Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.docx

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.docx

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PeterPaninKensingtonGardens

PeterPaninKensingtonGardens

J.M.Barrie

PeterPan

IfyouaskyourmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasalittlegirlshewillsay,"Why,ofcourse,Idid,child,"andifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedaysshewillsay,"Whatafoolishquestiontoask,certainlyhedid."ThenifyouaskyourgrandmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasagirl,shealsosays,"Why,ofcourse,Idid,child,"butifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedays,shesayssheneverheardofhishavingagoat.Perhapsshehasforgotten,justasshesometimesforgetsyournameandcallsyouMildred,whichisyourmother'sname.Still,shecouldhardlyforgetsuchanimportantthingasthegoat.Thereforetherewasnogoatwhenyourgrandmotherwasalittlegirl.Thisshowsthat,intellingthestoryofPeterPan,tobeginwiththegoat（asmostpeopledo）isassillyastoputonyourjacketbeforeyourvest.

Ofcourse,italsoshowsthatPeteriseversoold,butheisreallyalwaysthesameage,sothatdoesnotmatterintheleast.Hisageisoneweek,andthoughhewasbornsolongagohehasneverhadabirthday,noristheretheslightestchanceofhiseverhavingone.Thereasonisthatheescapedfrombeingahumanwhenhewassevendays'old;heescapedbythewindowandflewbacktotheKensingtonGardens.

Ifyouthinkhewastheonlybabywhoeverwantedtoescape,itshowshowcompletelyyouhaveforgottenyourownyoungdays.WhenDavidheardthisstoryfirsthewasquitecertainthathehadnevertriedtoescape,butItoldhimtothinkbackhard,pressinghishandstohistemples,andwhenhehaddonethishard,andevenharder,hedistinctlyrememberedayouthfuldesiretoreturntothetree-tops,andwiththatmemorycameothers,asthathehadlaininbedplanningtoescapeassoonashismotherwasasleep,andhowshehadoncecaughthimhalf-wayupthechimney.Allchildrencouldhavesuchrecollectionsiftheywouldpresstheirhandshardtotheirtemples,for,havingbeenbirdsbeforetheywerehuman,theyarenaturallyalittlewildduringthefirstfewweeks,andveryitchyattheshoulders,wheretheirwingsusedtobe.SoDavidtellsme.

Ioughttomentionherethatthefollowingisourwaywithastory:

First,Itellittohim,andthenhetellsittome,theunderstandingbeingthatitisquiteadifferentstory;andthenIretellitwithhisadditions,andsowegoonuntilnoonecouldsaywhetheritismorehisstoryormine.InthisstoryofPeterPan,forinstance,thebaldnarrativeandmostofthemoralreflectionsaremine,thoughnotall,forthisboycanbeasternmoralist,buttheinterestingbitsaboutthewaysandcustomsofbabiesinthebird-stagearemostlyreminiscencesofDavid's,recalledbypressinghishandstohistemplesandthinkinghard.

Well,PeterPangotoutbythewindow,whichhadnobars.Standingontheledgehecouldseetreesfaraway,whichweredoubtlesstheKensingtonGardens,andthemomenthesawthemheentirelyforgotthathewasnowalittleboyinanightgown,andawayheflew,rightoverthehousestotheGardens.Itiswonderfulthathecouldflywithoutwings,buttheplaceitchedtremendously,and,perhapswecouldallflyifwewereasdead-confident-sureofourcapacitytodoitaswasboldPeterPanthatevening.

Healightedgailyontheopensward,betweentheBaby'sPalaceandtheSerpentine,andthefirstthinghedidwastolieonhisbackandkick.Hewasquiteunawarealreadythathehadeverbeenhuman,andthoughthewasabird,eveninappearance,justthesameasinhisearlydays,andwhenhetriedtocatchaflyhedidnotunderstandthatthereasonhemisseditwasbecausehehadattemptedtoseizeitwithhishand,which,ofcourse,abirdneverdoes.Hesaw,however,thatitmustbepastLock-outTime,fortherewereagoodmanyfairiesabout,alltoobusytonoticehim;theyweregettingbreakfastready,milkingtheircows,drawingwater,andsoon,andthesightofthewater-pailsmadehimthirsty,soheflewovertotheRoundPondtohaveadrink.Hestooped,anddippedhisbeakinthepond;hethoughtitwashisbeak,but,ofcourse,itwasonlyhisnose,and,therefore,verylittlewatercameup,andthatnotsorefreshingasusual,sonexthetriedapuddle,andhefellflopintoit.Whenarealbirdfallsinflop,hespreadsouthisfeathersandpecksthemdry,butPetercouldnotrememberwhatwasthethingtodo,andhedecided,rathersulkily,togotosleepontheweepingbeechintheBabyWalk.

Atfirsthefoundsomedifficultyinbalancinghimselfonabranch,butpresentlyherememberedtheway,andfellasleep.Heawokelongbeforemorning,shivering,andsayingtohimself,"Ineverwasoutinsuchacoldnight;"hehadreallybeenoutincoldernightswhenhewasabird,but,ofcourse,aseverybodyknows,whatseemsawarmnighttoabirdisacoldnighttoaboyinanightgown.Peteralsofeltstrangelyuncomfortable,asifhisheadwasstuffy,heheardloudnoisesthatmadehimlookroundsharply,thoughtheywerereallyhimselfsneezing.Therewassomethinghewantedverymuch,but,thoughheknewhewantedit,hecouldnotthinkwhatitwas.Whathewantedsomuchwashismothertoblowhisnose,butthatneverstruckhim,sohedecidedtoappealtothefairiesforenlightenment.Theyarereputedtoknowagooddeal.

ThereweretwoofthemstrollingalongtheBabyWalk,withtheirarmsroundeachother'swaists,andhehoppeddowntoaddressthem.Thefairieshavetheirtiffswiththebirds,buttheyusuallygiveacivilanswertoacivilquestion,andhewasquiteangrywhenthesetworanawaythemomenttheysawhim.Anotherwaslollingonagarden-chair,readingapostage-stampwhichsomehumanhadletfall,andwhenheheardPeter'svoicehepoppedinalarmbehindatulip.

ToPeter'sbewildermenthediscoveredthateveryfairyhemetfledfromhim.Abandofworkmen,whoweresawingdownatoadstool,rushedaway,leavingtheirtoolsbehindthem.Amilkmaidturnedherpailupsidedownandhidinit.SoontheGardenswereinanuproar.Crowdsoffairieswererunningthiswayandthat,askingeachotherstoutly,whowasafraid,lightswereextinguished,doorsbarricaded,andfromthegroundsofQueenMab'spalacecametherubadubofdrums,showingthattheroyalguardhadbeencalledout.

AregimentofLancerscamechargingdowntheBroadWalk,armedwithholly-leaves,withwhichtheyjogtheenemyhorriblyinpassing.PeterheardthelittlepeoplecryingeverywherethattherewasahumanintheGardensafterLock-outTime,butheneverthoughtforamomentthathewasthehuman.Hewasfeelingstuffierandstuffier,andmoreandmorewistfultolearnwhathewanteddonetohisnose,buthepursuedthemwiththevitalquestioninvain;thetimidcreaturesranfromhim,andeventheLancers,whenheapproachedthemuptheHump,turnedswiftlyintoaside-walk,onthepretencethattheysawhimthere.

Despairingofthefairies,heresolvedtoconsultthebirds,butnowheremembered,asanoddthing,thatallthebirdsontheweepingbeechhadflownawaywhenhealightedonit,andthoughthathadnottroubledhimatthetime,hesawitsmeaningnow.Everylivingthingwasshunninghim.PoorlittlePeterPan,hesatdownandcried,andeventhenhedidnotknowthat,forabird,hewassittingonhiswrongpart.Itisablessingthathedidnotknow,forotherwisehewouldhavelostfaithinhispowertofly,andthemomentyoudoubtwhetheryoucanfly,youceaseforevertobeabletodoit.Thereasonbirdscanflyandwecan'tissimplythattheyhaveperfectfaith,fortohavefaithistohavewings.

Now,exceptbyflying,noonecanreachtheislandintheSerpentine,fortheboatsofhumansareforbiddentolandthere,andtherearestakesroundit,standingupinthewater,oneachofwhichabird-sentinelsitsbydayandnight.ItwastotheislandthatPeternowflewtoputhisstrangecasebeforeoldSolomonCaw,andhealightedonitwithrelief,muchheartenedtofindhimselfatlastathome,asthebirdscalltheisland.Allofthemwereasleep,includingthesentinels,exceptSolomon,whowaswideawakeononeside,andhelistenedquietlytoPeter'sadventures,andthentoldhimtheirtruemeaning.

"Lookatyournight-gown,ifyoudon'tbelieveme,"Solomonsaid,andwithstaringeyesPeterlookedathisnightgown,andthenatthesleepingbirds.Notoneofthemworeanything.

"Howmanyofyourtoesarethumbs?

"saidSolomonalittlecruelly,andPetersawtohisconsternation,thatallhistoeswerefingers.Theshockwassogreatthatitdroveawayhiscold.

"Ruffleyourfeathers,"saidthatgrimoldSolomon,andPetertriedmostdesperatelyhardtorufflehisfeathers,buthehadnone.Thenheroseup,quaking,andforthefirsttimesincehestoodonthewindow-ledge,herememberedaladywhohadbeenveryfondofhim.

"IthinkIshallgobacktomother,"hesaidtimidly.

"Good-bye,"repliedSolomonCawwithaqueerlook.

ButPeterhesitated."Whydon'tyougo?

"theoldoneaskedpolitely.

"Isuppose,"saidPeterhuskily,"IsupposeIcanstillfly?

"

Yousee,hehadlostfaith.

"Poorlittlehalf-and-half,"saidSolomon,whowasnotreallyhard-hearted,"youwillneverbeabletoflyagain,notevenonwindydays.Youmustlivehereontheislandalways."

"AndneverevengototheKensingtonGardens?

"Peteraskedtragically.

"Howcouldyougetacross?

"saidSolomon.Hepromisedverykindly,however,toteachPeterasmanyofthebirdwaysascouldbelearnedbyoneofsuchanawkwardshape.

"ThenIsha'n'tbeexactlyahuman?

"Peterasked.

"No."

"Norexactlyabird?

"

"No."

"WhatshallIbe?

"

"YouwillbeaBetwixt-and-Between,"Solomonsaid,andcertainlyh