Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The story of Peter Pan by JM Barrie Chapter 1. Early days
In one of the nicest nurseries in the world there were beds for three young people called John
Napoleon and Wendy Mariah Angela and Michael the children of Mr. and Mrs.
Darling. The nursery was wide and airy with a large window and a bright fire
with a huge fire guard rounded and a big clock and prettily colored Nursery Rhyme
pictures over the walls. It was in many ways a most interesting household.
For one thing although there was a pretty little parlor maid called Eliza. The
children were bathed and dressed by a big dog called Nana whose kennel was
kept in the nursery. On the evening on which our story begins Nana was dozing
peacefully by the fireside with her head between her paws. Mr. and Mrs. darling
were getting ready to go out to dinner and Nana was to be left in sole charge
of the children. Presently the clock went off what they were and struck: one, two,
three, four, five, six ... time to begin to put the children to bed. Nana got up and
stretched herself and carefully switched on the electric light you would have
been surprised to see how cleverly she managed to do that with her mouth. Then
she turned the bedclothes neatly down and hung the little pajamas over the
fire guard. She then trotted up to the bathroom and
turned on the water after feeling it with her paw to make sure that it was
not too hot she went off to look for Michael who being the youngest of the
three children must go to bed first. She returned immediately with him
sitting astride on her back as though she were a pony Michael of course did
not want to be bathed but Nana was firm and taking him to the bathroom shut the
door so that he should not be in a draught
then mrs. darling came to peep at him as he splashed about in the nice warm water
whilst mr. Starling was in the nursery she heard a wee noise outside the window
as a tiny figure no bigger than a little boy tried the window ledge and vanished
suddenly and her cry of surprise she flung the window open but there was
nothing to be seen nothing but the dim roofs of the neighboring houses and the
deep blue sky above she began to frighten herself with eerie bogey tales
for the same thing that happened the day before when Nana had gone to the window
and shut it down quickly so that she had cut off the boy's shadow mrs. darling
had found it in Nana's mouth and had carefully folded it and put it away
but she soon felt reassured when her children came in together an answer to
her call John Napoleon and Wendy were playing at their favorite game of being
father and mother and mrs. darlings beautiful face beamed with delight as
she listened to them suddenly in rushed mr. darling very much excited because he
could not fasten his evening tie evening ties or difficult things to fasten you
know mrs. darling easily managed that for him and he was soon skipping about
the room with Michael on his back dropping him finally into his bed
with a big Boom bah!...
Unfortunately in going to the bathroom Nana accidentally brushed against mr.
darlings beautifully pressed black trousers and left some of her grey
clinging hairs upon them now no grown-up person likes hairy trousers so mr.
darling was very cross with Nana and spoke of dismissing her but mrs. darling
told him about the weird apparition at the window how Nana had barked at it and
shut the window down so fast so that his shadow had been cut clean off and left
behind she showed him the shadow and told him how glad she was to have such a
treasure as Nana for a nurse you see how very useful Nana is concluded mrs.
darling as the faithful dog came in with
Michaels bottle of cough mixture but Michael was naughty and would not take
it there was a fine fuss over it when windy being a clever little girl hit on
a brilliant idea father should take some of his medicine
to keep Michael company very well said mr. darling we shall see who is braver
two glasses were fetched and filled in a moment one two three
cried windy Michael took his like a man but mr. darling only pretended to and
quietly hid the glass behind his back John caught him in the act father hasn't
taken his he cried and Michael seeing that he had been tricked burst into a
loud mr. darling to appease Michael thought of what seemed to him an
excellent joke he poured his medicine into Nana's drinking bowl and when poor
Nana thinking that it was something nice ran eagerly to lap it up he roared with
laughter to see the reproachful eyes she turned upon him the children who love
their old nurse very dearly were terribly distressed
as she slumped to her kennel looking as woeful and as hurt in her feelings as
ever a dog did mr. darling angry that they did not enjoy his joke in the least
Polk's tanana out of her kennel seized her by the collar and dragged her off in
disgrace to be chained up in the yard the proper place for dogs he said in
spite of the persuasions and pleadings of them all mrs. darling comforted the
children kissing them very tenderly as mothers always do tuck them up in their
beds sang them to sleep and leaving the night lights burning for company crept
softly out of the room to go to the dinner party with mr. darling everything
in the big nursery was now still and quiet suddenly the night lights
flickered waned and went out one by one and there darted into the room a tiny
ball of fire which flitted uneasily about an finally
vanished into a jug then the same slender graceful figure that had so
startled mrs. darling left from the darkness outside the window there was
just one click the window was open and the little creatures stepped cautiously
end he seemed to be looking for something and you will easily guess that
what he was looking for was his shadow tink where are you he whispered and as
then the light shone on the jug he went on tink do you know where they have put
it now this little ball of light was really a fairy girl who knew everything
worth knowing most fairies do oh you could see of her
was the little flame but you could hear her distinctly she made a tinkling noise
like a little silver bell and that was why she was called Tinker Bell taker
Bell at last rested a few moments on the second drawer of the nursery dresser
instantly the boy ran joyfully to it and pulling open the drawer snatched out his
shadow neatly rolled up just as mrs. darling had left it he had found it
certainly but the next trouble was to put it on again a happy thought struck
him he would stick it on with soap sitting on the hearth rug he soaked his
feet and then he soaked his shadow but whichever way he soaked they would not
stick together there was no use in having a shadow if it will not stick to
you after trying and trying in vain the poor little fellow gave up the attempt
buried his face in his hands and sobbed despairingly it was then that Wendy
awoke she sat up in bed and not at all frightened said little boy why are you
crying the elfin creature sprang to his feet and taking off his cap bowed very
politely Wendy curtsied in return though she
found that a difficult thing to do in bed what's your name asked the little
boy Wendy Moriah Angela darling what's yours Peter Pan where do
you live second turning to the right and straight on till morning this seemed too
windy a very funny address but she was all sympathy when she heard that Peter
had no mother no wonder he was crying but that was not the reason for Peters
tears he was crying because he could not get his shadow to stick on this made
Wendy smile and she emphatically declared that soap was no good
it must be sewn on shall I do it for you she suggested and jumping out of bed to
get her work basket she set to work at once it hurts a good deal to have a
shadow sewn onto your feet but Peter Borik bravely it was the right thing to
do for the shadow held on beautifully and Peter was so delighted that he
danced up and down the nursery watching it making patterns on the floor as he
flung his arms and legs about oh the cleverness of me cried Peter overcome
with joy and he crowed with pleasure for all the world just as a *** would crow
you conceit exclaimed Wendy indignantly of course I did nothing oh you did a
little a little if I am of no use I can at least withdraw she said jumping back
into bed and covering her head in a dignified way with the bedclothes Oh
Wendy please don't withdraw Peter exclaimed in great distress I can't help
crowing when I'm pleased with myself one girl is more Houston twenty boys this
was rather clever of Peter and at these sensible words Wendy got up again she
even offered to give Peter a kiss if he liked Peter looked puzzled but seeing
the film alone Wendy's finger he thought she meant to give him that and held out
his hand for it now Wendy saw at a glance that the poor boy did not even
know what a kiss was but being a nice little girl of motherly disposition she
did not hurt his feelings by laughing at him but simply placed the thimble on his
finger Peter admired the thimble very much
shall I give you a kiss he asked and jerking a button off his coat solemnly
presented it to her windy at once fastened it on a chain which she wore
around her neck and forgetting the puzzle in his mind she once more asked
him for a kiss immediately he returned the thimble oh I
didn't mean a kiss I met a thimble what's that he asked
it's like this replied windy and gently kissed his cheek Oh cried Peter how nice
and he began to give her thimbles in return and ever afterwards he called a
kiss a thimble and a thimble to kiss but Peter how old are you continued windy I
don't know but quite young I ran away the day I was born
ran away why because I heard my father and mother talking about what I was to
be when I became a man I don't want to be a man
I want always to be a little boy and have fun so I ran away and lived among
the fairies Wendy was almost speechless with delight at the thought of sitting
beside a boy who knew fairies and after a minute said Peter do you really know
fairies yes but they're nearly all dead now 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 and now whenever a
new baby is born its first laugh becomes a fairy so there ought to be a fairy for
every little boy and girl but there isn't you see children know such a lot
now they soon won't believe in fairies and whenever a child says I don't
believe in fairies there's a fairy somewhere that falls down dead Peter
suddenly looked about the room as though he were searching for
something Tinkerbell had disappeared before he could grow anxious however a
tinkling of bells was heard and Peter who knew the fairy language of course
understood it he pulled opened the drawer in which his shadow had been
hidden and out sprang Tinker Bell very angry with him for
shutting her up accidentally in the drawer she skipped about the room but
Wendy gave such a cry of delight that tink was frightened and hid behind the
clock but Peter continued windy if you don't live with the fairies where do you
live I live with the Lost Boys who are they why they are the children who fall
out of their perambulators when their nurses are looking the other way if they
are not claimed within seven days they are sent far away to the Never Never
Never Land to defray expenses I'm their captain oh what fun but Peter why did
you come to our nursery window Peter told her that he came to listen to the
lovely stories Wendy's mother related to her children for the Lost Boys had no
mothers and no one to tell them any stories he also told her how he led them
against their enemies the Pirates and the wolves and how they enjoyed bathing
in the lagoon where beautiful mermaids sang and swam all day long I must go
back now he went on the boys will be anxious to hear the end of the story
about the prince and the glass slipper I told him as much as I knew and they're
longing to hear the rest Wendy begged him to stay I'll tell you
lots more she promised ever so many stories if you'll only stay come Wendy
exclaimed Peter struck with a new idea you can tell us all the stories there
and during our clothes and tuck us in at night none of us has ever been tucked in
all the boys longed for a mother Oh Wendy do come it was a tempting idea to
Wendy but a sudden thought came across her mind
pea I can't I think of mummy besides I can't
fly I'll teach you in D this was too much for her Peter will you teach John
and Michael to fly as well yes if you like so John and Michael were awakened
and directly they heard that there were pirates in the never never Neverland
they began to clamor to go at once they watched Peter fly about the room and
tried to imitate him flapping their arms clumsily at first like unfledged birds
and flopping about all over the place that will never do Peter said I must
blow the fairy dust on you now waggle your shoulders as I do so they tried and
found that they could fly just a little at first from the bed to the floor and
back again then over the bed then across the room
and then as they grew braver almost as freely and easily as Peter himself tink
lead the way called Peter and the fairy shot out like a little star none of the
children had time to put on their day clothes but John snatched his top hat as
he flew out the window followed by Michael Peter Pan held Wendy's hand and
away they floated into the dark blue depths of the starry night a minute
afterwards mrs. darling who had just returned from the party rushed into the
nursery with Nana at her heels for Nana had been anxious about her charges and
had just succeeded in breaking her chain but it was too late the children were
already on their way that I never never Neverland