Reading Help Peter-pan BY J. M. BARRIE
the careless boy; and when they met again Wendy was a married `
` woman, and Peter was no more to her than a little dust in the box `
` in which she had kept her toys. Wendy was grown up. You need `
` not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow `
` up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker `
` than other girls. `
` `
` All the boys were grown up and done for by this time; so it is `
` scarcely worth while saying anything more about them. You may `
` see the twins and Nibs and Curly any day going to an office, each `
` carrying a little bag and an umbrella. Michael is an engine- `
` driver [train engineer]. Slightly married a lady of title, and `
` so he became a lord. You see that judge in a wig coming out at `
` the iron door? That used to be Tootles. The bearded man who `
` doesn't know any story to tell his children was once John. `
` `
` Wendy was married in white with a pink sash. It is strange to `
` think that Peter did not alight in the church and forbid the `
` banns [formal announcement of a marriage]. `
` `
` Years rolled on again, and Wendy had a daughter. This ought `
` not to be written in ink but in a golden splash. `
` `
` She was called Jane, and always had an odd inquiring look, as `
` if from the moment she arrived on the mainland she wanted to ask `
` questions. When she was old enough to ask them they were mostly `
` about Peter Pan. She loved to hear of Peter, and Wendy told her `
` all she could remember in the very nursery from which the famous `
` flight had taken place. It was Jane's nursery now, for her `
` father had bought it at the three per cents [mortgage rate] from `
` Wendy's father, who was no longer fond of stairs. Mrs. Darling `
` was now dead and forgotten. `
` `
` There were only two beds in the nursery now, Jane's and her `
` nurse's; and there was no kennel, for Nana also had passed away. `
` She died of old age, and at the end she had been rather difficult `
` to get on with; being very firmly convinced that no one knew how `
` to look after children except herself. `
` `
` Once a week Jane's nurse had her evening off; and then it was `
` Wendy's part to put Jane to bed. That was the time for stories. `
` It was Jane's invention to raise the sheet over her mother's head `
` and her own, this making a tent, and in the awful darkness to `
` whisper: `
` `
` "What do we see now?" `
` `
` "I don't think I see anything to-night," says Wendy, with a `
` feeling that if Nana were here she would object to further `
` conversation. `
` `
` "Yes, you do," says Jane, "you see when you were a little girl." `
` `
` "That is a long time ago, sweetheart," says Wendy. "Ah me, how `
` time flies!" `
` `
` "Does it fly," asks the artful child, "the way you flew when `
` you were a little girl?" `
` `
` "The way I flew? Do you know, Jane, I sometimes wonder whether `
` I ever did really fly." `
` `
` "Yes, you did." `
` `
` "The dear old days when I could fly!" `
` `
` "Why can't you fly now, mother?" `
` `
` "Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they `
` forget the way." `
` `
` "Why do they forget the way?" `
` `
` "Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is `
` only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly." `
` `
` "What is gay and innocent and heartless? I do wish I were gay `
` and innocent and heartless." `
` `
` Or perhaps Wendy admits she does see something. `
` `
` "I do believe," she says, "that it is this nursery." `
` `
` "I do believe it is," says Jane. "Go on." `
` `
` They are now embarked on the great adventure of the night when `
` Peter flew in looking for his shadow. `
` `
` "The foolish fellow," says Wendy, "tried to stick it on with `
` soap, and when he could not he cried, and that woke me, and I `
` sewed it on for him." `
` `
` "You have missed a bit," interrupts Jane, who now knows the `
` story better than her mother. "When you saw him sitting on the `
` floor crying, what did you say?" `
` `
` "I sat up in bed and I said, `Boy, why are you crying?'" `
` `
` "Yes, that was it," says Jane, with a big breath. `
` `
` "And then he flew us all away to the Neverland and the fairies `
` and the pirates and the redskins and the mermaid's lagoon, and `
` the home under the ground, and the little house." `
` `
` "Yes! which did you like best of all?" `
` `
` "I think I liked the home under the ground best of all." `
` `
` "Yes, so do I. What was the last thing Peter ever said to `
` you?" `
` `
` "The last thing he ever said to me was, `Just always be `
` waiting for me, and then some night you will hear me crowing.'" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "But, alas, he forgot all about me," Wendy said it with a `
` smile. She was as grown up as that. `
` `
` "What did his crow sound like?" Jane asked one evening. `
` `
` "It was like this," Wendy said, trying to imitate Peter's crow. `
` `
` "No, it wasn't," Jane said gravely, "it was like this"; and she `
` did it ever so much better than her mother. `
` `
` Wendy was a little startled. "My darling, how can you know?" `
` `
` "I often hear it when I am sleeping," Jane said. `
` `
` "Ah yes, many girls hear it when they are sleeping, but I was `
` the only one who heard it awake." `
` `
` "Lucky you," said Jane. `
` `
` And then one night came the tragedy. It was the spring of the `
` year, and the story had been told for the night, and Jane was now `
` asleep in her bed. Wendy was sitting on the floor, very close to `
` the fire, so as to see to darn, for there was no other light in `
` the nursery; and while she sat darning she heard a crow. Then `
` the window blew open as of old, and Peter dropped in on the `
` floor. `
` `
` He was exactly the same as ever, and Wendy saw at once that he `
` still had all his first teeth. `
` `
` He was a little boy, and she was grown up. She huddled by the `
` fire not daring to move, helpless and guilty, a big woman. `
` `
` "Hullo, Wendy," he said, not noticing any difference, for he `
` was thinking chiefly of himself; and in the dim light her white `
` dress might have been the nightgown in which he had seen her `
` first. `
` `
` "Hullo, Peter," she replied faintly, squeezing herself as small `
` as possible. Something inside her was crying "Woman, Woman, let `
` go of me." `
` `
` "Hullo, where is John?" he asked, suddenly missing the third `
` bed. `
` `
` "John is not here now," she gasped. `
` `
` "Is Michael asleep?" he asked, with a careless glance at Jane. `
` `
` "Yes," she answered; and now she felt that she was untrue to `
` Jane as well as to Peter. `
` `
` "That is not Michael," she said quickly, lest a judgment should `
` fall on her. `
` `
` Peter looked. "Hullo, is it a new one?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Boy or girl?" `
` `
` "Girl." `
` `
` Now surely he would understand; but not a bit of it. `
` `
` "Peter," she said, faltering, "are you expecting me to fly away `
` with you?" `
` `
` "Of course; that is why I have come." He added a little `
` sternly, "Have you forgotten that this is spring cleaning time?" `
` `
` She knew it was useless to say that he had let many spring `
` cleaning times pass. `
` `
` "I can't come," she said apologetically, "I have forgotten how `
` to fly." `
` `
` "I'll soon teach you again." `
` `
` "O Peter, don't waste the fairy dust on me." `
` `
` She had risen; and now at last a fear assailed him. "What is `
` it?" he cried, shrinking. `
` `
` "I will turn up the light," she said, "and then you can see for `
`
` woman, and Peter was no more to her than a little dust in the box `
` in which she had kept her toys. Wendy was grown up. You need `
` not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow `
` up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker `
` than other girls. `
` `
` All the boys were grown up and done for by this time; so it is `
` scarcely worth while saying anything more about them. You may `
` see the twins and Nibs and Curly any day going to an office, each `
` carrying a little bag and an umbrella. Michael is an engine- `
` driver [train engineer]. Slightly married a lady of title, and `
` so he became a lord. You see that judge in a wig coming out at `
` the iron door? That used to be Tootles. The bearded man who `
` doesn't know any story to tell his children was once John. `
` `
` Wendy was married in white with a pink sash. It is strange to `
` think that Peter did not alight in the church and forbid the `
` banns [formal announcement of a marriage]. `
` `
` Years rolled on again, and Wendy had a daughter. This ought `
` not to be written in ink but in a golden splash. `
` `
` She was called Jane, and always had an odd inquiring look, as `
` if from the moment she arrived on the mainland she wanted to ask `
` questions. When she was old enough to ask them they were mostly `
` about Peter Pan. She loved to hear of Peter, and Wendy told her `
` all she could remember in the very nursery from which the famous `
` flight had taken place. It was Jane's nursery now, for her `
` father had bought it at the three per cents [mortgage rate] from `
` Wendy's father, who was no longer fond of stairs. Mrs. Darling `
` was now dead and forgotten. `
` `
` There were only two beds in the nursery now, Jane's and her `
` nurse's; and there was no kennel, for Nana also had passed away. `
` She died of old age, and at the end she had been rather difficult `
` to get on with; being very firmly convinced that no one knew how `
` to look after children except herself. `
` `
` Once a week Jane's nurse had her evening off; and then it was `
` Wendy's part to put Jane to bed. That was the time for stories. `
` It was Jane's invention to raise the sheet over her mother's head `
` and her own, this making a tent, and in the awful darkness to `
` whisper: `
` `
` "What do we see now?" `
` `
` "I don't think I see anything to-night," says Wendy, with a `
` feeling that if Nana were here she would object to further `
` conversation. `
` `
` "Yes, you do," says Jane, "you see when you were a little girl." `
` `
` "That is a long time ago, sweetheart," says Wendy. "Ah me, how `
` time flies!" `
` `
` "Does it fly," asks the artful child, "the way you flew when `
` you were a little girl?" `
` `
` "The way I flew? Do you know, Jane, I sometimes wonder whether `
` I ever did really fly." `
` `
` "Yes, you did." `
` `
` "The dear old days when I could fly!" `
` `
` "Why can't you fly now, mother?" `
` `
` "Because I am grown up, dearest. When people grow up they `
` forget the way." `
` `
` "Why do they forget the way?" `
` `
` "Because they are no longer gay and innocent and heartless. It is `
` only the gay and innocent and heartless who can fly." `
` `
` "What is gay and innocent and heartless? I do wish I were gay `
` and innocent and heartless." `
` `
` Or perhaps Wendy admits she does see something. `
` `
` "I do believe," she says, "that it is this nursery." `
` `
` "I do believe it is," says Jane. "Go on." `
` `
` They are now embarked on the great adventure of the night when `
` Peter flew in looking for his shadow. `
` `
` "The foolish fellow," says Wendy, "tried to stick it on with `
` soap, and when he could not he cried, and that woke me, and I `
` sewed it on for him." `
` `
` "You have missed a bit," interrupts Jane, who now knows the `
` story better than her mother. "When you saw him sitting on the `
` floor crying, what did you say?" `
` `
` "I sat up in bed and I said, `Boy, why are you crying?'" `
` `
` "Yes, that was it," says Jane, with a big breath. `
` `
` "And then he flew us all away to the Neverland and the fairies `
` and the pirates and the redskins and the mermaid's lagoon, and `
` the home under the ground, and the little house." `
` `
` "Yes! which did you like best of all?" `
` `
` "I think I liked the home under the ground best of all." `
` `
` "Yes, so do I. What was the last thing Peter ever said to `
` you?" `
` `
` "The last thing he ever said to me was, `Just always be `
` waiting for me, and then some night you will hear me crowing.'" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "But, alas, he forgot all about me," Wendy said it with a `
` smile. She was as grown up as that. `
` `
` "What did his crow sound like?" Jane asked one evening. `
` `
` "It was like this," Wendy said, trying to imitate Peter's crow. `
` `
` "No, it wasn't," Jane said gravely, "it was like this"; and she `
` did it ever so much better than her mother. `
` `
` Wendy was a little startled. "My darling, how can you know?" `
` `
` "I often hear it when I am sleeping," Jane said. `
` `
` "Ah yes, many girls hear it when they are sleeping, but I was `
` the only one who heard it awake." `
` `
` "Lucky you," said Jane. `
` `
` And then one night came the tragedy. It was the spring of the `
` year, and the story had been told for the night, and Jane was now `
` asleep in her bed. Wendy was sitting on the floor, very close to `
` the fire, so as to see to darn, for there was no other light in `
` the nursery; and while she sat darning she heard a crow. Then `
` the window blew open as of old, and Peter dropped in on the `
` floor. `
` `
` He was exactly the same as ever, and Wendy saw at once that he `
` still had all his first teeth. `
` `
` He was a little boy, and she was grown up. She huddled by the `
` fire not daring to move, helpless and guilty, a big woman. `
` `
` "Hullo, Wendy," he said, not noticing any difference, for he `
` was thinking chiefly of himself; and in the dim light her white `
` dress might have been the nightgown in which he had seen her `
` first. `
` `
` "Hullo, Peter," she replied faintly, squeezing herself as small `
` as possible. Something inside her was crying "Woman, Woman, let `
` go of me." `
` `
` "Hullo, where is John?" he asked, suddenly missing the third `
` bed. `
` `
` "John is not here now," she gasped. `
` `
` "Is Michael asleep?" he asked, with a careless glance at Jane. `
` `
` "Yes," she answered; and now she felt that she was untrue to `
` Jane as well as to Peter. `
` `
` "That is not Michael," she said quickly, lest a judgment should `
` fall on her. `
` `
` Peter looked. "Hullo, is it a new one?" `
` `
` "Yes." `
` `
` "Boy or girl?" `
` `
` "Girl." `
` `
` Now surely he would understand; but not a bit of it. `
` `
` "Peter," she said, faltering, "are you expecting me to fly away `
` with you?" `
` `
` "Of course; that is why I have come." He added a little `
` sternly, "Have you forgotten that this is spring cleaning time?" `
` `
` She knew it was useless to say that he had let many spring `
` cleaning times pass. `
` `
` "I can't come," she said apologetically, "I have forgotten how `
` to fly." `
` `
` "I'll soon teach you again." `
` `
` "O Peter, don't waste the fairy dust on me." `
` `
` She had risen; and now at last a fear assailed him. "What is `
` it?" he cried, shrinking. `
` `
` "I will turn up the light," she said, "and then you can see for `
`