Oneimportantresultofthebrush[withthepirates]onthelagoonwasthatitmadetheredskinstheirfriends. PeterhadsavedTigerLilyfromadreadfulfate,andnowtherewasnothingsheandherbraveswouldnotdoforhim. Allnighttheysatabove,keepingwatchoverthehomeunderthegroundandawaitingthebigattackbythepirateswhichobviouslycouldnotbemuchlongerdelayed. Evenbydaytheyhungabout,smokingthepipeofpeace,andlookingalmostasiftheywantedtit-bitstoeat. TheycalledPetertheGreatWhiteFather,prostratingthemselves[lyingdown]beforehim;andhelikedthistremendously,sothatitwasnotreallygoodforhim. "Thegreatwhitefather,"hewouldsaytotheminaverylordlymanner,astheygrovelledathisfeet,"isgladtoseethePiccaninnywarriorsprotectinghiswigwamfromthepirates." "MeTigerLily,"thatlovelycreaturewouldreply."PeterPansaveme,mehisvellynicefriend.Menoletpirateshurthim." Shewasfartooprettytocringeinthisway,butPeterthoughtithisdue,andhewouldanswercondescendingly,"Itisgood.PeterPanhasspoken." Alwayswhenhesaid,"PeterPanhasspoken,"itmeantthattheymustnowshutup,andtheyacceptedithumblyinthatspirit;buttheywerebynomeanssorespectfultotheotherboys,whomtheylookeduponasjustordinarybraves.Theysaid"How-do?" tothem,andthingslikethat;andwhatannoyedtheboyswasthatPeterseemedtothinkthisallright. SecretlyWendysympathisedwiththemalittle,butshewasfartooloyalahousewifetolistentoanycomplaintsagainstfather. "Fatherknowsbest,"shealwayssaid,whateverherprivateopinionmustbe. Herprivateopinionwasthattheredskinsshouldnotcallherasquaw. WehavenowreachedtheeveningthatwastobeknownamongthemastheNightofNights,becauseofitsadventuresandtheirupshot. Theday,asifquietlygatheringitsforces,hadbeenalmostuneventful,andnowtheredskinsintheirblanketswereattheirpostsabove,while,below,thechildrenwerehavingtheireveningmeal;allexceptPeter,whohadgoneouttogetthetime. Thewayyougotthetimeontheislandwastofindthecrocodile,andthenstaynearhimtilltheclockstruck. Themealhappenedtobeamake-believetea,andtheysataroundtheboard,guzzlingintheirgreed;andreally,whatwiththeirchatterandrecriminations,thenoise,asWendysaid,waspositivelydeafening. Tobesure,shedidnotmindnoise,butshesimplywouldnothavethemgrabbingthings,andthenexcusingthemselvesbysayingthatTootleshadpushedtheirelbow. Therewasafixedrulethattheymustneverhitbackatmeals,butshouldreferthematterofdisputetoWendybyraisingtherightarmpolitelyandsaying,"Icomplainofso-and-so;"butwhatusuallyhappenedwasthattheyforgottodothisordidittoomuch. "Silence,"criedWendywhenforthetwentiethtimeshehadtoldthemthattheywerenotalltospeakatonce."Isyourmugempty,Slightlydarling?" "Notquiteempty,mummy,"Slightlysaid,afterlookingintoanimaginarymug. "Hehasn'tevenbeguntodrinkhismilk,"Nibsinterposed. Thiswastelling,andSlightlyseizedhischance. "IcomplainofNibs,"hecriedpromptly. John,however,hadhelduphishandfirst. "MayIsitinPeter'schair,asheisnothere?" "Sitinfather'schair,John!"Wendywasscandalised."Certainlynot." "Heisnotreallyourfather,"Johnanswered."Hedidn'tevenknowhowafatherdoestillIshowedhim." Thiswasgrumbling."WecomplainofJohn,"criedthetwins. Tootleshelduphishand.Hewassomuchthehumblestofthem,indeedhewastheonlyhumbleone,thatWendywasspeciallygentlewithhim. "Idon'tsuppose,"Tootlessaiddiffidently[bashfullyortimidly],"thatIcouldbefather." OnceTootlesbegan,whichwasnotveryoften,hehadasillywayofgoingon. "AsIcan'tbefather,"hesaidheavily,"Idon'tsuppose,Michael,youwouldletmebebaby?" "No,Iwon't,"Michaelrappedout.Hewasalreadyinhisbasket. "AsIcan'tbebaby,"Tootlessaid,gettingheavierandheavierandheavier,"doyouthinkIcouldbeatwin?" "No,indeed,"repliedthetwins;"it'sawfullydifficulttobeatwin." "AsIcan'tbeanythingimportant,"saidTootles,"wouldanyofyouliketoseemedoatrick?" Thenatlasthestopped."Ihadn'treallyanyhope,"hesaid. Thehatefultellingbrokeoutagain. "Slightlyiscoughingonthetable." "Thetwinsbeganwithcheese-cakes." "Curlyistakingbothbutterandhoney." "Nibsisspeakingwithhismouthfull." "Ohdear,ohdear,"criedWendy,"I'msureIsometimesthinkthatspinstersaretobeenvied." Shetoldthemtoclearaway,andsatdowntoherwork-basket,aheavyloadofstockingsandeverykneewithaholeinitasusual. "Wendy,"remonstrated[scolded]Michael,"I'mtoobigforacradle." "Imusthavesomebodyinacradle,"shesaidalmosttartly,"andyouarethelittlest.Acradleissuchanicehomelythingtohaveaboutahouse." Whileshesewedtheyplayedaroundher;suchagroupofhappyfacesanddancinglimbslitupbythatromanticfire. Ithadbecomeaveryfamiliarscene,this,inthehomeundertheground,butwearelookingonitforthelasttime. Therewasastepabove,andWendy,youmaybesure,wasthefirsttorecognizeit. "Children,Ihearyourfather'sstep.Helikesyoutomeethimatthedoor." Above,theredskinscrouchedbeforePeter. "Watchwell,braves.Ihavespoken." Andthen,assooftenbefore,thegaychildrendraggedhimfromhistree.Assooftenbefore,butneveragain. HehadbroughtnutsfortheboysaswellasthecorrecttimeforWendy. "Peter,youjustspoilthem,youknow,"Wendysimpered[exaggeratedasmile]. "Ah,oldlady,"saidPeter,hanginguphisgun. "Itwasmetoldhimmothersarecalledoldlady,"MichaelwhisperedtoCurly. "IcomplainofMichael,"saidCurlyinstantly. ThefirsttwincametoPeter."Father,wewanttodance." "Danceaway,mylittleman,"saidPeter,whowasinhighgoodhumour. Peterwasreallythebestdanceramongthem,buthepretendedtobescandalised. "Me!Myoldboneswouldrattle!" "What,"criedWendy,"themotherofsuchanarmful,dance!" "ButonaSaturdaynight,"Slightlyinsinuated. ItwasnotreallySaturdaynight,atleastitmayhavebeen,fortheyhadlonglostcountofthedays;butalwaysiftheywantedtodoanythingspecialtheysaidthiswasSaturdaynight,andthentheydidit. "OfcourseitisSaturdaynight,Peter,"Wendysaid,relenting. "Peopleofourfigure,Wendy!" "Butitisonlyamongourownprogeny[children]." Sotheyweretoldtheycoulddance,buttheymustputontheirnightiesfirst. "Ah,oldlady,"PetersaidasidetoWendy,warminghimselfbythefireandlookingdownatherasshesatturningaheel,"thereisnothingmorepleasantofaneveningforyouandmewhentheday'stoilisoverthantorestbythefirewiththelittleonesnearby." "Itissweet,Peter,isn'tit?"Wendysaid,frightfullygratified."Peter,IthinkCurlyhasyournose." Shewenttohimandputherhandonhisshoulder. "DearPeter,"shesaid,"withsuchalargefamily,ofcourse,Ihavenowpassedmybest,butyoudon'twantto[ex]changeme,doyou?" Certainlyhedidnotwantachange,buthelookedatheruncomfortably,blinking,youknow,likeonenotsurewhetherhewasawakeorasleep. "Iwasjustthinking,"hesaid,alittlescared."Itisonlymake-believe,isn'tit,thatIamtheirfather?" "Ohyes,"Wendysaidprimly[formallyandproperly]. "Yousee,"hecontinuedapologetically,"itwouldmakemeseemsooldtobetheirrealfather." "Buttheyareours,Peter,yoursandmine." "Butnotreally,Wendy?"heaskedanxiously. "Notifyoudon'twishit,"shereplied;andshedistinctlyheardhissighofrelief."Peter,"sheasked,tryingtospeakfirmly,"whatareyourexactfeelingsto[about]me?" "Thoseofadevotedson,Wendy." "Ithoughtso,"shesaid,andwentandsatbyherselfattheextremeendoftheroom. "Youaresoqueer,"hesaid,franklypuzzled,"andTigerLilyisjustthesame.Thereissomethingshewantstobetome,butshesaysitisnotmymother." "No,indeed,itisnot,"Wendyrepliedwithfrightfulemphasis.Nowweknowwhyshewasprejudicedagainsttheredskins. "Oh,verywell,"Petersaid,alittlenettled."PerhapsTinkerBellwilltellme." "Ohyes,TinkerBellwilltellyou,"Wendyretortedscornfully."Sheisanabandonedlittlecreature." HereTink,whowasinherbedroom,eavesdropping,squeakedoutsomethingimpudent. "Shesaysshegloriesinbeingabandoned,"Peterinterpreted. Hehadasuddenidea."PerhapsTinkwantstobemymother?" "Yousillyass!"criedTinkerBellinapassion. ShehadsaiditsooftenthatWendyneedednotranslation. "Ialmostagreewithher,"Wendysnapped.FancyWendysnapping! Butshehadbeenmuchtried,andshelittleknewwhatwastohappenbeforethenightwasout. Ifshehadknownshewouldnothavesnapped. Noneofthemknew.Perhapsitwasbestnottoknow. Theirignorancegavethemonemoregladhour;andasitwastobetheirlasthourontheisland,letusrejoicethatthereweresixtygladminutesinit. Theysanganddancedintheirnight-gowns. Suchadeliciouslycreepysongitwas,inwhichtheypretendedtobefrightenedattheirownshadows,littlewittingthatsosoonshadowswouldcloseinuponthem,fromwhomtheywouldshrinkinrealfear. Souproariouslygaywasthedance,andhowtheybuffetedeachotheronthebedandoutofit! Itwasapillowfightratherthanadance,andwhenitwasfinished,thepillowsinsistedononeboutmore,likepartnerswhoknowthattheymaynevermeetagain. Thestoriestheytold,beforeitwastimeforWendy'sgood-nightstory! EvenSlightlytriedtotellastorythatnight,butthebeginningwassofearfullydullthatitappallednotonlytheothersbuthimself,andhesaidhappily: "Yes,itisadullbeginning.Isay,letuspretendthatitistheend." AndthenatlasttheyallgotintobedforWendy'sstory,thestorytheylovedbest,thestoryPeterhated. Usuallywhenshebegantotellthisstoryhelefttheroomorputhishandsoverhisears;andpossiblyifhehaddoneeitherofthosethingsthistimetheymightallstillbeontheisland. Butto-nightheremainedonhisstool;andweshallseewhathappened. 
