Питер Пэн и Венди
Come Away, Come Away!
Youordinarychildrencanneverhearit,butifyouweretohearityouwouldknowthatyouhadhearditoncebefore.
Tinksaidthattheshadowwasinthebigbox.Shemeantthechestofdrawers,andPeterjumpedatthedrawers,scatteringtheircontentstothefloorwithbothhands,askingstossha’pencetothecrowd.Inamomenthehadrecoveredhisshadow,andinhisdelightheforgotthathehadshutTinkerBellupinthedrawer.
Ifhethoughtatall,butIdon’tbelieveheeverthought,itwasthatheandhisshadow,whenbroughtneareachother,wouldjoinlikedropsofwater;andwhentheydidnothewasappalled.Hetriedtostickitonwithsoapfromthebathroom,butthatalsofailed.AshudderpassedthroughPeter,andhesatonthefloorandcried.
HissobswokeWendy,andshesatupinbed.Shewasnotalarmedtoseeastrangercryingonthenurseryfloor;shewasonlypleasantlyinterested.
’Boy,’shesaidcourteously,’whyareyoucrying?’
Petercouldbeexceedinglypolitealso,havinglearnedthegrandmanneratfairyceremonies,andheroseandbowedtoherbeautifully.Shewasmuchpleased,andbowedbeautifullytohimfromthebed.
’What’syourname?’heasked.
’WendyMoiraAngelaDarling,’sherepliedwithsomesatisfaction.’Whatisyourname?’
’PeterPan.’
ShewasalreadysurethathemustbePeter,butitdidseemacomparativelyshortname.
’Isthatall?’
’Yes,’hesaidrathersharply.Hefeltforthefirsttimethatitwasashortishname.
’I’msosorry,’saidWendyMoiraAngela.
’Itdoesn’tmatter,’Petergulped.
Sheaskedwherehelived.
