But who is he, my pet?
He is Peter Pan, you know, mother.
At first Mrs. Darling did not know, but after thinking back into her
childhood she just remembered a Peter Pan who was said to live with the
fairies. There were odd stories about him, as that when children died
he went part of the way with them, so that they should not be
frightened. She had believed in him at the time, but now that she was
married and full of sense she quite doubted whether there was any such
person.
Besides, she said to Wendy, he would be grown up by this time.
Oh no, he isn t grown up, Wendy assured her confidently, and he is
just my size. She meant that he was her size in both mind and body;
she didn t know how she knew, she just knew it.
Mrs. Darling consulted Mr. Darling, but he smiled pooh-pooh. Mark my
words, he said, it is some nonsense Nana has been putting into their
heads; just the sort of idea a dog would have. Leave it alone, and it
will blow over.
But it would not blow over and soon the troublesome boy gave Mrs.
Darling quite a shock.
Children have the strangest adventures without being troubled by them.
For instance, they may remember to mention, a week after the event
happened, that when they were in the wood they had met their dead
father and had a game with him. It was in this casual way that Wendy
one morning made a disquieting revelation. Some leaves of a tree had
been found on the nursery floor, which certainly were not there when
the children went to bed, and Mrs. Darling was puzzling over them when
Wendy said with a tolerant smile:
I do believe it is that Peter again!
Whatever do you mean, Wendy?
7