Питер Пэн в Кенсингтонском Саду
Lock-Out Time
Then,afteryouhavepassedwithoutknowingthattheywerefairies,theyrushhomeandtelltheirmotherstheyhavehadsuchanadventure.TheFairyBasin,youremember,isallcoveredwithground-ivy(fromwhichtheymaketheircastoroil),withflowersgrowinginithereandthere.Mostofthemreallyareflowers,butsomeofthemarefairies.Younevercanbesureofthem,butagoodplanistowalkbylookingtheotherway,andthenturnroundsharply.Anothergoodplan,whichDavidandIsometimesfollow,istostarethemdown.Afteralongtimetheycan’thelpwinking,andthenyouknowforcertainthattheyarefairies.
TherearealsonumbersofthemalongtheBabyWalk,whichisafamousgentleplace,asspotsfrequentedbyfairiesarecalled.Oncetwenty-fourofthemhadanextraordinaryadventure.Theywereagirls’schooloutforawalkwiththegoverness,andallwearinghyacinthgowns,whenshesuddenlyputherfingertohermouth,andthentheyallstoodstillonanemptybedandpretendedtobehyacinths.Unfortunatelywhatthegovernesshadheardwastwogardenerscomingtoplantnewflowersinthatverybed.Theywerewheelingahand-cartwiththeflowersinit,andwerequitesurprisedtofindthebedoccupied.’Pitytoliftthemhyacinths,’saidtheoneman.’Duke’sorders,’repliedtheother,and,havingemptiedthecart,theyduguptheboardingschoolandputthepoor,terrifiedthingsinitinfiverows.Ofcourse,neitherthegovernessnorthegirlsdareletonthattheywerefairies,sotheywerecartedfarawaytoapotting-shed,outofwhichtheyescapedinthenightwithouttheirshoes,buttherewasagreatrowaboutitamongtheparents,andtheschoolwasruined.
Asfortheirhouses,itisnouselookingforthem,becausetheyaretheexactoppositeofourhouses.Youcanseeourhousesbydaybutyoucan’tseethembydark.