English
OneofthefirstthingsPeterdidnextdaywastomeasureWendyandJohnandMichaelforhollowtrees.
Hook,youremember,hadsneeredattheboysforthinkingtheyneededatreeapiece,butthiswasignorance,forunlessyourtreefittedyouitwasdifficulttogoupanddown,andnotwooftheboyswerequitethesamesize.
Onceyoufitted,youdrewin[letout]yourbreathatthetop,anddownyouwentatexactlytherightspeed,whiletoascendyoudrewinandletoutalternately,andsowriggledup.
Ofcourse,whenyouhavemasteredtheactionyouareabletodothesethingswithoutthinkingofthem,andnothingcanbemoregraceful.
Butyousimplymustfit,andPetermeasuresyouforyourtreeascarefullyasforasuitofclothes:theonlydifferencebeingthattheclothesaremadetofityou,whileyouhavetobemadetofitthetree.
Usuallyitisdonequiteeasily,asbyyourwearingtoomanygarmentsortoofew,butifyouarebumpyinawkwardplacesortheonlyavailabletreeisanoddshape,Peterdoessomethingstoyou,andafterthatyoufit.
Onceyoufit,greatcaremustbetakentogoonfitting,andthis,asWendywastodiscovertoherdelight,keepsawholefamilyinperfectcondition.
WendyandMichaelfittedtheirtreesatthefirsttry,butJohnhadtobealteredalittle.
Afterafewdays'practicetheycouldgoupanddownasgailyasbucketsinawell.
Andhowardentlytheygrewtolovetheirhomeundertheground;especiallyWendy.
Itconsistedofonelargeroom,asallhousesshoulddo,withafloorinwhichyoucoulddig[forworms]ifyouwantedtogofishing,andinthisfloorgrewstoutmushroomsofacharmingcolour,whichwereusedasstools.
ANevertreetriedhardtogrowinthecentreoftheroom,buteverymorningtheysawedthetrunkthrough,levelwiththefloor.
Bytea-timeitwasalwaysabouttwofeethigh,andthentheyputadoorontopofit,thewholethusbecomingatable;assoonastheyclearedaway,theysawedoffthetrunkagain,andthustherewasmoreroomtoplay.
Therewasanenormousfireplacewhichwasinalmostanypartoftheroomwhereyoucaredtolightit,andacrossthisWendystretchedstrings,madeoffibre,fromwhichshesuspendedherwashing.
Thebedwastiltedagainstthewallbyday,andletdownat6:30,whenitfillednearlyhalftheroom;andalltheboyssleptinit,exceptMichael,lyinglikesardinesinatin.
Therewasastrictruleagainstturningrounduntilonegavethesignal,whenallturnedatonce.
Michaelshouldhaveuseditalso,butWendywouldhave[desired]ababy,andhewasthelittlest,andyouknowwhatwomenare,andtheshortandlongofitisthathewashungupinabasket.
Itwasroughandsimple,andnotunlikewhatbabybearswouldhavemadeofanundergroundhouseinthesamecircumstances.
Buttherewasonerecessinthewall,nolargerthanabird-cage,whichwastheprivateapartmentofTinkerBell.
Itcouldbeshutofffromtherestofthehousebyatinycurtain,whichTink,whowasmostfastidious[particular],alwayskeptdrawnwhendressingorundressing.
Nowoman,howeverlarge,couldhavehadamoreexquisiteboudoir[dressingroom]andbed-chambercombined.
Thecouch,asshealwayscalledit,wasagenuineQueenMab,withclublegs;andshevariedthebedspreadsaccordingtowhatfruit-blossomwasinseason.
HermirrorwasaPuss-in-Boots,ofwhichtherearenowonlythree,unchipped,knowntofairydealers;thewashstandwasPie-crustandreversible,thechestofdrawersanauthenticCharmingtheSixth,andthecarpetandrugsthebest(theearly)periodofMargeryandRobin.
TherewasachandelierfromTiddlywinksforthelookofthething,butofcourseshelittheresidenceherself.
Tinkwasverycontemptuousoftherestofthehouse,asindeedwasperhapsinevitable,andherchamber,thoughbeautiful,lookedratherconceited,havingtheappearanceofanosepermanentlyturnedup.
IsupposeitwasallespeciallyentrancingtoWendy,becausethoserampagiousboysofhersgavehersomuchtodo.
Reallytherewerewholeweekswhen,exceptperhapswithastockingintheevening,shewasneveraboveground.
Thecooking,Icantellyou,kepthernosetothepot,andeveniftherewasnothinginit,eveniftherewasnopot,shehadtokeepwatchingthatitcameaboiljustthesame.
Youneverexactlyknewwhethertherewouldbearealmealorjustamake-believe,italldependeduponPeter'swhim:hecouldeat,reallyeat,ifitwaspartofagame,buthecouldnotstodge[cramdownthefood]justtofeelstodgy[stuffedwithfood],whichiswhatmostchildrenlikebetterthananythingelse;thenextbestthingbeingtotalkaboutit.
Make-believewassorealtohimthatduringamealofityoucouldseehimgettingrounder.
Ofcourseitwastrying,butyousimplyhadtofollowhislead,andifyoucouldprovetohimthatyouweregettinglooseforyourtreeheletyoustodge.
Wendy'sfavouritetimeforsewinganddarningwasaftertheyhadallgonetobed.
Then,assheexpressedit,shehadabreathingtimeforherself;andsheoccupieditinmakingnewthingsforthem,andputtingdoublepiecesontheknees,fortheywereallmostfrightfullyhardontheirknees.
Whenshesatdowntoabasketfuloftheirstockings,everyheelwithaholeinit,shewouldflingupherarmsandexclaim,"Ohdear,IamsureIsometimesthinkspinstersaretobeenvied!"
Herfacebeamedwhensheexclaimedthis.
Yourememberaboutherpetwolf.Well,itverysoondiscoveredthatshehadcometotheislandanditfoundherout,andtheyjustranintoeachother'sarms.
Afterthatitfollowedherabouteverywhere.
Astimeworeondidshethinkmuchaboutthebelovedparentsshehadleftbehindher?
Thisisadifficultquestion,becauseitisquiteimpossibletosayhowtimedoeswearonintheNeverland,whereitiscalculatedbymoonsandsuns,andthereareeversomanymoreofthemthanonthemainland.
ButIamafraidthatWendydidnotreallyworryaboutherfatherandmother;shewasabsolutelyconfidentthattheywouldalwayskeepthewindowopenforhertoflybackby,andthisgavehercompleteeaseofmind.
WhatdiddisturbherattimeswasthatJohnrememberedhisparentsvaguelyonly,aspeoplehehadonceknown,whileMichaelwasquitewillingtobelievethatshewasreallyhismother.
Thesethingsscaredheralittle,andnoblyanxioustodoherduty,shetriedtofixtheoldlifeintheirmindsbysettingthemexaminationpapersonit,aslikeaspossibletotheonessheusedtodoatschool.
Theotherboysthoughtthisawfullyinteresting,andinsistedonjoining,andtheymadeslatesforthemselves,andsatroundthetable,writingandthinkinghardaboutthequestionsshehadwrittenonanotherslateandpassedround.
Theywerethemostordinaryquestions—"WhatwasthecolourofMother'seyes?Whichwastaller,FatherorMother?WasMotherblondeorbrunette?
Answerallthreequestionsifpossible.""
(A)Writeanessayofnotlessthan40wordsonHowIspentmylastHolidays,orTheCharactersofFatherandMothercompared.Onlyoneofthesetobeattempted."
Or"(1)DescribeMother'slaugh;(2)DescribeFather'slaugh;(3)DescribeMother'sPartyDress;(4)DescribetheKennelanditsInmate."
Theywerejusteverydayquestionslikethese,andwhenyoucouldnotanswerthemyouweretoldtomakeacross;anditwasreallydreadfulwhatanumberofcrossesevenJohnmade.
OfcoursetheonlyboywhorepliedtoeveryquestionwasSlightly,andnoonecouldhavebeenmorehopefulofcomingoutfirst,buthisanswerswereperfectlyridiculous,andhereallycameoutlast:amelancholything.
Peterdidnotcompete.ForonethinghedespisedallmothersexceptWendy,andforanotherhewastheonlyboyontheislandwhocouldneitherwritenorspell;notthesmallestword.Hewasaboveallthatsortofthing.
Bytheway,thequestionswereallwritteninthepasttense.WhatwasthecolourofMother'seyes,andsoon.Wendy,yousee,hadbeenforgetting,too.
Adventures,ofcourse,asweshallsee,wereofdailyoccurrence;butaboutthistimePeterinvented,withWendy'shelp,anewgamethatfascinatedhimenormously,untilhesuddenlyhadnomoreinterestinit,which,asyouhavebeentold,waswhatalwayshappenedwithhisgames.
Itconsistedinpretendingnottohaveadventures,indoingthesortofthingJohnandMichaelhadbeendoingalltheirlives,sittingonstoolsflingingballsintheair,pushingeachother,goingoutforwalksandcomingbackwithouthavingkilledsomuchasagrizzly.
ToseePeterdoingnothingonastoolwasagreatsight;hecouldnothelplookingsolemnatsuchtimes,tositstillseemedtohimsuchacomicthingtodo.
Heboastedthathehadgonewalkingforthegoodofhishealth.
Forseveralsunsthesewerethemostnovelofalladventurestohim;andJohnandMichaelhadtopretendtobedelightedalso;otherwisehewouldhavetreatedthemseverely.
Heoftenwentoutalone,andwhenhecamebackyouwereneverabsolutelycertainwhetherhehadhadanadventureornot.
Hemighthaveforgottenitsocompletelythathesaidnothingaboutit;andthenwhenyouwentoutyoufoundthebody;and,ontheotherhand,hemightsayagreatdealaboutit,andyetyoucouldnotfindthebody.
Sometimeshecamehomewithhisheadbandaged,andthenWendycooedoverhimandbatheditinlukewarmwater,whilehetoldadazzlingtale.Butshewasneverquitesure,youknow.
Therewere,however,manyadventureswhichsheknewtobetruebecauseshewasinthemherself,andtherewerestillmorethatwereatleastpartlytrue,fortheotherboyswereinthemandsaidtheywerewhollytrue.
TodescribethemallwouldrequireabookaslargeasanEnglish-Latin,Latin-EnglishDictionary,andthemostwecandoistogiveoneasaspecimenofanaveragehourontheisland.Thedifficultyiswhichonetochoose.
ShouldwetakethebrushwiththeredskinsatSlightlyGulch?
Itwasasanguinary[cheerful]affair,andespeciallyinterestingasshowingoneofPeter'speculiarities,whichwasthatinthemiddleofafighthewouldsuddenlychangesides.
AttheGulch,whenvictorywasstillinthebalance,sometimesleaningthiswayandsometimesthat,hecalledout,"I'mredskinto-day;whatareyou,Tootles?"
AndTootlesanswered,"Redskin;whatareyou,Nibs?"
andNibssaid,"Redskin;whatareyouTwin?"
andsoon;andtheywereallredskins;andofcoursethiswouldhaveendedthefighthadnottherealredskinsfascinatedbyPeter'smethods,agreedtobelostboysforthatonce,andsoatittheyallwentagain,morefiercelythanever.
Theextraordinaryupshotofthisadventurewas—butwehavenotdecidedyetthatthisistheadventurewearetonarrate.
Perhapsabetteronewouldbethenightattackbytheredskinsonthehouseundertheground,whenseveralofthemstuckinthehollowtreesandhadtobepulledoutlikecorks.
OrwemighttellhowPetersavedTigerLily'slifeintheMermaids'Lagoon,andsomadeherhisally.
Orwecouldtellofthatcakethepiratescookedsothattheboysmighteatitandperish;andhowtheyplaceditinonecunningspotafteranother;butalwaysWendysnatcheditfromthehandsofherchildren,sothatintimeitlostitssucculence,andbecameashardasastone,andwasusedasamissile,andHookfelloveritinthedark.
OrsupposewetellofthebirdsthatwerePeter'sfriends,particularlyoftheNeverbirdthatbuiltinatreeoverhangingthelagoon,andhowthenestfellintothewater,andstillthebirdsatonhereggs,andPetergaveordersthatshewasnottobedisturbed.
Thatisaprettystory,andtheendshowshowgratefulabirdcanbe;butifwetellitwemustalsotellthewholeadventureofthelagoon,whichwouldofcoursebetellingtwoadventuresratherthanjustone.
Ashorteradventure,andquiteasexciting,wasTinkerBell'sattempt,withthehelpofsomestreetfairies,tohavethesleepingWendyconveyedonagreatfloatingleaftothemainland.
FortunatelytheleafgavewayandWendywoke,thinkingitwasbath-time,andswamback.
Oragain,wemightchoosePeter'sdefianceofthelions,whenhedrewacircleroundhimonthegroundwithanarrowanddaredthemtocrossit;andthoughhewaitedforhours,withtheotherboysandWendylookingonbreathlesslyfromtrees,notoneofthemdaredtoaccepthischallenge.
Whichoftheseadventuresshallwechoose?Thebestwaywillbetotossforit.
Ihavetossed,andthelagoonhaswon.ThisalmostmakesonewishthatthegulchorthecakeorTink'sleafhadwon.
OfcourseIcoulddoitagain,andmakeitbestoutofthree;however,perhapsfairesttosticktothelagoon.
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