Reading Help Peter-pan BY J. M. BARRIE
Clickable text below...
Prev Next
Page #
"I will turn up the light," she said, "and then you can see for `
` yourself." `
` `
` For almost the only time in his life that I know of, Peter was `
` afraid. "Don't turn up the light," he cried. `
` `
` She let her hands play in the hair of the tragic boy. She was `
` not a little girl heart-broken about him; she was a grown woman `
` smiling at it all, but they were wet eyed smiles. `
` `
` Then she turned up the light, and Peter saw. He gave a cry of `
` pain; and when the tall beautiful creature stooped to lift him in `
` her arms he drew back sharply. `
` `
` "What is it?" he cried again. `
` `
` She had to tell him. `
` `
` "I am old, Peter. I am ever so much more than twenty. I grew `
` up long ago." `
` `
` "You promised not to!" `
` `
` "I couldn't help it. I am a married woman, Peter." `
` `
` "No, you're not." `
` `
` "Yes, and the little girl in the bed is my baby." `
` `
` "No, she's not." `
` `
` But he supposed she was; and he took a step towards the `
` sleeping child with his dagger upraised. Of course he did not `
` strike. He sat down on the floor instead and sobbed; and Wendy `
` did not know how to comfort him, though she could have done it so `
` easily once. She was only a woman now, and she ran out of the `
` room to try to think. `
` `
` Peter continued to cry, and soon his sobs woke Jane. She sat `
` up in bed, and was interested at once. `
` `
` "Boy," she said, "why are you crying?" `
` `
` Peter rose and bowed to her, and she bowed to him from the bed. `
` `
` "Hullo," he said. `
` `
` "Hullo," said Jane. `
` `
` "My name is Peter Pan," he told her. `
` `
` "Yes, I know." `
` `
` "I came back for my mother," he explained, "to take her to the `
` Neverland." `
` `
` "Yes, I know," Jane said, "I have been waiting for you." `
` `
` When Wendy returned diffidently she found Peter sitting on the `
` bed-post crowing gloriously, while Jane in her nighty was flying `
` round the room in solemn ecstasy. `
` `
` "She is my mother," Peter explained; and Jane descended and `
` stood by his side, with the look in her face that he liked to see `
` on ladies when they gazed at him. `
` `
` "He does so need a mother," Jane said. `
` `
` "Yes, I know." Wendy admitted rather forlornly; "no one knows `
` it so well as I." `
` `
` "Good-bye," said Peter to Wendy; and he rose in the air, and `
` the shameless Jane rose with him; it was already her easiest way `
` of moving about. `
` `
` Wendy rushed to the window. `
` `
` "No, no," she cried. `
` `
` "It is just for spring cleaning time," Jane said, "he wants me `
` always to do his spring cleaning." `
` `
` "If only I could go with you," Wendy sighed. `
` `
` "You see you can't fly," said Jane. `
` `
` Of course in the end Wendy let them fly away together. Our `
` last glimpse of her shows her at the window, watching them `
` receding into the sky until they were as small as stars. `
` `
` As you look at Wendy, you may see her hair becoming white, and `
` her figure little again, for all this happened long ago. Jane is `
` now a common grown-up, with a daughter called Margaret; and every `
` spring cleaning time, except when he forgets, Peter comes for `
` Margaret and takes her to the Neverland, where she tells him `
` stories about himself, to which he listens eagerly. When `
` Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter's `
` mother in turn; and thus it will go on, so long as children are `
` gay and innocent and heartless. `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` `
`
` yourself." `
` `
` For almost the only time in his life that I know of, Peter was `
` afraid. "Don't turn up the light," he cried. `
` `
` She let her hands play in the hair of the tragic boy. She was `
` not a little girl heart-broken about him; she was a grown woman `
` smiling at it all, but they were wet eyed smiles. `
` `
` Then she turned up the light, and Peter saw. He gave a cry of `
` pain; and when the tall beautiful creature stooped to lift him in `
` her arms he drew back sharply. `
` `
` "What is it?" he cried again. `
` `
` She had to tell him. `
` `
` "I am old, Peter. I am ever so much more than twenty. I grew `
` up long ago." `
` `
` "You promised not to!" `
` `
` "I couldn't help it. I am a married woman, Peter." `
` `
` "No, you're not." `
` `
` "Yes, and the little girl in the bed is my baby." `
` `
` "No, she's not." `
` `
` But he supposed she was; and he took a step towards the `
` sleeping child with his dagger upraised. Of course he did not `
` strike. He sat down on the floor instead and sobbed; and Wendy `
` did not know how to comfort him, though she could have done it so `
` easily once. She was only a woman now, and she ran out of the `
` room to try to think. `
` `
` Peter continued to cry, and soon his sobs woke Jane. She sat `
` up in bed, and was interested at once. `
` `
` "Boy," she said, "why are you crying?" `
` `
` Peter rose and bowed to her, and she bowed to him from the bed. `
` `
` "Hullo," he said. `
` `
` "Hullo," said Jane. `
` `
` "My name is Peter Pan," he told her. `
` `
` "Yes, I know." `
` `
` "I came back for my mother," he explained, "to take her to the `
` Neverland." `
` `
` "Yes, I know," Jane said, "I have been waiting for you." `
` `
` When Wendy returned diffidently she found Peter sitting on the `
` bed-post crowing gloriously, while Jane in her nighty was flying `
` round the room in solemn ecstasy. `
` `
` "She is my mother," Peter explained; and Jane descended and `
` stood by his side, with the look in her face that he liked to see `
` on ladies when they gazed at him. `
` `
` "He does so need a mother," Jane said. `
` `
` "Yes, I know." Wendy admitted rather forlornly; "no one knows `
` it so well as I." `
` `
` "Good-bye," said Peter to Wendy; and he rose in the air, and `
` the shameless Jane rose with him; it was already her easiest way `
` of moving about. `
` `
` Wendy rushed to the window. `
` `
` "No, no," she cried. `
` `
` "It is just for spring cleaning time," Jane said, "he wants me `
` always to do his spring cleaning." `
` `
` "If only I could go with you," Wendy sighed. `
` `
` "You see you can't fly," said Jane. `
` `
` Of course in the end Wendy let them fly away together. Our `
` last glimpse of her shows her at the window, watching them `
` receding into the sky until they were as small as stars. `
` `
` As you look at Wendy, you may see her hair becoming white, and `
` her figure little again, for all this happened long ago. Jane is `
` now a common grown-up, with a daughter called Margaret; and every `
` spring cleaning time, except when he forgets, Peter comes for `
` Margaret and takes her to the Neverland, where she tells him `
` stories about himself, to which he listens eagerly. When `
` Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter's `
` mother in turn; and thus it will go on, so long as children are `
` gay and innocent and heartless. `
` `
` `
` `
` `
` `
`