English
ForamomentafterMr.andMrs.Darlingleftthehousethenight-lightsbythebedsofthethreechildrencontinuedtoburnclearly.
Theywereawfullynicelittlenight-lights,andonecannothelpwishingthattheycouldhavekeptawaketoseePeter;butWendy'slightblinkedandgavesuchayawnthattheothertwoyawnedalso,andbeforetheycouldclosetheirmouthsallthethreewentout.
Therewasanotherlightintheroomnow,athousandtimesbrighterthanthenight-lights,andinthetimewehavetakentosaythis,ithadbeeninallthedrawersinthenursery,lookingforPeter'sshadow,rummagedthewardrobeandturnedeverypocketinsideout.
Itwasnotreallyalight;itmadethislightbyflashingaboutsoquickly,butwhenitcametorestforasecondyousawitwasafairy,nolongerthanyourhand,butstillgrowing.
ItwasagirlcalledTinkerBellexquisitelygownedinaskeletonleaf,cutlowandsquare,throughwhichherfigurecouldbeseentothebestadvantage.
ShewasslightlyinclinedtoEMBONPOINT.[plumphourglassfigure]
Amomentafterthefairy'sentrancethewindowwasblownopenbythebreathingofthelittlestars,andPeterdroppedin.
HehadcarriedTinkerBellpartoftheway,andhishandwasstillmessywiththefairydust.
"TinkerBell,"hecalledsoftly,aftermakingsurethatthechildrenwereasleep,"Tink,whereareyou?"Shewasinajugforthemoment,andlikingitextremely;shehadneverbeeninajugbefore.
"Oh,docomeoutofthatjug,andtellme,doyouknowwheretheyputmyshadow?"
Theloveliesttinkleasofgoldenbellsansweredhim.Itisthefairylanguage.Youordinarychildrencanneverhearit,butifyouweretohearityouwouldknowthatyouhadhearditoncebefore.
Tinksaidthattheshadowwasinthebigbox.
Shemeantthechestofdrawers,andPeterjumpedatthedrawers,scatteringtheircontentstothefloorwithbothhands,askingstossha'pencetothecrowd.
Inamomenthehadrecoveredhisshadow,andinhisdelightheforgotthathehadshutTinkerBellupinthedrawer.
Ifhethoughtatall,butIdon'tbelieveheeverthought,itwasthatheandhisshadow,whenbroughtneareachother,wouldjoinlikedropsofwater,andwhentheydidnothewasappalled.
Hetriedtostickitonwithsoapfromthebathroom,butthatalsofailed.
AshudderpassedthroughPeter,andhesatonthefloorandcried.
HissobswokeWendy,andshesatupinbed.Shewasnotalarmedtoseeastrangercryingonthenurseryfloor;shewasonlypleasantlyinterested.
"Boy,"shesaidcourteously,"whyareyoucrying?"
Petercouldbeexceedingpolitealso,havinglearnedthegrandmanneratfairyceremonies,andheroseandbowedtoherbeautifully.Shewasmuchpleased,andbowedbeautifullytohimfromthebed.
"What'syourname?"heasked.
"WendyMoiraAngelaDarling,"sherepliedwithsomesatisfaction."Whatisyourname?"
"PeterPan."
ShewasalreadysurethathemustbePeter,butitdidseemacomparativelyshortname.
"Isthatall?"
"Yes,"hesaidrathersharply.Hefeltforthefirsttimethatitwasashortishname.
"I'msosorry,"saidWendyMoiraAngela.
"Itdoesn'tmatter,"Petergulped.
Sheaskedwherehelived.
"Secondtotheright,"saidPeter,"andthenstraightontillmorning."
"Whatafunnyaddress!"
Peterhadasinking.Forthefirsttimehefeltthatperhapsitwasafunnyaddress.
"No,itisn't,"hesaid.
"Imean,"Wendysaidnicely,rememberingthatshewashostess,"isthatwhattheyputontheletters?"
Hewishedshehadnotmentionedletters.
"Don'tgetanyletters,"hesaidcontemptuously.
"Butyourmothergetsletters?"
"Don'thaveamother,"hesaid.Notonlyhadhenomother,buthehadnottheslightestdesiretohaveone.
Hethoughtthemveryover-ratedpersons.
Wendy,however,feltatoncethatshewasinthepresenceofatragedy.
"OPeter,nowonderyouwerecrying,"shesaid,andgotoutofbedandrantohim.
"Iwasn'tcryingaboutmothers,"hesaidratherindignantly."IwascryingbecauseIcan'tgetmyshadowtostickon.Besides,Iwasn'tcrying."
"Ithascomeoff?"
"Yes."
ThenWendysawtheshadowonthefloor,lookingsodraggled,andshewasfrightfullysorryforPeter."Howawful!"
shesaid,butshecouldnothelpsmilingwhenshesawthathehadbeentryingtostickitonwithsoap.Howexactlylikeaboy!
Fortunatelysheknewatoncewhattodo."Itmustbesewnon,"shesaid,justalittlepatronisingly.
"What'ssewn?"heasked.
"You'redreadfullyignorant."
"No,I'mnot."
Butshewasexultinginhisignorance."Ishallsewitonforyou,mylittleman,"shesaid,thoughhewastallasherself,andshegotoutherhousewife[sewingbag],andsewedtheshadowontoPeter'sfoot.
"Idaresayitwillhurtalittle,"shewarnedhim.
"Oh,Ishan'tcry,"saidPeter,whowasalreadyoftheopinionthathehadnevercriedinhislife.
Andheclenchedhisteethanddidnotcry,andsoonhisshadowwasbehavingproperly,thoughstillalittlecreased.
"PerhapsIshouldhaveironedit,"Wendysaidthoughtfully,butPeter,boylike,wasindifferenttoappearances,andhewasnowjumpingaboutinthewildestglee.
Alas,hehadalreadyforgottenthatheowedhisblisstoWendy.
Hethoughthehadattachedtheshadowhimself."HowcleverIam!"
hecrowedrapturously,"oh,theclevernessofme!"
ItishumiliatingtohavetoconfessthatthisconceitofPeterwasoneofhismostfascinatingqualities.Toputitwithbrutalfrankness,thereneverwasacockierboy.
ButforthemomentWendywasshocked."Youconceit[braggart],"sheexclaimed,withfrightfulsarcasm;"ofcourseIdidnothing!"
"Youdidalittle,"Petersaidcarelessly,andcontinuedtodance.
"Alittle!"sherepliedwithhauteur[pride];"ifIamnouseIcanatleastwithdraw,"andshespranginthemostdignifiedwayintobedandcoveredherfacewiththeblankets.
Toinducehertolookuphepretendedtobegoingaway,andwhenthisfailedhesatontheendofthebedandtappedhergentlywithhisfoot."Wendy,"hesaid,"don'twithdraw.
Ican'thelpcrowing,Wendy,whenI'mpleasedwithmyself."
Stillshewouldnotlookup,thoughshewaslisteningeagerly.
"Wendy,"hecontinued,inavoicethatnowomanhaseveryetbeenabletoresist,"Wendy,onegirlismoreusethantwentyboys."
NowWendywaseveryinchawoman,thoughtherewerenotverymanyinches,andshepeepedoutofthebed-clothes.
"Doyoureallythinkso,Peter?"
"Yes,Ido."
"Ithinkit'sperfectlysweetofyou,"shedeclared,"andI'llgetupagain,"andshesatwithhimonthesideofthebed.
Shealsosaidshewouldgivehimakissifheliked,butPeterdidnotknowwhatshemeant,andheheldouthishandexpectantly.
"Surelyyouknowwhatakissis?"sheasked,aghast.
"Ishallknowwhenyougiveittome,"herepliedstiffly,andnottohurthisfeelingshegavehimathimble.
"Now,"saidhe,"shallIgiveyouakiss?"
andsherepliedwithaslightprimness,"Ifyouplease."
Shemadeherselfrathercheapbyincliningherfacetowardhim,buthemerelydroppedanacornbuttonintoherhand,sosheslowlyreturnedherfacetowhereithadbeenbefore,andsaidnicelythatshewouldwearhiskissonthechainaroundherneck.
Itwasluckythatshedidputitonthatchain,foritwasafterwardstosaveherlife.
Whenpeopleinoursetareintroduced,itiscustomaryforthemtoaskeachother'sage,andsoWendy,whoalwayslikedtodothecorrectthing,askedPeterhowoldhewas.
Itwasnotreallyahappyquestiontoaskhim;itwaslikeanexaminationpaperthatasksgrammar,whenwhatyouwanttobeaskedisKingsofEngland.
"Idon'tknow,"hereplieduneasily,"butIamquiteyoung."Hereallyknewnothingaboutit,hehadmerelysuspicions,buthesaidataventure,"Wendy,IranawaythedayIwasborn."
Wendywasquitesurprised,butinterested;andsheindicatedinthecharmingdrawing-roommanner,byatouchonhernight-gown,thathecouldsitnearerher.
"ItwasbecauseIheardfatherandmother,"heexplainedinalowvoice,"talkingaboutwhatIwastobewhenIbecameaman."Hewasextraordinarilyagitatednow.
"Idon'twantevertobeaman,"hesaidwithpassion.
"Iwantalwaystobealittleboyandtohavefun.
SoIranawaytoKensingtonGardensandlivedalonglongtimeamongthefairies."
Shegavehimalookofthemostintenseadmiration,andhethoughtitwasbecausehehadrunaway,butitwasreallybecauseheknewfairies.
Wendyhadlivedsuchahomelifethattoknowfairiesstruckherasquitedelightful.
Shepouredoutquestionsaboutthem,tohissurprise,fortheywereratheranuisancetohim,gettinginhiswayandsoon,andindeedhesometimeshadtogivethemahiding[spanking].
Still,helikedthemonthewhole,andhetoldheraboutthebeginningoffairies.
"Yousee,Wendy,whenthefirstbabylaughedforthefirsttime,itslaughbrokeintoathousandpieces,andtheyallwentskippingabout,andthatwasthebeginningoffairies."
Tedioustalkthis,butbeingastay-at-homeshelikedit.
"Andso,"hewentongood-naturedly,"thereoughttobeonefairyforeveryboyandgirl."
"Oughttobe?Isn'tthere?"
"No.Youseechildrenknowsuchalotnow,theysoondon'tbelieveinfairies,andeverytimeachildsays,'Idon'tbelieveinfairies,'thereisafairysomewherethatfallsdowndead."
Really,hethoughttheyhadnowtalkedenoughaboutfairies,anditstruckhimthatTinkerBellwaskeepingveryquiet.
"Ican'tthinkwhereshehasgoneto,"hesaid,rising,andhecalledTinkbyname.
Wendy'sheartwentflutterwithasuddenthrill.
"Peter,"shecried,clutchinghim,"youdon'tmeantotellmethatthereisafairyinthisroom!"
"Shewasherejustnow,"hesaidalittleimpatiently."Youdon'thearher,doyou?"andtheybothlistened.
"TheonlysoundIhear,"saidWendy,"islikeatinkleofbells."
"Well,that'sTink,that'sthefairylanguage.IthinkIhearhertoo."
Thesoundcomefromthechestofdrawers,andPetermadeamerryface.NoonecouldeverlookquitesomerryasPeter,andtheloveliestofgurgleswashislaugh.Hehadhisfirstlaughstill.
"Wendy,"hewhisperedgleefully,"IdobelieveIshutherupinthedrawer!"
HeletpoorTinkoutofthedrawer,andsheflewaboutthenurseryscreamingwithfury.
"Youshouldn'tsaysuchthings,"Peterretorted.
"OfcourseI'mverysorry,buthowcouldIknowyouwereinthedrawer?"
Wendywasnotlisteningtohim."OPeter,"shecried,"ifshewouldonlystandstillandletmeseeher!"
"Theyhardlyeverstandstill,"hesaid,butforonemomentWendysawtheromanticfigurecometorestonthecuckooclock."Othelovely!"
shecried,thoughTink'sfacewasstilldistortedwithpassion.
Share this article to
FINISH