

(There, ust across the Mysterious ?i%er(

($ see now -es, they are on the war6path right enough(

Peter was a little annoyed with them &or knowing so much, +ut i& he wanted to lord ito%er them his triumph was at hand, &or ha%e $ not told you that anon &ear &ell uponthem=

$t came as the arrows went, lea%ing the island in gloom

$n the old days at home the 8e%erland had always +egun to look a little dark andthreatening +y +edtime Then unexplored patches arose in it and spread, +lackshadows mo%ed a+out in them, the roar o& the +easts o& prey was uite di9erentnow, and a+o%e all, you lost the certainty that you would win -ou were uite gladthat the night6lights were on -ou e%en liked 8ana to say that this was ust themantelpiece o%er here, and that the 8e%erland was all make6+elie%e

"& course the 8e%erland had +een make6+elie%e in those days, +ut it was real now,and there were no night6lights, and it was getting darker e%ery moment, and wherewas 8ana=

They had +een #ying apart, +ut they huddled close to Peter now 2is careless mannerhad gone at last, his eyes were sparkling, and a tingle went through them e%ery timethey touched his +ody They were now o%er the &earsome island, #ying so low thatsometimes a tree gra3ed their &eet 8othing horrid was %isi+le in the air, yet theirprogress had +ecome slow and la+oured, exactly as i& they were pushing their waythrough hostile &orces ometimes they hung in the air until Peter had +eaten on itwith his 7sts



(They don)t want us to land,( he explained

(!ho are they=( !endy whispered, shuddering

But he could not or would not say Tinker Bell had +een asleep on his shoulder, +ut

now he wakened her and sent her on in &ront

ometimes he poised himsel& in the air, listening intently, with his hand to his ear,and again he would stare down with eyes so +right that they seemed to +ore twoholes to earth 2a%ing done these things, he went on again

2is courage was almost appalling (!ould you like an ad%enture now,( he saidcasually to John, (or would you like to ha%e your tea 7rst=(

!endy said (tea 7rst( uickly, and Michael pressed her hand in gratitude, +ut the+ra%er John hesitated

(!hat kind o& ad%enture=( he asked cautiously

(There)s a pirate asleep in the pampas ust +eneath us,( Peter told him ($& you like,we)ll go down and kill him(

($ don)t see him,( John said a&ter a long pause

($ do(

(uppose,( John said, a little huskily, (he were to wake up(

Peter spoke indignantly (-ou don)t think $ would kill him while he was sleeping* $

would wake him 7rst, and then kill him That)s the way $ always do(

($ say* 'o you kill many=(

(Tons(

John said (2ow ripping,( +ut decided to ha%e tea 7rst 2e asked i& there were manypirates on the island ust now, and Peter said he had ne%er known so many

(!ho is captain now=(

(2ook,( answered Peter, and his &ace +ecame %ery stern as he said that hated word

(Jas 2ook=(

(Ay(

Then indeed Michael +egan to cry, and e%en John could speak in gulps only, &or theyknew 2ook)s reputation

(2e was Black+eard)s +o)sun,( John whispered huskily (2e is the worst o& them all



2e is the only man o& whom Bar+ecue was a&raid(

(That)s him,( said Peter

(!hat is he like= $s he +ig=(

(2e is not so +ig as he was(

(2ow do you mean=(

($ cut o9 a +it o& him(

(-ou*(

(-es, me,( said Peter sharply

($ wasn)t meaning to +e disrespect&ul(

("h, all right(

(But, $ say, what +it=(

(2is right hand(

(Then he can)t 7ght now=(

("h, can)t he ust*(

(e&t6hander=(

(2e has an iron hook instead o& a right hand, and he claws with it(

(Claws*(

($ say, John,( said Peter

(-es(

(ay, GAy, ay, sir)(

(Ay, ay, sir(

(There is one thing,( Peter continued, (that e%ery +oy who ser%es under me has topromise, and so must you(

John paled

($t is this, i& we meet 2ook in open 7ght, you must lea%e him to me(



($ promise,( John said loyally

;or the moment they were &eeling less eerie, +ecause Tink was #ying with them, andin her light they could distinguish each other Dn&ortunately she could not #y soslowly as they, and so she had to go round and round them in a circle in which they

mo%ed as in a halo !endy uite liked it, until Peter pointed out the draw+acks

(he tells me,( he said, (that the pirates sighted us +e&ore the darkness came, andgot ong Tom out(

(The +ig gun=(

(-es And o& course they must see her light, and i& they guess we are near it they aresure to let #y(

(!endy*(

(John*(

(Michael*(

(Tell her to go away at once, Peter,( the three cried simultaneously, +ut he re&used

(he thinks we ha%e lost the way,( he replied stiHy, (and she is rather &rightened -ou don)t think $ would send her away all +y hersel& when she is &rightened*(

;or a moment the circle o& light was +roken, and something ga%e Peter a lo%ing littlepinch

(Then tell her,( !endy +egged, (to put out her light(

(he can)t put it out That is a+out the only thing &airies can)t do $t ust goes out o&itsel& when she &alls asleep, same as the stars(

(Then tell her to sleep at once,( John almost ordered

(he can)t sleep except when she)s sleepy $t is the only other thing &airies can)t do(

(eems to me,( growled John, (these are the only two things worth doing(

2ere he got a pinch, +ut not a lo%ing one

($& only one o& us had a pocket,( Peter said, (we could carry her in it( 2owe%er, theyhad set o9 in such a hurry that there was not a pocket +etween the &our o& them

2e had a happy idea John)s hat*

Tink agreed to tra%el +y hat i& it was carried in the hand John carried it, though shehad hoped to +e carried +y Peter Presently !endy took the hat, +ecause John said itstruck against his knee as he #ew5 and this, as we shall see, led to mischie&, &or



Chapter : The "sland Come True

;eeling that Peter was on his way +ack, the 8e%erland had again woke into li&e !eought to use the pluper&ect and say wakened, +ut woke is +etter and was alwaysused +y Peter

$n his a+sence things are usually uiet on the island The &airies take an hour longerin the morning, the +easts attend to their young, the redskins &eed hea%ily &or sixdays and nights, and when pirates and lost +oys meet they merely +ite their thum+sat each other But with the coming o& Peter, who hates lethargy, they are under wayagain: i& you put your ear to the ground now, you would hear the whole islandseething with li&e

"n this e%ening the chie& &orces o& the island were disposed as &ollows The lost +oyswere out looking &or Peter, the pirates were out looking &or the lost +oys, the redskinswere out looking &or the pirates, and the +easts were out looking &or the redskins

They were going round and round the island, +ut they did not meet +ecause all weregoing at the same rate

All wanted +lood except the +oys, who liked it as a rule, +ut to6night were out togreet their captain The +oys on the island %ary, o& course, in num+ers, according asthey get killed and so on5 and when they seem to +e growing up, which is against therules, Peter thins them out5 +ut at this time there were six o& them, counting thetwins as two et us pretend to lie here among the sugar6cane and watch them asthey steal +y in single 7le, each with his hand on his dagger

They are &or+idden +y Peter to look in the least like him, and they wear the skins o&the +ears slain +y themsel%es, in which they are so round and &urry that when they&all they roll They ha%e there&ore +ecome %ery sure6&ooted

The 7rst to pass is Tootles, not the least +ra%e +ut the most un&ortunate o& all thatgallant +and 2e had +een in &ewer ad%entures than any o& them, +ecause the +igthings constantly happened ust when he had stepped round the corner5 all would +euiet, he would take the opportunity o& going o9 to gather a &ew sticks &or 7rewood,and then when he returned the others would +e sweeping up the +lood This ill6luckhad gi%en a gentle melancholy to his countenance, +ut instead o& souring his naturehad sweetened it, so that he was uite the hum+lest o& the +oys Poor kind Tootles,there is danger in the air &or you to6night Take care lest an ad%enture is now o9eredyou, which, i& accepted, will plunge you in deepest woe Tootles, the &airy Tink, who is+ent on mischie& this night is looking &or a tool /&or doing her mischie&0, and shethinks you are the most easily tricked o& the +oys )!are Tinker Bell

!ould that he could hear us, +ut we are not really on the island, and he passes +y,+iting his knuckles

8ext comes 8i+s, the gay and de+onair, &ollowed +y lightly, who cuts whistles out o& the trees and dances ecstatically to his own tunes lightly is the most conceited o&the +oys 2e thinks he remem+ers the days +e&ore he was lost, with their mannersand customs, and this has gi%en his nose an o9ensi%e tilt Curly is &ourth5 he is apickle, /a person who gets in pickles6predicaments0 and so o&ten has he had todeli%er up his person when Peter said sternly, (tand &orth the one who did this





thing,( that now at the command he stands &orth automatically whether he has doneit or not ast come the Twins, who cannot +e descri+ed +ecause we should +e sure to+e descri+ing the wrong one Peter ne%er uite knew what twins were, and his +andwere not allowed to know anything he did not know, so these two were always %aguea+out themsel%es, and did their +est to gi%e satis&action +y keeping close together inan apologetic sort o& way

The +oys %anish in the gloom, and a&ter a pause, +ut not a long pause, &or things go+riskly on the island, come the pirates on their track !e hear them +e&ore they areseen, and it is always the same dread&ul song:

(A%ast +elay, yo ho, hea%e to,

A6pirating we go,

And i& we)re parted +y a shot

!e)re sure to meet +elow*(

A more %illainous6looking lot ne%er hung in a row on 4xecution dock 2ere, a little inad%ance, e%er and again with his head to the ground listening, his great arms +are,pieces o& eight in his ears as ornaments, is the handsome $talian Cecco, who cut hisname in letters o& +lood on the +ack o& the go%ernor o& the prison at >ao Thatgigantic +lack +ehind him has had many names since he dropped the one with whichdusky mothers still terri&y their children on the +anks o& the >uado6mo 2ere is Bill

Jukes, e%ery inch o& him tattooed, the same Bill Jukes who got six do3en on the!A?D &rom ;lint +e&ore he would drop the +ag o& moidores /Portuguese goldpieces05 and Cookson, said to +e Black Murphy)s +rother +ut this was ne%er pro%ed,and >entleman tarkey, once an usher in a pu+lic school and still dainty in his wayso& killing5 and kylights Morgan)s kylights5 and the $rish +o)sun mee, an oddlygenial man who sta++ed, so to speak, without o9ence, and was the only 8on6

con&ormist in 2ook)s crew5 and 8oodler, whose hands were 7xed on +ackwards5 and?o+t Mullins and Al& Mason and many another ru<an long known and &eared on thepanish Main

$n the midst o& them, the +lackest and largest in that dark setting, reclined James2ook, or as he wrote himsel&, Jas 2ook, o& whom it is said he was the only man thatthe ea6Cook &eared 2e lay at his ease in a rough chariot drawn and propelled +y hismen, and instead o& a right hand he had the iron hook with which e%er and anon heencouraged them to increase their pace As dogs this terri+le man treated andaddressed them, and as dogs they o+eyed him $n person he was cada%erous /deadlooking0 and +lacka%i3ed /dark &aced0, and his hair was dressed in long curls, which ata little distance looked like +lack candles, and ga%e a singularly threateningexpression to his handsome countenance 2is eyes were o& the +lue o& the &orget6me6

not, and o& a pro&ound melancholy, sa%e when he was plunging his hook into you, atwhich time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horri+ly $n manner,something o& the grand seigneur still clung to him, so that he e%en ripped you upwith an air, and $ ha%e +een told that he was a ?AC"8T4D? /storyteller0 o& repute 2ewas ne%er more sinister than when he was most polite, which is pro+a+ly the truesttest o& +reeding5 and the elegance o& his diction, e%en when he was swearing, no lessthan the distinction o& his demeanour, showed him one o& a di9erent cast &rom hiscrew A man o& indomita+le courage, it was said that the only thing he shied at wasthe sight o& his own +lood, which was thick and o& an unusual colour $n dress hesomewhat aped the attire associated with the name o& Charles $$, ha%ing heard it said



in some earlier period o& his career that he +ore a strange resem+lance to the ill6&ated tuarts5 and in his mouth he had a holder o& his own contri%ance which ena+ledhim to smoke two cigars at once But undou+tedly the grimmest part o& him was hisiron claw

et us now kill a pirate, to show 2ook)s method kylights will do As they pass,

kylights lurches clumsily against him, ruHing his lace collar5 the hook shoots &orth,there is a tearing sound and one screech, then the +ody is kicked aside, and thepirates pass on 2e has not e%en taken the cigars &rom his mouth

uch is the terri+le man against whom Peter Pan is pitted !hich will win=

"n the trail o& the pirates, stealing noiselessly down the war6path, which is not %isi+leto inexperienced eyes, come the redskins, e%ery one o& them with his eyes peeled

They carry tomahawks and kni%es, and their naked +odies gleam with paint and oiltrung around them are scalps, o& +oys as well as o& pirates, &or these are thePiccaninny tri+e, and not to +e con&used with the so&ter6hearted 'elawares or the2urons $n the %an, on all &ours, is >reat Big ittle Panther, a +ra%e o& so many scalpsthat in his present position they somewhat impede his progress Bringing up the rear,

the place o& greatest danger, comes Tiger ily, proudly erect, a princess in her ownright he is the most +eauti&ul o& dusky 'ianas /'iana I goddess o& the woods0 andthe +elle o& the Piccaninnies, couettish /#irting0, cold and amorous /lo%ing0 +y turns5there is not a +ra%e who would not ha%e the wayward thing to wi&e, +ut she sta%es o9 the altar with a hatchet "+ser%e how they pass o%er &allen twigs without making theslightest noise The only sound to +e heard is their somewhat hea%y +reathing The&act is that they are all a little &at ust now a&ter the hea%y gorging, +ut in time theywill work this o9 ;or the moment, howe%er, it constitutes their chie& danger

The redskins disappear as they ha%e come like shadows, and soon their place istaken +y the +easts, a great and motley procession: lions, tigers, +ears, and theinnumera+le smaller sa%age things that #ee &rom them, &or e%ery kind o& +east, and,more particularly, all the man6eaters, li%e cheek +y owl on the &a%oured island Their

tongues are hanging out, they are hungry to6night

!hen they ha%e passed, comes the last 7gure o& all, a gigantic crocodile !e shallsee &or whom she is looking presently

The crocodile passes, +ut soon the +oys appear again, &or the procession mustcontinue inde7nitely until one o& the parties stops or changes its pace Then uicklythey will +e on top o& each other

All are keeping a sharp look6out in &ront, +ut none suspects that the danger may +ecreeping up &rom +ehind This shows how real the island was

The 7rst to &all out o& the mo%ing circle was the +oys They #ung themsel%es down onthe sward /tur&0, close to their underground home

($ do wish Peter would come +ack,( e%ery one o& them said ner%ously, though inheight and still more in +readth they were all larger than their captain

($ am the only one who is not a&raid o& the pirates,( lightly said, in the tone thatpre%ented his +eing a general &a%ourite5 +ut perhaps some distant sound distur+ed



him, &or he added hastily, (+ut $ wish he would come +ack, and tell us whether he hasheard anything more a+out Cinderella(

They talked o& Cinderella, and Tootles was con7dent that his mother must ha%e +een%ery like her

$t was only in Peter)s a+sence that they could speak o& mothers, the su+ect +eing&or+idden +y him as silly

(All $ remem+er a+out my mother,( 8i+s told them, (is that she o&ten said to my&ather, G"h, how $ wish $ had a cheue6+ook o& my own*) $ don)t know what a cheue6+ook is, +ut $ should ust lo%e to gi%e my mother one(

!hile they talked they heard a distant sound -ou or $, not +eing wild things o& thewoods, would ha%e heard nothing, +ut they heard it, and it was the grim song:

(-o ho, yo ho, the pirate li&e,

The #ag o) skull and +ones,

A merry hour, a hempen rope,

And hey &or 'a%y Jones(

At once the lost +oys 66 +ut where are they= They are no longer there ?a++its couldnot ha%e disappeared more uickly

$ will tell you where they are !ith the exception o& 8i+s, who has darted away toreconnoitre /look around0, they are already in their home under the ground, a %erydelight&ul residence o& which we shall see a good deal presently But how ha%e theyreached it= &or there is no entrance to +e seen, not so much as a large stone, which i& rolled away, would disclose the mouth o& a ca%e ook closely, howe%er, and you maynote that there are here se%en large trees, each with a hole in its hollow trunk aslarge as a +oy These are the se%en entrances to the home under the ground, &orwhich 2ook has +een searching in %ain these many moons !ill he 7nd it tonight=

As the pirates ad%anced, the uick eye o& tarkey sighted 8i+s disappearing throughthe wood, and at once his pistol #ashed out But an iron claw gripped his shoulder

(Captain, let go*( he cried, writhing

8ow &or the 7rst time we hear the %oice o& 2ook $t was a +lack %oice (Put +ack thatpistol 7rst,( it said threateningly

($t was one o& those +oys you hate $ could ha%e shot him dead(

(Ay, and the sound would ha%e +rought Tiger ily)s redskins upon us 'o you want tolose your scalp=(



(hall $ a&ter him, Captain,( asked pathetic mee, (and tickle him with JohnnyCorkscrew=( mee had pleasant names &or e%erything, and his cutlass was JohnnyCorkscrew, +ecause he wiggled it in the wound "ne could mention many lo%a+letraits in mee ;or instance, a&ter killing, it was his spectacles he wiped instead o& hisweapon

(Johnny)s a silent &ellow,( he reminded 2ook

(8ot now, mee,( 2ook said darkly (2e is only one, and $ want to mischie& all these%en catter and look &or them(

The pirates disappeared among the trees, and in a moment their Captain and meewere alone 2ook hea%ed a hea%y sigh, and $ know not why it was, perhaps it was+ecause o& the so&t +eauty o& the e%ening, +ut there came o%er him a desire tocon7de to his &aith&ul +o)sun the story o& his li&e 2e spoke long and earnestly, +utwhat it was all a+out mee, who was rather stupid, did not know in the least

Anon /later0 he caught the word Peter

(Most o& all,( 2ook was saying passionately, ($ want their captain, Peter Pan )Twas hecut o9 my arm( 2e +randished the hook threateningly ($)%e waited long to shake hishand with this "h, $)ll tear him*(

(And yet,( said mee, ($ ha%e o&ten heard you say that hook was worth a score o&hands, &or com+ing the hair and other homely uses(

(Ay,( the captain answered (i& $ was a mother $ would pray to ha%e my children +ornwith this instead o& that,( and he cast a look o& pride upon his iron hand and one o&scorn upon the other Then again he &rowned

(Peter #ung my arm,( he said, wincing, (to a crocodile that happened to +e passing

+y(

($ ha%e o&ten,( said mee, (noticed your strange dread o& crocodiles(

(8ot o& crocodiles,( 2ook corrected him, (+ut o& that one crocodile( 2e lowered his%oice ($t liked my arm so much, mee, that it has &ollowed me e%er since, &rom seato sea and &rom land to land, licking its lips &or the rest o& me(

($n a way,( said mee, (it)s sort o& a compliment(

($ want no such compliments,( 2ook +arked petulantly ($ want Peter Pan, who 7rstga%e the +rute its taste &or me(

2e sat down on a large mushroom, and now there was a ui%er in his %oice (mee,(he said huskily, (that crocodile would ha%e had me +e&ore this, +ut +y a lucky chanceit swallowed a clock which goes tick tick inside it, and so +e&ore it can reach me $hear the tick and +olt( 2e laughed, +ut in a hollow way

(ome day,( said mee, (the clock will run down, and then he)ll get you(

2ook wetted his dry lips (Ay,( he said, (that)s the &ear that haunts me(



ince sitting down he had &elt curiously warm (mee,( he said, (this seat is hot( 2e umped up ("dds +o+s, hammer and tongs $)m +urning(

They examined the mushroom, which was o& a si3e and solidity unknown on themainland5 they tried to pull it up, and it came away at once in their hands, &or it hadno root tranger still, smoke +egan at once to ascend The pirates looked at each

other (A chimney*( they +oth exclaimed

They had indeed disco%ered the chimney o& the home under the ground $t was thecustom o& the +oys to stop it with a mushroom when enemies were in theneigh+ourhood

8ot only smoke came out o& it There came also children)s %oices, &or so sa&e did the+oys &eel in their hiding6place that they were gaily chattering The pirates listenedgrimly, and then replaced the mushroom They looked around them and noted theholes in the se%en trees

('id you hear them say Peter Pan)s &rom home=( mee whispered, 7dgeting with Johnny Corkscrew

2ook nodded 2e stood &or a long time lost in thought, and at last a curdling smile litup his swarthy &ace mee had +een waiting &or it (Dnrip your plan, captain,( hecried eagerly

(To return to the ship,( 2ook replied slowly through his teeth, (and cook a large richcake o& a olly thickness with green sugar on it There can +e +ut one room +elow, &orthere is +ut one chimney The silly moles had not the sense to see that they did notneed a door apiece That shows they ha%e no mother !e will lea%e the cake on theshore o& the Mermaids) agoon These +oys are always swimming a+out there,playing with the mermaids They will 7nd the cake and they will go++le it up,+ecause, ha%ing no mother, they don)t know how dangerous )tis to eat rich damp

cake( 2e +urst into laughter, not hollow laughter now, +ut honest laughter (Aha,they will die(

mee had listened with growing admiration

($t)s the wickedest, prettiest policy e%er $ heard o&*( he cried, and in their exultationthey danced and sang:

(A%ast, +elay, when $ appear,

By &ear they)re o%ertook5

8ought)s le&t upon your +ones when you

2a%e shaken claws with Cook(

They +egan the %erse, +ut they ne%er 7nished it, &or another sound +roke in andstilled them The was at 7rst such a tiny sound that a lea& might ha%e &allen on it andsmothered it, +ut as it came nearer it was more distinct

Tick tick tick tick*



2ook stood shuddering, one &oot in the air

(The crocodile*( he gasped, and +ounded away, &ollowed +y his +o)sun

$t was indeed the crocodile $t had passed the redskins, who were now on the trail o&the other pirates $t oo3ed on a&ter 2ook

"nce more the +oys emerged into the open5 +ut the dangers o& the night were notyet o%er, &or presently 8i+s rushed +reathless into their midst, pursued +y a pack o&wol%es The tongues o& the pursuers were hanging out5 the +aying o& them washorri+le

(a%e me, sa%e me*( cried 8i+s, &alling on the ground

(But what can we do, what can we do=(

$t was a high compliment to Peter that at that dire moment their thoughts turned tohim

(!hat would Peter do=( they cried simultaneously

Almost in the same +reath they cried, (Peter would look at them through his legs(

And then, (et us do what Peter would do(

$t is uite the most success&ul way o& de&ying wol%es, and as one +oy they +ent andlooked through their legs The next moment is the long one, +ut %ictory came uickly,&or as the +oys ad%anced upon them in the terri+le attitude, the wol%es dropped theirtails and #ed

8ow 8i+s rose &rom the ground, and the others thought that his staring eyes still sawthe wol%es But it was not wol%es he saw

($ ha%e seen a wonder&uller thing,( he cried, as they gathered round him eagerly (Agreat white +ird $t is #ying this way(

(!hat kind o& a +ird, do you think=(

($ don)t know,( 8i+s said, awestruck, (+ut it looks so weary, and as it #ies it moans,GPoor !endy,)(

(Poor !endy=(

($ remem+er,( said lightly instantly, (there are +irds called !endies(

(ee, it comes*( cried Curly, pointing to !endy in the hea%ens

!endy was now almost o%erhead, and they could hear her plainti%e cry But moredistinct came the shrill %oice o& Tinker Bell The ealous &airy had now cast o9 alldisguise o& &riendship, and was darting at her %ictim &rom e%ery direction, pinchingsa%agely each time she touched



(2ullo, Tink,( cried the wondering +oys

Tink)s reply rang out: (Peter wants you to shoot the !endy(

$t was not in their nature to uestion when Peter ordered (et us do what Peterwishes*( cried the simple +oys (uick, +ows and arrows*(

All +ut Tootles popped down their trees 2e had a +ow and arrow with him, and Tinknoted it, and ru++ed her little hands

(uick, Tootles, uick,( she screamed (Peter will +e so pleased(

Tootles excitedly 7tted the arrow to his +ow ("ut o& the way, Tink,( he shouted, andthen he 7red, and !endy #uttered to the ground with an arrow in her +reast

Chapter #: The $ittle %ouse

;oolish Tootles was standing like a conueror o%er !endy)s +ody when the other +oys

sprang, armed, &rom their trees

(-ou are too late,( he cried proudly, ($ ha%e shot the !endy Peter will +e so pleasedwith me(

"%erhead Tinker Bell shouted (illy ass*( and darted into hiding The others did nothear her They had crowded round !endy, and as they looked a terri+le silence &ellupon the wood $& !endy)s heart had +een +eating they would all ha%e heard it

lightly was the 7rst to speak (This is no +ird,( he said in a scared %oice ($ think thismust +e a lady(

(A lady=( said Tootles, and &ell a6trem+ling

(And we ha%e killed her,( 8i+s said hoarsely

They all whipped o9 their caps

(8ow $ see,( Curly said: (Peter was +ringing her to us( 2e threw himsel& sorrow&ullyon the ground

(A lady to take care o& us at last,( said one o& the twins, (and you ha%e killed her*(

They were sorry &or him, +ut sorrier &or themsel%es, and when he took a step nearer

them they turned &rom him

Tootles) &ace was %ery white, +ut there was a dignity a+out him now that had ne%er+een there +e&ore

($ did it,( he said, re#ecting (!hen ladies used to come to me in dreams, $ said,GPretty mother, pretty mother) But when at last she really came, $ shot her(





2e mo%ed slowly away

('on)t go,( they called in pity

($ must,( he answered, shaking5 ($ am so a&raid o& Peter(

$t was at this tragic moment that they heard a sound which made the heart o& e%eryone o& them rise to his mouth They heard Peter crow

(Peter*( they cried, &or it was always thus that he signalled his return

(2ide her,( they whispered, and gathered hastily around !endy But Tootles stoodaloo&

Again came that ringing crow, and Peter dropped in &ront o& them (>reetings, +oys,(he cried, and mechanically they saluted, and then again was silence

2e &rowned

($ am +ack,( he said hotly, (why do you not cheer=(

They opened their mouths, +ut the cheers would not come 2e o%erlooked it in hishaste to tell the glorious tidings

(>reat news, +oys,( he cried, ($ ha%e +rought at last a mother &or you all(

till no sound, except a little thud &rom Tootles as he dropped on his knees

(2a%e you not seen her=( asked Peter, +ecoming trou+led (he #ew this way(

(Ah me*( once %oice said, and another said, ("h, mourn&ul day(

Tootles rose (Peter,( he said uietly, ($ will show her to you,( and when the otherswould still ha%e hidden her he said, (Back, twins, let Peter see(

o they all stood +ack, and let him see, and a&ter he had looked &or a little time hedid not know what to do next

(he is dead,( he said uncom&orta+ly (Perhaps she is &rightened at +eing dead(

2e thought o& hopping o9 in a comic sort o& way till he was out o& sight o& her, and

then ne%er going near the spot any more They would all ha%e +een glad to &ollow i&he had done this

But there was the arrow 2e took it &rom her heart and &aced his +and

(!hose arrow=( he demanded sternly



(Mine, Peter,( said Tootles on his knees

("h, dastard hand,( Peter said, and he raised the arrow to use it as a dagger

Tootles did not #inch 2e +ared his +reast (trike, Peter,( he said 7rmly, (strike true(

Twice did Peter raise the arrow, and twice did his hand &all ($ cannot strike,( he saidwith awe, (there is something stays my hand(

All looked at him in wonder, sa%e 8i+s, who &ortunately looked at !endy

($t is she,( he cried, (the !endy lady, see, her arm*(

!onder&ul to relate /tell0, !endy had raised her arm 8i+s +ent o%er her and listenedre%erently ($ think she said, GPoor Tootles,)( he whispered

(he li%es,( Peter said +rie#y

lightly cried instantly, (The !endy lady li%es(

Then Peter knelt +eside her and &ound his +utton -ou remem+er she had put it on achain that she wore round her neck

(ee,( he said, (the arrow struck against this $t is the kiss $ ga%e her $t has sa%ed herli&e(

($ remem+er kisses,( lightly interposed uickly, (let me see it Ay, that)s a kiss(

Peter did not hear him 2e was +egging !endy to get +etter uickly, so that he could

show her the mermaids "& course she could not answer yet, +eing still in a &right&ul&aint5 +ut &rom o%erhead came a wailing note

(isten to Tink,( said Curly, (she is crying +ecause the !endy li%es(

Then they had to tell Peter o& Tink)s crime, and almost ne%er had they seen him lookso stern

(isten, Tinker Bell,( he cried, ($ am your &riend no more Begone &rom me &or e%er(

he #ew on to his shoulder and pleaded, +ut he +rushed her o9 8ot until !endyagain raised her arm did he relent su<ciently to say, (!ell, not &or e%er, +ut &or a

whole week(

'o you think Tinker Bell was grate&ul to !endy &or raising her arm= "h dear no,ne%er wanted to pinch her so much ;airies indeed are strange, and Peter, who



understood them +est, o&ten cu9ed /slapped0 them

But what to do with !endy in her present delicate state o& health=

(et us carry her down into the house,( Curly suggested

(Ay,( said lightly, (that is what one does with ladies(

(8o, no,( Peter said, (you must not touch her $t would not +e su<ciently respect&ul(

(That,( said lightly, (is what $ was thinking(

(But i& she lies there,( Tootles said, (she will die(

(Ay, she will die,( lightly admitted, (+ut there is no way out(

(-es, there is,( cried Peter (et us +uild a little house round her(

They were all delighted (uick,( he ordered them, (+ring me each o& you the +est o&what we ha%e >ut our house Be sharp(

$n a moment they were as +usy as tailors the night +e&ore a wedding They skurriedthis way and that, down &or +edding, up &or 7rewood, and while they were at it, whoshould appear +ut John and Michael As they dragged along the ground they &ellasleep standing, stopped, woke up, mo%ed another step and slept again

(John, John,( Michael would cry, (wake up* !here is 8ana, John, and mother=(

And then John would ru+ his eyes and mutter, ($t is true, we did #y(

-ou may +e sure they were %ery relie%ed to 7nd Peter

(2ullo, Peter,( they said

(2ullo,( replied Peter amica+ly, though he had uite &orgotten them 2e was %ery+usy at the moment measuring !endy with his &eet to see how large a house shewould need "& course he meant to lea%e room &or chairs and a ta+le John andMichael watched him

($s !endy asleep=( they asked

(-es(

(John,( Michael proposed, (let us wake her and get her to make supper &or us,( +ut ashe said it some o& the other +oys rushed on carrying +ranches &or the +uilding o& thehouse (ook at them*( he cried

(Curly,( said Peter in his most captainy %oice, (see that these +oys help in the+uilding o& the house(



(Tut, tut, tut,( said lightly, (this has cured her(

($ am glad*( Peter cried

($ will call again in the e%ening,( lightly said5 (gi%e her +ee& tea out o& a cup with a

spout to it(5 +ut a&ter he had returned the hat to John he +lew +ig +reaths, which washis ha+it on escaping &rom a di<culty

$n the meantime the wood had +een ali%e with the sound o& axes5 almost e%erythingneeded &or a cosy dwelling already lay at !endy)s &eet

($& only we knew,( said one, (the kind o& house she likes +est(

(Peter,( shouted another, (she is mo%ing in her sleep(

(2er mouth opens,( cried a third, looking respect&ully into it ("h, lo%ely*(

(Perhaps she is going to sing in her sleep,( said Peter (!endy, sing the kind o& houseyou would like to ha%e(

$mmediately, without opening her eyes, !endy +egan to sing:

($ wish $ had a pretty house,

The littlest e%er seen,

!ith &unny little red walls

And roo& o& mossy green(

They gurgled with oy at this, &or +y the greatest good luck the +ranches they had+rought were sticky with red sap, and all the ground was carpeted with moss As theyrattled up the little house they +roke into song themsel%es:

(!e)%e +uilt the little walls and roo&

And made a lo%ely door,

o tell us, mother !endy,

!hat are you wanting more=(

To this she answered greedily:

("h, really next $ think $)ll ha%e

>ay windows all a+out,



!ith roses peeping in, you know,

And +a+ies peeping out(

!ith a +low o& their 7sts they made windows, and large yellow lea%es were the

+linds But roses 66 =

(?oses,( cried Peter sternly

uickly they made6+elie%e to grow the lo%eliest roses up the walls

Ba+ies=

To pre%ent Peter ordering +a+ies they hurried into song again:

(!e)%e made the roses peeping out,

The +a+es are at the door,

!e cannot make oursel%es, you know,

)cos we)%e +een made +e&ore(

Peter, seeing this to +e a good idea, at once pretended that it was his own Thehouse was uite +eauti&ul, and no dou+t !endy was %ery cosy within, though, o&course, they could no longer see her Peter strode up and down, ordering 7nishingtouches 8othing escaped his eagle eyes Just when it seemed a+solutely 7nished:

(There)s no knocker on the door,( he said

They were %ery ashamed, +ut Tootles ga%e the sole o& his shoe, and it made anexcellent knocker

A+solutely 7nished now, they thought

8ot o& +it o& it (There)s no chimney,( Peter said5 (we must ha%e a chimney(

($t certainly does need a chimney,( said John importantly This ga%e Peter an idea 2esnatched the hat o9 John)s head, knocked out the +ottom /top0, and put the hat onthe roo& The little house was so pleased to ha%e such a capital chimney that, as i& tosay thank you, smoke immediately +egan to come out o& the hat

8ow really and truly it was 7nished 8othing remained to do +ut to knock

(All look your +est,( Peter warned them5 (7rst impressions are aw&ully important(

2e was glad no one asked him what 7rst impressions are5 they were all too +usylooking their +est

2e knocked politely, and now the wood was as still as the children, not a sound to +e



heard except &rom Tinker Bell, who was watching &rom a +ranch and openly sneering

!hat the +oys were wondering was, would any one answer the knock= $& a lady, whatwould she +e like=

The door opened and a lady came out $t was !endy They all whipped o9 their hats

he looked properly surprised, and this was ust how they had hoped she would look

(!here am $=( she said

"& course lightly was the 7rst to get his word in (!endy lady,( he said rapidly, (&oryou we +uilt this house(

("h, say you)re pleased,( cried 8i+s

(o%ely, darling house,( !endy said, and they were the %ery words they had hoped

she would say

(And we are your children,( cried the twins

Then all went on their knees, and holding out their arms cried, (" !endy lady, +e ourmother(

("ught $=( !endy said, all shining ("& course it)s &right&ully &ascinating, +ut you see $am only a little girl $ ha%e no real experience(

(That doesn)t matter,( said Peter, as i& he were the only person present who knew alla+out it, though he was really the one who knew least (!hat we need is ust a nice

motherly person(

("h dear*( !endy said, (you see, $ &eel that is exactly what $ am(

($t is, it is,( they all cried5 (we saw it at once(

(Lery well,( she said, ($ will do my +est Come inside at once, you naughty children5 $am sure your &eet are damp And +e&ore $ put you to +ed $ ha%e ust time to 7nish thestory o& Cinderella(

$n they went5 $ don)t know how there was room &or them, +ut you can suee3e %erytight in the 8e%erland And that was the 7rst o& the many oyous e%enings they had

with !endy By and +y she tucked them up in the great +ed in the home under thetrees, +ut she hersel& slept that night in the little house, and Peter kept watch outsidewith drawn sword, &or the pirates could +e heard carousing &ar away and the wol%eswere on the prowl The little house looked so cosy and sa&e in the darkness, with a+right light showing through its +linds, and the chimney smoking +eauti&ully, andPeter standing on guard A&ter a time he &ell asleep, and some unsteady &airies had toclim+ o%er him on their way home &rom an orgy Any o& the other +oys o+structingthe &airy path at night they would ha%e mischie&ed, +ut they ust tweaked Peter)snose and passed on



Chapter &: The %ome 'nder The (round

"ne o& the 7rst things Peter did next day was to measure !endy and John andMichael &or hollow trees 2ook, you remem+er, had sneered at the +oys &or thinkingthey needed a tree apiece, +ut this was ignorance, &or unless your tree 7tted you itwas di<cult to go up and down, and no two o& the +oys were uite the same si3e"nce you 7tted, you drew in /let out0 your +reath at the top, and down you went atexactly the right speed, while to ascend you drew in and let out alternately, and sowriggled up "& course, when you ha%e mastered the action you are a+le to do thesethings without thinking o& them, and nothing can +e more grace&ul

But you simply must 7t, and Peter measures you &or your tree as care&ully as &or asuit o& clothes: the only di9erence +eing that the clothes are made to 7t you, whileyou ha%e to +e made to 7t the tree Dsually it is done uite easily, as +y your wearingtoo many garments or too &ew, +ut i& you are +umpy in awkward places or the only

a%aila+le tree is an odd shape, Peter does some things to you, and a&ter that you 7t"nce you 7t, great care must +e taken to go on 7tting, and this, as !endy was todisco%er to her delight, keeps a whole &amily in per&ect condition

!endy and Michael 7tted their trees at the 7rst try, +ut John had to +e altered a little

A&ter a &ew days) practice they could go up and down as gaily as +uckets in a wellAnd how ardently they grew to lo%e their home under the ground5 especially !endy$t consisted o& one large room, as all houses should do, with a #oor in which you coulddig /&or worms0 i& you wanted to go 7shing, and in this #oor grew stout mushrooms o& a charming colour, which were used as stools A 8e%er tree tried hard to grow in thecentre o& the room, +ut e%ery morning they sawed the trunk through, le%el with the#oor By tea6time it was always a+out two &eet high, and then they put a door on top

o& it, the whole thus +ecoming a ta+le5 as soon as they cleared away, they sawed o9the trunk again, and thus there was more room to play There was an enourmous7replace which was in almost any part o& the room where you cared to light it, andacross this !endy stretched strings, made o& 7+re, &rom which she suspended herwashing The +ed was tilted against the wall +y day, and let down at :NO, when it7lled nearly hal& the room5 and all the +oys slept in it, except Michael, lying likesardines in a tin There was a strict rule against turning round until one ga%e thesignal, when all turned at once Michael should ha%e used it also, +ut !endy wouldha%e /desired0 a +a+y, and he was the littlest, and you know what women are, andthe short and long o& it is that he was hung up in a +asket

$t was rough and simple, and not unlike what +a+y +ears would ha%e made o& anunderground house in the same circumstances But there was one recess in the wall,

no larger than a +ird6cage, which was the pri%ate apartment o& Tinker Bell $t could +eshut o9 &rom the rest o& the house +y a tiny curtain, which Tink, who was most&astidious /particular0, always kept drawn when dressing or undressing 8o woman,howe%er large, could ha%e had a more exuisite +oudoir /dressing room0 and +ed6cham+er com+ined The couch, as she always called it, was a genuine ueen Ma+,with clu+ legs5 and she %aried the +edspreads according to what &ruit6+lossom was inseason 2er mirror was a Puss6in6Boots, o& which there are now only three, unchipped,known to &airy dealers5 the washstand was Pie6crust and re%ersi+le, the chest o&drawers an authentic Charming the ixth, and the carpet and rugs the +est





the early period o& Margery and ?o+in There was a chandelier &rom Tiddlywinks &orthe look o& the thing, +ut o& course she lit the residence hersel& Tink was %erycontemptuous o& the rest o& the house, as indeed was perhaps ine%ita+le, and hercham+er, though +eauti&ul, looked rather conceited, ha%ing the appearance o& a nosepermanently turned up

$ suppose it was all especially entrancing to !endy, +ecause those rampagious +oyso& hers ga%e her so much to do ?eally there were whole weeks when, except perhapswith a stocking in the e%ening, she was ne%er a+o%e ground The cooking, $ can tellyou, kept her nose to the pot, and e%en i& there was nothing in it, e%en i& there wasno pot, she had to keep watching that it came a+oil ust the same -ou ne%er exactlyknew whether there would +e a real meal or ust a make6+elie%e, it all dependedupon Peter)s whim: he could eat, really eat, i& it was part o& a game, +ut he could notstodge /cram down the &ood0 ust to &eel stodgy /stu9ed with &ood0, which is whatmost children like +etter than anything else5 the next +est thing +eing to talk a+outit Make6+elie%e was so real to him that during a meal o& it you could see him gettingrounder "& course it was trying, +ut you simply had to &ollow his lead, and i& youcould pro%e to him that you were getting loose &or your tree he let you stodge

!endy)s &a%ourite time &or sewing and darning was a&ter they had all gone to +ed Then, as she expressed it, she had a +reathing time &or hersel&5 and she occupied it inmaking new things &or them, and putting dou+le pieces on the knees, &or they wereall most &right&ully hard on their knees

!hen she sat down to a +asket&ul o& their stockings, e%ery heel with a hole in it, shewould #ing up her arms and exclaim, ("h dear, $ am sure $ sometimes think spinstersare to +e en%ied*(

2er &ace +eamed when she exclaimed this

-ou remem+er a+out her pet wol& !ell, it %ery soon disco%ered that she had come tothe island and it &ound her out, and they ust ran into each other)s arms A&ter that it&ollowed her a+out e%erywhere

As time wore on did she think much a+out the +elo%ed parents she had le&t +ehindher= This is a di<cult uestion, +ecause it is uite impossi+le to say how time doeswear on in the 8e%erland, where it is calculated +y moons and suns, and there aree%er so many more o& them than on the mainland But $ am a&raid that !endy did notreally worry a+out her &ather and mother5 she was a+solutely con7dent that theywould always keep the window open &or her to #y +ack +y, and this ga%e her

complete ease o& mind !hat did distur+ her at times was that John remem+ered hisparents %aguely only, as people he had once known, while Michael was uite willingto +elie%e that she was really his mother These things scared her a little, and no+lyanxious to do her duty, she tried to 7x the old li&e in their minds +y setting themexamination papers on it, as like as possi+le to the ones she used to do at school Theother +oys thought this aw&ully interesting, and insisted on oining, and they madeslates &or themsel%es, and sat round the ta+le, writing and thinking hard a+out theuestions she had written on another slate and passed round They were the mostordinary uestions 66 (!hat was the colour o& Mother)s eyes= !hich was taller, ;atheror Mother= !as Mother +londe or +runette= Answer all three uestions i& possi+le(



(A !rite an essay o& not less than .O words on 2ow $ spent my last 2olidays, or TheCharacters o& ;ather and Mother compared "nly one o& these to +e attempted( "r(1 'escri+e Mother)s laugh5 E 'escri+e ;ather)s laugh5 N 'escri+e Mother)s Party'ress5 . 'escri+e the @ennel and its $nmate(

They were ust e%eryday uestions like these, and when you could not answer them

you were told to make a cross5 and it was really dread&ul what a num+er o& crossese%en John made "& course the only +oy who replied to e%ery uestion was lightly,and no one could ha%e +een more hope&ul o& coming out 7rst, +ut his answers wereper&ectly ridiculous, and he really came out last: a melancholy thing

Peter did not compete ;or one thing he despised all mothers except !endy, and &oranother he was the only +oy on the island who could neither write nor spell5 not thesmallest word 2e was a+o%e all that sort o& thing

By the way, the uestions were all written in the past tense !hat was the colour o&Mother)s eyes, and so on !endy, you see, had +een &orgetting, too

Ad%entures, o& course, as we shall see, were o& daily occurrence5 +ut a+out this time

Peter in%ented, with !endy)s help, a new game that &ascinated him enormously, untilhe suddenly had no more interest in it, which, as you ha%e +een told, was whatalways happened with his games $t consisted in pretending not to ha%e ad%entures,in doing the sort o& thing John and Michael had +een doing all their li%es, sitting onstools #inging +alls in the air, pushing each other, going out &or walks and coming+ack without ha%ing killed so much as a gri33ly To see Peter doing nothing on a stoolwas a great sight5 he could not help looking solemn at such times, to sit still seemedto him such a comic thing to do 2e +oasted that he had gone walking &or the good o& his health ;or se%eral suns these were the most no%el o& all ad%entures to him5 and

John and Michael had to pretend to +e delighted also5 otherwise he would ha%etreated them se%erely

2e o&ten went out alone, and when he came +ack you were ne%er a+solutely certainwhether he had had an ad%enture or not 2e might ha%e &orgotten it so completelythat he said nothing a+out it5 and then when you went out you &ound the +ody5 and,on the other hand, he might say a great deal a+out it, and yet you could not 7nd the+ody ometimes he came home with his head +andaged, and then !endy cooedo%er him and +athed it in lukewarm water, while he told a da33ling tale But she wasne%er uite sure, you know There were, howe%er, many ad%entures which she knewto +e true +ecause she was in them hersel&, and there were still more that were atleast partly true, &or the other +oys were in them and said they were wholly true Todescri+e them all would reuire a +ook as large as an 4nglish6atin, atin64nglish'ictionary, and the most we can do is to gi%e one as a specimen o& an a%erage houron the island The di<culty is which one to choose hould we take the +rush with theredskins at lightly >ulch= $t was a sanguinary /cheer&ul0 a9air, and especiallyinteresting as showing one o& Peter)s peculiarities, which was that in the middle o& a

7ght he would suddenly change sides At the >ulch, when %ictory was still in the+alance, sometimes leaning this way and sometimes that, he called out, ($)m redskinto6day5 what are you, Tootles=( And Tootles answered, (?edskin5 what are you, 8i+s=(and 8i+s said, (?edskin5 what are you Twin=( and so on5 and they were all redskins5and o& course this would ha%e ended the 7ght had not the real redskins &ascinated +yPeter)s methods, agreed to +e lost +oys &or that once, and so at it they all went again,more 7ercely than e%er



The extraordinary upshot o& this ad%enture was 66 +ut we ha%e not decided yet thatthis is the ad%enture we are to narrate Perhaps a +etter one would +e the nightattack +y the redskins on the house under the ground, when se%eral o& them stuck inthe hollow trees and had to +e pulled out like corks "r we might tell how Peter sa%ed

Tiger ily)s li&e in the Mermaids) agoon, and so made her his ally

"r we could tell o& that cake the pirates cooked so that the +oys might eat it andperish5 and how they placed it in one cunning spot a&ter another5 +ut always !endysnatched it &rom the hands o& her children, so that in time it lost its succulence, and+ecame as hard as a stone, and was used as a missile, and 2ook &ell o%er it in thedark

"r suppose we tell o& the +irds that were Peter)s &riends, particularly o& the 8e%er +irdthat +uilt in a tree o%erhanging the lagoon, and how the nest &ell into the water, andstill the +ird sat on her eggs, and Peter ga%e orders that she was not to +e distur+ed

That is a pretty story, and the end shows how grate&ul a +ird can +e5 +ut i& we tell itwe must also tell the whole ad%enture o& the lagoon, which would o& course +e tellingtwo ad%entures rather than ust one A shorter ad%enture, and uite as exciting, was

Tinker Bell)s attempt, with the help o& some street &airies, to ha%e the sleeping !endy

con%eyed on a great #oating lea& to the mainland ;ortunately the lea& ga%e way and!endy woke, thinking it was +ath6time, and swam +ack "r again, we might choosePeter)s de7ance o& the lions, when he drew a circle round him on the ground with anarrow and dared them to cross it5 and though he waited &or hours, with the other+oys and !endy looking on +reathlessly &rom trees, not one o& them dared to accepthis challenge

!hich o& these ad%entures shall we choose= The +est way will +e to toss &or it

$ ha%e tossed, and the lagoon has won This almost makes one wish that the gulch orthe cake or Tink)s lea& had won "& course $ could do it again, and make it +est out o&three5 howe%er, perhaps &airest to stick to the lagoon

Chapter ): The *ermaid+s $aoon

$& you shut your eyes and are a lucky one, you may see at times a shapeless pool o&lo%ely pale colours suspended in the darkness5 then i& you suee3e your eyes tighter,the pool +egins to take shape, and the colours +ecome so %i%id that with anothersuee3e they must go on 7re But ust +e&ore they go on 7re you see the lagoon Thisis the nearest you e%er get to it on the mainland, ust one hea%enly moment5 i& therecould +e two moments you might see the sur& and hear the mermaids singing

The children o&ten spent long summer days on this lagoon, swimming or #oatingmost o& the time, playing the mermaid games in the water, and so &orth -ou mustnot think &rom this that the mermaids were on &riendly terms with them: on the

contrary, it was among !endy)s lasting regrets that all the time she was on the islandshe ne%er had a ci%il word &rom one o& them !hen she stole so&tly to the edge o& thelagoon she might see them +y the score, especially on Marooners) ?ock, where theylo%ed to +ask, com+ing out their hair in a la3y way that uite irritated her5 or shemight e%en swim, on tiptoe as it were, to within a yard o& them, +ut then they sawher and di%ed, pro+a+ly splashing her with their tails, not +y accident, +utintentionally





They treated all the +oys in the same way, except o& course Peter, who chatted withthem on Marooners) ?ock +y the hour, and sat on their tails when they got cheeky 2ega%e !endy one o& their com+s

The most haunting time at which to see them is at the turn o& the moon, when theyutter strange wailing cries5 +ut the lagoon is dangerous &or mortals then, and until

the e%ening o& which we ha%e now to tell, !endy had ne%er seen the lagoon +ymoonlight, less &rom &ear, &or o& course Peter would ha%e accompanied her, than+ecause she had strict rules a+out e%ery one +eing in +ed +y se%en he was o&ten atthe lagoon, howe%er, on sunny days a&ter rain, when the mermaids come up inextraordinary num+ers to play with their +u++les The +u++les o& many colours madein rain+ow water they treat as +alls, hitting them gaily &rom one to another with theirtails, and trying to keep them in the rain+ow till they +urst The goals are at each endo& the rain+ow, and the keepers only are allowed to use their hands ometimes ado3en o& these games will +e going on in the lagoon at a time, and it is uite a prettysight

But the moment the children tried to oin in they had to play +y themsel%es, &or themermaids immediately disappeared 8e%ertheless we ha%e proo& that they secretly

watched the interlopers, and were not a+o%e taking an idea &rom them5 &or Johnintroduced a new way o& hitting the +u++le, with the head instead o& the hand, andthe mermaids adopted it This is the one mark that John has le&t on the 8e%erland

$t must also ha%e +een rather pretty to see the children resting on a rock &or hal& anhour a&ter their mid6day meal !endy insisted on their doing this, and it had to +e areal rest e%en though the meal was make6+elie%e o they lay there in the sun, andtheir +odies glistened in it, while she sat +eside them and looked important

$t was one such day, and they were all on Marooners) ?ock The rock was not muchlarger than their great +ed, +ut o& course they all knew how not to take up muchroom, and they were do3ing, or at least lying with their eyes shut, and pinchingoccasionally when they thought !endy was not looking he was %ery +usy, stitching

!hile she stitched a change came to the lagoon ittle shi%ers ran o%er it, and thesun went away and shadows stole across the water, turning it cold !endy could nolonger see to thread her needle, and when she looked up, the lagoon that had alwayshitherto +een such a laughing place seemed &ormida+le and un&riendly

$t was not, she knew, that night had come, +ut something as dark as night had come8o, worse than that $t had not come, +ut it had sent that shi%er through the sea tosay that it was coming !hat was it=

There crowded upon her all the stories she had +een told o& Marooners) ?ock, socalled +ecause e%il captains put sailors on it and lea%e them there to drown They

drown when the tide rises, &or then it is su+merged

"& course she should ha%e roused the children at once5 not merely +ecause o& theunknown that was stalking toward them, +ut +ecause it was no longer good &or themto sleep on a rock grown chilly But she was a young mother and she did not know



(Ahoy there, you lu++ers*( he called $t was a mar%ellous imitation

(The captain*( said the pirates, staring at each other in surprise

(2e must +e swimming out to us,( tarkey said, when they had looked &or him in%ain

(!e are putting the redskin on the rock,( mee called out

(et her &ree,( came the astonishing answer

(;ree*(

(-es, cut her +onds and let her go(

(But, captain 66 (

(At once, d)ye hear,( cried Peter, (or $)ll plunge my hook in you(

(This is ueer*( mee gasped

(Better do what the captain orders,( said tarkey ner%ously

(Ay, ay( mee said, and he cut Tiger ily)s cords At once like an eel she slid +etweentarkey)s legs into the water

"& course !endy was %ery elated o%er Peter)s cle%erness5 +ut she knew that hewould +e elated also and %ery likely crow and thus +etray himsel&, so at once herhand went out to co%er his mouth But it was stayed e%en in the act, &or (Boat ahoy*(rang o%er the lagoon in 2ook)s %oice, and this time it was not Peter who had spoken

Peter may ha%e +een a+out to crow, +ut his &ace puckered in a whistle o& surpriseinstead

(Boat ahoy*( again came the %oice

8ow !endy understood The real 2ook was also in the water

2e was swimming to the +oat, and as his men showed a light to guide him he hadsoon reached them $n the light o& the lantern !endy saw his hook grip the +oat)sside5 she saw his e%il swarthy &ace as he rose dripping &rom the water, and, uaking,she would ha%e liked to swim away, +ut Peter would not +udge 2e was tingling withli&e and also top6hea%y with conceit (Am $ not a wonder, oh, $ am a wonder*( hewhispered to her, and though she thought so also, she was really glad &or the sake o&his reputation that no one heard him except hersel&

2e signed to her to listen

The two pirates were %ery curious to know what had +rought their captain to them,+ut he sat with his head on his hook in a position o& pro&ound melancholy



(!hat was that=(

But they could see nothing They thought it must ha%e +een a lea& in the wind ('oyou agree, my +ullies=( asked 2ook

(There is my hand on it,( they +oth said

(And there is my hook wear(

They all swore By this time they were on the rock, and suddenly 2ook remem+ered Tiger ily

(!here is the redskin=( he demanded a+ruptly

2e had a play&ul humour at moments, and they thought this was one o& themoments

(That is all right, captain,( mee answered complacently5 (we let her go(

(et her go*( cried 2ook

()Twas your own orders,( the +o)sun &altered

(-ou called o%er the water to us to let her go,( said tarkey

(Brimstone and gall,( thundered 2ook, (what co3ening /cheating0 is going on here*(2is &ace had gone +lack with rage, +ut he saw that they +elie%ed their words, and hewas startled (ads,( he said, shaking a little, ($ ga%e no such order(

($t is passing ueer,( mee said, and they all 7dgeted uncom&orta+ly 2ook raised his

%oice, +ut there was a ui%er in it

(pirit that haunts this dark lagoon to6night,( he cried, (dost hear me=(

"& course Peter should ha%e kept uiet, +ut o& course he did not 2e immediatelyanswered in 2ook)s %oice:

("dds, +o+s, hammer and tongs, $ hear you(

$n that supreme moment 2ook did not +lanch, e%en at the gills, +ut mee andtarkey clung to each other in terror

(!ho are you, stranger= peak*( 2ook demanded

($ am James 2ook,( replied the %oice, (captain o& the J"- ?">4?(

(-ou are not5 you are not,( 2ook cried hoarsely

(Brimstone and gall,( the %oice retorted, (say that again, and $)ll cast anchor in you(



2ook tried a more ingratiating manner ($& you are 2ook,( he said almost hum+ly,(come tell me, who am $=(

(A cod7sh,( replied the %oice, (only a cod7sh(

(A cod7sh*( 2ook echoed +lankly, and it was then, +ut not till then, that his proud

spirit +roke 2e saw his men draw +ack &rom him

(2a%e we +een captained all this time +y a cod7sh*( they muttered ($t is lowering toour pride(

They were his dogs snapping at him, +ut, tragic 7gure though he had +ecome, hescarcely heeded them Against such &ear&ul e%idence it was not their +elie& in himthat he needed, it was his own 2e &elt his ego slipping &rom him ('on)t desert me,+ully,( he whispered hoarsely to it

$n his dark nature there was a touch o& the &eminine, as in all the great pirates, and itsometimes ga%e him intuitions uddenly he tried the guessing game

(2ook,( he called, (ha%e you another %oice=(

8ow Peter could ne%er resist a game, and he answered +lithely in his own %oice, ($ha%e(

(And another name=(

(Ay, ay(

(Legeta+le=( asked 2ook

(8o(

(Mineral=(

(8o(

(Animal=(

(-es(

(Man=(

(8o*( This answer rang out scorn&ully

(Boy=(

(-es(

("rdinary +oy=(

(8o*(



!here all this time was Peter= 2e was seeking +igger game

The others were all +ra%e +oys, and they must not +e +lamed &or +acking &rom thepirate captain 2is iron claw made a circle o& dead water round him, &rom which they#ed like a9righted 7shes

But there was one who did not &ear him: there was one prepared to enter that circle

trangely, it was not in the water that they met 2ook rose to the rock to +reathe,and at the same moment Peter scaled it on the opposite side The rock was slipperyas a +all, and they had to crawl rather than clim+ 8either knew that the other wascoming 4ach &eeling &or a grip met the other)s arm: in surprise they raised theirheads5 their &aces were almost touching5 so they met

ome o& the greatest heroes ha%e con&essed that ust +e&ore they &ell to /+egancom+at0 they had a sinking /&eeling in the stomach0 2ad it +een so with Peter at thatmoment $ would admit it A&ter all, he was the only man that the ea6Cook had&eared But Peter had no sinking, he had one &eeling only, gladness5 and he gnashedhis pretty teeth with oy uick as thought he snatched a kni&e &rom 2ook)s +elt and

was a+out to dri%e it home, when he saw that he was higher up the rock that his &oe$t would not ha%e +een 7ghting &air 2e ga%e the pirate a hand to help him up

$t was then that 2ook +it him

8ot the pain o& this +ut its un&airness was what da3ed Peter $t made him uitehelpless 2e could only stare, horri7ed 4%ery child is a9ected thus the 7rst time he istreated un&airly All he thinks he has a right to when he comes to you to +e yours is&airness A&ter you ha%e +een un&air to him he will lo%e you again, +ut will ne%era&terwards +e uite the same +oy 8o one e%er gets o%er the 7rst un&airness5 no oneexcept Peter 2e o&ten met it, +ut he always &orgot it $ suppose that was the realdi9erence +etween him and all the rest

o when he met it now it was like the 7rst time5 and he could ust stare, helpless Twice the iron hand clawed him

A &ew moments a&terwards the other +oys saw 2ook in the water striking wildly &orthe ship5 no elation on the pestilent &ace now, only white &ear, &or the crocodile was indogged pursuit o& him "n ordinary occasions the +oys would ha%e swum alongsidecheering5 +ut now they were uneasy, &or they had lost +oth Peter and !endy, andwere scouring the lagoon &or them, calling them +y name They &ound the dinghy andwent home in it, shouting (Peter, !endy( as they went, +ut no answer came sa%emocking laughter &rom the mermaids (They must +e swimming +ack or #ying,( the+oys concluded They were not %ery anxious, +ecause they had such &aith in Peter

They chuckled, +oylike, +ecause they would +e late &or +ed5 and it was all mother

!endy)s &ault*

!hen their %oices died away there came cold silence o%er the lagoon, and then a&ee+le cry

(2elp, help*(

Two small 7gures were +eating against the rock5 the girl had &ainted and lay on the+oy)s arm !ith a last e9ort Peter pulled her up the rock and then lay down +eside



her 4%en as he also &ainted he saw that the water was rising 2e knew that theywould soon +e drowned, +ut he could do no more

As they lay side +y side a mermaid caught !endy +y the &eet, and +egan pulling herso&tly into the water Peter, &eeling her slip &rom him, woke with a start, and was ustin time to draw her +ack But he had to tell her the truth

(!e are on the rock, !endy,( he said, (+ut it is growing smaller oon the water will+e o%er it(

he did not understand e%en now

(!e must go,( she said, almost +rightly

(-es,( he answered &aintly

(hall we swim or #y, Peter=(

2e had to tell her

('o you think you could swim or #y as &ar as the island, !endy, without my help=(

he had to admit that she was too tired

2e moaned

(!hat is it=( she asked, anxious a+out him at once

($ can)t help you, !endy 2ook wounded me $ can neither #y nor swim(

('o you mean we shall +oth +e drowned=(

(ook how the water is rising(

They put their hands o%er their eyes to shut out the sight They thought they wouldsoon +e no more As they sat thus something +rushed against Peter as light as a kiss,and stayed there, as i& saying timidly, (Can $ +e o& any use=(

$t was the tail o& a kite, which Michael had made some days +e&ore $t had torn itsel&out o& his hand and #oated away

(Michael)s kite,( Peter said without interest, +ut next moment he had sei3ed the tail,

and was pulling the kite toward him

($t li&ted Michael o9 the ground,( he cried5 (why should it not carry you=(

(Both o& us*(

($t can)t li&t two5 Michael and Curly tried(

(et us draw lots,( !endy said +ra%ely



(And you a lady5 ne%er( Already he had tied the tail round her he clung to him5 shere&used to go without him5 +ut with a (>ood6+ye, !endy,( he pushed her &rom therock5 and in a &ew minutes she was +orne out o& his sight Peter was alone on thelagoon

The rock was %ery small now5 soon it would +e su+merged Pale rays o& light tiptoed

across the waters5 and +y and +y there was to +e heard a sound at once the mostmusical and the most melancholy in the world: the mermaids calling to the moon

Peter was not uite like other +oys5 +ut he was a&raid at last A tremour ran throughhim, like a shudder passing o%er the sea5 +ut on the sea one shudder &ollows anothertill there are hundreds o& them, and Peter &elt ust the one 8ext moment he wasstanding erect on the rock again, with that smile on his &ace and a drum +eatingwithin him $t was saying, (To die will +e an aw&ully +ig ad%enture(

Chapter : The -ever .ird

The last sound Peter heard +e&ore he was uite alone were the mermaids retiring one

+y one to their +edcham+ers under the sea 2e was too &ar away to hear their doorsshut5 +ut e%ery door in the coral ca%es where they li%e rings a tiny +ell when it opensor closes as in all the nicest houses on the mainland, and he heard the +ells

teadily the waters rose till they were ni++ling at his &eet5 and to pass the time untilthey made their 7nal gulp, he watched the only thing on the lagoon 2e thought itwas a piece o& #oating paper, perhaps part o& the kite, and wondered idly how long itwould take to dri&t ashore

Presently he noticed as an odd thing that it was undou+tedly out upon the lagoonwith some de7nite purpose, &or it was 7ghting the tide, and sometimes winning5 andwhen it won, Peter, always sympathetic to the weaker side, could not help clapping5it was such a gallant piece o& paper

$t was not really a piece o& paper5 it was the 8e%er +ird, making desperate e9orts toreach Peter on the nest By working her wings, in a way she had learned since thenest &ell into the water, she was a+le to some extent to guide her strange cra&t, +ut+y the time Peter recognised her she was %ery exhausted he had come to sa%ehim, to gi%e him her nest, though there were eggs in it $ rather wonder at the +ird,&or though he had +een nice to her, he had also sometimes tormented her $ cansuppose only that, like Mrs 'arling and the rest o& them, she was melted +ecause hehad all his 7rst teeth

he called out to him what she had come &or, and he called out to her what she wasdoing there5 +ut o& course neither o& them understood the other)s language $n&anci&ul stories people can talk to the +irds &reely, and $ wish &or the moment $ could

pretend that this were such a story, and say that Peter replied intelligently to the8e%er +ird5 +ut truth is +est, and $ want to tell you only what really happened !ell,not only could they not understand each other, +ut they &orgot their manners

($ 66 want 66 you 66 to 66 get 66 into 66 the 66 nest,( the +ird called, speaking as slowlyand distinctly as possi+le, (and 66 then 66 you 66 can 66 dri&t 66 ashore, +ut 66 $ 66 am 66too 66 tired 66 to 66 +ring 66 it 66 any 66 nearer 66 so 66 you 66 must 66 try 66 to 66 swim 66 to66 it(





(!hat are you uacking a+out=( Peter answered (!hy don)t you let the nest dri&t asusual=(

($ 66 want 66 you 66 ( the +ird said, and repeated it all o%er

Then Peter tried slow and distinct

(!hat 66 are 66 you 66 uacking 66 a+out=( and so on

The 8e%er +ird +ecame irritated5 they ha%e %ery short tempers

(-ou dunderheaded little ay,( she screamed, (!hy don)t you do as $ tell you=(

Peter &elt that she was calling him names, and at a %enture he retorted hotly:

(o are you*(

Then rather curiously they +oth snapped out the same remark:

(hut up*(

(hut up*(

8e%ertheless the +ird was determined to sa%e him i& she could, and +y one lastmighty e9ort she propelled the nest against the rock Then up she #ew5 deserting her

eggs, so as to make her meaning clear

Then at last he understood, and clutched the nest and wa%ed his thanks to the +irdas she #uttered o%erhead $t was not to recei%e his thanks, howe%er, that she hungthere in the sky5 it was not e%en to watch him get into the nest5 it was to see what hedid with her eggs

There were two large white eggs, and Peter li&ted them up and re#ected The +irdco%ered her &ace with her wings, so as not to see the last o& them5 +ut she could nothelp peeping +etween the &eathers

$ &orget whether $ ha%e told you that there was a sta%e on the rock, dri%en into it +y

some +uccaneers o& long ago to mark the site o& +uried treasure The children haddisco%ered the glittering hoard, and when in a mischie%ous mood used to #ingshowers o& moidores, diamonds, pearls and pieces o& eight to the gulls, who pouncedupon them &or &ood, and then #ew away, raging at the scur%y trick that had +eenplayed upon them The sta%e was still there, and on it tarkey had hung his hat, adeep tarpaulin, watertight, with a +road +rim Peter put the eggs into this hat and setit on the lagoon $t #oated +eauti&ully

The 8e%er +ird saw at once what he was up to, and screamed her admiration o& him5



and, alas, Peter crowed his agreement with her Then he got into the nest, reared thesta%e in it as a mast, and hung up his shirt &or a sail At the same moment the +ird#uttered down upon the hat and once more sat snugly on her eggs he dri&ted inone direction, and he was +orne o9 in another, +oth cheering

"& course when Peter landed he +eached his +arue /small ship, actually the 8e%erBird)s nest in this particular case in point0 in a place where the +ird would easily 7ndit5 +ut the hat was such a great success that she a+andoned the nest $t dri&ted a+outtill it went to pieces, and o&ten tarkey came to the shore o& the lagoon, and withmany +itter &eelings watched the +ird sitting on his hat As we shall not see heragain, it may +e worth mentioning here that all 8e%er +irds now +uild in that shapeo& nest, with a +road +rim on which the youngsters take an airing

>reat were the reoicings when Peter reached the home under the ground almost assoon as !endy, who had +een carried hither and thither +y the kite 4%ery +oy hadad%entures to tell5 +ut perhaps the +iggest ad%enture o& all was that they werese%eral hours late &or +ed This so in#ated them that they did %arious dodgy things toget staying up still longer, such as demanding +andages5 +ut !endy, though glorying

in ha%ing them all home again sa&e and sound, was scandalised +y the lateness o&the hour, and cried, (To +ed, to +ed,( in a %oice that had to +e o+eyed 8ext day,howe%er, she was aw&ully tender, and ga%e out +andages to e%ery one, and theyplayed till +ed6time at limping a+out and carrying their arms in slings

Chapter /0: The %appy %ome

"ne important result o& the +rush /with the pirates0 on the lagoon was that it madethe redskins their &riends Peter had sa%ed Tiger ily &rom a dread&ul &ate, and nowthere was nothing she and her +ra%es would not do &or him All night they sat a+o%e,

keeping watch o%er the home under the ground and awaiting the +ig attack +y thepirates which o+%iously could not +e much longer delayed 4%en +y day they hunga+out, smoking the pipe o& peace, and looking almost as i& they wanted tit6+its to eat

They called Peter the >reat !hite ;ather, prostrating themsel%es /lying down0 +e&orehim5 and he liked this tremendously, so that it was not really good &or him

(The great white &ather,( he would say to them in a %ery lordly manner, as theygro%elled at his &eet, (is glad to see the Piccaninny warriors protecting his wigwam&rom the pirates(

(Me Tiger ily,( that lo%ely creature would reply (Peter Pan sa%e me, me his %elly nice

&riend Me no let pirates hurt him(

he was &ar too pretty to cringe in this way, +ut Peter thought it his due, and hewould answer condescendingly, ($t is good Peter Pan has spoken(

Always when he said, (Peter Pan has spoken,( it meant that they must now shut up,and they accepted it hum+ly in that spirit5 +ut they were +y no means so respect&ulto the other +oys, whom they looked upon as ust ordinary +ra%es They said (2ow6





do=( to them, and things like that5 and what annoyed the +oys was that Peterseemed to think this all right

ecretly !endy sympathised with them a little, +ut she was &ar too loyal a housewi&eto listen to any complaints against &ather (;ather knows +est,( she always said,whate%er her pri%ate opinion must +e 2er pri%ate opinion was that the redskins

should not call her a suaw

!e ha%e now reached the e%ening that was to +e known among them as the 8ight o&8ights, +ecause o& its ad%entures and their upshot The day, as i& uietly gathering its&orces, had +een almost une%ent&ul, and now the redskins in their +lankets were attheir posts a+o%e, while, +elow, the children were ha%ing their e%ening meal5 allexcept Peter, who had gone out to get the time The way you got the time on theisland was to 7nd the crocodile, and then stay near him till the clock struck

The meal happened to +e a make6+elie%e tea, and they sat around the +oard,gu33ling in their greed5 and really, what with their chatter and recriminations, thenoise, as !endy said, was positi%ely dea&ening To +e sure, she did not mind noise,+ut she simply would not ha%e them gra++ing things, and then excusing themsel%es

+y saying that Tootles had pushed their el+ow There was a 7xed rule that they mustne%er hit +ack at meals, +ut should re&er the matter o& dispute to !endy +y raisingthe right arm politely and saying, ($ complain o& so6and6so5( +ut what usuallyhappened was that they &orgot to do this or did it too much

(ilence,( cried !endy when &or the twentieth time she had told them that they werenot all to speak at once ($s your mug empty, lightly darling=(

(8ot uite empty, mummy,( lightly said, a&ter looking into an imaginary mug

(2e hasn)t e%en +egun to drink his milk,( 8i+s interposed

This was telling, and lightly sei3ed his chance

($ complain o& 8i+s,( he cried promptly

John, howe%er, had held up his hand 7rst

(!ell, John=(

(May $ sit in Peter)s chair, as he is not here=(

(it in &ather)s chair, John*( !endy was scandalised (Certainly not(

(2e is not really our &ather,( John answered (2e didn)t e%en know how a &ather doestill $ showed him(

This was grum+ling (!e complain o& John,( cried the twins

Tootles held up his hand 2e was so much the hum+lest o& them, indeed he was theonly hum+le one, that !endy was specially gentle with him

($ don)t suppose,( Tootles said di<dently /+ash&ully or timidly0, (that $ could +e &ather



(8o, Tootles(

"nce Tootles +egan, which was not %ery o&ten, he had a silly way o& going on

(As $ can)t +e &ather,( he said hea%ily, ($ don)t suppose, Michael, you would let me +e+a+y=(

(8o, $ won)t,( Michael rapped out 2e was already in his +asket

(As $ can)t +e +a+y,( Tootles said, getting hea%ier and hea%ier and hea%ier, (do youthink $ could +e a twin=(

(8o, indeed,( replied the twins5 (it)s aw&ully di<cult to +e a twin(

(As $ can)t +e anything important,( said Tootles, (would any o& you like to see me do atrick=(

(8o,( they all replied

Then at last he stopped ($ hadn)t really any hope,( he said

The hate&ul telling +roke out again

(lightly is coughing on the ta+le(

(The twins +egan with cheese6cakes(

(Curly is taking +oth +utter and honey(

(8i+s is speaking with his mouth &ull(

($ complain o& the twins(

($ complain o& Curly(

($ complain o& 8i+s(

("h dear, oh dear,( cried !endy, ($)m sure $ sometimes think that spinsters are to +een%ied(

he told them to clear away, and sat down to her work6+asket, a hea%y load o&stockings and e%ery knee with a hole in it as usual

(!endy,( remonstrated /scolded0 Michael, ($)m too +ig &or a cradle(

($ must ha%e some+ody in a cradle,( she said almost tartly, (and you are the littlest Acradle is such a nice homely thing to ha%e a+out a house(

!hile she sewed they played around her5 such a group o& happy &aces and dancinglim+s lit up +y that romantic 7re $t had +ecome a %ery &amiliar scene, this, in thehome under the ground, +ut we are looking on it &or the last time



There was a step a+o%e, and !endy, you may +e sure, was the 7rst to recogni3e it

(Children, $ hear your &ather)s step 2e likes you to meet him at the door(

A+o%e, the redskins crouched +e&ore Peter

(!atch well, +ra%es $ ha%e spoken(

And then, as so o&ten +e&ore, the gay children dragged him &rom his tree As so o&ten+e&ore, +ut ne%er again

2e had +rought nuts &or the +oys as well as the correct time &or !endy

(Peter, you ust spoil them, you know,( !endy simpered

/exaggerated a smile0

(Ah, old lady,( said Peter, hanging up his gun

($t was me told him mothers are called old lady,( Michael whispered to Curly

($ complain o& Michael,( said Curly instantly

The 7rst twin came to Peter (;ather, we want to dance(

('ance away, my little man,( said Peter, who was in high good humour

(But we want you to dance(

Peter was really the +est dancer among them, +ut he pretended to +e scandalised

(Me* My old +ones would rattle*(

(And mummy too(

(!hat,( cried !endy, (the mother o& such an arm&ul, dance*(

(But on a aturday night,( lightly insinuated

$t was not really aturday night, at least it may ha%e +een, &or they had long lostcount o& the days5 +ut always i& they wanted to do anything special they said this wasaturday night, and then they did it

("& course it is aturday night, Peter,( !endy said, relenting

(People o& our 7gure, !endy*(

(But it is only among our own progeny /children0(

(True, true(



(8o, indeed, it is not,( !endy replied with &right&ul emphasis 8ow we know why shewas preudiced against the redskins

(Then what is it=(

($t isn)t &or a lady to tell(

("h, %ery well,( Peter said, a little nettled (Perhaps Tinker Bell will tell me(

("h yes, Tinker Bell will tell you,( !endy retorted scorn&ully (he is an a+andonedlittle creature(

2ere Tink, who was in her +edroom, ea%esdropping, sueaked out somethingimpudent

(he says she glories in +eing a+andoned,( Peter interpreted

2e had a sudden idea (Perhaps Tink wants to +e my mother=(

(-ou silly ass*( cried Tinker Bell in a passion

he had said it so o&ten that !endy needed no translation

($ almost agree with her,( !endy snapped ;ancy !endy snapping* But she had +eenmuch tried, and she little knew what was to happen +e&ore the night was out $& shehad known she would not ha%e snapped

8one o& them knew Perhaps it was +est not to know Their ignorance ga%e them onemore glad hour5 and as it was to +e their last hour on the island, let us reoice thatthere were sixty glad minutes in it They sang and danced in their night6gowns uch

a deliciously creepy song it was, in which they pretended to +e &rightened at theirown shadows, little witting that so soon shadows would close in upon them, &romwhom they would shrink in real &ear o uproariously gay was the dance, and howthey +u9eted each other on the +ed and out o& it* $t was a pillow 7ght rather than adance, and when it was 7nished, the pillows insisted on one +out more, like partnerswho know that they may ne%er meet again The stories they told, +e&ore it was time&or !endy)s good6night story* 4%en lightly tried to tell a story that night, +ut the+eginning was so &ear&ully dull that it appalled not only the others +ut himsel&, and hesaid happily:

(-es, it is a dull +eginning $ say, let us pretend that it is the end(

And then at last they all got into +ed &or !endy)s story, the story they lo%ed +est, the

story Peter hated Dsually when she +egan to tell this story he le&t the room or put hishands o%er his ears5 and possi+ly i& he had done either o& those things this time theymight all still +e on the island But to6night he remained on his stool5 and we shall seewhat happened

Chapter //: 1endy+s Story

(isten, then, said !endy, settling down to her story, with Michael at her &eet and





se%en +oys in the +ed (There was once a gentleman 66 (

($ had rather he had +een a lady,( Curly said

($ wish he had +een a white rat,( said 8i+s

(uiet,( their mother admonished /cautioned0 them (There was a lady also, and 66 (

("h, mummy,( cried the 7rst twin, (you mean that there is a lady also, don)t you=he is not dead, is she=(

("h, no(

($ am aw&ully glad she isn)t dead,( said Tootles (Are you glad, John=(

("& course $ am(

(Are you glad, 8i+s=(

(?ather(

(Are you glad, Twins=(

(!e are glad(

("h dear,( sighed !endy

(ittle less noise there,( Peter called out, determined that she should ha%e &air play,howe%er +eastly a story it might +e in his opinion

(The gentleman)s name,( !endy continued, (was Mr 'arling, and her name was Mrs'arling(

($ knew them,( John said, to annoy the others

($ think $ knew them,( said Michael rather dou+t&ully

(They were married, you know,( explained !endy, (and what do you think theyhad=(

(!hite rats,( cried 8i+s, inspired

(8o(

($t)s aw&ully pu33ling,( said Tootles, who knew the story +y heart

(uiet, Tootles They had three descendants(

(!hat is descendants=(



(!ell, you are one, Twin(

('id you hear that, John= $ am a descendant(

('escendants are only children,( said John

("h dear, oh dear,( sighed !endy (8ow these three children had a &aith&ul nursecalled 8ana5 +ut Mr 'arling was angry with her and chained her up in the yard, andso all the children #ew away(

($t)s an aw&ully good story,( said 8i+s

(They #ew away,( !endy continued, (to the 8e%erland, where the lost children are(

($ ust thought they did,( Curly +roke in excitedly ($ don)t know how it is, +ut $ ustthought they did*(

(" !endy,( cried Tootles, (was one o& the lost children called Tootles=(

(-es, he was(

($ am in a story 2urrah, $ am in a story, 8i+s(

(2ush 8ow $ want you to consider the &eelings o& the unhappy parents with all theirchildren #own away(

("o*( they all moaned, though they were not really considering the &eelings o& theunhappy parents one ot

(Think o& the empty +eds*(

("o*(

($t)s aw&ully sad,( the 7rst twin said cheer&ully

($ don)t see how it can ha%e a happy ending,( said the second twin ('o you, 8i+s=(

($)m &right&ully anxious(

($& you knew how great is a mother)s lo%e,( !endy told them triumphantly, (youwould ha%e no &ear( he had now come to the part that Peter hated

($ do like a mother)s lo%e,( said Tootles, hitting 8i+s with a pillow ('o you like amother)s lo%e, 8i+s=(

($ do ust,( said 8i+s, hitting +ack

(-ou see,( !endy said complacently, (our heroine knew that the mother wouldalways lea%e the window open &or her children to #y +ack +y5 so they stayed away



&or years and had a lo%ely time(

('id they e%er go +ack=(

(et us now,( said !endy, +racing hersel& up &or her 7nest e9ort, (take a peep into

the &uture(5 and they all ga%e themsel%es the twist that makes peeps into the &utureeasier (-ears ha%e rolled +y, and who is this elegant lady o& uncertain age alightingat ondon tation=(

(" !endy, who is she=( cried 8i+s, e%ery +it as excited as i& he didn)t know

(Can it +e 66 yes 66 no 66 it is 66 the &air !endy*(

("h*(

(And who are the two no+le portly 7gures accompanying her, now grown to man)sestate= Can they +e John and Michael= They are*(

("h*(

(Gee, dear +rothers,) says !endy pointing upwards, Gthere is the window stillstanding open Ah, now we are rewarded &or our su+lime &aith in a mother)s lo%e) oup they #ew to their mummy and daddy, and pen cannot descri+e the happy scene,o%er which we draw a %eil(

That was the story, and they were as pleased with it as the &air narrator hersel&4%erything ust as it should +e, you see "9 we skip like the most heartless things inthe world, which is what children are, +ut so attracti%e5 and we ha%e an entirelysel7sh time, and then when we ha%e need o& special attention we no+ly return &or it,con7dent that we shall +e rewarded instead o& smacked

o great indeed was their &aith in a mother)s lo%e that they &elt they could a9ord to+e callous &or a +it longer

But there was one there who knew +etter, and when !endy 7nished he uttered ahollow groan

(!hat is it, Peter=( she cried, running to him, thinking he was ill he &elt himsolicitously, lower down than his chest (!here is it, Peter=(

($t isn)t that kind o& pain,( Peter replied darkly

(Then what kind is it=(

(!endy, you are wrong a+out mothers(

They all gathered round him in a9right, so alarming was his agitation5 and with a 7necandour he told them what he had hitherto concealed

(ong ago,( he said, ($ thought like you that my mother would always keep the



window open &or me, so $ stayed away &or moons and moons and moons, and then#ew +ack5 +ut the window was +arred, &or mother had &orgotten all a+out me, andthere was another little +oy sleeping in my +ed(

$ am not sure that this was true, +ut Peter thought it was true5 and it scared them

(Are you sure mothers are like that=(

(-es(

o this was the truth a+out mothers The toads*

till it is +est to +e care&ul5 and no one knows so uickly as a child when he shouldgi%e in (!endy, let us /let)s0 go home,( cried John and Michael together

(-es,( she said, clutching them

(8ot to6night=( asked the lost +oys +ewildered They knew in what they called theirhearts that one can get on uite well without a mother, and that it is only themothers who think you can)t

(At once,( !endy replied resolutely, &or the horri+le thought had come to her:(Perhaps mother is in hal& mourning +y this time(

This dread made her &orget&ul o& what must +e Peter)s &eelings, and she said to himrather sharply, (Peter, will you make the necessary arrangements=(

($& you wish it,( he replied, as coolly as i& she had asked him to pass the nuts

8ot so much as a sorry6to6lose6you +etween them* $& she did not mind the parting, hewas going to show her, was Peter, that neither did he

But o& course he cared %ery much5 and he was so &ull o& wrath against grown6ups,who, as usual, were spoiling e%erything, that as soon as he got inside his tree he+reathed intentionally uick short +reaths at the rate o& a+out 7%e to a second 2edid this +ecause there is a saying in the 8e%erland that, e%ery time you +reathe, agrown6up dies5 and Peter was killing them o9 %indicti%ely as &ast as possi+le

Then ha%ing gi%en the necessary instructions to the redskins he returned to thehome, where an unworthy scene had +een enacted in his a+sence Panic6stricken atthe thought o& losing !endy the lost +oys had ad%anced upon her threateningly

($t will +e worse than +e&ore she came,( they cried

(!e shan)t let her go(

(et)s keep her prisoner(

(Ay, chain her up(



$n her extremity an instinct told her to which o& them to turn

(Tootles,( she cried, ($ appeal to you(

!as it not strange= he appealed to Tootles, uite the silliest one

>randly, howe%er, did Tootles respond ;or that one moment he dropped his sillinessand spoke with dignity

($ am ust Tootles,( he said, (and no+ody minds me But the 7rst who does not+eha%e to !endy like an 4nglish gentleman $ will +lood him se%erely(

2e drew +ack his hanger5 and &or that instant his sun was at noon The others held+ack uneasily Then Peter returned, and they saw at once that they would get nosupport &rom him 2e would keep no girl in the 8e%erland against her will

(!endy,( he said, striding up and down, ($ ha%e asked the redskins to guide you

through the wood, as #ying tires you so(

(Thank you, Peter(

(Then,( he continued, in the short sharp %oice o& one accustomed to +e o+eyed,(Tinker Bell will take you across the sea !ake her, 8i+s(

8i+s had to knock twice +e&ore he got an answer, though Tink had really +een sittingup in +ed listening &or some time

(!ho are you= 2ow dare you= >o away,( she cried

(-ou are to get up, Tink,( 8i+s called, (and take !endy on a ourney(

"& course Tink had +een delighted to hear that !endy was going5 +ut she was ollywell determined not to +e her courier, and she said so in still more o9ensi%elanguage Then she pretended to +e asleep again

(he says she won)t*( 8i+s exclaimed, aghast at such insu+ordination, whereuponPeter went sternly toward the young lady)s cham+er

(Tink,( he rapped out, (i& you don)t get up and dress at once $ will open the curtains,and then we shall all see you in your negligee /nightgown0(

This made her leap to the #oor (!ho said $ wasn)t getting up=( she cried

$n the meantime the +oys were ga3ing %ery &orlornly at !endy, now euipped with John and Michael &or the ourney By this time they were deected, not merely+ecause they were a+out to lose her, +ut also +ecause they &elt that she was goingo9 to something nice to which they had not +een in%ited 8o%elty was +eckoning tothem as usual



Crediting them with a no+ler &eeling !endy melted

('ear ones,( she said, (i& you will all come with me $ &eel almost sure $ can get my&ather and mother to adopt you(

The in%itation was meant specially &or Peter, +ut each o& the +oys was thinkingexclusi%ely o& himsel&, and at once they umped with oy

(But won)t they think us rather a hand&ul=( 8i+s asked in the middle o& his ump

("h no,( said !endy, rapidly thinking it out, (it will only mean ha%ing a &ew +eds inthe drawing6room5 they can +e hidden +ehind the screens on 7rst Thursdays(

(Peter, can we go=( they all cried imploringly They took it &or granted that i& theywent he would go also, +ut really they scarcely cared Thus children are e%er ready,when no%elty knocks, to desert their dearest ones

(All right,( Peter replied with a +itter smile, and immediately they rushed to get theirthings

(And now, Peter,( !endy said, thinking she had put e%erything right, ($ am going togi%e you your medicine +e&ore you go( he lo%ed to gi%e them medicine, andundou+tedly ga%e them too much "& course it was only water, +ut it was out o& a+ottle, and she always shook the +ottle and counted the drops, which ga%e it acertain medicinal uality "n this occasion, howe%er, she did not gi%e Peter hisdraught /portion0, &or ust as she had prepared it, she saw a look on his &ace thatmade her heart sink

(>et your things, Peter,( she cried, shaking

(8o,( he answered, pretending indi9erence, ($ am not going with you, !endy(

(-es, Peter(

(8o(

To show that her departure would lea%e him unmo%ed, he skipped up and down theroom, playing gaily on his heartless pipes he had to run a+out a&ter him, though itwas rather undigni7ed

(To 7nd your mother,( she coaxed

8ow, i& Peter had e%er uite had a mother, he no longer missed her 2e could do %erywell without one 2e had thought them out, and remem+ered only their +ad points

(8o, no,( he told !endy decisi%ely5 (perhaps she would say $ was old, and $ ust want



always to +e a little +oy and to ha%e &un(

(But, Peter 66 (

(8o(

And so the others had to +e told

(Peter isn)t coming(

Peter not coming* They ga3ed +lankly at him, their sticks o%er their +acks, and oneach stick a +undle Their 7rst thought was that i& Peter was not going he hadpro+a+ly changed his mind a+out letting them go

But he was &ar too proud &or that ($& you 7nd your mothers,( he said darkly, ($ hopeyou will like them(

The aw&ul cynicism o& this made an uncom&orta+le impression, and most o& them+egan to look rather dou+t&ul A&ter all, their &aces said, were they not noodles towant to go=

(8ow then,( cried Peter, (no &uss, no +lu++ering5 good6+ye, !endy(5 and he held outhis hand cheerily, uite as i& they must really go now, &or he had somethingimportant to do

he had to take his hand, and there was no indication that he would pre&er a thim+le

(-ou will remem+er a+out changing your #annels, Peter=( she said, lingering o%erhim he was always so particular a+out their #annels

(-es(

(And you will take your medicine=(

(-es(

That seemed to +e e%erything, and an awkward pause &ollowed Peter, howe%er, wasnot the kind that +reaks down +e&ore other people (Are you ready, Tinker Bell=( hecalled out

(Ay, ay(

(Then lead the way(

Tink darted up the nearest tree5 +ut no one &ollowed her, &or it was at this momentthat the pirates made their dread&ul attack upon the redskins A+o%e, where all had+een so still, the air was rent with shrieks and the clash o& steel Below, there wasdead silence Mouths opened and remained open !endy &ell on her knees, +ut herarms were extended toward Peter All arms were extended to him, as i& suddenly+lown in his direction5 they were +eseeching him mutely not to desert them As &or



Peter, he sei3ed his sword, the same he thought he had slain Bar+ecue with, and thelust o& +attle was in his eye

Chapter /2: The Children Are Carried

The pirate attack had +een a complete surprise: a sure proo& that the unscrupulous2ook had conducted it improperly, &or to surprise redskins &airly is +eyond the wit o&the white man

By all the unwritten laws o& sa%age war&are it is always the redskin who attacks, andwith the wiliness o& his race he does it ust +e&ore the dawn, at which time he knowsthe courage o& the whites to +e at its lowest e++ The white men ha%e in themeantime made a rude stockade on the summit o& yonder undulating ground, at the&oot o& which a stream runs, &or it is destruction to +e too &ar &rom water There theyawait the onslaught, the inexperienced ones clutching their re%ol%ers and treadingon twigs, +ut the old hands sleeping tranuilly until ust +e&ore the dawn Throughthe long +lack night the sa%age scouts wriggle, snake6like, among the grass without

stirring a +lade The +rushwood closes +ehind them, as silently as sand into which amole has di%ed 8ot a sound is to +e heard, sa%e when they gi%e %ent to a wonder&ulimitation o& the lonely call o& the coyote The cry is answered +y other +ra%es5 andsome o& them do it e%en +etter than the coyotes, who are not %ery good at it o thechill hours wear on, and the long suspense is horri+ly trying to the pale&ace who hasto li%e through it &or the 7rst time5 +ut to the trained hand those ghastly calls and stillghastlier silences are +ut an intimation o& how the night is marching

That this was the usual procedure was so well known to 2ook that in disregarding ithe cannot +e excused on the plea o& ignorance

The Piccaninnies, on their part, trusted implicitly to his honour, and their wholeaction o& the night stands out in marked contrast to his They le&t nothing undone

that was consistent with the reputation o& their tri+e !ith that alertness o& thesenses which is at once the mar%el and despair o& ci%ilised peoples, they knew thatthe pirates were on the island &rom the moment one o& them trod on a dry stick5 andin an incredi+ly short space o& time the coyote cries +egan 4%ery &oot o& ground+etween the spot where 2ook had landed his &orces and the home under the treeswas stealthily examined +y +ra%es wearing their mocassins with the heels in &ront

They &ound only one hillock with a stream at its +ase, so that 2ook had no choice5here he must esta+lish himsel& and wait &or ust +e&ore the dawn 4%erything +eingthus mapped out with almost dia+olical cunning, the main +ody o& the redskins&olded their +lankets around them, and in the phlegmatic manner that is to them, thepearl o& manhood suatted a+o%e the children)s home, awaiting the cold momentwhen they should deal pale death

2ere dreaming, though wide6awake, o& the exuisite tortures to which they were toput him at +reak o& day, those con7ding sa%ages were &ound +y the treacherous2ook ;rom the accounts a&terwards supplied +y such o& the scouts as escaped thecarnage, he does not seem e%en to ha%e paused at the rising ground, though it iscertain that in that grey light he must ha%e seen it: no thought o& waiting to +eattacked appears &rom 7rst to last to ha%e %isited his su+tle mind5 he would not e%enhold o9 till the night was nearly spent5 on he pounded with no policy +ut to &all to/get into com+at0 !hat could the +ewildered scouts do, masters as they were o&e%ery war6like arti7ce sa%e this one, +ut trot helplessly a&ter him, exposing





themsel%es &atally to %iew, while they ga%e pathetic utterance to the coyote cry

Around the +ra%e Tiger ily were a do3en o& her stoutest warriors, and they suddenlysaw the per7dious pirates +earing down upon them ;ell &rom their eyes then the 7lmthrough which they had looked at %ictory 8o more would they torture at the stake

;or them the happy hunting6grounds was now They knew it5 +ut as their &ather)ssons they acuitted themsel%es 4%en then they had time to gather in a phalanx/dense &ormation0 that would ha%e +een hard to +reak had they risen uickly, +utthis they were &or+idden to do +y the traditions o& their race $t is written that theno+le sa%age must ne%er express surprise in the presence o& the white Thus terri+leas the sudden appearance o& the pirates must ha%e +een to them, they remainedstationary &or a moment, not a muscle mo%ing5 as i& the &oe had come +y in%itation

Then, indeed, the tradition gallantly upheld, they sei3ed their weapons, and the airwas torn with the war6cry5 +ut it was now too late

$t is no part o& ours to descri+e what was a massacre rather than a 7ght Thusperished many o& the #ower o& the Piccaninny tri+e 8ot all una%enged did they die,&or with ean !ol& &ell Al& Mason, to distur+ the panish Main no more, and among

others who +it the dust were >eo courie, Chas Turley, and the Alsatian ;oggerty Turley &ell to the tomahawk o& the terri+le Panther, who ultimately cut a way throughthe pirates with Tiger ily and a small remnant o& the tri+e

To what extent 2ook is to +lame &or his tactics on this occasion is &or the historian todecide 2ad he waited on the rising ground till the proper hour he and his men wouldpro+a+ly ha%e +een +utchered5 and in udging him it is only &air to take this intoaccount !hat he should perhaps ha%e done was to acuaint his opponents that heproposed to &ollow a new method "n the other hand, this, as destroying the elemento& surprise, would ha%e made his strategy o& no a%ail, so that the whole uestion is+eset with di<culties "ne cannot at least withhold a reluctant admiration &or the witthat had concei%ed so +old a scheme, and the &ell /deadly0 genius with which it wascarried out

!hat were his own &eelings a+out himsel& at that triumphant moment= ;ain /gladly0would his dogs ha%e known, as +reathing hea%ily and wiping their cutlasses, theygathered at a discreet distance &rom his hook, and suinted through their &erret eyesat this extraordinary man 4lation must ha%e +een in his heart, +ut his &ace did notre#ect it: e%er a dark and solitary enigma, he stood aloo& &rom his &ollowers in spiritas in su+stance

The night)s work was not yet o%er, &or it was not the redskins he had come out todestroy5 they were +ut the +ees to +e smoked, so that he should get at the honey $twas Pan he wanted, Pan and !endy and their +and, +ut chie#y Pan

Peter was such a small +oy that one tends to wonder at the man)s hatred o& him True he had #ung 2ook)s arm to the crocodile, +ut e%en this and the increasedinsecurity o& li&e to which it led, owing to the crocodile)s pertinacity /persistance0,hardly account &or a %indicti%eness so relentless and malignant The truth is thatthere was a something a+out Peter which goaded the pirate captain to &ren3y $t wasnot his courage, it was not his engaging appearance, it was not 66 There is no+eating a+out the +ush, &or we know uite well what it was, and ha%e got to tell $twas Peter)s cockiness



This had got on 2ook)s ner%es5 it made his iron claw twitch, and at night it distur+edhim like an insect !hile Peter li%ed, the tortured man &elt that he was a lion in acage into which a sparrow had come

The uestion now was how to get down the trees, or how to get his dogs down= 2e

ran his greedy eyes o%er them, searching &or the thinnest ones They wriggleduncom&orta+ly, &or they knew he would not scruple /hesitate0 to ram them down withpoles

$n the meantime, what o& the +oys= !e ha%e seen them at the 7rst clang o& theweapons, turned as it were into stone 7gures, open6mouthed, all appealing withoutstretched arms to Peter5 and we return to them as their mouths close, and theirarms &all to their sides The pandemonium a+o%e has ceased almost as suddenly as itarose, passed like a 7erce gust o& wind5 +ut they know that in the passing it hasdetermined their &ate

!hich side had won=

The pirates, listening a%idly at the mouths o& the trees, heard the uestion put +ye%ery +oy, and alas, they also heard Peter)s answer

($& the redskins ha%e won,( he said, (they will +eat the tom6tom5 it is always theirsign o& %ictory(

8ow mee had &ound the tom6tom, and was at that moment sitting on it (-ou willne%er hear the tom6tom again,( he muttered, +ut inaudi+ly o& course, &or strict

silence had +een enoined

/urged0 To his ama3ement 2ook signed him to +eat the tom6tom, and slowly therecame to mee an understanding o& the dread&ul wickedness o& the order 8e%er,pro+a+ly, had this simple man admired 2ook so much

Twice mee +eat upon the instrument, and then stopped to listen glee&ully

(The tom6tom,( the miscreants heard Peter cry5 (an $ndian %ictory*(

The doomed children answered with a cheer that was music to the +lack heartsa+o%e, and almost immediately they repeated their good6+yes to Peter This pu33led

the pirates, +ut all their other &eelings were swallowed +y a +ase delight that theenemy were a+out to come up the trees They smirked at each other and ru++edtheir hands ?apidly and silently 2ook ga%e his orders: one man to each tree, and theothers to arrange themsel%es in a line two yards apart

Chapter /3: ou .elieve "n Faries5





The more uickly this horror is disposed o& the +etter The 7rst to emerge &rom histree was Curly 2e rose out o& it into the arms o& Cecco, who #ung him to mee, who#ung him to tarkey, who #ung him to Bill Jukes, who #ung him to 8oodler, and so hewas tossed &rom one to another till he &ell at the &eet o& the +lack pirate All the +oyswere plucked &rom their trees in this ruthless manner5 and se%eral o& them were inthe air at a time, like +ales o& goods #ung &rom hand to hand

A di9erent treatment was accorded to !endy, who came last !ith ironical politeness2ook raised his hat to her, and, o9ering her his arm, escorted her to the spot wherethe others were +eing gagged 2e did it with such an air, he was so &right&ully'$T$8>D4 /imposingly distinguished0, that she was too &ascinated to cry out hewas only a little girl

Perhaps it is tell6tale to di%ulge that &or a moment 2ook entranced her, and we tell onher only +ecause her slip led to strange results 2ad she haughtily unhanded himand we should ha%e lo%ed to write it o& her, she would ha%e +een hurled throughthe air like the others, and then 2ook would pro+a+ly not ha%e +een present at thetying o& the children5 and had he not +een at the tying he would not ha%e disco%eredlightly)s secret, and without the secret he could not presently ha%e made his &oul

attempt on Peter)s li&e

They were tied to pre%ent their #ying away, dou+led up with their knees close totheir ears5 and &or the trussing o& them the +lack pirate had cut a rope into nineeual pieces All went well until lightly)s turn came, when he was &ound to +e likethose irritating parcels that use up all the string in going round and lea%e no tags/ends0 with which to tie a knot The pirates kicked him in their rage, ust as you kickthe parcel

though in &airness you should kick the string5 and strange to say it was 2ook whotold them to +elay their %iolence 2is lip was curled with malicious triumph !hile hisdogs were merely sweating +ecause e%ery time they tried to pack the unhappy ladtight in one part he +ulged out in another, 2ook)s master mind had gone &ar +eneath

lightly)s sur&ace, pro+ing not &or e9ects +ut &or causes5 and his exultation showedthat he had &ound them lightly, white to the gills, knew that 2ook had surprised

/disco%ered0 his secret, which was this, that no +oy so +lown out could use a treewherein an a%erage man need stick Poor lightly, most wretched o& all the childrennow, &or he was in a panic a+out Peter, +itterly regretted what he had done Madlyaddicted to the drinking o& water when he was hot, he had swelled in conseuence tohis present girth, and instead o& reducing himsel& to 7t his tree he had, unknown tothe others, whittled his tree to make it 7t him

u<cient o& this 2ook guessed to persuade him that Peter at last lay at his mercy,+ut no word o& the dark design that now &ormed in the su+terranean ca%erns o& his

mind crossed his lips5 he merely signed that the capti%es were to +e con%eyed to theship, and that he would +e alone

2ow to con%ey them= 2unched up in their ropes they might indeed +e rolled downhill like +arrels, +ut most o& the way lay through a morass Again 2ook)s geniussurmounted di<culties 2e indicated that the little house must +e used as acon%eyance The children were #ung into it, &our stout pirates raised it on theirshoulders, the others &ell in +ehind, and singing the hate&ul pirate chorus the strangeprocession set o9 through the wood $ don)t know whether any o& the children were



crying5 i& so, the singing drowned the sound5 +ut as the little house disappeared inthe &orest, a +ra%e though tiny et o& smoke issued &rom its chimney as i& de&ying2ook

2ook saw it, and it did Peter a +ad ser%ice $t dried up any trickle o& pity &or him that

may ha%e remained in the pirate)s in&uriated +reast

The 7rst thing he did on 7nding himsel& alone in the &ast &alling night was to tiptoe tolightly)s tree, and make sure that it pro%ided him with a passage Then &or long heremained +rooding5 his hat o& ill omen on the sward, so that any gentle +ree3e whichhad arisen might play re&reshingly through his hair 'ark as were his thoughts his+lue eyes were as so&t as the periwinkle $ntently he listened &or any sound &rom thenether world, +ut all was as silent +elow as a+o%e5 the house under the groundseemed to +e +ut one more empty tenement in the %oid !as that +oy asleep, or didhe stand waiting at the &oot o& lightly)s tree, with his dagger in his hand=

There was no way o& knowing, sa%e +y going down 2ook let his cloak slip so&tly tothe ground, and then +iting his lips till a lewd +lood stood on them, he stepped intothe tree 2e was a +ra%e man, +ut &or a moment he had to stop there and wipe his+row, which was dripping like a candle Then, silently, he let himsel& go into theunknown

2e arri%ed unmolested at the &oot o& the sha&t, and stood still again, +iting at his+reath, which had almost le&t him As his eyes +ecame accustomed to the dim light%arious o+ects in the home under the trees took shape5 +ut the only one on whichhis greedy ga3e rested, long sought &or and &ound at last, was the great +ed "n the+ed lay Peter &ast asleep

Dnaware o& the tragedy +eing enacted a+o%e, Peter had continued, &or a little timea&ter the children le&t, to play gaily on his pipes: no dou+t rather a &orlorn attempt to

pro%e to himsel& that he did not care Then he decided not to take his medicine, so asto grie%e !endy Then he lay down on the +ed outside the co%erlet, to %ex her stillmore5 &or she had always tucked them inside it, +ecause you ne%er know that youmay not grow chilly at the turn o& the night Then he nearly cried5 +ut it struck himhow indignant she would +e i& he laughed instead5 so he laughed a haughty laughand &ell asleep in the middle o& it

ometimes, though not o&ten, he had dreams, and they were more pain&ul than thedreams o& other +oys ;or hours he could not +e separated &rom these dreams,though he wailed piteously in them They had to do, $ think, with the riddle o& hisexistence At such times it had +een !endy)s custom to take him out o& +ed and sitwith him on her lap, soothing him in dear ways o& her own in%ention, and when hegrew calmer to put him +ack to +ed +e&ore he uite woke up, so that he should not

know o& the indignity to which she had su+ected him But on this occasion he had&allen at once into a dreamless sleep "ne arm dropped o%er the edge o& the +ed,one leg was arched, and the un7nished part o& his laugh was stranded on his mouth,which was open, showing the little pearls

Thus de&enceless 2ook &ound him 2e stood silent at the &oot o& the tree lookingacross the cham+er at his enemy 'id no &eeling o& compassion distur+ his som+re+reast= The man was not wholly e%il5 he lo%ed #owers $ ha%e +een told and sweet



music

he was himsel& no mean per&ormer on the harpsichord5 and, let it +e &ranklyadmitted, the idyllic nature o& the scene stirred him pro&oundly Mastered +y his+etter sel& he would ha%e returned reluctantly up the tree, +ut &or one thing

!hat stayed him was Peter)s impertinent appearance as he slept The open mouth,the drooping arm, the arched knee: they were such a personi7cation o& cockiness as,taken together, will ne%er again, one may hope, +e presented to eyes so sensiti%e totheir o9ensi%eness They steeled 2ook)s heart $& his rage had +roken him into ahundred pieces e%ery one o& them would ha%e disregarded the incident, and leapt atthe sleeper

Though a light &rom the one lamp shone dimly on the +ed, 2ook stood in darknesshimsel&, and at the 7rst stealthy step &orward he disco%ered an o+stacle, the door o&lightly)s tree $t did not entirely 7ll the aperture, and he had +een looking o%er it;eeling &or the catch, he &ound to his &ury that it was low down, +eyond his reach Tohis disordered +rain it seemed then that the irritating uality in Peter)s &ace and7gure %isi+ly increased, and he rattled the door and #ung himsel& against it !as hisenemy to escape him a&ter all=

But what was that= The red in his eye had caught sight o& Peter)s medicine standingon a ledge within easy reach 2e &athomed what it was straightaway, andimmediately knew that the sleeper was in his power

est he should +e taken ali%e, 2ook always carried a+out his person a dread&ul drug,+lended +y himsel& o& all the death6dealing rings that had come into his possession

These he had +oiled down into a yellow liuid uite unknown to science, which waspro+a+ly the most %irulent poison in existence

;i%e drops o& this he now added to Peter)s cup 2is hand shook, +ut it was inexultation rather than in shame As he did it he a%oided glancing at the sleeper, +utnot lest pity should unner%e him5 merely to a%oid spilling Then one long gloatinglook he cast upon his %ictim, and turning, wormed his way with di<culty up the treeAs he emerged at the top he looked the %ery spirit o& e%il +reaking &rom its hole'onning his hat at its most rakish angle, he wound his cloak around him, holding oneend in &ront as i& to conceal his person &rom the night, o& which it was the +lackestpart, and muttering strangely to himsel&, stole away through the trees

Peter slept on The light guttered /+urned to edges0 and went out, lea%ing thetenement in darkness5 +ut still he slept $t must ha%e +een not less than ten o)clock+y the crocodile, when he suddenly sat up in his +ed, wakened +y he knew not what$t was a so&t cautious tapping on the door o& his tree

o&t and cautious, +ut in that stillness it was sinister Peter &elt &or his dagger till hishand gripped it Then he spoke

(!ho is that=(

;or long there was no answer: then again the knock



(!ho are you=(

8o answer

2e was thrilled, and he lo%ed +eing thrilled $n two strides he reached the door

Dnlike lightly)s door, it 7lled the aperture /opening0, so that he could not see+eyond it, nor could the one knocking see him

($ won)t open unless you speak,( Peter cried

Then at last the %isitor spoke, in a lo%ely +ell6like %oice

(et me in, Peter(

$t was Tink, and uickly he un+arred to her he #ew in excitedly, her &ace #ushedand her dress stained with mud

(!hat is it=(

("h, you could ne%er guess*( she cried, and o9ered him three guesses ("ut with it*(he shouted, and in one ungrammatical sentence, as long as the ri++ons thatconurers /magicians0 pull &rom their mouths, she told o& the capture o& !endy andthe +oys

Peter)s heart +o++ed up and down as he listened !endy +ound, and on the pirateship5 she who lo%ed e%erything to +e ust so*

($)ll rescue her*( he cried, leaping at his weapons As he leapt he thought o&something he could do to please her 2e could take his medicine

2is hand closed on the &atal draught

(8o*( shrieked Tinker Bell, who had heard 2ook mutter a+out his deed as he spedthrough the &orest

(!hy not=(

($t is poisoned(

(Poisoned= !ho could ha%e poisoned it=(

(2ook(

('on)t +e silly 2ow could 2ook ha%e got down here=(

Alas, Tinker Bell could not explain this, &or e%en she did not know the dark secret o&lightly)s tree 8e%ertheless 2ook)s words had le&t no room &or dou+t The cup waspoisoned



(Besides,( said Peter, uite +elie%ing himsel& ($ ne%er &ell asleep(

2e raised the cup 8o time &or words now5 time &or deeds5 and with one o& herlightning mo%ements Tink got +etween his lips and the draught, and drained it to thedregs

(!hy, Tink, how dare you drink my medicine=(

But she did not answer Already she was reeling in the air

(!hat is the matter with you=( cried Peter, suddenly a&raid

($t was poisoned, Peter,( she told him so&tly5 (and now $ am going to +e dead(

(" Tink, did you drink it to sa%e me=(

(-es(

(But why, Tink=(

2er wings would scarcely carry her now, +ut in reply she alighted on his shoulder andga%e his nose a lo%ing +ite he whispered in his ear (-ou silly ass,( and then,tottering to her cham+er, lay down on the +ed

2is head almost 7lled the &ourth wall o& her little room as he knelt near her indistress 4%ery moment her light was growing &ainter5 and he knew that i& it went outshe would +e no more he liked his tears so much that she put out her +eauti&ul7nger and let them run o%er it

2er %oice was so low that at 7rst he could not make out what she said Then hemade it out he was saying that she thought she could get well again i& children+elie%ed in &airies

Peter #ung out his arms There were no children there, and it was night time5 +ut headdressed all who might +e dreaming o& the 8e%erland, and who were there&orenearer to him than you think: +oys and girls in their nighties, and naked papooses intheir +askets hung &rom trees

('o you +elie%e=( he cried

Tink sat up in +ed almost +riskly to listen to her &ate

he &ancied she heard answers in the a<rmati%e, and then again she wasn)t sure

(!hat do you think=( she asked Peter

($& you +elie%e,( he shouted to them, (clap your hands5 don)t let Tink die(

Many clapped



ome didn)t

A &ew +easts hissed

The clapping stopped suddenly5 as i& countless mothers had rushed to their nurseries

to see what on earth was happening5 +ut already Tink was sa%ed ;irst her %oicegrew strong, then she popped out o& +ed, then she was #ashing through the roommore merry and impudent than e%er he ne%er thought o& thanking those who+elie%ed, +ut she would ha%e like to get at the ones who had hissed

(And now to rescue !endy*(

The moon was riding in a cloudy hea%en when Peter rose &rom his tree, +egirt

/+elted0 with weapons and wearing little else, to set out upon his perilous uest $twas not such a night as he would ha%e chosen 2e had hoped to #y, keeping not &ar&rom the ground so that nothing unwonted should escape his eyes5 +ut in that 7t&ullight to ha%e #own low would ha%e meant trailing his shadow through the trees, thusdistur+ing +irds and acuainting a watch&ul &oe that he was astir

2e regretted now that he had gi%en the +irds o& the island such strange names thatthey are %ery wild and di<cult o& approach

There was no other course +ut to press &orward in redskin &ashion, at which happilyhe was an adept /expert0 But in what direction, &or he could not +e sure that thechildren had +een taken to the ship= A light &all o& snow had o+literated all&ootmarks5 and a deathly silence per%aded the island, as i& &or a space 8ature stood

still in horror o& the recent carnage 2e had taught the children something o& the&orest lore that he had himsel& learned &rom Tiger ily and Tinker Bell, and knew thatin their dire hour they were not likely to &orget it lightly, i& he had an opportunity,would +la3e /cut a mark in0 the trees, &or instance, Curly would drop seeds, and!endy would lea%e her handkerchie& at some important place The morning wasneeded to search &or such guidance, and he could not wait The upper world hadcalled him, +ut would gi%e no help

The crocodile passed him, +ut not another li%ing thing, not a sound, not a mo%ement5and yet he knew well that sudden death might +e at the next tree, or stalking him&rom +ehind

2e swore this terri+le oath: (2ook or me this time(

8ow he crawled &orward like a snake, and again erect, he darted across a space onwhich the moonlight played, one 7nger on his lip and his dagger at the ready 2e was&right&ully happy

Chapter 14 : The Pirate Ship



"ne green light suinting o%er @idd)s Creek, which is near the mouth o& the pirateri%er, marked where the +rig, the J"- ?">4?, lay, low in the water5 a rakish6looking/speedy6looking0 cra&t &oul to the hull, e%ery +eam in her detesta+le, like groundstrewn with mangled &eathers he was the canni+al o& the seas, and scarce neededthat watch&ul eye, &or she #oated immune in the horror o& her name

he was wrapped in the +lanket o& night, through which no sound &rom her couldha%e reached the shore There was little sound, and none agreea+le sa%e the whir o&the ship)s sewing machine at which mee sat, e%er industrious and o+liging, theessence o& the commonplace, pathetic mee $ know not why he was so in7nitelypathetic, unless it were +ecause he was so pathetically unaware o& it5 +ut e%en strongmen had to turn hastily &rom looking at him, and more than once on summere%enings he had touched the &ount o& 2ook)s tears and made it #ow "& this, as o&almost e%erything else, mee was uite unconscious

A &ew o& the pirates leant o%er the +ulwarks, drinking in the miasma /putrid mist0 o&the night5 others sprawled +y +arrels o%er games o& dice and cards5 and theexhausted &our who had carried the little house lay prone on the deck, where e%en intheir sleep they rolled skill&ully to this side or that out o& 2ook)s reach, lest he should

claw them mechanically in passing

2ook trod the deck in thought " man un&athoma+le $t was his hour o& triumph Peterhad +een remo%ed &or e%er &rom his path, and all the other +oys were in the +rig,a+out to walk the plank $t was his grimmest deed since the days when he had+rought Bar+ecue to heel5 and knowing as we do how %ain a ta+ernacle is man, couldwe +e surprised had he now paced the deck unsteadily, +ellied out +y the winds o&his success=

But there was no elation in his gait, which kept pace with the action o& his som+remind 2ook was pro&oundly deected

2e was o&ten thus when communing with himsel& on +oard ship in the uietude o& thenight $t was +ecause he was so terri+ly alone This inscruta+le man ne%er &elt morealone than when surrounded +y his dogs They were socially in&erior to him

2ook was not his true name To re%eal who he really was would e%en at this date setthe country in a +la3e5 +ut as those who read +etween the lines must already ha%eguessed, he had +een at a &amous pu+lic school5 and its traditions still clung to himlike garments, with which indeed they are largely concerned Thus it was o9ensi%e tohim e%en now to +oard a ship in the same dress in which he grappled /attacked0 her,and he still adhered in his walk to the school)s distinguished slouch But a+o%e all heretained the passion &or good &orm

>ood &orm* 2owe%er much he may ha%e degenerated, he still knew that this is all

that really matters

;rom &ar within him he heard a creaking as o& rusty portals, and through them came astern tap6tap6tap, like hammering in the night when one cannot sleep (2a%e you+een good &orm to6day=( was their eternal uestion

(;ame, &ame, that glittering +au+le, it is mine,( he cried



($s it uite good &orm to +e distinguished at anything=( the tap6tap &rom his schoolreplied

($ am the only man whom Bar+ecue &eared,( he urged, (and ;lint &eared Bar+ecue(

(Bar+ecue, ;lint 66 what house=( came the cutting retort

Most disuieting re#ection o& all, was it not +ad &orm to think a+out good &orm=

2is %itals were tortured +y this pro+lem $t was a claw within him sharper than theiron one5 and as it tore him, the perspiration dripped down his tallow /waxy0countenance and streaked his dou+let "&ttimes he drew his slee%e across his &ace,+ut there was no damming that trickle

Ah, en%y not 2ook

There came to him a presentiment o& his early dissolution

/death0 $t was as i& Peter)s terri+le oath had +oarded the ship 2ook &elt a gloomydesire to make his dying speech, lest presently there should +e no time &or it

(Better &or 2ook,( he cried, (i& he had had less am+ition*( $t was in his darkest hoursonly that he re&erred to himsel& in the third person

(8o little children to lo%e me*(

trange that he should think o& this, which had ne%er trou+led him +e&ore5 perhapsthe sewing machine +rought it to his mind ;or long he muttered to himsel&, staring atmee, who was hemming placidly, under the con%iction that all children &eared him

;eared him* ;eared mee* There was not a child on +oard the +rig that night who didnot already lo%e him 2e had said horrid things to them and hit them with the palm o& his hand, +ecause he could not hit with his 7st, +ut they had only clung to him themore Michael had tried on his spectacles

To tell poor mee that they thought him lo%a+le* 2ook itched to do it, +ut it seemedtoo +rutal $nstead, he re%ol%ed this mystery in his mind: why do they 7nd meelo%a+le= 2e pursued the pro+lem like the sleuth6hound that he was $& mee waslo%a+le, what was it that made him so= A terri+le answer suddenly presenteditsel&66(>ood &orm=(

2ad the +o)sun good &orm without knowing it, which is the +est &orm o& all=

2e remem+ered that you ha%e to pro%e you don)t know you ha%e it +e&ore you areeligi+le &or Pop /an elite social clu+ at 4ton0

!ith a cry o& rage he raised his iron hand o%er mee)s head5 +ut he did not tear!hat arrested him was this re#ection:

(To claw a man +ecause he is good &orm, what would that +e=(

(Bad &orm*(



The unhappy 2ook was as impotent /powerless0 as he was damp, and he &ell &orwardlike a cut #ower

2is dogs thinking him out o& the way &or a time, discipline instantly relaxed5 and they+roke into a +acchanalian /drunken0 dance, which +rought him to his &eet at once, alltraces o& human weakness gone, as i& a +ucket o& water had passed o%er him

(uiet, you scugs,( he cried, (or $)ll cast anchor in you(5 and at once the din washushed (Are all the children chained, so that they cannot #y away=(

(Ay, ay(

(Then hoist them up(

The wretched prisoners were dragged &rom the hold, all except !endy, and ranged inline in &ront o& him ;or a time he seemed unconscious o& their presence 2e lolled athis ease, humming, not unmelodiously, snatches o& a rude song, and 7ngering a packo& cards 4%er and anon the light &rom his cigar ga%e a touch o& colour to his &ace

(8ow then, +ullies,( he said +riskly, (six o& you walk the plank to6night, +ut $ ha%eroom &or two ca+in +oys !hich o& you is it to +e=(

('on)t irritate him unnecessarily,( had +een !endy)s instructions in the hold5 so Tootles stepped &orward politely Tootles hated the idea o& signing under such a man,+ut an instinct told him that it would +e prudent to lay the responsi+ility on an a+sentperson5 and though a somewhat silly +oy, he knew that mothers alone are alwayswilling to +e the +u9er All children know this a+out mothers, and despise them &or it,+ut make constant use o& it

o Tootles explained prudently, (-ou see, sir, $ don)t think my mother would like me to+e a pirate !ould your mother like you to +e a pirate, lightly=(

2e winked at lightly, who said mourn&ully, ($ don)t think so,( as i& he wished thingshad +een otherwise (!ould your mother like you to +e a pirate, Twin=(

($ don)t think so,( said the 7rst twin, as cle%er as the others (8i+s, would 66 (

(tow this ga+,( roared 2ook, and the spokesmen were dragged +ack (-ou, +oy,( hesaid, addressing John, (you look as i& you had a little pluck in you 'idst ne%er want to

+e a pirate, my hearty=(

8ow John had sometimes experienced this hankering at maths prep5 and he wasstruck +y 2ook)s picking him out

($ once thought o& calling mysel& ?ed6handed Jack,( he said di<dently

(And a good name too !e)ll call you that here, +ully, i& you oin(



(!hat do you think, Michael=( asked John

(!hat would you call me i& $ oin=( Michael demanded

(Black+eard Joe(

Michael was naturally impressed (!hat do you think, John=( 2e wanted John todecide, and John wanted him to decide

(hall we still +e respect&ul su+ects o& the @ing=( John inuired

Through 2ook)s teeth came the answer: (-ou would ha%e to swear, G'own with the@ing)(

Perhaps John had not +eha%ed %ery well so &ar, +ut he shone out now

(Then $ re&use,( he cried, +anging the +arrel in &ront o& 2ook

(And $ re&use,( cried Michael

(?ule Britannia*( sueaked Curly

The in&uriated pirates +u9eted them in the mouth5 and 2ook roared out, (That sealsyour doom Bring up their mother >et the plank ready(

They were only +oys, and they went white as they saw Jukes and Cecco preparing the&atal plank But they tried to look +ra%e when !endy was +rought up

8o words o& mine can tell you how !endy despised those pirates To the +oys therewas at least some glamour in the pirate calling5 +ut all that she saw was that the ship

had not +een tidied &or years There was not a porthole on the grimy glass o& whichyou might not ha%e written with your 7nger ('irty pig(5 and she had already written iton se%eral But as the +oys gathered round her she had no thought, o& course, sa%e&or them

(o, my +eauty,( said 2ook, as i& he spoke in syrup, (you are to see your childrenwalk the plank(

;ine gentlemen though he was, the intensity o& his communings had soiled his ru9,and suddenly he knew that she was ga3ing at it !ith a hasty gesture he tried to hideit, +ut he was too late

(Are they to die=( asked !endy, with a look o& such &right&ul contempt that he nearly

&ainted

(They are,( he snarled (ilence all,( he called gloatingly, (&or a mother)s last words toher children(

At this moment !endy was grand (These are my last words, dear +oys,( she said7rmly ($ &eel that $ ha%e a message to you &rom your real mothers, and it is this: G!ehope our sons will die like 4nglish gentlemen)(



4%en the pirates were awed, and Tootles cried out hysterically, ($ am going to do whatmy mother hopes !hat are you to do, 8i+s=(

(!hat my mother hopes !hat are you to do, Twin=(

(!hat my mother hopes John, what are 66 (

But 2ook had &ound his %oice again

(Tie her up*( he shouted

$t was mee who tied her to the mast (ee here, honey,( he whispered, ($)ll sa%e youi& you promise to +e my mother(

But not e%en &or mee would she make such a promise ($ would almost rather ha%eno children at all,( she said disdain&ully

/scorn&ully0

$t is sad to know that not a +oy was looking at her as mee tied her to the mast5 theeyes o& all were on the plank: that last little walk they were a+out to take They wereno longer a+le to hope that they would walk it man&ully, &or the capacity to think hadgone &rom them5 they could stare and shi%er only

2ook smiled on them with his teeth closed, and took a step toward !endy 2isintention was to turn her &ace so that she should see they +oys walking the plank one+y one But he ne%er reached her, he ne%er heard the cry o& anguish he hoped towring &rom her 2e heard something else instead

$t was the terri+le tick6tick o& the crocodile

They all heard it 66 pirates, +oys, !endy5 and immediately e%ery head was +lown inone direction5 not to the water whence the sound proceeded, +ut toward 2ook Allknew that what was a+out to happen concerned him alone, and that &rom +eingactors they were suddenly +ecome spectators

Lery &right&ul was it to see the change that came o%er him $t was as i& he had +eenclipped at e%ery oint 2e &ell in a little heap

The sound came steadily nearer5 and in ad%ance o& it came this ghastly thought, (Thecrocodile is a+out to +oard the ship*(

4%en the iron claw hung inacti%e5 as i& knowing that it was no intrinsic part o& what

the attacking &orce wanted e&t so &ear&ully alone, any other man would ha%e lainwith his eyes shut where he &ell: +ut the gigantic +rain o& 2ook was still working, andunder its guidance he crawled on the knees along the deck as &ar &rom the sound ashe could go The pirates respect&ully cleared a passage &or him, and it was only whenhe +rought up against the +ulwarks that he spoke

(2ide me*( he cried hoarsely



They gathered round him, all eyes a%erted &rom the thing that was coming a+oard They had no thought o& 7ghting it $t was ;ate

"nly when 2ook was hidden &rom them did curiosity loosen the lim+s o& the +oys sothat they could rush to the ship)s side to see the crocodile clim+ing it Then they gotthe strangest surprise o& the 8ight o& 8ights5 &or it was no crocodile that was coming

to their aid $t was Peter

2e signed to them not to gi%e %ent to any cry o& admiration that might rousesuspicion Then he went on ticking

Chapter /: 6%oo7 r *e This Time6

"dd things happen to all o& us on our way through li&e without our noticing &or a timethat they ha%e happened Thus, to take an instance, we suddenly disco%er that weha%e +een dea& in one ear &or we don)t know how long, +ut, say, hal& an hour 8owsuch an experience had come that night to Peter !hen last we saw him he wasstealing across the island with one 7nger to his lips and his dagger at the ready 2ehad seen the crocodile pass +y without noticing anything peculiar a+out it, +ut +yand +y he remem+ered that it had not +een ticking At 7rst he thought this eerie, +utsoon concluded rightly that the clock had run down

!ithout gi%ing a thought to what might +e the &eelings o& a &ellow6creature thusa+ruptly depri%ed o& its closest companion, Peter +egan to consider how he couldturn the catastrophe to his own use5 and he decided to tick, so that wild +eastsshould +elie%e he was the crocodile and let him pass unmolested 2e ticked super+ly,+ut with one un&oreseen result The crocodile was among those who heard the sound,and it &ollowed him, though whether with the purpose o& regaining what it had lost, ormerely as a &riend under the +elie& that it was again ticking itsel&, will ne%er +ecertainly known, &or, like sla%es to a 7xed idea, it was a stupid +east

Peter reached the shore without mishap, and went straight on, his legs encounteringthe water as i& uite unaware that they had entered a new element Thus manyanimals pass &rom land to water, +ut no other human o& whom $ know As he swam hehad +ut one thought: (2ook or me this time( 2e had ticked so long that he now wenton ticking without knowing that he was doing it 2ad he known he would ha%estopped, &or to +oard the +rig +y help o& the tick, though an ingenious idea, had notoccurred to him

"n the contrary, he thought he had scaled her side as noiseless as a mouse5 and hewas ama3ed to see the pirates cowering &rom him, with 2ook in their midst as a+ectas i& he had heard the crocodile

The crocodile* 8o sooner did Peter remem+er it than he heard the ticking At 7rst he

thought the sound did come &rom the crocodile, and he looked +ehind him swi&tly They he realised that he was doing it himsel&, and in a #ash he understood thesituation (2ow cle%er o& me*( he thought at once, and signed to the +oys not to+urst into applause

$t was at this moment that 4d Teynte the uartermaster emerged &rom the &orecastleand came along the deck 8ow, reader, time what happened +y your watch Peterstruck true and deep John clapped his hands on the ill6&ated pirate)s mouth to sti#ethe dying groan 2e &ell &orward ;our +oys caught him to pre%ent the thud Peter





ga%e the signal, and the carrion was cast o%er+oard There was a splash, and thensilence 2ow long has it taken=

("ne*( lightly had +egun to count

8one too soon, Peter, e%ery inch o& him on tiptoe, %anished into the ca+in5 &or more

than one pirate was screwing up his courage to look round They could hear eachother)s distressed +reathing now, which showed them that the more terri+le soundhad passed

($t)s gone, captain,( mee said, wiping o9 his spectacles (All)s still again(

lowly 2ook let his head emerge &rom his ru9, and listened so intently that he couldha%e caught the echo o& the tick There was not a sound, and he drew himsel& up7rmly to his &ull height

(Then here)s to Johnny Plank*( he cried +ra3enly, hating the +oys more than e%er+ecause they had seen him un+end 2e +roke into the %illainous ditty:

(-o ho, yo ho, the &risky plank,

-ou walks along it so,

Till it goes down and you goes down

To 'a%y Jones +elow*(

To terrori3e the prisoners the more, though with a certain loss o& dignity, he dancedalong an imaginary plank, grimacing at them as he sang5 and when he 7nished hecried, ('o you want a touch o& the cat /Go nine tails0 +e&ore you walk the plank=(

At that they &ell on their knees (8o, no*( they cried so piteously that e%ery piratesmiled

(;etch the cat, Jukes,( said 2ook5 (it)s in the ca+in(

The ca+in* Peter was in the ca+in* The children ga3ed at each other

(Ay, ay,( said Jukes +lithely, and he strode into the ca+in They &ollowed him withtheir eyes5 they scarce knew that 2ook had resumed his song, his dogs oining in withhim:

(-o ho, yo ho, the scratching cat,

$ts tails are nine, you know,

And when they)re writ upon your +ack 66 (

!hat was the last line will ne%er +e known, &or o& a sudden the song was stayed +y adread&ul screech &rom the ca+in $t wailed through the ship, and died away Then was



heard a crowing sound which was well understood +y the +oys, +ut to the pirates wasalmost more eerie than the screech

(!hat was that=( cried 2ook

(Two,( said lightly solemnly

The $talian Cecco hesitated &or a moment and then swung into the ca+in 2e totteredout, haggard

(!hat)s the matter with Bill Jukes, you dog=( hissed 2ook, towering o%er him

(The matter wi) him is he)s dead, sta++ed,( replied Cecco in a hollow %oice

(Bill Jukes dead*( cried the startled pirates

(The ca+in)s as +lack as a pit,( Cecco said, almost gi++ering, (+ut there is somethingterri+le in there: the thing you heard crowing(

The exultation o& the +oys, the lowering looks o& the pirates, +oth were seen +y 2ook

(Cecco,( he said in his most steely %oice, (go +ack and &etch me out that doodle6doo(

Cecco, +ra%est o& the +ra%e, cowered +e&ore his captain, crying (8o, no(5 +ut 2ookwas purring to his claw

('id you say you would go, Cecco=( he said musingly

Cecco went, 7rst #inging his arms despairingly There was no more singing, all

listened now5 and again came a death6screech and again a crow

8o one spoke except lightly (Three,( he said

2ook rallied his dogs with a gesture ())death and odds 7sh,( he thundered, (who isto +ring me that doodle6doo=(

(!ait till Cecco comes out,( growled tarkey, and the others took up the cry

($ think $ heard you %olunteer, tarkey,( said 2ook, purring again

(8o, +y thunder*( tarkey cried

(My hook thinks you did,( said 2ook, crossing to him ($ wonder i& it would not +ead%isa+le, tarkey, to humour the hook=(

($)ll swing +e&ore $ go in there,( replied tarkey doggedly, and again he had thesupport o& the crew

($s this mutiny=( asked 2ook more pleasantly than e%er (tarkey)s ringleader*(



(Captain, mercy*( tarkey whimpered, all o& a trem+le now

(hake hands, tarkey,( said 2ook, pro9ering his claw

tarkey looked round &or help, +ut all deserted him As he +acked up 2ook ad%anced,and now the red spark was in his eye !ith a despairing scream the pirate leapt upon

ong Tom and precipitated himsel& into the sea

(;our,( said lightly

(And now,( 2ook said courteously, (did any other gentlemen say mutiny=( ei3ing alantern and raising his claw with a menacing gesture, ($)ll +ring out that doodle6doomysel&,( he said, and sped into the ca+in

(;i%e( 2ow lightly longed to say it 2e wetted his lips to +e ready, +ut 2ook camestaggering out, without his lantern

(omething +lew out the light,( he said a little unsteadily

(omething*( echoed Mullins

(!hat o& Cecco=( demanded 8oodler

(2e)s as dead as Jukes,( said 2ook shortly

2is reluctance to return to the ca+in impressed them all un&a%oura+ly, and themutinous sounds again +roke &orth All pirates are superstitious, and Cookson cried,(They do say the surest sign a ship)s accurst is when there)s one on +oard more thancan +e accounted &or(

($)%e heard,( muttered Mullins, (he always +oards the pirate cra&t last 2ad he a tail,captain=(

(They say,( said another, looking %iciously at 2ook, (that when he comes it)s in thelikeness o& the wickedest man a+oard(

(2ad he a hook, captain=( asked Cookson insolently5 and one a&ter another took upthe cry, (The ship)s doomed*( At this the children could not resist raising a cheer2ook had well6nigh &orgotten his prisoners, +ut as he swung round on them now his&ace lit up again

(ads,( he cried to his crew, (now here)s a notion "pen the ca+in door and dri%ethem in et them 7ght the doodle6doo &or their li%es $& they kill him, we)re so much

the +etter5 i& he kills them, we)re none the worse(

;or the last time his dogs admired 2ook, and de%otedly they did his +idding The+oys, pretending to struggle, were pushed into the ca+in and the door was closed onthem

(8ow, listen*( cried 2ook, and all listened But not one dared to &ace the door -es,one, !endy, who all this time had +een +ound to the mast $t was &or neither ascream nor a crow that she was watching, it was &or the reappearance o& Peter



he had not long to wait $n the ca+in he had &ound the thing &or which he had gonein search: the key the would &ree the children o& their manacles, and now they allstole &orth, armed with such weapons as they could 7nd ;irst signing them to hide,Peter cut !endy)s +onds, and then nothing could ha%e +een easier than &or them allto #y o9 together5 +ut one thing +arred the way, an oath, (2ook or me this time( owhen he had &reed !endy, he whispered &or her to conceal hersel& with the others,

and himsel& took her place +y the mast, her cloak around him so that he should pass&or her Then he took a great +reath and crowed

To the pirates it was a %oice crying that all the +oys lay slain in the ca+in5 and theywere panic6stricken 2ook tried to hearten them5 +ut like the dogs he had made themthey showed him their &angs, and he knew that i& he took his eyes o9 them now theywould leap at him

(ads,( he said, ready to caole or strike as need +e, +ut ne%er uailing &or an instant,($)%e thought it out There)s a Jonah a+oard(

(Ay,( they snarled, (a man wi) a hook(

(8o, lads, no, it)s the girl 8e%er was luck on a pirate ship wi) a woman on +oard !e)llright the ship when she)s gone(

ome o& them remem+ered that this had +een a saying o& ;lint)s ($t)s worth trying,(they said dou+t&ully

(;ling the girl o%er+oard,( cried 2ook5 and they made a rush at the 7gure in thecloak

(There)s none can sa%e you now, missy,( Mullins hissed eeringly

(There)s one,( replied the 7gure

(!ho)s that=(

(Peter Pan the a%enger*( came the terri+le answer5 and as he spoke Peter #ung o9his cloak Then they all knew who )twas that had +een undoing them in the ca+in,and twice 2ook essayed to speak and twice he &ailed $n that &right&ul moment $ thinkhis 7erce heart +roke

At last he cried, (Clea%e him to the +risket*( +ut without con%iction

('own, +oys, and at them*( Peter)s %oice rang out5 and in another moment the clasho& arms was resounding through the ship 2ad the pirates kept together it is certain

that they would ha%e won5 +ut the onset came when they were still unstrung, andthey ran hither and thither, striking wildly, each thinking himsel& the last sur%i%or o&the crew Man to man they were the stronger5 +ut they &ought on the de&ensi%e only,which ena+led the +oys to hunt in pairs and choose their uarry ome o& themiscreants leapt into the sea5 others hid in dark recesses, where they were &ound +ylightly, who did not 7ght, +ut ran a+out with a lantern which he #ashed in their&aces, so that they were hal& +linded and &ell as an easy prey to the reeking swords o& the other +oys There was little sound to +e heard +ut the clang o& weapons, anoccasional screech or splash, and lightly monotonously counting 66 7%e 66 six 66se%en 66 eight 66 nine 66ten 66 ele%en



$ think all were gone when a group o& sa%age +oys surrounded 2ook, who seemed toha%e a charmed li&e, as he kept them at +ay in that circle o& 7re They had done &orhis dogs, +ut this man alone seemed to +e a match &or them all Again and againthey closed upon him, and again and again he hewed a clear space 2e had li&ted upone +oy with his hook, and was using him as a +uckler /shield0, when another, whohad ust passed his sword through Mullins, sprang into the &ray

(Put up your swords, +oys,( cried the newcomer, (this man is mine(

Thus suddenly 2ook &ound himsel& &ace to &ace with Peter The others drew +ack and&ormed a ring around them

;or long the two enemies looked at one another, 2ook shuddering slightly, and Peterwith the strange smile upon his &ace

(o, Pan,( said 2ook at last, (this is all your doing(

(Ay, James 2ook,( came the stern answer, (it is all my doing(

(Proud and insolent youth,( said 2ook, (prepare to meet thy doom(

('ark and sinister man,( Peter answered, (ha%e at thee(

!ithout more words they &ell to, and &or a space there was no ad%antage to either+lade Peter was a super+ swordsman, and parried with da33ling rapidity5 e%er andanon he &ollowed up a &eint with a lunge that got past his &oe)s de&ence, +ut hisshorter reach stood him in ill stead, and he could not dri%e the steel home 2ook,scarcely his in&erior in +rilliancy, +ut not uite so nim+le in wrist play, &orced him+ack +y the weight o& his onset, hoping suddenly to end all with a &a%ourite thrust,taught him long ago +y Bar+ecue at ?io5 +ut to his astonishment he &ound this thrustturned aside again and again Then he sought to close and gi%e the uietus with his

iron hook, which all this time had +een pawing the air5 +ut Peter dou+led under itand, lunging 7ercely, pierced him in the ri+s At the sight o& his own +lood, whosepeculiar colour, you remem+er, was o9ensi%e to him, the sword &ell &rom 2ook)shand, and he was at Peter)s mercy

(8ow*( cried all the +oys, +ut with a magni7cent gesture Peter in%ited his opponentto pick up his sword 2ook did so instantly, +ut with a tragic &eeling that Peter wasshowing good &orm

2itherto he had thought it was some 7end 7ghting him, +ut darker suspicionsassailed him now

(Pan, who and what art thou=( he cried huskily

($)m youth, $)m oy,( Peter answered at a %enture, ($)m a little +ird that has +roken outo& the egg(

This, o& course, was nonsense5 +ut it was proo& to the unhappy 2ook that Peter didnot know in the least who or what he was, which is the %ery pinnacle o& good &orm

(To)t again,( he cried despairingly



2e &ought now like a human #ail, and e%ery sweep o& that terri+le sword would ha%ese%ered in twain any man or +oy who o+structed it5 +ut Peter #uttered round him asi& the %ery wind it made +lew him out o& the danger 3one And again and again hedarted in and pricked

2ook was 7ghting now without hope That passionate +reast no longer asked &or li&e5

+ut &or one +oon it cra%ed: to see Peter show +ad &orm +e&ore it was cold &ore%er

A+andoning the 7ght he rushed into the powder maga3ine and 7red it

($n two minutes,( he cried, (the ship will +e +lown to pieces(

8ow, now, he thought, true &orm will show

But Peter issued &rom the powder maga3ine with the shell in his hands, and calmly#ung it o%er+oard

!hat sort o& &orm was 2ook himsel& showing= Misguided man though he was, we may

+e glad, without sympathising with him, that in the end he was true to the traditionso& his race The other +oys were #ying around him now, #outing, scorn&ul5 and hestaggered a+out the deck striking up at them impotently, his mind was no longer withthem5 it was slouching in the playing 7elds o& long ago, or +eing sent up /to theheadmaster0 &or good, or watching the wall6game &rom a &amous wall And his shoeswere right, and his waistcoat was right, and his tie was right, and his socks wereright

James 2ook, thou not wholly unheroic 7gure, &arewell

;or we ha%e come to his last moment

eeing Peter slowly ad%ancing upon him through the air with dagger poised, hesprang upon the +ulwarks to cast himsel& into the sea 2e did not know that thecrocodile was waiting &or him5 &or we purposely stopped the clock that this knowledgemight +e spared him: a little mark o& respect &rom us at the end

2e had one last triumph, which $ think we need not grudge him As he stood on the+ulwark looking o%er his shoulder at Peter gliding through the air, he in%ited him witha gesture to use his &oot $t made Peter kick instead o& sta+

At last 2ook had got the +oon &or which he cra%ed

(Bad &orm,( he cried eeringly, and went content to the crocodile

Thus perished James 2ook

(e%enteen,( lightly sang out5 +ut he was not uite correct in his 7gures ;i&teenpaid the penalty &or their crimes that night5 +ut two reached the shore: tarkey to +ecaptured +y the redskins, who made him nurse &or all their papooses, a melancholy



come6down &or a pirate5 and mee, who hence&orth wandered a+out the world in hisspectacles, making a precarious li%ing +y saying he was the only man that Jas 2ookhad &eared

!endy, o& course, had stood +y taking no part in the 7ght, though watching Peterwith glistening eyes5 +ut now that all was o%er she +ecame prominent again he

praised them eually, and shuddered delight&ully when Michael showed her the placewhere he had killed one5 and then she took them into 2ook)s ca+in and pointed to hiswatch which was hanging on a nail $t said (hal&6past one*(

The lateness o& the hour was almost the +iggest thing o& all he got them to +ed inthe pirates) +unks pretty uickly, you may +e sure5 all +ut Peter, who strutted up anddown on the deck, until at last he &ell asleep +y the side o& ong Tom 2e had one o&his dreams that night, and cried in his sleep &or a long time, and !endy held himtightly

Chapter /#: The 8eturn %ome

By three +ells that morning they were all stirring their stumps

/legs05 &or there was a +ig sea running5 and Tootles, the +o)sun, was among them,with a rope)s end in his hand and chewing to+acco They all donned pirate clothes cuto9 at the knee, sha%ed smartly, and tum+led up, with the true nautical roll andhitching their trousers

$t need not +e said who was the captain 8i+s and John were 7rst and second mate There was a woman a+oard The rest were tars /sailors0 +e&ore the mast, and li%ed inthe &o)c)sle Peter had already lashed himsel& to the wheel5 +ut he piped all hands anddeli%ered a short address to them5 said he hoped they would do their duty like gallant

hearties, +ut that he knew they were the scum o& ?io and the >old Coast, and i& theysnapped at him he would tear them The +lu9 strident words struck the note sailorsunderstood, and they cheered him lustily Then a &ew sharp orders were gi%en, andthey turned the ship round, and nosed her &or the mainland

Captain Pan calculated, a&ter consulting the ship)s chart, that i& this weather lastedthey should strike the A3ores a+out the

E1st o& June, a&ter which it would sa%e time to #y

ome o& them wanted it to +e an honest ship and others were in &a%our o& keeping ita pirate5 +ut the captain treated them as dogs, and they dared not express theirwishes to him e%en in a round ro+in /one person a&ter another, as they had to Cpt

2ook0 $nstant o+edience was the only sa&e thing lightly got a do3en &or lookingperplexed when told to take soundings The general &eeling was that Peter washonest ust now to lull !endy)s suspicions, +ut that there might +e a change whenthe new suit was ready, which, against her will, she was making &or him out o& someo& 2ook)s wickedest garments $t was a&terwards whispered among them that on the7rst night he wore this suit he sat long in the ca+in with 2ook)s cigar6holder in hismouth and one hand clenched, all +ut &or the &ore7nger, which he +ent and heldthreateningly alo&t like a hook





$nstead o& watching the ship, howe%er, we must now return to that desolate home&rom which three o& our characters had taken heartless #ight so long ago $t seems ashame to ha%e neglected 8o 1. all this time5 and yet we may +e sure that Mrs'arling does not +lame us $& we had returned sooner to look with sorrow&ul sympathyat her, she would pro+a+ly ha%e cried, ('on)t +e silly5 what do $ matter= 'o go +ackand keep an eye on the children( o long as mothers are like this their children will

take ad%antage o& them5 and they may lay to /+et on0 that

4%en now we %enture into that &amiliar nursery only +ecause its law&ul occupants areon their way home5 we are merely hurrying on in ad%ance o& them to see that their+eds are properly aired and that Mr and Mrs 'arling do not go out &or the e%ening!e are no more than ser%ants !hy on earth should their +eds +e properly aired,seeing that they le&t them in such a thankless hurry= !ould it not ser%e them ollywell right i& they came +ack and &ound that their parents were spending the week6end in the country= $t would +e the moral lesson they ha%e +een in need o& e%ersince we met them5 +ut i& we contri%ed things in this way Mrs 'arling would ne%er&orgi%e us

"ne thing $ should like to do immensely, and that is to tell her, in the way authors

ha%e, that the children are coming +ack, that indeed they will +e here on Thursdayweek This would spoil so completely the surprise to which !endy and John andMichael are looking &orward They ha%e +een planning it out on the ship: mother)srapture, &ather)s shout o& oy, 8ana)s leap through the air to em+race them 7rst,when what they ought to +e prepared &or is a good hiding 2ow delicious to spoil it all+y +reaking the news in ad%ance5 so that when they enter grandly Mrs 'arling maynot e%en o9er !endy her mouth, and Mr 'arling may exclaim pettishly, ('ash it all,here are those +oys again( 2owe%er, we should get no thanks e%en &or this !e are+eginning to know Mrs 'arling +y this time, and may +e sure that she would up+raidus &or depri%ing the children o& their little pleasure

(But, my dear madam, it is ten days till Thursday week5 so that +y telling you what)swhat, we can sa%e you ten days o& unhappiness(

(-es, +ut at what a cost* By depri%ing the children o& ten minutes o& delight(

("h, i& you look at it in that way*(

(!hat other way is there in which to look at it=(

-ou see, the woman had no proper spirit $ had meant to say extraordinarily nicethings a+out her5 +ut $ despise her, and not one o& them will $ say now he does notreally need to +e told to ha%e things ready, &or they are ready All the +eds are aired,and she ne%er lea%es the house, and o+ser%e, the window is open ;or all the use weare to her, we might well go +ack to the ship 2owe%er, as we are here we may as

well stay and look on That is all we are, lookers6on 8o+ody really wants us o let uswatch and say aggy things, in the hope that some o& them will hurt

The only change to +e seen in the night6nursery is that +etween nine and six thekennel is no longer there !hen the children #ew away, Mr 'arling &elt in his +onesthat all the +lame was his &or ha%ing chained 8ana up, and that &rom 7rst to last shehad +een wiser than he "& course, as we ha%e seen, he was uite a simple man5indeed +e might ha%e passed &or a +oy again i& he had +een a+le to take his +aldnesso95 +ut he had also a no+le sense o& ustice and a lion)s courage to do what seemedright to him5 and ha%ing thought the matter out with anxious care a&ter the #ight o&



the children, he went down on all &ours and crawled into the kennel To all Mrs'arling)s dear in%itations to him to come out he replied sadly +ut 7rmly:

(8o, my own one, this is the place &or me(

$n the +itterness o& his remorse he swore that he would ne%er lea%e the kennel until

his children came +ack "& course this was a pity5 +ut whate%er Mr 'arling did hehad to do in excess, otherwise he soon ga%e up doing it And there ne%er was a morehum+le man than the once proud >eorge 'arling, as he sat in the kennel o& ane%ening talking with his wi&e o& their children and all their pretty ways

Lery touching was his de&erence to 8ana 2e would not let her come into the kennel,+ut on all other matters he &ollowed her wishes implicitly

4%ery morning the kennel was carried with Mr 'arling in it to a ca+, which con%eyedhim to his o<ce, and he returned home in the same way at six omething o& thestrength o& character o& the man will +e seen i& we remem+er how sensiti%e he was tothe opinion o& neigh+ours: this man whose e%ery mo%ement now attracted surprisedattention $nwardly he must ha%e su9ered torture5 +ut he preser%ed a calm exterior

e%en when the young criticised his little home, and he always li&ted his hatcourteously to any lady who looked inside

$t may ha%e +een uixotic, +ut it was magni7cent oon the inward meaning o& itleaked out, and the great heart o& the pu+lic was touched Crowds &ollowed the ca+,cheering it lustily5 charming girls scaled it to get his autograph5 inter%iews appearedin the +etter class o& papers, and society in%ited him to dinner and added, ('o comein the kennel(

"n that e%ent&ul Thursday week, Mrs 'arling was in the night6nursery awaiting>eorge)s return home5 a %ery sad6eyed woman 8ow that we look at her closely andremem+er the gaiety o& her in the old days, all gone now ust +ecause she has lost

her +a+es, $ 7nd $ won)t +e a+le to say nasty things a+out her a&ter all $& she was too&ond o& her ru++ishy children, she couldn)t help it ook at her in her chair, where shehas &allen asleep The corner o& her mouth, where one looks 7rst, is almost witheredup 2er hand mo%es restlessly on her +reast as i& she had a pain there ome likePeter +est, and some like !endy +est, +ut $ like her +est uppose, to make herhappy, we whisper to her in her sleep that the +rats are coming +ack They are reallywithin two miles o& the window now, and #ying strong, +ut all we need whisper is thatthey are on the way et)s

$t is a pity we did it, &or she has started up, calling their names5 and there is no one inthe room +ut 8ana

(" 8ana, $ dreamt my dear ones had come +ack(

8ana had 7lmy eyes, +ut all she could do was put her paw gently on her mistress)slap5 and they were sitting together thus when the kennel was +rought +ack As Mr'arling puts his head out to kiss his wi&e, we see that his &ace is more worn than o&yore, +ut has a so&ter expression

2e ga%e his hat to i3a, who took it scorn&ully5 &or she had no imagination, and wasuite incapa+le o& understanding the moti%es o& such a man "utside, the crowd who



$nstead o& &eeling that he was +eha%ing +adly he danced with glee5 then he peepedinto the day6nursery to see who was playing 2e whispered to Tink, ($t)s !endy)s

mother* he is a pretty lady, +ut not so pretty as my mother 2er mouth is &ull o&thim+les, +ut not so &ull as my mother)s was(

"& course he knew nothing whate%er a+out his mother5 +ut he sometimes +raggeda+out her

2e did not know the tune, which was (2ome, weet 2ome,( +ut he knew it wassaying, (Come +ack, !endy, !endy, !endy(5 and he cried exultantly, (-ou will ne%ersee !endy again, lady, &or the window is +arred*(

2e peeped in again to see why the music had stopped, and now he saw that Mrs'arling had laid her head on the +ox, and that two tears were sitting on her eyes

(he wants me to un+ar the window,( thought Peter, (+ut $ won)t, not $*(

2e peeped again, and the tears were still there, or another two had taken their place

(he)s aw&ully &ond o& !endy,( he said to himsel& 2e was angry with her now &or notseeing why she could not ha%e !endy

The reason was so simple: ($)m &ond o& her too !e can)t +oth ha%e her, lady(

But the lady would not make the +est o& it, and he was unhappy 2e ceased to look ather, +ut e%en then she would not let go o& him 2e skipped a+out and made &unny&aces, +ut when he stopped it was ust as i& she were inside him, knocking

("h, all right,( he said at last, and gulped Then he un+arred the window (Come on, Tink,( he cried, with a &right&ul sneer at the laws o& nature5 (we don)t want any sillymothers(5 and he #ew away

Thus !endy and John and Michael &ound the window open &or them a&ter all, which o&course was more than they deser%ed They alighted on the #oor, uite unashamed o&themsel%es, and the youngest one had already &orgotten his home

(John,( he said, looking around him dou+t&ully, ($ think $ ha%e +een here +e&ore(

("& course you ha%e, you silly There is your old +ed(

(o it is,( Michael said, +ut not with much con%iction

($ say,( cried John, (the kennel*( and he dashed across to look into it

(Perhaps 8ana is inside it,( !endy said

But John whistled (2ullo,( he said, (there)s a man inside it(



($t)s &ather*( exclaimed !endy

(et me see &ather,( Michael +egged eagerly, and he took a good look (2e is not so+ig as the pirate $ killed,( he said with such &rank disappointment that $ am glad Mr'arling was asleep5 it would ha%e +een sad i& those had +een the 7rst words he heardhis little Michael say

!endy and John had +een taken a+ack somewhat at 7nding their &ather in thekennel

(urely,( said John, like one who had lost &aith in his memory, (he used not to sleep inthe kennel=(

(John,( !endy said &alteringly, (perhaps we don)t remem+er the old li&e as well as wethought we did(

A chill &ell upon them5 and ser%e them right

($t is %ery careless o& mother,( said that young scoundrel John, (not to +e here whenwe come +ack(

$t was then that Mrs 'arling +egan playing again

($t)s mother*( cried !endy, peeping

(o it is*( said John

(Then are you not really our mother, !endy=( asked Michael, who was surely sleepy

("h dear*( exclaimed !endy, with her 7rst real twinge o& remorse /&or ha%ing gone0,

(it was uite time we came +ack,(

(et us creep in,( John suggested, (and put our hands o%er her eyes(

But !endy, who saw that they must +reak the oyous news more gently, had a +etterplan

(et us all slip into our +eds, and +e there when she comes in, ust as i& we had ne%er+een away(

And so when Mrs 'arling went +ack to the night6nursery to see i& her hus+and wasasleep, all the +eds were occupied The children waited &or her cry o& oy, +ut it didnot come he saw them, +ut she did not +elie%e they were there -ou see, she saw

them in their +eds so o&ten in her dreams that she thought this was ust the dreamhanging around her still

he sat down in the chair +y the 7re, where in the old days she had nursed them

They could not understand this, and a cold &ear &ell upon all the three o& them

(Mother*( !endy cried



(That)s !endy,( she said, +ut still she was sure it was the dream

(Mother*(

(That)s John,( she said

(Mother*( cried Michael 2e knew her now

(That)s Michael,( she said, and she stretched out her arms &or the three little sel7shchildren they would ne%er en%elop again -es, they did, they went round !endy and

John and Michael, who had slipped out o& +ed and run to her

(>eorge, >eorge*( she cried when she could speak5 and Mr 'arling woke to share her+liss, and 8ana came rushing in There could not ha%e +een a lo%elier sight5 +ut therewas none to see it except a little +oy who was staring in at the window 2e had hadecstasies innumera+le that other children can ne%er know5 +ut he was lookingthrough the window at the one oy &rom which he must +e &or e%er +arred

Chapter /&: 1hen 1endy (rew 'p

$ hope you want to know what +ecame o& the other +oys They were waiting +elow togi%e !endy time to explain a+out them5 and when they had counted 7%e hundredthey went up They went up +y the stair, +ecause they thought this would make a+etter impression They stood in a row in &ront o& Mrs 'arling, with their hats o9, andwishing they were not wearing their pirate clothes They said nothing, +ut their eyesasked her to ha%e them They ought to ha%e looked at Mr 'arling also, +ut they&orgot a+out him

"& course Mrs 'arling said at once that she would ha%e them5 +ut Mr 'arling was

curiously depressed, and they saw that he considered six a rather large num+er

($ must say, he said to !endy, (that you don)t do things +y hal%es( a grudgingremark which the twins thought was pointed at them

The 7rst twin was the proud one, and he asked, #ushing, ('o you think we should +etoo much o& a hand&ul, sir= Because, i& so, we can go away(

(;ather*( !endy cried, shocked5 +ut still the cloud was on him 2e knew he was+eha%ing unworthily, +ut he could not help it

(!e could lie dou+led up,( said 8i+s

($ always cut their hair mysel&,( said !endy

(>eorge*( Mrs 'arling exclaimed, pained to see her dear one showing himsel& insuch an un&a%oura+le light

Then he +urst into tears, and the truth came out 2e was as glad to ha%e them as shewas, he said, +ut he thought they should ha%e asked his consent as well as hers,instead o& treating him as a cypher /3ero0 in his own house





("h, all right,( Peter said, as i& he had asked her &rom politeness merely5 +ut Mrs'arling saw his mouth twitch, and she made this handsome o9er: to let !endy go tohim &or a week e%ery year to do his spring cleaning !endy would ha%e pre&erred amore permanent arrangement5 and it seemed to her that spring would +e long incoming5 +ut this promise sent Peter away uite gay again 2e had no sense o& time,and was so &ull o& ad%entures that all $ ha%e told you a+out him is only a hal&penny6

worth o& them $ suppose it was +ecause !endy knew this that her last words to himwere these rather plainti%e ones:

(-ou won)t &orget me, Peter, will you, +e&ore spring cleaning time comes=(

"& course Peter promised5 and then he #ew away 2e took Mrs 'arling)s kiss withhim The kiss that had +een &or no one else, Peter took uite easily ;unny But sheseemed satis7ed

"& course all the +oys went to school5 and most o& them got into Class $$$, +ut lightlywas put 7rst into Class $L and then into Class L Class $ is the top class Be&ore theyhad attended school a week they saw what goats they had +een not to remain on theisland5 +ut it was too late now, and soon they settled down to +eing as ordinary as

you or me or Jenkins minor

/the younger Jenkins0 $t is sad to ha%e to say that the power to #y gradually le&tthem At 7rst 8ana tied their &eet to the +ed6posts so that they should not #y away inthe night5 and one o& their di%ersions +y day was to pretend to &all o9 +uses /the4nglish dou+le6deckers05 +ut +y and +y they ceased to tug at their +onds in +ed, and&ound that they hurt themsel%es when they let go o& the +us $n time they could note%en #y a&ter their hats !ant o& practice, they called it5 +ut what it really meant wasthat they no longer +elie%ed

Michael +elie%ed longer than the other +oys, though they eered at him5 so he waswith !endy when Peter came &or her at the end o& the 7rst year he #ew away withPeter in the &rock she had wo%en &rom lea%es and +erries in the 8e%erland, and herone &ear was that he might notice how short it had +ecome5 +ut he ne%er noticed, hehad so much to say a+out himsel&

he had looked &orward to thrilling talks with him a+out old times, +ut newad%entures had crowded the old ones &rom his mind

(!ho is Captain 2ook=( he asked with interest when she spoke o& the arch enemy

('on)t you remem+er,( she asked, ama3ed, (how you killed him and sa%ed all ourli%es=(

($ &orget them a&ter $ kill them,( he replied carelessly

!hen she expressed a dou+t&ul hope that Tinker Bell would +e glad to see her hesaid, (!ho is Tinker Bell=(

(" Peter,( she said, shocked5 +ut e%en when she explained he could not remem+er

(There are such a lot o& them,( he said ($ expect she is no more(



$ expect he was right, &or &airies don)t li%e long, +ut they are so little that a short timeseems a good while to them

!endy was pained too to 7nd that the past year was +ut as yesterday to Peter5 it hadseemed such a long year o& waiting to her But he was exactly as &ascinating as e%er,and they had a lo%ely spring cleaning in the little house on the tree tops

8ext year he did not come &or her he waited in a new &rock +ecause the old onesimply would not meet5 +ut he ne%er came

(Perhaps he is ill,( Michael said

(-ou know he is ne%er ill(

Michael came close to her and whispered, with a shi%er, (Perhaps there is no suchperson, !endy*( and then !endy would ha%e cried i& Michael had not +een crying

Peter came next spring cleaning5 and the strange thing was that he ne%er knew he

had missed a year

That was the last time the girl !endy e%er saw him ;or a little longer she tried &or hissake not to ha%e growing pains5 and she &elt she was untrue to him when she got apri3e &or general knowledge But the years came and went without +ringing thecareless +oy5 and when they met again !endy was a married woman, and Peter wasno more to her than a little dust in the +ox in which she had kept her toys !endywas grown up -ou need not +e sorry &or her he was one o& the kind that likes togrow up $n the end she grew up o& her own &ree will a day uicker than other girls

All the +oys were grown up and done &or +y this time5 so it is scarcely worth whilesaying anything more a+out them -ou may see the twins and 8i+s and Curly any daygoing to an o<ce, each carrying a little +ag and an um+rella Michael is an engine6

dri%er /train engineer0 lightly married a lady o& title, and so he +ecame a lord -ousee that udge in a wig coming out at the iron door= That used to +e Tootles The+earded man who doesn)t know any story to tell his children was once John

!endy was married in white with a pink sash $t is strange to think that Peter did notalight in the church and &or+id the +anns /&ormal announcement o& a marriage0

-ears rolled on again, and !endy had a daughter This ought not to +e written in ink+ut in a golden splash

he was called Jane, and always had an odd inuiring look, as i& &rom the moment shearri%ed on the mainland she wanted to ask uestions !hen she was old enough toask them they were mostly a+out Peter Pan he lo%ed to hear o& Peter, and !endytold her all she could remem+er in the %ery nursery &rom which the &amous #ight hadtaken place $t was Jane)s nursery now, &or her &ather had +ought it at the three percents /mortgage rate0 &rom !endy)s &ather, who was no longer &ond o& stairs Mrs'arling was now dead and &orgotten

There were only two +eds in the nursery now, Jane)s and her nurse)s5 and there wasno kennel, &or 8ana also had passed away he died o& old age, and at the end shehad +een rather di<cult to get on with5 +eing %ery 7rmly con%inced that no one knewhow to look a&ter children except hersel&



"nce a week Jane)s nurse had her e%ening o95 and then it was !endy)s part to put Jane to +ed That was the time &or stories $t was Jane)s in%ention to raise the sheeto%er her mother)s head and her own, this making a tent, and in the aw&ul darkness towhisper:

(!hat do we see now=(

($ don)t think $ see anything to6night,( says !endy, with a &eeling that i& 8ana werehere she would o+ect to &urther con%ersation

(-es, you do,( says Jan, (you see when you were a little girl(

(That is a long time ago, sweetheart,( says !endy (Ah me, how time #ies*(

('oes it #y,( asks the art&ul child, (the way you #ew when you were a little girl=(

(The way $ #ew= 'o you know, Jane, $ sometimes wonder whether $ e%er did really#y(

(-es, you did(

(The dear old days when $ could #y*(

(!hy can)t you #y now, mother=(

(Because $ am grown up, dearest !hen people grow up they &orget the way(

(!hy do they &orget the way=(

(Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless $t is only the gay andinnocent and heartless who can #y(

(!hat is gay and innocent and heartless= $ do wish $ were gay and innocent andheartless(

"r perhaps !endy admits she does see something

($ do +elie%e,( she says, (that it is this nursery(

($ do +elie%e it is,( says Jane (>o on(

They are now em+arked on the great ad%enture o& the night when Peter #ew inlooking &or his shadow

(The &oolish &ellow,( says !endy, (tried to stick it on with soap, and when he couldnot he cried, and that woke me, and $ sewed it on &or him(



(-ou ha%e missed a +it,( interrupts Jane, who now knows the story +etter than hermother (!hen you saw him sitting on the #oor crying, what did you say=(

($ sat up in +ed and $ said, GBoy, why are you crying=)(

(-es, that was it,( says Jane, with a +ig +reath

(And then he #ew us all away to the 8e%erland and the &airies and the pirates andthe redskins and the mermaid)s lagoon, and the home under the ground, and thelittle house(

(-es* which did you like +est o& all=(

($ think $ liked the home under the ground +est o& all(

(-es, so do $ !hat was the last thing Peter e%er said to you=(

(The last thing he e%er said to me was, GJust always +e waiting &or me, and then

some night you will hear me crowing)(

(-es,(

(But, alas, he &orgot all a+out me,( !endy said it with a smile he was as grown upas that

(!hat did his crow sound like=( Jane asked one e%ening

($t was like this,( !endy said, trying to imitate Peter)s crow

(8o, it wasn)t,( Jane said gra%ely, (it was like this(5 and she did it e%er so much +etter

than her mother

!endy was a little startled (My darling, how can you know=(

($ o&ten hear it when $ am sleeping,( Jane said

(Ah yes, many girls hear it when they are sleeping, +ut $ was the only one who heardit awake(

(ucky you,( said Jane

And then one night came the tragedy $t was the spring o& the year, and the story had

+een told &or the night, and Jane was now asleep in her +ed !endy was sitting on the#oor, %ery close to the 7re, so as to see to darn, &or there was no other light in thenursery5 and while she sat darning she heard a crow Then the window +lew open aso& old, and Peter dropped in on the #oor

2e was exactly the same as e%er, and !endy saw at once that he still had all his 7rstteeth



2e was a little +oy, and she was grown up he huddled +y the 7re not daring tomo%e, helpless and guilty, a +ig woman

(2ullo, !endy,( he said, not noticing any di9erence, &or he was thinking chie#y o&himsel&5 and in the dim light her white dress might ha%e +een the nightgown in whichhe had seen her 7rst

(2ullo, Peter,( she replied &aintly, suee3ing hersel& as small as possi+le omethinginside her was crying !oman, !oman, let go o& me(

(2ullo, where is John=( he asked, suddenly missing the third +ed

(John is not here now,( she gasped

($s Michael asleep=( he asked, with a careless glance at Jane

(-es,( she answered5 and now she &elt that she was untrue to Jane as well as to Peter

(That is not Michael,( she said uickly, lest a udgment should &all on her

Peter looked (2ullo, is it a new one=(

(-es(

(Boy or girl=(

(>irl(

8ow surely he would understand5 +ut not a +it o& it

(Peter,( she said, &altering, (are you expecting me to #y away with you=(

("& course5 that is why $ ha%e come( 2e added a little sternly, (2a%e you &orgottenthat this is spring cleaning time=(

he knew it was useless to say that he had let many spring cleaning times pass

($ can)t come,( she said apologetically, ($ ha%e &orgotten how to #y(

($)ll soon teach you again(

(" Peter, don)t waste the &airy dust on me(

he had risen5 and now at last a &ear assailed him (!hat is it=( he cried, shrinking

($ will turn up the light,( she said, (and then you can see &or yoursel&(

;or almost the only time in his li&e that $ know o&, Peter was a&raid ('on)t turn up thelight,( he cried



he let her hands play in the hair o& the tragic +oy he was not a little girl heart6+roken a+out him5 she was a grown woman smiling at it all, +ut they were wet eyedsmiles

Then she turned up the light, and Peter saw 2e ga%e a cry o& pain5 and when the tall+eauti&ul creature stooped to li&t him in her arms he drew +ack sharply

(!hat is it=( he cried again

he had to tell him

($ am old, Peter $ am e%er so much more than twenty $ grew up long ago(

(-ou promised not to*(

($ couldn)t help it $ am a married woman, Peter(

(8o, you)re not(

(-es, and the little girl in the +ed is my +a+y(

(8o, she)s not(

But he supposed she was5 and he took a step towards the sleeping child with hisdagger upraised "& course he did not strike 2e sat down on the #oor instead andso++ed5 and !endy did not know how to com&ort him, though she could ha%e done itso easily once he was only a woman now, and she ran out o& the room to try tothink

Peter continued to cry, and soon his so+s woke Jane he sat up in +ed, and was

interested at once

(Boy,( she said, (why are you crying=(

Peter rose and +owed to her, and she +owed to him &rom the +ed

(2ullo,( he said

(2ullo,( said Jane

(My name is Peter Pan,( he told her

(-es, $ know(

($ came +ack &or my mother,( he explained, (to take her to the 8e%erland(

(-es, $ know,( Jane said, ($ ha%e +een waiting &or you(

!hen !endy returned di<dently she &ound Peter sitting on the +ed6post crowinggloriously, while Jane in her nighty was #ying round the room in solemn ecstasy



(he is my mother,( Peter explained5 and Jane descended and stood +y his side, withthe look in her &ace that he liked to see on ladies when they ga3ed at him

(2e does so need a mother,( Jane said

(-es, $ know( !endy admitted rather &orlornly5 (no one knows it so well as $(

(>ood6+ye,( said Peter to !endy5 and he rose in the air, and the shameless Jane rosewith him5 it was already her easiest way o& mo%ing a+out

!endy rushed to the window

(8o, no,( she cried

($t is ust &or spring cleaning time,( Jane said, (he wants me always to do his springcleaning(

($& only $ could go with you,( !endy sighed

(-ou see you can)t #y,( said Jane

"& course in the end !endy let them #y away together "ur last glimpse o& her showsher at the window, watching them receding into the sky until they were as small asstars

As you look at !endy, you may see her hair +ecoming white, and her 7gure littleagain, &or all this happened long ago Jane is now a common grown6up, with adaughter called Margaret5 and e%ery spring cleaning time, except when he &orgets,Peter comes &or Margaret and takes her to the 8e%erland, where she tells him storiesa+out himsel&, to which he listens eagerly !hen Margaret grows up she will ha%e adaughter, who is to +e Peter)s mother in turn5 and thus it will go on, so long aschildren are gay and innocent and heartless

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the adventures of peter pan.doc

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