The Grand Tour Of The Gardens
YoumustseeforyourselvesthatitwillbedifficulttofollowPeterPan’sadventuresunlessyouarefamiliarwiththeKensingtonGardens.TheyareinLondon,wheretheKinglives,andIusedtotakeDavidtherenearlyeverydayunlesshewaslookingdecidedlyflushed.NochildhaseverbeeninthewholeoftheGardens,becauseitissosoontimetoturnback.Thereasonitissoontimetoturnbackisthat,ifyouareassmallasDavid,yousleepfromtwelvetoone.Ifyourmotherwasnotsosurethatyousleepfromtwelvetoone,youcouldmostlikelyseethewholeofthem.
TheGardensareboundedononesidebyanever-endinglineofomnibuses,overwhichyournursehassuchauthoritythatifsheholdsupherfingertoanyoneofthemitstopsimmediately.Shethencrosseswithyouinsafetytotheotherside.TherearemoregatestotheGardensthanonegate,butthatistheoneyougoinat,andbeforeyougoinyouspeaktotheladywiththeballoons,whositsjustoutside.Thisisasneartobeinginsideasshemayventure,because,ifsheweretoletgoherholdoftherailingsforonemoment,theballoonswouldliftherup,andshewouldbeflownaway.Shesitsverysquat,fortheballoonsarealwaystuggingather,andthestrainhasgivenherquitearedface.Onceshewasanewone,becausetheoldonehadletgo,andDavidwasverysorryfortheoldone,butasshedidletgo,hewishedhehadbeentheretosee.
TheGardensareatremendousbigplace,withmillionsandhundredsoftrees;andfirstyoucometotheFigs,butyouscorntoloiterthere,fortheFigsistheresortofsuperiorlittlepersons,whoareforbiddentomixwiththecommonalty,andissonamed,accordingtolegend,becausetheydressinfullfig.