I mean, Wendy said nicely, remembering that she was hostess, is that
what they put on the letters?
He wished she had not mentioned letters.
Don t get any letters, he said contemptuously.
But your mother gets letters?
Don t have a mother, he said. Not only had he no mother, but he had
not the slightest desire to have one. He thought them very over-rated
persons. Wendy, however, felt at once that she was in the presence of a
tragedy.
O Peter, no wonder you were crying, she said, and got out of bed and
ran to him.
I wasn t crying about mothers, he said rather indignantly. I was
crying because I can t get my shadow to stick on. Besides, I wasn t
crying.
It has come off?
Yes.
Then Wendy saw the shadow on the floor, looking so draggled, and she
was frightfully sorry for Peter. How awful! she said, but she could
not help smiling when she saw that he had been trying to stick it on
with soap. How exactly like a boy!
Fortunately she knew at once what to do. It must be sewn on, she
said, just a little patronisingly.
What s sewn? he asked.
You re dreadfully ignorant.
No, I m not.
But she was exulting in his ignorance. I shall sew it on for you, my
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