Peter Pan

           IfyouaskyourmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasalittlegirl,shewillsay,’Why,ofcourseIdid,child’;andifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedays,shewillsay,’Whatafoolishquestiontoask;certainlyhedid.’ThenifyouaskyourgrandmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasagirl,shealsosays,’Why,ofcourseIdid,child,’butifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedays,shesayssheneverheardofhishavingagoat.Perhapsshehasforgotten,justasshesometimesforgetsyournameandcallsyouMildred,whichisyourmother’sname.Still,shecouldhardlyforgetsuchanimportantthingasthegoat.Thereforetherewasnogoatwhenyourgrandmotherwasalittlegirl.Thisshowsthat,intellingthestoryofPeterPan,tobeginwiththegoat(asmostpeopledo)isassillyastoputonyourjacketbeforeyourvest.

           Ofcourse,italsoshowsthatPeteriseversoold,butheisreallyalwaysthesameage,sothatdoesnotmatterintheleast.Hisageisoneweek,andthoughhewasbornsolongagohehasneverhadabirthday,noristheretheslightestchanceofhiseverhavingone.Thereasonisthatheescapedfrombeingahumanwhenhewassevendaysold;heescapedbythewindowandflewbacktotheKensingtonGardens.

           Ifyouthinkhewastheonlybabywhoeverwantedtoescape,itshowshowcompletelyyouhaveforgottenyourownyoungdays.WhenDavidheardthisstoryfirsthewasquitecertainthathehadnevertriedtoescape,butItoldhimtothinkbackhard,pressinghishandstohistemples,andwhenhehaddonethishard,andevenharder,hedistinctlyrememberedayouthfuldesiretoreturntothetree-tops,andwiththatmemorycameothers,asthathehadlaininbedplanningtoescapeassoonashismotherwasasleep,andhowshehadoncecaughthimhalf-wayupthechimney.