Reading Help Peter-pan BY J. M. BARRIE
was telling you such a lovely story." `
` `
` "Which story was it?" `
` `
` "About the prince who couldn't find the lady who wore the glass `
` slipper." `
` `
` "Peter," said Wendy excitedly, "that was Cinderella, and he `
` found her, and they lived happily ever after." `
` `
` Peter was so glad that he rose from the floor, where they had `
` been sitting, and hurried to the window. `
` `
` "Where are you going?" she cried with misgiving. `
` `
` "To tell the other boys." `
` `
` "Don't go Peter," she entreated, "I know such lots of stories." `
` `
` Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that `
` it was she who first tempted him. `
` `
` He came back, and there was a greedy look in his eyes now which `
` ought to have alarmed her, but did not. `
` `
` "Oh, the stories I could tell to the boys!" she cried, and then `
` Peter gripped her and began to draw her toward the window. `
` `
` "Let me go!" she ordered him. `
` `
` "Wendy, do come with me and tell the other boys." `
` `
` Of course she was very pleased to be asked, but she said, "Oh `
` dear, I can't. Think of mummy! Besides, I can't fly." `
` `
` "I'll teach you." `
` `
` "Oh, how lovely to fly." `
` `
` "I'll teach you how to jump on the wind's back, and then away `
` we go." `
` `
` "Oo!" she exclaimed rapturously. `
` `
` "Wendy, Wendy, when you are sleeping in your silly bed you `
` might be flying about with me saying funny things to the stars." `
` `
` "Oo!" `
` `
` "And, Wendy, there are mermaids." `
` `
` "Mermaids! With tails?" `
` `
` "Such long tails." `
` `
` "Oh," cried Wendy, "to see a mermaid!" `
` `
` He had become frightfully cunning. "Wendy," he said, "how we `
` should all respect you." `
` `
` She was wriggling her body in distress. It was quite as if she `
` were trying to remain on the nursery floor. `
` `
` But he had no pity for her. `
` `
` "Wendy," he said, the sly one, "you could tuck us in at night." `
` `
` "Oo!" `
` `
` "None of us has ever been tucked in at night." `
` `
` "Oo," and her arms went out to him. `
` `
` "And you could darn our clothes, and make pockets for us. None `
` of us has any pockets." `
` `
` How could she resist. "Of course it's awfully fascinating!" `
` she cried. "Peter, would you teach John and Michael to fly too?" `
` `
` "If you like," he said indifferently, and she ran to John and `
` Michael and shook them. "Wake up," she cried, "Peter Pan has `
` come and he is to teach us to fly." `
` `
` John rubbed his eyes. "Then I shall get up," he said. Of `
` course he was on the floor already. "Hallo," he said, "I am up!" `
` `
` Michael was up by this time also, looking as sharp as a knife `
` with six blades and a saw, but Peter suddenly signed silence. `
` Their faces assumed the awful craftiness of children listening `
` for sounds from the grown-up world. All was as still as salt. `
` Then everything was right. No, stop! Everything was wrong. `
` Nana, who had been barking distressfully all the evening, was `
` quiet now. It was her silence they had heard. `
` `
` "Out with the light! Hide! Quick!" cried John, taking command `
` for the only time throughout the whole adventure. And thus when `
` Liza entered, holding Nana, the nursery seemed quite its old `
` self, very dark, and you would have sworn you heard its three `
` wicked inmates breathing angelically as they slept. They were `
` really doing it artfully from behind the window curtains. `
` `
` Liza was in a bad tamper, for she was mixing the Christmas `
` puddings in the kitchen, and had been drawn from them, with a `
` raisin still on her cheek, by Nana's absurd suspicions. She `
` thought the best way of getting a little quiet was to take Nana `
` to the nursery for a moment, but in custody of course. `
` `
` "There, you suspicious brute," she said, not sorry that Nana `
` was in disgrace. "They are perfectly safe, aren't they? Every `
` one of the little angels sound asleep in bed. Listen to their `
` gentle breathing." `
` `
` Here Michael, encouraged by his success, breathed so loudly `
` that they were nearly detected. Nana knew that kind of `
` breathing, and she tried to drag herself out of Liza's clutches. `
` `
` But Liza was dense. "No more of it, Nana," she said sternly, `
` pulling her out of the room. "I warn you if bark again I shall `
` go straight for master and missus and bring them home from the `
` party, and then, oh, won't master whip you, just." `
` `
` She tied the unhappy dog up again, but do you think Nana ceased `
` to bark? Bring master and missus home from the party! Why, that `
` was just what she wanted. Do you think she cared whether she was `
` whipped so long as her charges were safe? Unfortunately Liza `
` returned to her puddings, and Nana, seeing that no help would `
` come from her, strained and strained at the chain until at last `
` she broke it. In another moment she had burst into the dining- `
` room of 27 and flung up her paws to heaven, her most expressive `
` way of making a communication. Mr. and Mrs. Darling knew at once `
` that something terrible was happening in their nursery, and `
` without a good-bye to their hostess they rushed into the street. `
` `
` But it was now ten minutes since three scoundrels had been `
` breathing behind the curtains, and Peter Pan can do a great deal `
` in ten minutes. `
` `
` We now return to the nursery. `
` `
` "It's all right," John announced, emerging from his hiding- `
` place. "I say, Peter, can you really fly?" `
` `
` Instead of troubling to answer him Peter flew around the room, `
` taking the mantelpiece on the way. `
` `
` "How topping!" said John and Michael. `
` `
` "How sweet!" cried Wendy. `
` `
` "Yes, I'm sweet, oh, I am sweet!" said Peter, forgetting his `
` manners again. `
` `
` It looked delightfully easy, and they tried it first from the `
` floor and then from the beds, but they always went down instead `
` of up. `
` `
` "I say, how do you do it?" asked John, rubbing his knee. He `
` was quite a practical boy. `
` `
` "You just think lovely wonderful thoughts," Peter explained, `
` "and they lift you up in the air." `
` `
` He showed them again. `
` `
` "You're so nippy at it," John said, "couldn't you do it very `
` slowly once?" `
` `
` Peter did it both slowly and quickly. "I've got it now, `
` Wendy!" cried John, but soon he found he had not. Not one of `
` them could fly an inch, though even Michael was in words of two `
` syllables, and Peter did not know A from Z. `
` `
` Of course Peter had been trifling with them, for no one can fly `
` unless the fairy dust has been blown on him. Fortunately, as we `
` have mentioned, one of his hands was messy with it, and he blew `
` some on each of them, with the most superb results. `
` `
` "Now just wiggle your shoulders this way," he said, "and let `
` go." `
` `
` They were all on their beds, and gallant Michael let go first. `
` He did not quite mean to let go, but he did it, and immediately `
` he was borne across the room. `
` `
` "I flewed!" he screamed while still in mid-air. `
` `
` John let go and met Wendy near the bathroom. `
` `
` "Oh, lovely!" `
` `
` "Oh, ripping!" `
` `
` "Look at me!" `
` `
` "Look at me!" `
` `
` "Look at me!" `
` `
` They were not nearly so elegant as Peter, they could not help `
` kicking a little, but their heads were bobbing against the `
` ceiling, and there is almost nothing so delicious as that. Peter `
`
` `
` "Which story was it?" `
` `
` "About the prince who couldn't find the lady who wore the glass `
` slipper." `
` `
` "Peter," said Wendy excitedly, "that was Cinderella, and he `
` found her, and they lived happily ever after." `
` `
` Peter was so glad that he rose from the floor, where they had `
` been sitting, and hurried to the window. `
` `
` "Where are you going?" she cried with misgiving. `
` `
` "To tell the other boys." `
` `
` "Don't go Peter," she entreated, "I know such lots of stories." `
` `
` Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that `
` it was she who first tempted him. `
` `
` He came back, and there was a greedy look in his eyes now which `
` ought to have alarmed her, but did not. `
` `
` "Oh, the stories I could tell to the boys!" she cried, and then `
` Peter gripped her and began to draw her toward the window. `
` `
` "Let me go!" she ordered him. `
` `
` "Wendy, do come with me and tell the other boys." `
` `
` Of course she was very pleased to be asked, but she said, "Oh `
` dear, I can't. Think of mummy! Besides, I can't fly." `
` `
` "I'll teach you." `
` `
` "Oh, how lovely to fly." `
` `
` "I'll teach you how to jump on the wind's back, and then away `
` we go." `
` `
` "Oo!" she exclaimed rapturously. `
` `
` "Wendy, Wendy, when you are sleeping in your silly bed you `
` might be flying about with me saying funny things to the stars." `
` `
` "Oo!" `
` `
` "And, Wendy, there are mermaids." `
` `
` "Mermaids! With tails?" `
` `
` "Such long tails." `
` `
` "Oh," cried Wendy, "to see a mermaid!" `
` `
` He had become frightfully cunning. "Wendy," he said, "how we `
` should all respect you." `
` `
` She was wriggling her body in distress. It was quite as if she `
` were trying to remain on the nursery floor. `
` `
` But he had no pity for her. `
` `
` "Wendy," he said, the sly one, "you could tuck us in at night." `
` `
` "Oo!" `
` `
` "None of us has ever been tucked in at night." `
` `
` "Oo," and her arms went out to him. `
` `
` "And you could darn our clothes, and make pockets for us. None `
` of us has any pockets." `
` `
` How could she resist. "Of course it's awfully fascinating!" `
` she cried. "Peter, would you teach John and Michael to fly too?" `
` `
` "If you like," he said indifferently, and she ran to John and `
` Michael and shook them. "Wake up," she cried, "Peter Pan has `
` come and he is to teach us to fly." `
` `
` John rubbed his eyes. "Then I shall get up," he said. Of `
` course he was on the floor already. "Hallo," he said, "I am up!" `
` `
` Michael was up by this time also, looking as sharp as a knife `
` with six blades and a saw, but Peter suddenly signed silence. `
` Their faces assumed the awful craftiness of children listening `
` for sounds from the grown-up world. All was as still as salt. `
` Then everything was right. No, stop! Everything was wrong. `
` Nana, who had been barking distressfully all the evening, was `
` quiet now. It was her silence they had heard. `
` `
` "Out with the light! Hide! Quick!" cried John, taking command `
` for the only time throughout the whole adventure. And thus when `
` Liza entered, holding Nana, the nursery seemed quite its old `
` self, very dark, and you would have sworn you heard its three `
` wicked inmates breathing angelically as they slept. They were `
` really doing it artfully from behind the window curtains. `
` `
` Liza was in a bad tamper, for she was mixing the Christmas `
` puddings in the kitchen, and had been drawn from them, with a `
` raisin still on her cheek, by Nana's absurd suspicions. She `
` thought the best way of getting a little quiet was to take Nana `
` to the nursery for a moment, but in custody of course. `
` `
` "There, you suspicious brute," she said, not sorry that Nana `
` was in disgrace. "They are perfectly safe, aren't they? Every `
` one of the little angels sound asleep in bed. Listen to their `
` gentle breathing." `
` `
` Here Michael, encouraged by his success, breathed so loudly `
` that they were nearly detected. Nana knew that kind of `
` breathing, and she tried to drag herself out of Liza's clutches. `
` `
` But Liza was dense. "No more of it, Nana," she said sternly, `
` pulling her out of the room. "I warn you if bark again I shall `
` go straight for master and missus and bring them home from the `
` party, and then, oh, won't master whip you, just." `
` `
` She tied the unhappy dog up again, but do you think Nana ceased `
` to bark? Bring master and missus home from the party! Why, that `
` was just what she wanted. Do you think she cared whether she was `
` whipped so long as her charges were safe? Unfortunately Liza `
` returned to her puddings, and Nana, seeing that no help would `
` come from her, strained and strained at the chain until at last `
` she broke it. In another moment she had burst into the dining- `
` room of 27 and flung up her paws to heaven, her most expressive `
` way of making a communication. Mr. and Mrs. Darling knew at once `
` that something terrible was happening in their nursery, and `
` without a good-bye to their hostess they rushed into the street. `
` `
` But it was now ten minutes since three scoundrels had been `
` breathing behind the curtains, and Peter Pan can do a great deal `
` in ten minutes. `
` `
` We now return to the nursery. `
` `
` "It's all right," John announced, emerging from his hiding- `
` place. "I say, Peter, can you really fly?" `
` `
` Instead of troubling to answer him Peter flew around the room, `
` taking the mantelpiece on the way. `
` `
` "How topping!" said John and Michael. `
` `
` "How sweet!" cried Wendy. `
` `
` "Yes, I'm sweet, oh, I am sweet!" said Peter, forgetting his `
` manners again. `
` `
` It looked delightfully easy, and they tried it first from the `
` floor and then from the beds, but they always went down instead `
` of up. `
` `
` "I say, how do you do it?" asked John, rubbing his knee. He `
` was quite a practical boy. `
` `
` "You just think lovely wonderful thoughts," Peter explained, `
` "and they lift you up in the air." `
` `
` He showed them again. `
` `
` "You're so nippy at it," John said, "couldn't you do it very `
` slowly once?" `
` `
` Peter did it both slowly and quickly. "I've got it now, `
` Wendy!" cried John, but soon he found he had not. Not one of `
` them could fly an inch, though even Michael was in words of two `
` syllables, and Peter did not know A from Z. `
` `
` Of course Peter had been trifling with them, for no one can fly `
` unless the fairy dust has been blown on him. Fortunately, as we `
` have mentioned, one of his hands was messy with it, and he blew `
` some on each of them, with the most superb results. `
` `
` "Now just wiggle your shoulders this way," he said, "and let `
` go." `
` `
` They were all on their beds, and gallant Michael let go first. `
` He did not quite mean to let go, but he did it, and immediately `
` he was borne across the room. `
` `
` "I flewed!" he screamed while still in mid-air. `
` `
` John let go and met Wendy near the bathroom. `
` `
` "Oh, lovely!" `
` `
` "Oh, ripping!" `
` `
` "Look at me!" `
` `
` "Look at me!" `
` `
` "Look at me!" `
` `
` They were not nearly so elegant as Peter, they could not help `
` kicking a little, but their heads were bobbing against the `
` ceiling, and there is almost nothing so delicious as that. Peter `
`