English
Ihopeyouwanttoknowwhatbecameoftheotherboys.
TheywerewaitingbelowtogiveWendytimetoexplainaboutthem;andwhentheyhadcountedfivehundredtheywentup.
Theywentupbythestair,becausetheythoughtthiswouldmakeabetterimpression.
TheystoodinarowinfrontofMrs.Darling,withtheirhatsoff,andwishingtheywerenotwearingtheirpirateclothes.
Theysaidnothing,buttheireyesaskedhertohavethem.
TheyoughttohavelookedatMr.Darlingalso,buttheyforgotabouthim.
OfcourseMrs.Darlingsaidatoncethatshewouldhavethem;butMr.Darlingwascuriouslydepressed,andtheysawthatheconsideredsixaratherlargenumber.
"Imustsay,"hesaidtoWendy,"thatyoudon'tdothingsbyhalves,"agrudgingremarkwhichthetwinsthoughtwaspointedatthem.
Thefirsttwinwastheproudone,andheasked,flushing,"Doyouthinkweshouldbetoomuchofahandful,sir?Because,ifso,wecangoaway."
"Father!"Wendycried,shocked;butstillthecloudwasonhim.Heknewhewasbehavingunworthily,buthecouldnothelpit.
"Wecouldliedoubledup,"saidNibs.
"Ialwayscuttheirhairmyself,"saidWendy.
"George!"Mrs.Darlingexclaimed,painedtoseeherdearoneshowinghimselfinsuchanunfavourablelight.
Thenheburstintotears,andthetruthcameout.
Hewasasgladtohavethemasshewas,hesaid,buthethoughttheyshouldhaveaskedhisconsentaswellashers,insteadoftreatinghimasacypher[zero]inhisownhouse.
"Idon'tthinkheisacypher,"Tootlescriedinstantly."Doyouthinkheisacypher,Curly?"
"No,Idon't.Doyouthinkheisacypher,Slightly?"
"Rathernot.Twin,whatdoyouthink?"
Itturnedoutthatnotoneofthemthoughthimacypher;andhewasabsurdlygratified,andsaidhewouldfindspaceforthemallinthedrawing-roomiftheyfittedin.
"We'llfitin,sir,"theyassuredhim.
"Thenfollowtheleader,"hecriedgaily."Mindyou,Iamnotsurethatwehaveadrawing-room,butwepretendwehave,andit'sallthesame.Hoopla!"
Hewentoffdancingthroughthehouse,andtheyallcried"Hoopla!"
anddancedafterhim,searchingforthedrawing-room;andIforgetwhethertheyfoundit,butatanyratetheyfoundcorners,andtheyallfittedin.
AsforPeter,hesawWendyonceagainbeforeheflewaway.
Hedidnotexactlycometothewindow,buthebrushedagainstitinpassingsothatshecouldopenitifshelikedandcalltohim.Thatiswhatshedid.
"Hullo,Wendy,good-bye,"hesaid.
"Ohdear,areyougoingaway?"
"Yes."
"Youdon'tfeel,Peter,"shesaidfalteringly,"thatyouwouldliketosayanythingtomyparentsaboutaverysweetsubject?"
"No."
"Aboutme,Peter?"
"No."
Mrs.Darlingcametothewindow,foratpresentshewaskeepingasharpeyeonWendy.ShetoldPeterthatshehadadoptedalltheotherboys,andwouldliketoadopthimalso.
"Wouldyousendmetoschool?"heinquiredcraftily.
"Yes."
"Andthentoanoffice?"
"Isupposeso."
"SoonIwouldbeaman?"
"Verysoon."
"Idon'twanttogotoschoolandlearnsolemnthings,"hetoldherpassionately."Idon'twanttobeaman.OWendy'smother,ifIwastowakeupandfeeltherewasabeard!"
"Peter,"saidWendythecomforter,"Ishouldloveyouinabeard;"andMrs.Darlingstretchedoutherarmstohim,butherepulsedher.
"Keepback,lady,nooneisgoingtocatchmeandmakemeaman."
"Butwhereareyougoingtolive?"
"WithTinkinthehousewebuiltforWendy.Thefairiesaretoputithighupamongthetreetopswheretheysleepatnights."
"Howlovely,"criedWendysolonginglythatMrs.Darlingtightenedhergrip.
"Ithoughtallthefairiesweredead,"Mrs.Darlingsaid.
"Therearealwaysalotofyoungones,"explainedWendy,whowasnowquiteanauthority,"becauseyouseewhenanewbabylaughsforthefirsttimeanewfairyisborn,andastherearealwaysnewbabiestherearealwaysnewfairies.
Theyliveinnestsonthetopsoftrees;andthemauveonesareboysandthewhiteonesaregirls,andtheblueonesarejustlittlesillieswhoarenotsurewhattheyare."
"Ishallhavesuchfun,"saidPeter,witheyeonWendy.
"Itwillberatherlonelyintheevening,"shesaid,"sittingbythefire."
"IshallhaveTink."
"Tinkcan'tgoatwentiethpartofthewayround,"sheremindedhimalittletartly.
"Sneakytell-tale!"Tinkcalledoutfromsomewhereroundthecorner.
"Itdoesn'tmatter,"Petersaid.
"OPeter,youknowitmatters."
"Well,then,comewithmetothelittlehouse."
"MayI,mummy?"
"Certainlynot.Ihavegotyouhomeagain,andImeantokeepyou."
"Buthedoessoneedamother."
"Sodoyou,mylove."
"Oh,allright,"Petersaid,asifhehadaskedherfrompolitenessmerely;butMrs.Darlingsawhismouthtwitch,andshemadethishandsomeoffer:toletWendygotohimforaweekeveryyeartodohisspringcleaning.
Wendywouldhavepreferredamorepermanentarrangement;anditseemedtoherthatspringwouldbelongincoming;butthispromisesentPeterawayquitegayagain.
Hehadnosenseoftime,andwassofullofadventuresthatallIhavetoldyouabouthimisonlyahalfpenny-worthofthem.
IsupposeitwasbecauseWendyknewthisthatherlastwordstohimweretheseratherplaintiveones:
"Youwon'tforgetme,Peter,willyou,beforespringcleaningtimecomes?"
OfcoursePeterpromised;andthenheflewaway.HetookMrs.Darling'skisswithhim.Thekissthathadbeenfornooneelse,Petertookquiteeasily.Funny.Butsheseemedsatisfied.
Ofcoursealltheboyswenttoschool;andmostofthemgotintoClassIII,butSlightlywasputfirstintoClassIVandthenintoClassV.ClassIisthetopclass.
Beforetheyhadattendedschoolaweektheysawwhatgoatstheyhadbeennottoremainontheisland;butitwastoolatenow,andsoontheysettleddowntobeingasordinaryasyouormeorJenkinsminor[theyoungerJenkins].
Itissadtohavetosaythatthepowertoflygraduallyleftthem.
AtfirstNanatiedtheirfeettothebed-postssothattheyshouldnotflyawayinthenight;andoneoftheirdiversionsbydaywastopretendtofalloffbuses[theEnglishdouble-deckers];butbyandbytheyceasedtotugattheirbondsinbed,andfoundthattheyhurtthemselveswhentheyletgoofthebus.
Intimetheycouldnotevenflyaftertheirhats.
Wantofpractice,theycalledit;butwhatitreallymeantwasthattheynolongerbelieved.
Michaelbelievedlongerthantheotherboys,thoughtheyjeeredathim;sohewaswithWendywhenPetercameforherattheendofthefirstyear.
SheflewawaywithPeterinthefrockshehadwovenfromleavesandberriesintheNeverland,andheronefearwasthathemightnoticehowshortithadbecome;buthenevernoticed,hehadsomuchtosayabouthimself.
Shehadlookedforwardtothrillingtalkswithhimaboutoldtimes,butnewadventureshadcrowdedtheoldonesfromhismind.
"WhoisCaptainHook?"heaskedwithinterestwhenshespokeofthearchenemy.
"Don'tyouremember,"sheasked,amazed,"howyoukilledhimandsavedallourlives?"
"IforgetthemafterIkillthem,"herepliedcarelessly.
WhensheexpressedadoubtfulhopethatTinkerBellwouldbegladtoseeherhesaid,"WhoisTinkerBell?"
"OPeter,"shesaid,shocked;butevenwhensheexplainedhecouldnotremember.
"Therearesuchalotofthem,"hesaid."Iexpectsheisnomore."
Iexpecthewasright,forfairiesdon'tlivelong,buttheyaresolittlethatashorttimeseemsagoodwhiletothem.
WendywaspainedtootofindthatthepastyearwasbutasyesterdaytoPeter;ithadseemedsuchalongyearofwaitingtoher.
Buthewasexactlyasfascinatingasever,andtheyhadalovelyspringcleaninginthelittlehouseonthetreetops.
Nextyearhedidnotcomeforher.Shewaitedinanewfrockbecausetheoldonesimplywouldnotmeet;buthenevercame.
"Perhapsheisill,"Michaelsaid.
"Youknowheisneverill."
Michaelcameclosetoherandwhispered,withashiver,"Perhapsthereisnosuchperson,Wendy!"andthenWendywouldhavecriedifMichaelhadnotbeencrying.
Petercamenextspringcleaning;andthestrangethingwasthatheneverknewhehadmissedayear.
ThatwasthelasttimethegirlWendyeversawhim.
Foralittlelongershetriedforhissakenottohavegrowingpains;andshefeltshewasuntruetohimwhenshegotaprizeforgeneralknowledge.
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