Reading Help Peter-pan BY J. M. BARRIE
The difference between him and the other boys at such a time `
` was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe `
` and true were exactly the same thing. This sometimes troubled `
` them, as when they had to make-believe that they had had their `
` dinners. `
` `
` If they broke down in their make-believe he rapped them on the `
` knuckles. `
` `
` "Yes, my little man," Slightly anxiously replied, who had `
` chapped knuckles. `
` `
` "Please, sir," Peter explained, "a lady lies very ill." `
` `
` She was lying at their feet, but Slightly had the sense not to `
` see her. `
` `
` "Tut, tut, tut," he said, "where does she lie?" `
` `
` "In yonder glade." `
` `
` "I will put a glass thing in her mouth," said Slightly, and he `
` made-believe to do it, while Peter waited. It was an anxious `
` moment when the glass thing was withdrawn. `
` `
` "How is she?" inquired Peter. `
` `
` "Tut, tut, tut," said Slightly, "this has cured her." `
` `
` "I am glad!" Peter cried. `
` `
` "I will call again in the evening," Slightly said; "give her `
` beef tea out of a cup with a spout to it"; but after he had `
` returned the hat to John he blew big breaths, which was his habit `
` on escaping from a difficulty. `
` `
` In the meantime the wood had been alive with the sound of axes; `
` almost everything needed for a cosy dwelling already lay at `
` Wendy's feet. `
` `
` "If only we knew," said one, "the kind of house she likes `
` best." `
` `
` "Peter," shouted another, "she is moving in her sleep." `
` `
` "Her mouth opens," cried a third, looking respectfully into it. `
` "Oh, lovely!" `
` `
` "Perhaps she is going to sing in her sleep," said Peter. `
` "Wendy, sing the kind of house you would like to have." `
` `
` Immediately, without opening her eyes, Wendy began to sing: `
` `
` `
` "I wish I had a pretty house, `
` The littlest ever seen, `
` With funny little red walls `
` And roof of mossy green." `
` `
` `
` They gurgled with joy at this, for by the greatest good luck `
` the branches they had brought were sticky with red sap, and all `
` the ground was carpeted with moss. As they rattled up the little `
` house they broke into song themselves: `
` `
` `
` "We've built the little walls and roof `
` And made a lovely door, `
` So tell us, mother Wendy, `
` What are you wanting more?" `
` `
` `
` To this she answered greedily: `
` `
` `
` "Oh, really next I think I'll have `
` Gay windows all about, `
` With roses peeping in, you know, `
` And babies peeping out." `
` `
` `
` With a blow of their fists they made windows, and large yellow `
` leaves were the blinds. But roses -- ? `
` `
` "Roses," cried Peter sternly. `
` `
` Quickly they made-believe to grow the loveliest roses up the `
` walls. `
` `
` Babies? `
` `
` To prevent Peter ordering babies they hurried into song again: `
` `
` `
` "We've made the roses peeping out, `
` The babes are at the door, `
` We cannot make ourselves, you know, `
` 'cos we've been made before." `
` `
` `
` Peter, seeing this to be a good idea, at once pretended that it `
` was his own. The house was quite beautiful, and no doubt Wendy `
` was very cosy within, though, of course, they could no longer see `
` her. Peter strode up and down, ordering finishing touches. `
` Nothing escaped his eagle eyes. Just when it seemed absolutely `
` finished: `
` `
` "There's no knocker on the door," he said. `
` `
` They were very ashamed, but Tootles gave the sole of his shoe, `
` and it made an excellent knocker. `
` `
` Absolutely finished now, they thought. `
` `
` Not of bit of it. "There's no chimney," Peter said; "we must `
` have a chimney." `
` `
` "It certainly does need a chimney," said John importantly. `
` This gave Peter an idea. He snatched the hat off John's head, `
` knocked out the bottom [top], and put the hat on the roof. The `
` little house was so pleased to have such a capital chimney that, `
` as if to say thank you, smoke immediately began to come out of `
` the hat. `
` `
` Now really and truly it was finished. Nothing remained to do `
` but to knock. `
` `
` "All look your best," Peter warned them; "first impressions are `
` awfully important." `
` `
` He was glad no one asked him what first impressions are; they `
` were all too busy looking their best. `
` `
` He knocked politely, and now the wood was as still as the `
` children, not a sound to be heard except from Tinker Bell, who was `
` watching from a branch and openly sneering. `
` `
` What the boys were wondering was, would any one answer the `
` knock? If a lady, what would she be like? `
` `
` The door opened and a lady came out. It was Wendy. They all `
` whipped off their hats. `
` `
` She looked properly surprised, and this was just how they had `
` hoped she would look. `
` `
` "Where am I?" she said. `
` `
` Of course Slightly was the first to get his word in. "Wendy `
` lady," he said rapidly, "for you we built this house." `
` `
` "Oh, say you're pleased," cried Nibs. `
` `
` "Lovely, darling house," Wendy said, and they were the very `
` words they had hoped she would say. `
` `
` "And we are your children," cried the twins. `
` `
` Then all went on their knees, and holding out their arms cried, `
` "O Wendy lady, be our mother." `
` `
` "Ought I?" Wendy said, all shining. "Of course it's `
` frightfully fascinating, but you see I am only a little girl. I `
` have no real experience." `
` `
` "That doesn't matter," said Peter, as if he were the only `
` person present who knew all about it, though he was really the `
` one who knew least. "What we need is just a nice motherly `
` person." `
` `
` "Oh dear!" Wendy said, "you see, I feel that is exactly what I `
` am." `
` `
` "It is, it is," they all cried; "we saw it at once." `
` `
` "Very well," she said, "I will do my best. Come inside at `
` once, you naughty children; I am sure your feet are damp. And `
` before I put you to bed I have just time to finish the story of `
` Cinderella." `
` `
` In they went; I don't know how there was room for them, but you `
` can squeeze very tight in the Neverland. And that was the first `
` of the many joyous evenings they had with Wendy. By and by she `
` tucked them up in the great bed in the home under the trees, but `
` she herself slept that night in the little house, and Peter kept `
` watch outside with drawn sword, for the pirates could be heard `
` carousing far away and the wolves were on the prowl. The little `
` house looked so cosy and safe in the darkness, with a bright `
` light showing through its blinds, and the chimney smoking `
` beautifully, and Peter standing on guard. After a time he fell `
` asleep, and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their `
` way home from an orgy. Any of the other boys obstructing the `
` fairy path at night they would have mischiefed, but they just `
` tweaked Peter's nose and passed on. `
` `
` `
` `
` Chapter 7 `
` `
` THE HOME UNDER THE GROUND `
` `
`
` was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe `
` and true were exactly the same thing. This sometimes troubled `
` them, as when they had to make-believe that they had had their `
` dinners. `
` `
` If they broke down in their make-believe he rapped them on the `
` knuckles. `
` `
` "Yes, my little man," Slightly anxiously replied, who had `
` chapped knuckles. `
` `
` "Please, sir," Peter explained, "a lady lies very ill." `
` `
` She was lying at their feet, but Slightly had the sense not to `
` see her. `
` `
` "Tut, tut, tut," he said, "where does she lie?" `
` `
` "In yonder glade." `
` `
` "I will put a glass thing in her mouth," said Slightly, and he `
` made-believe to do it, while Peter waited. It was an anxious `
` moment when the glass thing was withdrawn. `
` `
` "How is she?" inquired Peter. `
` `
` "Tut, tut, tut," said Slightly, "this has cured her." `
` `
` "I am glad!" Peter cried. `
` `
` "I will call again in the evening," Slightly said; "give her `
` beef tea out of a cup with a spout to it"; but after he had `
` returned the hat to John he blew big breaths, which was his habit `
` on escaping from a difficulty. `
` `
` In the meantime the wood had been alive with the sound of axes; `
` almost everything needed for a cosy dwelling already lay at `
` Wendy's feet. `
` `
` "If only we knew," said one, "the kind of house she likes `
` best." `
` `
` "Peter," shouted another, "she is moving in her sleep." `
` `
` "Her mouth opens," cried a third, looking respectfully into it. `
` "Oh, lovely!" `
` `
` "Perhaps she is going to sing in her sleep," said Peter. `
` "Wendy, sing the kind of house you would like to have." `
` `
` Immediately, without opening her eyes, Wendy began to sing: `
` `
` `
` "I wish I had a pretty house, `
` The littlest ever seen, `
` With funny little red walls `
` And roof of mossy green." `
` `
` `
` They gurgled with joy at this, for by the greatest good luck `
` the branches they had brought were sticky with red sap, and all `
` the ground was carpeted with moss. As they rattled up the little `
` house they broke into song themselves: `
` `
` `
` "We've built the little walls and roof `
` And made a lovely door, `
` So tell us, mother Wendy, `
` What are you wanting more?" `
` `
` `
` To this she answered greedily: `
` `
` `
` "Oh, really next I think I'll have `
` Gay windows all about, `
` With roses peeping in, you know, `
` And babies peeping out." `
` `
` `
` With a blow of their fists they made windows, and large yellow `
` leaves were the blinds. But roses -- ? `
` `
` "Roses," cried Peter sternly. `
` `
` Quickly they made-believe to grow the loveliest roses up the `
` walls. `
` `
` Babies? `
` `
` To prevent Peter ordering babies they hurried into song again: `
` `
` `
` "We've made the roses peeping out, `
` The babes are at the door, `
` We cannot make ourselves, you know, `
` 'cos we've been made before." `
` `
` `
` Peter, seeing this to be a good idea, at once pretended that it `
` was his own. The house was quite beautiful, and no doubt Wendy `
` was very cosy within, though, of course, they could no longer see `
` her. Peter strode up and down, ordering finishing touches. `
` Nothing escaped his eagle eyes. Just when it seemed absolutely `
` finished: `
` `
` "There's no knocker on the door," he said. `
` `
` They were very ashamed, but Tootles gave the sole of his shoe, `
` and it made an excellent knocker. `
` `
` Absolutely finished now, they thought. `
` `
` Not of bit of it. "There's no chimney," Peter said; "we must `
` have a chimney." `
` `
` "It certainly does need a chimney," said John importantly. `
` This gave Peter an idea. He snatched the hat off John's head, `
` knocked out the bottom [top], and put the hat on the roof. The `
` little house was so pleased to have such a capital chimney that, `
` as if to say thank you, smoke immediately began to come out of `
` the hat. `
` `
` Now really and truly it was finished. Nothing remained to do `
` but to knock. `
` `
` "All look your best," Peter warned them; "first impressions are `
` awfully important." `
` `
` He was glad no one asked him what first impressions are; they `
` were all too busy looking their best. `
` `
` He knocked politely, and now the wood was as still as the `
` children, not a sound to be heard except from Tinker Bell, who was `
` watching from a branch and openly sneering. `
` `
` What the boys were wondering was, would any one answer the `
` knock? If a lady, what would she be like? `
` `
` The door opened and a lady came out. It was Wendy. They all `
` whipped off their hats. `
` `
` She looked properly surprised, and this was just how they had `
` hoped she would look. `
` `
` "Where am I?" she said. `
` `
` Of course Slightly was the first to get his word in. "Wendy `
` lady," he said rapidly, "for you we built this house." `
` `
` "Oh, say you're pleased," cried Nibs. `
` `
` "Lovely, darling house," Wendy said, and they were the very `
` words they had hoped she would say. `
` `
` "And we are your children," cried the twins. `
` `
` Then all went on their knees, and holding out their arms cried, `
` "O Wendy lady, be our mother." `
` `
` "Ought I?" Wendy said, all shining. "Of course it's `
` frightfully fascinating, but you see I am only a little girl. I `
` have no real experience." `
` `
` "That doesn't matter," said Peter, as if he were the only `
` person present who knew all about it, though he was really the `
` one who knew least. "What we need is just a nice motherly `
` person." `
` `
` "Oh dear!" Wendy said, "you see, I feel that is exactly what I `
` am." `
` `
` "It is, it is," they all cried; "we saw it at once." `
` `
` "Very well," she said, "I will do my best. Come inside at `
` once, you naughty children; I am sure your feet are damp. And `
` before I put you to bed I have just time to finish the story of `
` Cinderella." `
` `
` In they went; I don't know how there was room for them, but you `
` can squeeze very tight in the Neverland. And that was the first `
` of the many joyous evenings they had with Wendy. By and by she `
` tucked them up in the great bed in the home under the trees, but `
` she herself slept that night in the little house, and Peter kept `
` watch outside with drawn sword, for the pirates could be heard `
` carousing far away and the wolves were on the prowl. The little `
` house looked so cosy and safe in the darkness, with a bright `
` light showing through its blinds, and the chimney smoking `
` beautifully, and Peter standing on guard. After a time he fell `
` asleep, and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their `
` way home from an orgy. Any of the other boys obstructing the `
` fairy path at night they would have mischiefed, but they just `
` tweaked Peter's nose and passed on. `
` `
` `
` `
` Chapter 7 `
` `
` THE HOME UNDER THE GROUND `
` `
`