peter pan-第2部分

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gs；　verbs　that　take　the　dative；　chocolate　pudding　day；　getting　into　braces；　say　ninety…nine；　three…pence　for　pulling　out　your　tooth　yourself；　and　so　on；　and　either　these　are　part　of　the　island　or　they　are　another　map　showing　through；　and　it　is　all　rather　confusing；　especially　as　nothing　will　stand　still。

　　Of　course　the　Neverlands　vary　a　good　deal。　　John's；　for　instance；　had　a　lagoon　with　flamingoes　flying　over　it　at　which　John　was　shooting；　while　Michael；　who　was　very　small；　had　a　flamingo　with　lagoons　flying　over　it。　　John　lived　in　a　boat　turned　upside　down　on　the　sands；　Michael　in　a　wigwam；　Wendy　in　a　house　of　leaves　deftly　sewn　together。　　John　had　no　friends；　Michael　had　friends　at　night；　Wendy　had　a　pet　wolf　forsaken　by　its　parents；　but　on　the　whole　the　Neverlands　have　a　family　resemblance；　and　if　they　stood　still　in　a　row　you　could　say　of　them　that　they　have　each　other's　nose；　and　so　forth。　　On　these　magic　shores　children　at　play　are　for　ever　beaching　their　coracles　＇simple　boat＇。　　We　too　have　been　there；　we　can　still　hear　the　sound　of　the　surf；　though　we　shall　land　no　more。

　　Of　all　delectable　islands　the　Neverland　is　the　snuggest　and　most　compact；　not　large　and　sprawly；　you　know；　with　tedious　distances　between　one　adventure　and　another；　but　nicely　crammed。　　When　you　play　at　it　by　day　with　the　chairs　and　table…cloth；　it　is　not　in　the　least　alarming；　but　in　the　two　minutes　before　you　go　to　sleep　it　becomes　very　real。　　That　is　why　there　are　night…lights。

　　Occasionally　in　her　travels　through　her　children's　minds　Mrs。　Darling　found　things　she　could　not　understand；　and　of　these　quite　the　most　perplexing　was　the　word　Peter。　　She　knew　of　no　Peter；　and　yet　he　was　here　and　there　in　John　and　Michael's　minds；　while　Wendy's　began　to　be　scrawled　all　over　with　him。　　The　name　stood　out　in　bolder　letters　than　any　of　the　other　words；　and　as　Mrs。　Darling　gazed　she　felt　that　it　had　an　oddly　cocky　appearance。

　　〃Yes；　he　is　rather　cocky；〃　Wendy　admitted　with　regret。　　Her　mother　had　been　questioning　her。

　　〃But　who　is　he；　my　pet？〃

　　〃He　is　Peter　Pan；　you　know；　mother。〃　　

　　At　first　Mrs。　Darling　did　not　know；　but　after　thinking　back　into　her　childhood　she　just　remembered　a　Peter　Pan　who　was　said　to　live　with　the　fairies。　　There　were　odd　stories　about　him；　as　that　when　children　died　he　went　part　of　the　way　with　them；　so　that　they　should　not　be　frightened。　　She　had　believed　in　him　at　the　time；　but　now　that　she　was　married　and　full　of　sense　she　quite　doubted　whether　there　was　any　such　person。

　　〃Besides；〃　she　said　to　Wendy；　〃he　would　be　grown　up　by　this　time。〃

　　〃Oh　no；　he　isn't　grown　up；〃　Wendy　assured　her　confidently；　〃and　he　is　just　my　size。〃　　She　meant　that　he　was　her　size　in　both　mind　and　body；　she　didn't　know　how　she　knew；　she　just　knew　it。

　　Mrs。　Darling　consulted　Mr。　Darling；　but　he　smiled　pooh…pooh。　　〃Mark　my　words；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　some　nonsense　Nana　has　been　putting　into　their　heads；　just　the　sort　of　idea　a　dog　would　have。　　Leave　it　alone；　and　it　will　blow　over。〃

　　But　it　would　not　blow　over　and　soon　the　troublesome　boy　gave　Mrs。　Darling　quite　a　shock。

　　Children　have　the　strangest　adventures　without　being　troubled　by　them。　　For　instance；　they　may　remember　to　mention；　a　week　after　the　event　happened；　that　when　they　were　in　the　wood　they　had　met　their　dead　father　and　had　a　game　with　him。　　It　was　in　this　casual　way　that　Wendy　one　morning　made　a　disquieting　revelation。　　Some　leaves　of　a　tree　had　been　found　on　the　nursery　floor；　which　certainly　were　not　there　when　the　children　went　to　bed；　and　Mrs。　Darling　was　puzzling　over　them　when　Wendy　said　with　a　tolerant　smile：

　　〃I　do　believe　it　is　that　Peter　again！〃

　　〃Whatever　do　you　mean；　Wendy？〃　

　　〃It　is　so　naughty　of　him　not　to　wipe　his　feet；〃　Wendy　said；　sighing。　　She　was　a　tidy　child。

　　She　explained　in　quite　a　matter…of…fact　way　that　she　thought　Peter　sometimes　came　to　the　nursery　in　the　night　and　sat　on　the　foot　of　her　bed　and　played　on　his　pipes　to　her。　　Unfortunately　she　never　woke；　so　she　didn't　know　how　she　knew；　she　just　knew。

　　〃What　nonsense　you　talk；　precious。　　No　one　can　get　into　the　house　without　knocking。〃

　　〃I　think　he　comes　in　by　the　window；〃　she　said。

　　〃My　love；　it　is　three　floors　up。〃

　　〃Were　not　the　leaves　at　the　foot　of　the　window；　mother？〃

　　It　was　quite　true；　the　leaves　had　been　found　very　near　the　window。

　　Mrs。　Darling　did　not　know　what　to　think；　for　it　all　seemed　so　natural　to　Wendy　that　you　could　not　dismiss　it　by　saying　she　had　been　dreaming。

　　〃My　child；〃　the　mother　cried；　〃why　did　you　not　tell　me　of　this　before？〃

　　〃I　forgot；〃　said　Wendy　lightly。　　She　was　in　a　hurry　to　get　her　breakfast。

　　Oh；　surely　she　must　have　been　dreaming。

　　But；　on　the　other　hand；　there　were　the　leaves。　　Mrs。　Darling　examined　them　very　carefully；　they　were　skeleton　leaves；　but　she　was　sure　they　did　not　come　from　any　tree　that　grew　in　England。　　She　crawled　about　the　floor；　peering　at　it　with　a　candle　for　marks　of　a　strange　foot。　　She　rattled　the　poker　up　the　chimney　and　tapped　the　walls。　　She　let　down　a　tape　from　the　window　to　the　pavement；　and　it　was　a　sheer　drop　of　thirty　feet；　without　so　much　as　a　spout　to　climb　up　by。

　　Certainly　Wendy　had　been　dreaming。　

　　But　Wendy　had　not　been　dreaming；　as　the　very　next　night　showed；　the　night　on　which　the　extraordinary　adventures　of　these　children　may　be　said　to　have　begun。

　　On　the　night　we　speak　of　all　the　children　were　once　more　in　bed。　　It　happened　to　be　Nana's　evening　off；　and　Mrs。　Darling　had　bathed　them　and　sung　to　them　till　one　by　one　they　had　let　go　her　hand　and　slid　away　into　the　land　of　sleep。

　　All　were　looking　so　safe　and　cosy　that　she　smiled　at　her　fears　now　and　sat　down　tranquilly　by　the　fire　to　sew。

　　It　was　something　for　Michael；　who　on　his　birthday　was　getting　into　shirts。　　The　fire　was　warm；　however；　and　the　nursery　dimly　lit　by　three　night…lights；　and　presently　the　sewing　lay　on　Mrs。　Darling's　lap。　　Then　her　head　nodded；　oh；　so　gracefully。　　She　was　asleep。　　Look　at　the　four　of　them；　Wendy　and　Michael　over　there；　John　here；　and　Mrs。　Darling　by　the　fire。　　There　should　have　been　a　fourth　night…light。

　　While　she　slept　she　had　a　dream。　　She　dreamt　that　the　Neverland　had　come　too　near　and　that　a　strange　boy　had　broken　through　from　it。　　He　did　not　alarm　her；　for　she　thought　she　had　seen　him　before　in　the　faces　of　many　women　who　have　no　children。　　Perhaps　he　is　to　be　found　in　the　faces　of　some　mothers　also。　　But　in　her　dream　he　had　rent　the　film　that　obscures　the　Neverland；　and　she　saw　Wendy　and　John　and　Michael　peeping　through　the　gap。

　　The　dream　by　itself　would　have　been　a　trifle；　but　while　she　was　dreaming　the　window　of　the　nursery　blew　open；　and　a　boy　did　drop　on　the　floor。　　He　was　accompanied　by　a　strange　light；　no　bigger　than　your　fist；　which　darted　about　the　room　like　a　living　thing　and　I　think　it　must　have　been　this　light　that　wakened　Mrs。　Darling。　

　　She　started　up　with　a　cry；　and　saw　the　boy；　and　somehow　she　knew　at　once　that　he　was　Peter　Pan。　　If　you　or　I　or　Wendy　had　been　there　we　should　have　seen　that　he　was　very　like　Mrs。　Darling's　kiss。　　He　was　a　lovely　boy；　clad　in　skeleton　leaves　and　the　juices　that　ooze　out　of　trees　but　the　most　entrancing　thing　about　him　was　that　he　had　all　his　first　teeth。　　When　he　saw　she　was　a　grown…up；　he　gnashed　the　little　pearls　at　her。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　2

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　　SHADOW


　　Mrs。　Darling　screamed；　and；　as　if　in　answer　to　a　bell；　the　door　opened；　and　Nana　entered；　returned　from　her　evening　out。　　She　growled　and　sprang　at　the　boy；　who　leapt　lightly　through　the　window。　　Again　Mrs。　Darling　screamed；　this　time　in　distress　for　him；　for　she　thought　he　was　killed；　and　she　ran　down　into　the　street　to　look　for　his　little　body；　but　it　was　not　there；　and　she　looked　up；　and　in　the　black　night　she　could　see　nothing　but　what　she　thought　was　a　shooting　star。

　　She　returned　to　the　nursery；　and　found　Nana　with　something　in　her　mouth；　which　proved　to　be　the　boy's　shadow。　　As　he　leapt　at　the　window　Nana　had　closed　it　quickly；　too　late　to　catch　him；　but　his　shadow　had　not　had　time　to　get　out；　slam　went　the　window　and　snapped　it　off。

　　You　may　be　sure　Mrs。　Darling　examined　the　shadow　carefully；　but　it　was　quite　the　ordinary　kind。

　　Nana　had　no　doubt　of　what　was　the　best　thing　to　do　with　this　shadow。　　She　hung　it　out　at　the　window；　meaning　〃He　is　sure　to　come　back　for　it；　let　us　put　it　where　he　can　get　it　easily　without　disturbing　the　children。〃　

　　But　unfortunately　Mrs。　Darling　could　not　leave　it　hanging　out　at　the　window；　it　looked　so　like　the　washing　and　lowered　the　whole　tone　of　the　house。　　She　thought　of　showing　it　to　Mr。　Darling；　but　he　was　totting　up　winter　great…coats　for　John　and　Michael；　with　a　wet　towel　around　his　head　to　keep　his　brain　clear；　and　it　seemed　a　shame　to　trouble　him；　besides；　she　knew　exactly　what　he　would　say：　　〃It　all　comes　of　having　a　dog　for　a　nurse。〃

　　She　decided　to　roll　the　shadow　up　and　put　it　away　carefully　in　a　drawer；　until　a　fitting　opportunity　came　for　telling　her　husband。　　Ah　me！

　　The　opportunity　came　a　week　later；　on　that　never…to…be…　forgotten　Friday。　　Of　course　it　was　a　Friday。

　　〃I　ought　to　have　been　specially　careful　on　a　Friday；〃　she　used　to　say　afterwards　to　her　husband；　while　perhaps　Nana　was　on　the　other　side　of　her；　holding　her　hand。

　　〃No；　no；〃　Mr。　Darling　always　said；　〃I　am　responsible　for　it　all。　　I；　George　Darling；　did　it。　　MEA　CULPA；　MEA　CULPA。〃　　He　had　had　a　classical　education。

　　They　sat　thus　night　after　night　recalling　that　fatal　Friday；　till　every　detail　of　it　was　stamped　on　their　brains　and　came　through　on　the　other　side　like　the　faces　on　a　bad　coinage。

　　〃If　only　I　had　not　accepted　that　invitation　to　dine　at　27；〃　Mrs。　Darling　said。

　　〃If　only　I　had　not　poured　my　medicine　into　Nana's　bowl；〃　said　Mr。　Darling。

　　〃If　only　I　had　pretended　to　like　the　medicine；〃　was　what　Nana's　wet　eyes　said。

　　〃My　liking　for　parties；　George。〃

　　〃My　fatal　gift　of　humour；　dearest。〃　

　　〃My　touchiness　about　trifles；　dear　master　and　mistress。〃

　　Then　one　or　more　of　them　would　break　down　altogether；　Nana　at　the　thought；　〃It's　true；　it's　true；　they　ought　not　to　have　had　a　dog　for　a　nurse。〃　　Many　a