Peter and Wendy Page 9

  CHAPTER IX

  THE NEVER BIRD

  The last sounds Peter heard before he was quite alone were the mermaidsretiring one by one to their bedchambers under the sea. He was too faraway to hear their doors shut; but every door in the coral caves wherethey live rings a tiny bell when it opens or closes (as in all thenicest houses on the mainland), and he heard the bells.

  Steadily the waters rose till they were nibbling at his feet; and topass the time until they made their final gulp, he watched the onlything moving on the lagoon. He thought it was a piece of floating paper,perhaps part of the kite, and wondered idly how long it would take todrift ashore.

  Presently he noticed as an odd thing that it was undoubtedly out uponthe lagoon with some definite purpose, for it was fighting the tide, andsometimes winning; and when it won, Peter, always sympathetic to theweaker side, could not help clapping; it was such a gallant piece ofpaper.

  It was not really a piece of paper; it was the Never bird, makingdesperate efforts to reach Peter on her nest. By working her wings, in away she had learned since the nest fell into the water, she was able tosome extent to guide her strange craft, but by the time Peter recognisedher she was very exhausted. She had come to save him, to give him hernest, though there were eggs in it. I rather wonder at the bird, forthough he had been nice to her, he had also sometimes tormented her. Ican suppose only that, like Mrs. Darling and the rest of them, she wasmelted because he had all his first teeth.

  She called out to him what she had come for, and he called out to herwhat was she doing there; but of course neither of them understood theother's language. In fanciful stories people can talk to the birdsfreely, and I wish for the moment I could pretend that this was such astory, and say that Peter replied intelligently to the Never bird; buttruth is best, and I want to tell only what really happened. Well, notonly could they not understand each other, but they forgot theirmanners.

  'I--want--you--to--get--into--the--nest,' the bird called, speaking asslowly and distinctly as possible, 'and--then--you--can--drift--ashore,but--I--am--too--tired--to--bring--it--any--nearer--so--you--must--try--to--swim--to--it.'

  'What are you quacking about?' Peter answered. 'Why don't you let thenest drift as usual?'

  'I--want--you--' the bird said, and repeated it all over.

  Then Peter tried slow and distinct.

  'What--are--you--quacking--about?' and so on.

  The Never bird became irritated; they have very short tempers.

  'You dunderheaded little jay,' she screamed, 'why don't you do as I tellyou?'

  Peter felt that she was calling him names, and at a venture he retortedhotly:

  'So are you!'

  Then rather curiously they both snapped out the same remark:

  'Shut up!'

  'Shut up!'

  Nevertheless the bird was determined to save him if she could, and byone last mighty effort she propelled the nest against the rock. Then upshe flew; deserting her eggs, so as to make her meaning clear.

  Then at last he understood, and clutched the nest and waved his thanksto the bird as she fluttered overhead. It was not to receive his thanks,however, that she hung there in the sky; it was not even to watch himget into the nest; it was to see what he did with her eggs.

  There were two large white eggs, and Peter lifted them up and reflected.The bird covered her face with her wings, so as not to see the last ofher eggs; but she could not help peeping between the feathers.

  I forget whether I have told you that there was a stave on the rock,driven into it by some buccaneers of long ago to mark the site ofburied treasure. The children had discovered the glittering hoard, andwhen in mischievous mood used to fling showers of moidores, diamonds,pearls and pieces of eight to the gulls, who pounced upon them for food,and then flew away, raging at the scurvy trick that had been played uponthem. The stave was still there, and on it Starkey had hung his hat, adeep tarpaulin, watertight, with a broad brim. Peter put the eggs intothis hat and set it on the lagoon. It floated beautifully.

  The Never bird saw at once what he was up to, and screamed heradmiration of him; and, alas, Peter crowed his agreement with her. Thenhe got into the nest, reared the stave in it as a mast, and hung up hisshirt for a sail. At the same moment the bird fluttered down upon thehat and once more sat snugly on her eggs. She drifted in one direction,and he was borne off in another, both cheering.

  Of course when Peter landed he beached his barque in a place where thebird would easily find it; but the hat was such a great success that sheabandoned the nest. It drifted about till it went to pieces, and oftenStarkey came to the shore of the lagoon, and with many bitter feelingswatched the bird sitting on his hat. As we shall not see her again, itmay be worth mentioning here that all Never birds now build in thatshape of nest, with a broad brim on which the youngsters take an airing.

  Great were the rejoicings when Peter reached the home under the groundalmost as soon as Wendy, who had been carried hither and thither by thekite. Every boy had adventures to tell; but perhaps the biggestadventure of all was that they were several hours late for bed. This soinflated them that they did various dodgy things to get staying up stilllonger, such as demanding bandages; but Wendy, though glorying in havingthem all home again safe and sound, was scandalised by the lateness ofthe hour, and cried, 'To bed, to bed,' in a voice that had to be obeyed.Next day, however, she was awfully tender, and gave out bandages toevery one; and they played till bed-time at limping about and carryingtheir arms in slings.