wondered if his family was the talk of the neighbors Whenever he brought this up to Mrs Darling she’d assure him that his worries were silly Never was there a happier family Until Peter Pan appeared Mrs Darling first heard of Peter when she was tidying up the children’s rooms While they slept she’d wander about the nursery looking through their newfound treasures She knew that the children were in a deep sleep and dreaming about the Neverland The Neverland was far away and each child would imagine it a bit differently John’s for example had a lagoon with flamingos flying over it Michael who was very small had a Neverland with flamingos with lagoons flying over it John lived in a boat turned upside down on the sand Michael lived in a wigwam Wendy preferred to live in a house made of leaves She even had a pet wolf 6
Mrs Darling knew that when you play during the day the Neverland isn’t scary at all But night was a different matter altogether Two minutes before you fall asleep it becomes all too real That was why they had night-lights Sometimes when the children slept Mrs Darling would find things she couldn’t understand One especially confusing thing was the name Peter She knew of no Peter and yet he was always present in the children’s minds Mrs Darling would question Wendy But who is he Why he’s Peter Pan Mother Wendy would respond Mrs Darling soon remembered a Peter Pan from when she was younger He had said he lived with the fairies He explained that when a child dies he would go partway with them to heaven so they wouldn’t be afraid She had believed him at the time but now that she was a grown sensible woman she doubted whether such a person really existed 8
Besides she said to Wendy he would be grown up by now Oh no Mother He isn’t grown up Wendy wasn’t sure how she knew She just knew When Mrs Darling told her husband about Peter he smiled Mark my word it’s some nonsense Nana put into their minds No worries It will blow over But it would not blow over One morning Wendy looked over some leaves that she found by the nursery window I do believe it’s that Peter Pan again Whatever do you mean Wendy Mrs Darling asked Wendy explained quite calmly that Peter Pan had come into the nursery and played his pipes for her by the foot of the bed Although she never woke up she just knew I think he comes in through the window Mrs Darling was sure Wendy must have been dreaming After all the nursery was three floors up On the other hand where did the 9
