Reading Help Peter-pan BY J. M. BARRIE
`
` "I shall know when you give it to me," he replied stiffly, and `
` not to hurt his feeling she gave him a thimble. `
` `
` "Now," said he, "shall I give you a kiss?" and she replied with `
` a slight primness, "If you please." She made herself rather `
` cheap by inclining her face toward him, but he merely dropped an `
` acorn button into her hand, so she slowly returned her face to `
` where it had been before, and said nicely that she would wear his `
` kiss on the chain around her neck. It was lucky that she did put `
` it on that chain, for it was afterwards to save her life. `
` `
` When people in our set are introduced, it is customary for them `
` to ask each other's age, and so Wendy, who always liked to do the `
` correct thing, asked Peter how old he was. It was not really a `
` happy question to ask him; it was like an examination paper that `
` asks grammar, when what you want to be asked is Kings of England. `
` `
` "I don't know," he replied uneasily, "but I am quite young." `
` He really knew nothing about it, he had merely suspicions, but he `
` said at a venture, "Wendy, I ran away the day I was born." `
` `
` Wendy was quite surprised, but interested; and she indicated in `
` the charming drawing-room manner, by a touch on her night-gown, `
` that he could sit nearer her. `
` `
` "It was because I heard father and mother," he explained in a `
` low voice, "talking about what I was to be when I became a man." `
` He was extraordinarily agitated now. "I don't want ever to be a `
` man," he said with passion. "I want always to be a little boy `
` and to have fun. So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a `
` long long time among the fairies." `
` `
` She gave him a look of the most intense admiration, and he `
` thought it was because he had run away, but it was really because `
` he knew fairies. Wendy had lived such a home life that to know `
` fairies struck her as quite delightful. She poured out questions `
` about them, to his surprise, for they were rather a nuisance `
` to him, getting in his way and so on, and indeed he sometimes `
` had to give them a hiding [spanking]. Still, he liked them `
` on the whole, and he told her about the beginning of fairies. `
` `
` "You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first `
` time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went `
` skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." `
` `
` Tedious talk this, but being a stay-at-home she liked it. `
` `
` "And so," he went on good-naturedly, "there ought to be one `
` fairy for every boy and girl." `
` `
` "Ought to be? Isn't there?" `
` `
` "No. You see children know such a lot now, they soon don't `
` believe in fairies, and every time a child says, `I don't believe `
` in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead." `
` `
` `
` Really, he thought they had now talked enough about fairies, `
` and it struck him that Tinker Bell was keeping very quiet. "I `
` can't think where she has gone to," he said, rising, and he `
` called Tink by name. Wendy's heart went flutter with a sudden `
` thrill. `
` `
` "Peter," she cried, clutching him, "you don't mean to tell me `
` that there is a fairy in this room!" `
` `
` "She was here just now," he said a little impatiently. "You `
` don't hear her, do you?" and they both listened. `
` `
` "The only sound I hear," said Wendy, "is like a tinkle of `
` bells." `
` `
` "Well, that's Tink, that's the fairy language. I think I hear `
` her too." `
` `
` The sound come from the chest of drawers, and Peter made a `
` merry face. No one could ever look quite so merry as Peter, and `
` the loveliest of gurgles was his laugh. He had his first laugh `
` still. `
` `
` "Wendy," he whispered gleefully, "I do believe I shut her up in `
` the drawer!" `
` `
` He let poor Tink out of the drawer, and she flew about the `
` nursery screaming with fury. "You shouldn't say such things," `
` Peter retorted. "Of course I'm very sorry, but how could I know `
` you were in the drawer?" `
` `
` Wendy was not listening to him. "O Peter," she cried, "if she `
` would only stand still and let me see her!" `
` `
` "They hardly ever stand still," he said, but for one moment `
` Wendy saw the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock. `
` "O the lovely!" she cried, though Tink's face was still distorted `
` with passion. `
` `
` "Tink," said Peter amiably, "this lady says she wishes you `
` were her fairy." `
` `
` Tinker Bell answered insolently. `
` `
` "What does she say, Peter?" `
` `
` He had to translate. "She is not very polite. She says you `
` are a great [huge] ugly girl, and that she is my fairy." `
` `
` He tried to argue with Tink. "You know you can't be my fairy, `
` Tink, because I am an gentleman and you are a lady." `
` `
` To this Tink replied in these words, "You silly ass," and `
` disappeared into the bathroom. "She is quite a common fairy," `
` Peter explained apologetically, "she is called Tinker Bell `
` because she mends the pots and kettles [tinker = tin worker]." `
` [Similar to "cinder" plus "elle" to get Cinderella] `
` `
` They were together in the armchair by this time, and Wendy `
` plied him with more questions. `
` `
` "If you don't live in Kensington Gardens now -- " `
` `
` "Sometimes I do still." `
` `
` "But where do you live mostly now?" `
` `
` "With the lost boys." `
` `
` "Who are they?" `
` `
` "They are the children who fall out of their perambulators when `
` the nurse is looking the other way. If they are not claimed in `
` seven days they are sent far away to the Neverland to defray `
` expenses. I'm captain." `
` `
` "What fun it must be!" `
` `
` "Yes," said cunning Peter, "but we are rather lonely. You see `
` we have no female companionship." `
` `
` "Are none of the others girls?" `
` `
` "Oh, no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of `
` their prams." `
` `
` This flattered Wendy immensely. "I think," she said, "it is `
` perfectly lovely the way you talk about girls; John there just `
` despises us." `
` `
` For reply Peter rose and kicked John out of bed, blankets and `
` all; one kick. This seemed to Wendy rather forward for a first `
` meeting, and she told him with spirit that he was not captain in `
` her house. However, John continued to sleep so placidly on the `
` floor that she allowed him to remain there. "And I know you meant `
` to be kind," she said, relenting, "so you may give me a kiss." `
` `
` For the moment she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses. `
` "I thought you would want it back," he said a little bitterly, `
` and offered to return her the thimble. `
` `
` "Oh dear," said the nice Wendy, "I don't mean a kiss, I mean a `
` thimble." `
` `
` "What's that?" `
` `
` "It's like this." She kissed him. `
` `
` "Funny!" said Peter gravely. "Now shall I give you a thimble?" `
` `
` "If you wish to," said Wendy, keeping her head erect this time. `
` `
` Peter thimbled her, and almost immediately she screeched. `
` "What is it, Wendy?" `
` `
` "It was exactly as if someone were pulling my hair." `
` `
` "That must have been Tink. I never knew her so naughty `
` before." `
` `
` And indeed Tink was darting about again, using offensive `
` language. `
` `
` "She says she will do that to you, Wendy, every time I give you `
` a thimble." `
` `
` "But why?" `
` `
` "Why, Tink?" `
` `
` Again Tink replied, "You silly ass." Peter could not `
` understand why, but Wendy understood, and she was just slightly `
` disappointed when he admitted that he came to the nursery window `
` not to see her but to listen to stories. `
` `
` "You see, I don't know any stories. None of the lost boys `
` knows any stories." `
` `
` "How perfectly awful," Wendy said. `
` `
` "Do you know," Peter asked "why swallows build in the eaves of `
` houses? It is to listen to the stories. O Wendy, your mother `
` was telling you such a lovely story." `
`
` "I shall know when you give it to me," he replied stiffly, and `
` not to hurt his feeling she gave him a thimble. `
` `
` "Now," said he, "shall I give you a kiss?" and she replied with `
` a slight primness, "If you please." She made herself rather `
` cheap by inclining her face toward him, but he merely dropped an `
` acorn button into her hand, so she slowly returned her face to `
` where it had been before, and said nicely that she would wear his `
` kiss on the chain around her neck. It was lucky that she did put `
` it on that chain, for it was afterwards to save her life. `
` `
` When people in our set are introduced, it is customary for them `
` to ask each other's age, and so Wendy, who always liked to do the `
` correct thing, asked Peter how old he was. It was not really a `
` happy question to ask him; it was like an examination paper that `
` asks grammar, when what you want to be asked is Kings of England. `
` `
` "I don't know," he replied uneasily, "but I am quite young." `
` He really knew nothing about it, he had merely suspicions, but he `
` said at a venture, "Wendy, I ran away the day I was born." `
` `
` Wendy was quite surprised, but interested; and she indicated in `
` the charming drawing-room manner, by a touch on her night-gown, `
` that he could sit nearer her. `
` `
` "It was because I heard father and mother," he explained in a `
` low voice, "talking about what I was to be when I became a man." `
` He was extraordinarily agitated now. "I don't want ever to be a `
` man," he said with passion. "I want always to be a little boy `
` and to have fun. So I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a `
` long long time among the fairies." `
` `
` She gave him a look of the most intense admiration, and he `
` thought it was because he had run away, but it was really because `
` he knew fairies. Wendy had lived such a home life that to know `
` fairies struck her as quite delightful. She poured out questions `
` about them, to his surprise, for they were rather a nuisance `
` to him, getting in his way and so on, and indeed he sometimes `
` had to give them a hiding [spanking]. Still, he liked them `
` on the whole, and he told her about the beginning of fairies. `
` `
` "You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first `
` time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went `
` skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies." `
` `
` Tedious talk this, but being a stay-at-home she liked it. `
` `
` "And so," he went on good-naturedly, "there ought to be one `
` fairy for every boy and girl." `
` `
` "Ought to be? Isn't there?" `
` `
` "No. You see children know such a lot now, they soon don't `
` believe in fairies, and every time a child says, `I don't believe `
` in fairies,' there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead." `
` `
` `
` Really, he thought they had now talked enough about fairies, `
` and it struck him that Tinker Bell was keeping very quiet. "I `
` can't think where she has gone to," he said, rising, and he `
` called Tink by name. Wendy's heart went flutter with a sudden `
` thrill. `
` `
` "Peter," she cried, clutching him, "you don't mean to tell me `
` that there is a fairy in this room!" `
` `
` "She was here just now," he said a little impatiently. "You `
` don't hear her, do you?" and they both listened. `
` `
` "The only sound I hear," said Wendy, "is like a tinkle of `
` bells." `
` `
` "Well, that's Tink, that's the fairy language. I think I hear `
` her too." `
` `
` The sound come from the chest of drawers, and Peter made a `
` merry face. No one could ever look quite so merry as Peter, and `
` the loveliest of gurgles was his laugh. He had his first laugh `
` still. `
` `
` "Wendy," he whispered gleefully, "I do believe I shut her up in `
` the drawer!" `
` `
` He let poor Tink out of the drawer, and she flew about the `
` nursery screaming with fury. "You shouldn't say such things," `
` Peter retorted. "Of course I'm very sorry, but how could I know `
` you were in the drawer?" `
` `
` Wendy was not listening to him. "O Peter," she cried, "if she `
` would only stand still and let me see her!" `
` `
` "They hardly ever stand still," he said, but for one moment `
` Wendy saw the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock. `
` "O the lovely!" she cried, though Tink's face was still distorted `
` with passion. `
` `
` "Tink," said Peter amiably, "this lady says she wishes you `
` were her fairy." `
` `
` Tinker Bell answered insolently. `
` `
` "What does she say, Peter?" `
` `
` He had to translate. "She is not very polite. She says you `
` are a great [huge] ugly girl, and that she is my fairy." `
` `
` He tried to argue with Tink. "You know you can't be my fairy, `
` Tink, because I am an gentleman and you are a lady." `
` `
` To this Tink replied in these words, "You silly ass," and `
` disappeared into the bathroom. "She is quite a common fairy," `
` Peter explained apologetically, "she is called Tinker Bell `
` because she mends the pots and kettles [tinker = tin worker]." `
` [Similar to "cinder" plus "elle" to get Cinderella] `
` `
` They were together in the armchair by this time, and Wendy `
` plied him with more questions. `
` `
` "If you don't live in Kensington Gardens now -- " `
` `
` "Sometimes I do still." `
` `
` "But where do you live mostly now?" `
` `
` "With the lost boys." `
` `
` "Who are they?" `
` `
` "They are the children who fall out of their perambulators when `
` the nurse is looking the other way. If they are not claimed in `
` seven days they are sent far away to the Neverland to defray `
` expenses. I'm captain." `
` `
` "What fun it must be!" `
` `
` "Yes," said cunning Peter, "but we are rather lonely. You see `
` we have no female companionship." `
` `
` "Are none of the others girls?" `
` `
` "Oh, no; girls, you know, are much too clever to fall out of `
` their prams." `
` `
` This flattered Wendy immensely. "I think," she said, "it is `
` perfectly lovely the way you talk about girls; John there just `
` despises us." `
` `
` For reply Peter rose and kicked John out of bed, blankets and `
` all; one kick. This seemed to Wendy rather forward for a first `
` meeting, and she told him with spirit that he was not captain in `
` her house. However, John continued to sleep so placidly on the `
` floor that she allowed him to remain there. "And I know you meant `
` to be kind," she said, relenting, "so you may give me a kiss." `
` `
` For the moment she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses. `
` "I thought you would want it back," he said a little bitterly, `
` and offered to return her the thimble. `
` `
` "Oh dear," said the nice Wendy, "I don't mean a kiss, I mean a `
` thimble." `
` `
` "What's that?" `
` `
` "It's like this." She kissed him. `
` `
` "Funny!" said Peter gravely. "Now shall I give you a thimble?" `
` `
` "If you wish to," said Wendy, keeping her head erect this time. `
` `
` Peter thimbled her, and almost immediately she screeched. `
` "What is it, Wendy?" `
` `
` "It was exactly as if someone were pulling my hair." `
` `
` "That must have been Tink. I never knew her so naughty `
` before." `
` `
` And indeed Tink was darting about again, using offensive `
` language. `
` `
` "She says she will do that to you, Wendy, every time I give you `
` a thimble." `
` `
` "But why?" `
` `
` "Why, Tink?" `
` `
` Again Tink replied, "You silly ass." Peter could not `
` understand why, but Wendy understood, and she was just slightly `
` disappointed when he admitted that he came to the nursery window `
` not to see her but to listen to stories. `
` `
` "You see, I don't know any stories. None of the lost boys `
` knows any stories." `
` `
` "How perfectly awful," Wendy said. `
` `
` "Do you know," Peter asked "why swallows build in the eaves of `
` houses? It is to listen to the stories. O Wendy, your mother `
` was telling you such a lovely story." `
`