The Story of Peter Pan, Retold from the fairy play by Sir James Barrie

by L. Frank Baum

  Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Canada Team athttps://www.pgdpcanada.net (This file was produced fromimages generously made available by The InternetArchive/American Libraries.)

  WITH THE SPRING COMES WENDY].

  THE STORY OF PETER PAN

  RETOLD FROM THE FAIRY PLAY BY SIR J.M. BARRIE BY DANIEL O'CONNOR

  ILLUSTRATED BY ALICE B. WOODWARD

  TORONTO THE MUSSON BOOK COMPANY LIMITED

  PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY PURNELL AND SONS PAULTON, SOMERSET, ENGLAND

  PREFACE

  Sir J. M. Barrie's delightful creation, "Peter Pan," has by this timetaken a secure place in the hearts of children of all ages, and thereare few nurseries in the land in which Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell,Captain Hook and his Pirates, the Mermaids and Redskins, and theexciting world in which they lived, are not as familiar as the mosttime-honoured lore of fairyland.

  The popularity of Mr. Daniel O'Connor's version of the story, issuedwith Sir J. M. Barrie's kind consent, and illustrated so charmingly byMiss Alice B. Woodward, has induced the publishers to bring out thepresent re-issue at a lower price.

  The selections of music which will be found in it are included withthe permission of Mr. John Crook, the composer, and Messrs. Price andReynolds.

  CONTENTS

  PART I EARLY DAYS PART II THE NEVER-NEVER-NEVER LAND PART III THE MERMAIDS' LAGOON PART IV THE UNDERGROUND HOME PART V THE PIRATE SHIP PART VI HOME, SWEET HOME

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  WITH THE SPRING COMES WENDY _colour-plate_ WITH MICHAEL SITTING ON HER BACK _colour-plate_ THE SHADOW HELD ON BEAUTIFULLY WENDY GENTLY KISSED HIS CHEEK _colour-plate_ AWAY THEY FLOATED SLIGHTLY WAS DANCING MERRILY WITH AN OSTRICH _colour-plate_ "THE CROCODILE! THE CROCODILE!" THE INDIANS CREPT SILENTLY UP THE LOST BOYS KNELT BEFORE HER _colour-plate_ SHE WAS COMBING HER LONG TRESSES SHE SLIPPED OUT OF HIS GRASP A FIERCE FIGHT ENSUED SPREADING HIS COAT TO THE WIND, HE SAILED MERRILY _colour-plate_ SEIZED BY ONE OF THE SWARTHY RUFFIANS HE PERCEIVED TINKER BELL IN HIS GLASS _colour-plate_ THE PIRATE SHIP "THAT MAN IS MINE!" _colour-plate_ RIGHT INTO THE JAWS OF THE CROCODILE! NURSE TO THE PAPOOSES! HE WOULD LIVE IN THE KENNEL TILL HIS CHILDREN'S RETURN

  PART I EARLY DAYS

  music score]

  LULLABY

  Gold-en slum-bers kiss your eyes, Smiles a-wake you when you rise, Sleep, pret-ty dar-ling, do not cry, And I will sing a lul-la-by.

  In one of the nicest nurseries in the world there were beds for threeyoung people called John Napoleon, and Wendy Moira Angela, andMichael, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Darling. The nursery was wideand airy, with a large window, and a bright fire with a highfire-guard round it, and a big clock, and prettily-colourednursery-rhyme pictures over the walls. It was in many ways a mostinteresting household. For one thing, although there was a prettylittle parlour-maid called Liza, the children were bathed and dressedby a big dog called Nana, whose kennel was kept in the nursery.

  On the evening on which our story begins, Nana was dozing peacefullyby the fireside, with her head between her paws. Mr. and Mrs. Darlingwere getting ready to go out to dinner and Nana was to be left in solecharge of the children. Presently the clock went off with a whirr, andstruck--one, two, three, four, five, six--time to begin to put thechildren to bed.

  Nana got up, and stretched herself, and carefully switched on theelectric light. You would have been surprised to see how cleverly shemanaged to do that with her mouth. Then she turned the bedclothesneatly down and hung the little pyjamas over the fire-guard. She thentrotted up to the bathroom and turned on the water; after feeling itwith her paw to make sure that it was not too hot, she went off tolook for Michael, who, being the youngest of the three children, mustgo to bed first. She returned immediately with him sitting astride onher back as though she were a pony. Michael, of course, did not wantto be bathed, but Nana was firm and, taking him to the bathroom, shutthe door so that he should not be in a draught. Then Mrs. Darling cameto peep at him as he splashed about in the nice warm water.

  Whilst Mrs. Darling was in the nursery she heard a wee noise outsidethe window, as a tiny figure, no bigger than a little boy, tried thewindow-latch, and vanished suddenly at her cry of surprise. She flungthe window open, but there was nothing to be seen, nothing but the dimroofs of the neighbouring houses, and the deep blue sky above. Shebegan to frighten herself with eerie bogie tales, for the same thinghad happened the day before, when Nana had gone to the window and shutit down so quickly that she had cut off the boy's shadow. Mrs. Darlinghad found it in Nana's mouth, and had carefully folded it and put itaway. But she soon felt reassured when her children came in togetherin answer to her call. John Napoleon and Wendy were playing at theirfavourite game of being Father and Mother, and Mrs. Darling'sbeautiful face beamed with delight as she listened to them. Suddenly,in rushed Mr. Darling, very much excited because he could notfasten his evening tie (evening ties are difficult things to fasten,you know). Mrs. Darling easily managed that for him, and he was soonskipping about the room with Michael on his back, dropping him finallyinto his bed with a big "bump-ah!"----

  WITH MICHAEL SITTING ON HER BACK.]

  Unfortunately, in going to the bathroom, Nana accidentally brushedagainst Mr. Darling's beautifully pressed black trousers, and leftsome of her grey clinging hairs upon them. Now no grown-up personlikes hairy trousers, so Mr. Darling was very cross with Nana, andspoke of dismissing her. But Mrs. Darling told him about the weirdapparition at the window, how Nana had barked at it and shut thewindow down so fast that its shadow had been cut clean off and leftbehind. She showed him the shadow, and told him how glad she was tohave such a treasure as Nana for a nurse. "You see how very usefulNana is," concluded Mrs. Darling, as the faithful dog came in withMichael's bottle of cough mixture. But Michael was naughty, and wouldnot take it; there was a fine fuss over it, when Wendy, being a cleverlittle 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 the braver." Twoglasses were fetched and filled in a moment. "One, two, three," criedWendy; 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 hadbeen tricked, burst into a loud "Boo-hoo-oo!" Mr. Darling, to appeaseMichael, thought of what seemed to him an excellent joke. He pouredhis medicine into Nana's drinking-bowl, and when poor Nana, thinkingthat it was something nice, ran eagerly to lap it up, he roared withlaughter to see the reproachful eyes she turned upon him. Thechildren, who loved their old nurse very dearly, were terriblydistressed as she slunk to her kennel, looking as woeful and as hurtin her feelings as ever a dog did. Mr. Darling, angry that they didnot enjoy his joke in the least, coaxed Nana out of her kennel, seizedher by the collar and dragged her off in disgrace, to be chained up inthe yard, "the proper place for dogs," he said, in spite of thepersuasions and pleadings of them all. Mrs. Darling comforted thechildren, kissing them very tenderly as mothers always do, tucked themup in their beds, sang them to sleep and, leaving the night-lightsburning for company, crept softly out of the room to go to thedinner-party with Mr. Darling.

  Everything in the big nursery was now still and quiet. Suddenly thenight-lights f
lickered, waned, and went out one by one, and theredarted into the room a tiny ball of fire, which flitted uneasily aboutand finally vanished into a jug. Then the same slender graceful figurethat had so startled Mrs. Darling leapt from the darkness outside thewindow. There was just one click, the window was open, and the littlecreature stepped cautiously in. 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 onthe 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 kneweverything worth knowing. Most fairies do. All you could see of herwas the little flame, but you could _hear_ her distinctly, she made atinkling noise like a little silver bell, and that was why she wascalled Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell at last rested a few moments on thesecond drawer of the nursery dresser; instantly the boy ran joyfullyto it, and pulling open the drawer snatched out his shadow neatlyrolled up, just as Mrs. Darling had left it. He had found itcertainly, but the next trouble was to put it on again. A happythought struck him; he would stick it on with soap! Sitting on thehearthrug, he soaped his feet and then he soaped his shadow, butwhichever way he soaped they would not stick together. There is no usein having a shadow if it will not stick to you. After trying andtrying in vain the poor little fellow gave up the attempt, buried hisface in his hands, and sobbed despairingly.

  It was then that Wendy awoke. She sat right up in bed, and, not at allfrightened, said: "Little boy, why are you crying?"

  The elfin creature sprang to his feet, and taking off his cap, bowedvery politely. Wendy curtsied in return, though she found it adifficult thing to do in bed.

  "What's your name?" asked the little boy.

  "Wendy Moira Angela Darling. What's yours?"

  "Peter Pan."

  "Where do you live?"

  "Second turning to the right, and straight on till morning."

  This seemed to Wendy a very funny address, but she was all sympathywhen she heard that Peter had no mother. No wonder he was crying! Butthat was not the reason for Peter's tears; he was crying because hecould not get his shadow to stick on. This made Wendy smile, and sheemphatically 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 gether work-basket, she set to work at once. It hurts a good deal to havea shadow sewn on to your feet, but Peter bore it bravely. It was theright thing to do, for the shadow held on beautifully, and Peter wasso delighted that he danced up and down the nursery watching it makingpatterns on the floor as he flung his arms and legs about.

  "Oh! the cleverness of me!" cried Peter, overcome with joy, and hecrowed with pleasure, for all the world just as a cock would crow.

  "You conceit," exclaimed Wendy indignantly, "of course _I_ didnothing!"

  "Oh! you did a little!"

  "A little! If I am no use I can at least withdraw," she said, jumpingback into bed and covering her head in a dignified way with thebedclothes.

  "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 moreuse than twenty boys."

  This was rather clever of Peter, and at these sensible words Wendy gotup again. She even offered to give Peter a kiss if he liked. Peterlooked puzzled, but seeing the thimble on Wendy's finger he thoughtshe meant to give him that, and held out his hand for it. Now Wendysaw at a glance that the poor boy did not even know what a kisswas, but being a nice little girl of motherly disposition, she did nothurt his feelings by laughing at him, but simply placed the thimble onhis finger.

  THE SHADOW HELD ON BEAUTIFULLY]

  Peter admired the thimble very much. "Shall I give you a kiss?" heasked and, jerking a button off his coat, solemnly presented it toher.

  Wendy at once fastened it on a chain which she wore round her neck,and, forgetting the puzzle in his mind, she once more asked him for akiss.

  Immediately he returned the thimble. "Oh! I didn't mean a _kiss_, Imeant a thimble!"

  "What's that?" he asked.

  "It's like this," replied Wendy, and gently kissed his cheek.

  WENDY GENTLY KISSED HIS CHEEK.]

  "Oh!" cried Peter, "how nice!" and he began to give her _thimbles_ inreturn, and ever afterwards he called a kiss a thimble, and a thimblea kiss.

  "But Peter, how old are you?" continued Wendy.

  "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 bewhen I became a man. I don't want to be a man. I want always to be alittle boy and have fun. So I ran away and lived among the fairies."

  Wendy was almost speechless with delight at the thought of sittingbeside a boy who knew fairies, and after a minute said: "Peter, do youreally know fairies?"

  "Yes, but they're nearly all dead now. You see, Wendy, when the firstbaby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousandpieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was thebeginning of fairies. And now, whenever a new baby is born, itsfirst laugh becomes a fairy. So there ought to be a fairy for everylittle boy and girl, but there isn't. You see children know such a lotnow. They soon won't believe in fairies, and whenever a child says: 'Idon't believe in fairies,' there's a fairy somewhere that falls downdead."

  Peter suddenly looked about the room, as though he were searching forsomething. Tinker Bell had disappeared! Before he could grow anxious,however, a tinkling of bells was heard, and Peter, who knew the fairylanguage, of course understood it. He pulled open the drawer in whichhis shadow had been hidden, and out sprang Tinker Bell, very angrywith him for shutting her up accidentally in the drawer. She skippedabout the room, but Wendy gave such a cry of delight that Tink wasfrightened and hid behind the clock.

  "But Peter," continued Wendy, "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 whentheir nurses are looking the other way. If they are not claimed withinseven days, they are sent far away to the Never-Never-Never Land todefray 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'smother related to her children, for the Lost Boys had no mothers, andno one to tell them any stories. He also told her how he led themagainst their enemies, the pirates and the wolves, and how theyenjoyed bathing in the Lagoon, where beautiful mermaids sang and swamall day long.

  "I must go back now," he went on, "the boys will be anxious to hearthe end of the story about the Prince and the Glass Slipper. I toldthem 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 ifyou'll only stay."

  "Come, Wendy!" exclaimed Peter, struck with a new idea. "You can tellus all the stories there, and darn our clothes, and tuck us in atnight. None of us has ever been tucked in. All the boys long for amother. Oh, Wendy, do come!"

  It was a tempting idea to Wendy, but a sudden thought came across hermind. "Peter, I can't! Think of Mummy! Besides, I can't fly."

  "I'll teach you, Wendy."

  This was too much for her. "Peter, will you teach John and Michael tofly as well?"

  "Yes, if you like."

  So John and Michael were awakened, and directly they heard that therewere pirates in the Never-Never-Never Land they began to clamour to goat once. They watched Peter fly about the room, and tried to imitatehim, flapping their arms clumsily at first like unfledged birds, andflopping 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 b
ack again; then over the bed and acrossthe room, and then, as they grew braver, almost as freely and easilyas Peter himself.

  "Tink, lead the way!" called Peter, and the fairy shot out like alittle star. None of the children had time to put on their dayclothes, but John snatched his top hat as he flew out of the window,followed by Michael. Peter Pan held Wendy's hand, and away theyfloated into the dark blue depths of the starry night.

  A minute afterwards Mrs. Darling, who had just returned from theparty, rushed into the nursery with Nana at her heels, for Nana hadbeen anxious about her charges, and had just succeeded in breakingher chain. But it was too late. The children were already on their wayto the Never-Never-Never Land.

  AWAY THEY FLOATED]

  piano score: THE ARRIVAL OF WENDY ]