Peter Pan

           IfyouaskyourmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasalittlegirlshewillsay,“Why,ofcourse,Idid,child,”andifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedaysshewillsay,“Whatafoolishquestiontoask;certainlyhedid.”ThenifyouaskyourgrandmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasagirl,shealsosays,“Why,ofcourse,Idid,child,”butifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedays,shesayssheneverheardofhishavingagoat.Perhapsshehasforgotten,justasshesometimesforgetsyournameandcallsyouMildred,whichisyourmother’sname.Still,shecouldhardlyforgetsuchanimportantthingasthegoat.Thereforetherewasnogoatwhenyourgrandmotherwasalittlegirl.Thisshowsthat,intellingthestoryofPeterPan,tobeginwiththegoat(asmostpeopledo)isassillyastoputonyourjacketbeforeyourvest.

           Ofcourse,italsoshowsthatPeteriseversoold,butheisreallyalwaysthesameage,sothatdoesnotmatterintheleast.Hisageisoneweek,andthoughhewasbornsolongagohehasneverhadabirthday,noristheretheslightestchanceofhiseverhavingone.Thereasonisthatheescapedfrombeingahumanwhenhewassevendays’old;heescapedbythewindowandflewbacktotheKensingtonGardens.

           Ifyouthinkhewastheonlybabywhoeverwantedtoescape,itshowshowcompletelyyouhaveforgottenyourownyoungdays.