Peter and Wendy Page 6

  CHAPTER VI

  THE LITTLE HOUSE

  Foolish Tootles was standing like a conqueror over Wendy's body when theother boys sprang, armed, from their trees.

  'You are too late,' he cried proudly, 'I have shot the Wendy. Peter willbe so pleased with me.'

  Overhead Tinker Bell shouted 'Silly ass!' and darted into hiding. Theothers did not hear her. They had crowded round Wendy, and as theylooked a terrible silence fell upon the wood. If Wendy's heart had beenbeating they would all have heard it.

  Slightly was the first to speak. 'This is no bird,' he said in a scaredvoice. 'I think it must be a lady.'

  'A lady?' said Tootles, and fell a-trembling.

  'And we have killed her,' Nibs said hoarsely.

  They all whipped off their caps.

  'Now I see,' Curly said; 'Peter was bringing her to us.' He threwhimself sorrowfully on the ground.

  'A lady to take care of us at last,' said one of the twins, 'and youhave killed her.'

  They were sorry for him, but sorrier for themselves, and when he took astep nearer them they turned from him.

  Tootles' face was very white, but there was a dignity about him now thathad never been there before.

  'I did it,' he said, reflecting. 'When ladies used to come to me indreams, I said, "Pretty mother, pretty mother." But when at last shereally came, I shot her.'

  He moved slowly away.

  'Don't go,' they called in pity.

  'I must,' he answered, shaking; 'I am so afraid of Peter.'

  It was at this tragic moment that they heard a sound which made theheart of every one of them rise to his mouth. They heard Peter crow.

  'Peter!' they cried, for it was always thus that he signalled hisreturn.

  'Hide her,' they whispered, and gathered hastily around Wendy. ButTootles stood aloof.

  Again came that ringing crow, and Peter dropped in front of them.'Greeting, boys,' he cried, and mechanically they saluted, and thenagain was silence.

  He frowned.

  'I am back,' he said hotly, 'why do you not cheer?'

  They opened their mouths, but the cheers would not come. He overlookedit in his haste to tell the glorious tidings.

  'Great news, boys,' he cried, 'I have brought at last a mother for youall.'

  Still no sound, except a little thud from Tootles as he dropped on hisknees.

  'Have you not seen her?' asked Peter, becoming troubled. 'She flew thisway.'

  'Ah me,' one voice said, and another said, 'Oh, mournful day.'

  Tootles rose. 'Peter,' he said quietly, 'I will show her to you'; andwhen the others would still have hidden her he said, 'Back, twins, letPeter see.'

  So they all stood back, and let him see, and after he had looked for alittle time he did not know what to do next.

  'She is dead,' he said uncomfortably. 'Perhaps she is frightened atbeing dead.'

  He thought of hopping off in a comic sort of way till he was out ofsight of her, and then never going near the spot any more. They wouldall have been glad to follow if he had done this.

  But there was the arrow. He took it from her heart and faced his band.

  'Whose arrow?' he demanded sternly.

  'Mine, Peter,' said Tootles on his knees.

  'Oh, dastard hand,' Peter said, and he raised the arrow to use it as adagger.

  Tootles did not flinch. He bared his breast.

  'Strike, Peter,' he said firmly, 'strike true.'

  Twice did Peter raise the arrow, and twice did his hand fall. 'I cannotstrike,' he said with awe, 'there is something stays my hand.'

  All looked at him in wonder, save Nibs, who fortunately looked at Wendy.

  'It is she,' he cried, 'the Wendy lady; see, her arm.'

  Wonderful to relate, Wendy had raised her arm. Nibs bent over her andlistened reverently. 'I think she said "Poor Tootles,"' he whispered.

  'She lives,' Peter said briefly.

  Slightly cried instantly, 'The Wendy lady lives.'

  Then Peter knelt beside her and found his button. You remember she hadput it on a chain that she wore round her neck.

  'See,' he said, 'the arrow struck against this. It is the kiss I gaveher. It has saved her life.'

  'I remember kisses,' Slightly interposed quickly, 'let me see it. Ay,that's a kiss.'

  Peter did not hear him. He was begging Wendy to get better quickly, sothat he could show her the mermaids. Of course she could not answer yet,being still in a frightful faint; but from overhead came a wailing note.

  'Listen to Tink,' said Curly, 'she is crying because the Wendy lives.'

  Then they had to tell Peter of Tink's crime, and almost never had theyseen him look so stern.

  'Listen, Tinker Bell,' he cried; 'I am your friend no more. Begone fromme for ever.'

  She flew on to his shoulder and pleaded, but he brushed her off. Notuntil Wendy again raised her arm did he relent sufficiently to say,'Well, not for ever, but for a whole week.'

  Do you think Tinker Bell was grateful to Wendy for raising her arm? Ohdear no, never wanted to pinch her so much. Fairies indeed are strange,and Peter, who understood them best, often cuffed them.

  But what to do with Wendy in her present delicate state of health?

  'Let us carry her down into the house,' Curly suggested.

  'Ay,' said Slightly, 'that is what one does with ladies.'

  'No, no,' Peter said, 'you must not touch her. It would not besufficiently respectful.'

  'That,' said Slightly, 'is what I was thinking.'

  'But if she lies there,' Tootles said, 'she will die.'

  'Ay, she will die,' Slightly admitted, 'but there is no way out.'

  'Yes, there is,' cried Peter. 'Let us build a little house round her.'

  They were all delighted. 'Quick,' he ordered them, 'bring me each of youthe best of what we have. Gut our house. Be sharp.'

  In a moment they were as busy as tailors the night before a wedding.They skurried this way and that, down for bedding, up for firewood, andwhile they were at it, who should appear but John and Michael. As theydragged along the ground they fell asleep standing, stopped, woke up,moved another step and slept again.

  'John, John,' Michael would cry, 'wake up. Where is Nana, John, andmother?'

  And then John would rub his eyes and mutter, 'It is true, we did fly.'

  You may be sure they were very relieved to find Peter.

  'Hullo, Peter,' they said.

  'Hullo,' replied Peter amicably, though he had quite forgotten them. Hewas very busy at the moment measuring Wendy with his feet to see howlarge a house she would need. Of course he meant to leave room forchairs and a table. John and Michael watched him.

  'Is Wendy asleep?' they asked.

  'Yes.'

  'John,' Michael proposed, 'let us wake her and get her to make supperfor us'; but as he said it some of the other boys rushed on carryingbranches for the building of the house.

  'Look at them!' he cried.

  'Curly,' said Peter in his most captainy voice, 'see that these boyshelp in the building of the house.'

  'Ay, ay, sir.'

  'Build a house?' exclaimed John.

  'For the Wendy,' said Curly.

  'For Wendy?' John said, aghast. 'Why, she is only a girl.'

  'That,' explained Curly, 'is why we are her servants.'

  'You? Wendy's servants!'

  'Yes,' said Peter, 'and you also. Away with them.'

  The astounded brothers were dragged away to hack and hew and carry.'Chairs and a fender first,' Peter ordered. 'Then we shall build thehouse round them.'

  'Ay,' said Slightly, 'that is how a house is built; it all comes back tome.'

  Peter thought of everything. 'Slightly,' he ordered, 'fetch a doctor.'

  'Ay, ay,' said Slightly at once, and disappeared, scratching his head.But he knew Peter must be obeyed, and he returned in a moment, wearingJohn's hat and looking solemn.

  'Please, sir,' said Peter, going to him, 'are you a doctor?'

 
The difference between him and the other boys at such a time was thatthey knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe and true wereexactly the same thing. This sometimes troubled them, as when they hadto 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,' anxiously replied Slightly, who had chappedknuckles.

  '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 hemade-believe to do it, while Peter waited. It was an anxious moment whenthe 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 teaout of a cup with a spout to it'; but after he had returned the hat toJohn he blew big breaths, which was his habit on escaping from adifficulty.

  In the meantime the wood had been alive with the sound of axes; almosteverything 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, singthe 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 thebranches they had brought were sticky with red sap, and all the groundwas carpeted with moss. As they rattled up the little house they brokeinto 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 rather 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 leaveswere 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 hisown. The house was quite beautiful, and no doubt Wendy was very cosywithin, though, of course, they could no longer see her. Peter strode upand down, ordering finishing touches. Nothing escaped his eagle eye.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 itmade an excellent knocker.

  Absolutely finished now, they thought.

  Not a bit of it. 'There's no chimney,' Peter said; 'we must have achimney.'

  'It certainly does need a chimney,' said John importantly. This gavePeter an idea. He snatched the hat off John's head, knocked out thebottom, and put the hat on the roof. The little house was so pleased tohave such a capital chimney that, as if to say thank you, smokeimmediately began to come out of the hat.

  Now really and truly it was finished. Nothing remained to do but toknock.

  'All look your best,' Peter warned them; 'first impressions are awfullyimportant.'

  He was glad no one asked him what first impressions are; they were alltoo busy looking their best.

  He knocked politely; and now the wood was as still as the children, nota sound to be heard except from Tinker Bell, who was watching from abranch and openly sneering.

  What the boys were wondering was, would any one answer the knock? If alady, what would she be like?

  The door opened and a lady came out. It was Wendy. They all whipped offtheir hats.

  She looked properly surprised, and this was just how they had hoped shewould look.

  'Where am I?' she said.

  Of course Slightly was the first to get his word in. 'Wendy lady,' hesaid 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 theyhad 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 Wendylady, be our mother.'

  'Ought I?' Wendy said, all shining. 'Of course it's frightfullyfascinating, but you see I am only a little girl. I have no realexperience.'

  'That doesn't matter,' said Peter, as if he were the only person presentwho 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, younaughty children; I am sure your feet are damp. And before I put you tobed 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 cansqueeze very tight in the Neverland. And that was the first of the manyjoyous evenings they had with Wendy. By and by she tucked them up in thegreat bed in the home under the trees, but she herself slept that nightin the little house, and Peter kept watch outside with drawn sword, forthe pirates could be heard carousing far away and the wolves were on theprowl. The little house looked so cosy and safe in the darkness, with abright light showing through its blinds, and the chimney smokingbeautifully, and Peter standing on guard. After a time he fell asleep,and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their way home froman orgy. Any of the other boys obstructing the fairy path at night theywould have mischiefed, but they just tweaked Peter's nose and passed on.

  PETER ON GUARD]