03.3-CHAPTER 3 COME AWAY, COME AWAY! Part3-iv

CHAPTER 3 COME AWAY, COME AWAY! Part3 

"Wendy," he said, the sly one,"you could tuck us in at night." "Oo!" "Noneof us has ever been tucked in at night." "Oo," and her armswent out to him.

"And you could darn our clothes,and make pockets for us. None of us has any pockets." How could sheresist. "Of course it's awfully fascinating!" she cried.

"Peter, would you teach John andMichael to fly too?" "If you like," he said indifferently,and she ran to John and Michael and shook them. "Wake up," she cried,"Peter Pan has come and he is to teach us to fly." John rubbedhis eyes. "Then I shall get up," he said. Of course he was on thefloor already. "Hallo," he said, "I am up!" Michaelwas up by this time also, looking as sharp as a knife with six blades and asaw, but Peter suddenly signed silence. Their faces assumed the awfulcraftiness of children listening for sounds from the grown-up world. All was asstill as salt. Then everything was right. No, stop! Everything was wrong. Nana,who had been barking distressfully all the evening, was quiet now. It was hersilence they had heard.

"Out with the light! Hide! Quick!"cried John, taking command for the only time throughout the whole adventure.

And thus when Liza entered, holdingNana, the nursery seemed quite its old self, very dark, and you would havesworn you heard its three wicked inmates breathing angelically as they slept.They were really doing it artfully from behind the window curtains.

Liza was in a bad tamper, for she wasmixing the Christmas puddings in the kitchen, and had been drawn from them,with a raisin still on her cheek, by Nana's absurd suspicions. She thought thebest way of getting a little quiet was to take Nana to the nursery for amoment, but in custody of course.

"There, you suspicious brute,"she said, not sorry that Nana was in disgrace. "They are perfectly safe,aren't they? Every one of the little angels sound asleep in bed. Listen totheir gentle breathing." Here Michael, encouraged by his success,breathed so loudly that they were nearly detected. Nana knew that kind of breathing,and she tried to drag herself out of Liza's clutches.

But Liza was dense. "No more of it,Nana," she said sternly, pulling her out of the room. "I warn you ifbark again I shall go straight for master and missus and bring them home fromthe party, and then, oh, won't master whip you, just." She tied the unhappydog up again, but do you think Nana ceased to bark? Bring master and missushome from the party! Why, that was just what she wanted. Do you think she caredwhether she was whipped so long as her charges were safe? Unfortunately Lizareturned to her puddings, and Nana, seeing that no help would come from her,strained and strained at the chain until at last she broke it. In anothermoment she had burst into the dining-room of 27 and flung up her paws toheaven, her most expressive way of making a communication. Mr. and Mrs. Darlingknew at once that something terrible was happening in their nursery, andwithout a good-bye to their hostess they rushed into the street.

But it was now ten minutes since threescoundrels had been breathing behind the curtains, and Peter Pan can do a greatdeal in ten minutes.

We now return to the nursery.

"It's all right," Johnannounced, emerging from his hiding-place. "I say, Peter, can you reallyfly?" Instead of troubling to answer him Peter flew around the room,taking the mantelpiece on the way.

"How topping!" said John andMichael.

"How sweet!" cried Wendy.

"Yes, I'm sweet, oh, I amsweet!" said Peter, forgetting his manners again.

It looked delightfully easy, and theytried it first from the floor and then from the beds, but they always went downinstead of up.

"I say, how do you do it?"asked John, rubbing his knee.

He was quite a practical boy.

"You just think lovely wonderfulthoughts," Peter explained, "and they lift you up in theair." He showed them again.

"You're so nippy at it," Johnsaid, "couldn't you do it very slowly once?" Peter did it bothslowly and quickly. "I've got it now, Wendy!" cried John, but soon hefound he had not.

Not one of them could fly an inch,though even Michael was in words of two syllables, and Peter did not know Afrom Z.

Of course Peter had been trifling withthem, for no one can fly unless the fairy dust has been blown on him.Fortunately, as we have mentioned, one of his hands was messy with it, and heblew some on each of them, with the most superb results.

"Now just wiggle your shouldersthis way," he said, "and let go." They were all on theirbeds, and gallant Michael let go first.

He did not quite mean to let go, but hedid it, and immediately he was borne across the room.

"I flewed!" he screamed whilestill in mid-air.

John let go and met Wendy near thebathroom.

"Oh, lovely!" "Oh,ripping!" "Look at me!" "Look atme!" "Look at me!" They were not nearly so elegant asPeter, they could not help kicking a little, but their heads were bobbingagainst the ceiling, and there is almost nothing so delicious as that. Petergave Wendy a hand at first, but had to desist, Tink was so indignant.

Up and down they went, and round andround. Heavenly was Wendy's word.

"I say," cried John, "whyshouldn't we all go out?" Of course it was to this that Peter hadbeen luring them.

Michael was ready: he wanted to see howlong it took him to do a billion miles. But Wendy hesitated.

"Mermaids!" said Peter again.

"Oo!" "And there arepirates." "Pirates," cried John, seizing his Sunday hat,"let us go at once." It was just at this moment that Mr. andMrs. Darling hurried with Nana out of 27. They ran into the middle of the streetto look up at the nursery window; and, yes, it was still shut, but the room wasablaze with light, and most heart-gripping sight of all, they could see inshadow on the curtain three little figures in night attire circling round andround, not on the floor but in the air.

Not three figures, four! In a tremblethey opened the street door. Mr. Darling would have rushed upstairs, but Mrs.Darling signed him to go softly. She even tried to make her heart go softly.

Will they reach the nursery in time? Ifso, how delightful for them, and we shall all breathe a sign of relief, butthere will be no story. On the other hand, if they are not in time, I solemnlypromise that it will all come right in the end.

They would have reached the nursery intime had it not been that the little stars were watching them. Once again thestars blew the window open, and that smallest star of all called out:"Cave, Peter!" Then Peter knew that there was not a moment tolose. "Come," he cried imperiously, and soared out at once into thenight, followed by John and Michael and Wendy.

Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana rushedinto the nursery too late. The birds were flown.