Питер Пэн и Венди
The Home Under The Ground
ForonethinghedespisedallmothersexceptWendy,andforanotherhewastheonlyboyontheislandwhocouldneitherwritenorspell;notthesmallestword.Hewasaboveallthatsortofthing.
Bytheway,thequestionswereallwritteninthepasttense.WhatwasthecolourofMother’seyes,andsoon.Wendy,yousee,hadbeenforgettingtoo.
Adventures,ofcourse,asweshallsee,wereofdailyoccurrence;butaboutthistimePeterinvented,withWendy’shelp,anewgamethatfascinatedhimenormously,untilhesuddenlyhadnomoreinterestinit,which,asyouhavebeentold,waswhatalwayshappenedwithhisgames.Itconsistedinpretendingnottohaveadventures,indoingthesortofthingJohnandMichaelhadbeendoingalltheirlives:sittingonstoolsflingingballsintheair,pushingeachother,goingoutforwalksandcomingbackwithouthavingkilledsomuchasagrizzly.ToseePeterdoingnothingonastoolwasagreatsight;hecouldnothelplookingsolemnatsuchtimes,tositstillseemedtohimsuchacomicthingtodo.Heboastedthathehadgoneawalkforthegoodofhishealth.Forseveralsunsthesewerethemostnovelofalladventurestohim;andJohnandMichaelhadtopretendtobedelightedalso;otherwisehewouldhavetreatedthemseverely.
Heoftenwentoutalone,andwhenhecamebackyouwereneverabsolutelycertainwhetherhehadhadanadventureornot.Hemighthaveforgottenitsocompletelythathesaidnothingaboutit;andthenwhenyouwentoutyoufoundthebody;and,ontheotherhand,hemightsayagreatdealaboutit,andyetyoucouldnotfindthebody.
