Пітер Пен у Кенсінгтонському Саді
Lock-Out Time
Thewaythefairyservantsdoisthis:Themen,scoresofthem,climbupthetreesandshakethebranches,andtheblossomfallslikesnow.Thentheladyservantssweepittogetherbywhiskingtheirskirtsuntilitisexactlylikeatablecloth,andthatishowtheygettheirtablecloth.
Theyhaverealglassesandrealwineofthreekinds,namely,blackthornwine,berberriswine,andcowslipwine,andtheQueenpoursout,butthebottlesaresoheavythatshejustpretendstopourout.Thereisbread-and-buttertobeginwith,ofthesizeofathreepennybit;andcakestoendwith,andtheyaresosmallthattheyhavenocrumbs.Thefairiessitroundonmushrooms,andatfirsttheyarewell-behavedandalwayscoughoffthetable,andsoon,butafterabittheyarenotsowell-behavedandsticktheirfingersintothebutter,whichisgotfromtherootsofoldtrees,andthereallyhorridonescrawloverthetableclothchasingsugarorotherdelicacieswiththeirtongues.WhentheQueenseesthemdoingthisshesignstotheservantstowashupandputaway,andtheneverybodyadjournstothedance,theQueenwalkinginfrontwhiletheLordChamberlainwalksbehindher,carryingtwolittlepots,oneofwhichcontainsthejuiceofwallflowerandtheotherthejuiceofSolomon’sseals.Wallflowerjuiceisgoodforrevivingdancerswhofalltothegroundinafit,andSolomon’ssealsjuiceisforbruises.Theybruiseveryeasily,andwhenPeterplaysfasterandfastertheyfootittilltheyfalldowninfits.For,asyouknowwithoutmytellingyou,PeterPanisthefairies’orchestra.Hesitsinthemiddleofthering,andtheywouldneverdreamofhavingasmartdancenowadayswithouthim.’P.P.’iswrittenonthecorneroftheinvitation-cardssentoutbyallreallygoodfamilies.Theyaregratefullittlepeople,too,andattheprincessescoming-of-ageball(theycomeofageontheirsecondbirthdayandhaveabirthdayeverymonth)theygavehimthewishofhisheart.
