Chapter 18 Chapter 17 Wendy has grown up-2

Of course, Wendy finally let them fly away together.The last time we saw Wendy, she was standing at the window, watching them go away into the sky until they were as small as stars. When you see Wendy again, you'll see her hair turn gray and her body shrink again, because, well, those things happened a long, long time ago.Jane was a regular adult now, with a daughter named Margaret; and whenever it was spring cleaning time, unless Peter himself forgot, he would come and take Margaret to Neverland.She told Peter his own story, and Peter listened attentively.When Margaret grew up, she would have another daughter, and she became Peter's mother again.And so it goes on and on, as long as the kids are happy and innocent and heartless.

Peter Pan in Kensington Park (selected translations) If you ask your mother, did she know Peter Pan when she was a little girl?She'd say, "Of course, my boy." If you asked her if Peter Pan was riding a goat, she'd say, "What a silly question, of course he was riding a goat." ’” If you asked your grandma, did she know Peter Pan when she was a little girl?And she'd say, "Of course, kid." But if you asked her, would Peter Pan be riding a goat?She would say that she had never heard that Peter had a goat.Maybe she forgets, like she sometimes forgets your name and calls you Mildred, and that's your mother's name.However, such an important thing as a goat, she is supposed to never forget.So, when your grandmother was a little girl, there were no goats.That said, it would be as foolish as a Peter Pan story to begin with the goat, as if you were putting on a jacket and a vest over it.

Of course, this meant that Peter was old enough.Actually, he was always that big, so that didn't matter at all.His age was one week, and, despite being born so long ago, he had never had a birthday, never had the chance to have one.The reason is that when he was seven days old, he escaped in order not to grow up.He escaped through the window and flew back into Kensington Park. If you thought that Peter Pan was the only baby who tried to escape, it means that you have forgotten all about your childhood.When David heard the story, he said with certainty that he never had the desire to run away.I told him to put his hands on his temples and try to think back.He pressed his temples, pressed hard, and sure enough, he clearly remembered the thing about wanting to go back to the treetops when he was a child, and then remembered some other things.For this reason he lay in bed, and as soon as his mother fell asleep, he thought about escaping, and was once caught by his mother from the chimney on the way.Such things come to all children's minds when they press their hands hard on their temples.Because children were once birds before they became human beings, and naturally they are always a little bit wild during the first few weeks, always itchy on the shoulders, where their wings used to grow.This is what David told me.

I should say that we tell stories in this way: First, I tell him a story, and then he retells it to me.As a rule, his story had to be very different from mine.Then, I will tell him again, adding what he added.We told it over and over again, and in the end, no one could tell whether the story was his or mine.For example, in this story about Peter Pan, the plot skeleton and most of the moral thinking are mine, but not all of them, because the kid David could be a serious moralist; Most of the interesting trivia about the bird's way of life and habits came from David's recollections, as he pressed his hands to his temples and thought hard.

Well, Peter Pan escaped through an unsecured door.Standing on the windowsill, he could see the trees in the distance, the trees in Kensington Park.At the sight of those trees he completely forgot that he was a little boy in a dressing-gown, and flew up, over many houses, towards Kensington Park.Oddly enough, he could fly without wings, though the area where the wings used to grow was itching badly.And--and--maybe we'll all fly, if we all believe in it with all our hearts, as brave Peter Pan did that night. He easily and happily landed on the lawn between the Baby Palace and the Snake Lake, the first thing he did was lie on his back on the ground, kicking his feet.He no longer felt that he was originally a person, but thought he was a bird, with the same bird-like appearance as before.He tried to catch a fly and didn't catch it, and he didn't understand that it was because he was trying to catch a fly with his hands, and birds never catch flies with their hands.He reckoned that it was past the time when the park was closed for purification, because there were fairies everywhere, they were all busy, and no one paid attention to him.They were preparing breakfast, milking the cows, carrying water, and so on.Seeing the bucket, he couldn't help but feel thirsty, so he flew to the round pond to drink water.He bent down and stuck his beak into the pool.He thought it was the beak, but of course it was just his nose, so he didn't get much water to cool him down like he used to.Then he tried to find a puddle, but plummeted into it.A real bird that falls into a puddle spreads its feathers and pecks it dry with its beak.But Peter couldn't remember what to do, and he went morosely to the weeping beech beyond Baby's Path, and went to sleep.

At first he found it difficult to keep his balance on a branch, but then he remembered what to do and fell asleep.He woke up long before daybreak, shivering with cold, and said to himself, "I've never been outside in such a cold night." In fact, when he was a bird, it was colder than that. He also spent the night outside that night, but, as everyone knows, a warm night for a bird is a cold night for a child in a nightgown.Peter also felt uncomfortable, as if his head was stuffy.He heard a loud sound, and hurriedly turned his head to look. In fact, it was just a sneeze from himself.He wanted something very badly, but he couldn't remember what it was.He wanted his mother to blow his nose for him, but he couldn't think of it, so he decided to ask the fairy for help.Fairies are said to be omniscient.

Two fairies were strolling down the baby path with their arms around each other, and Peter jumped down to talk to them.There were some minor disputes between the fairies and the birds, but they always responded politely to people's polite inquiries.But when the fairies saw Peter, they turned and ran away.This made him very angry.There is also a fairy, lounging on a park chair, reading a stamp left by someone.When he heard Peter's voice, he jumped up in fright, and hid himself behind a tulip-bush. To Peter Pan's great bewilderment, he found that every fairy he met ran away from him.A group of workers who were sawing a boletus dropped their tools and ran.A milkmaid pokes her milk backwards and hides herself under a pail.All of a sudden, there was a commotion in the park, and gangs of fairies ran around in all directions, asking each other loudly who was afraid.All the lights were extinguished, all the gates were bolted, and from the square of Queen Mab's palace came the rumble of drums, announcing the order of the Royal Guards.A group of spearmen, armed with holly leaves, came from the other side of the Broad Road, lashing out viciously at the enemy.Peter heard the little people shouting everywhere, and there was another person in the garden after the park was closed.But he never expected that that person was him.He felt more and more suffocated, and more and more eager to know what to do with his nose, but he asked the fairies this question in vain.The timid ones fled from him, and even the spearmen, when he met them on the knoll, moved quickly to a side road, pretending to see him on the other side of the road.

Peter Pan was completely disappointed with the fairies and decided to ask the birds.But he remembered now how strange it was that when he landed on the weeping beech all the birds flew away.Although he didn't bother with this at the time, he now understands why.Every living thing eludes him.Poor little Peter Pan!He sat down and cried.But at this moment, he didn't know that as a bird, he was also sitting in the wrong position.It's a good thing he doesn't know, otherwise, he would lose confidence in his ability to fly, because once you doubt whether you can fly, you can never fly again.

It turned out that no one could come to that island in Snake Lake unless he could fly.Because human ships are forbidden to dock there, and wooden posts are planted in the water around the island, and bird sentries are guarding day and night on each wooden post.Peter Pan was going to fly to this island now, to ask old Solomon Crow his strange questions.He landed on the island, relieved and happy to be home at last.Because the birds call this island their home.All the birds were asleep, including the sentinels, except Solomon.Lying awake on his side, he calmly listened to Peter Pan's account of his adventures, and then told him what had happened.

"If you don't believe me, look at your nightgown," said Solomon.Peter Pan stared blankly at his nightgown and at the sleeping birds.None of the birds were wearing anything. "How many fingers do you have on your toes?" Solomon said cruelly.Peter was horrified to see that all his toes were fingers.This frightened him so much that he even ran away with a cold. "Puff up your feathers!" said grave old Solomon.So Peter tried his best to puff up his feathers, but he had no feathers at all.He stood up, trembling all over, and for the first time since he stood on the window sill, he thought of a wife who liked him very much.

"I guess I should go back to Mama's," he said, a little embarrassed. "Good-bye," replied Solomon Raven, looking strange. But Peter hesitated. "Why don't you go?" the old man asked politely. "I reckon," said Peter hoarsely, "I reckon maybe I can fly?" You see, he lost his confidence. "Poor little half-man, half-bird!" said Solomon, who was not really that hard-hearted, "you can no longer fly, even in windy weather. You must live on this island forever. " "Can't even go to Kensington Park?" said Peter sadly. "How will you get across this lake?" said Solomon.He kindly promised Peter that, in spite of his unseemly figure, he would teach him as much as he could in the ways of the birds. "So, am I not a real man?" asked Peter. "Won't." "Wouldn't it be a real bird?" "Won't." "Then what would I be?" "You'd be an animal in between," said Solomon.Naturally, he was a wise old man, because what happened afterwards was exactly as he expected. The birds on the island had always looked down upon Peter.His eccentricities amused them every day, just as every day he had new eccentricities.In fact, the new ones are birds.They hatched the eggshells every day, made fun of him as soon as they came out, and then flew away quickly and became human beings.Then, other birds hatched from other eggs, and things happened again and again.Those slick mother birds, tired of hatching eggs, always coax their chicks to come out of their shells earlier.They whispered to the chicks that now was a good time to see Peter washing, eating and drinking.Thousands of chicks gather around Peter every day to watch him do these things, just like we watch peacocks.They all shrieked with delight at the sight of Peter lifting the crust of bread they offered him with his hands instead of pecking it with his mouth as they were wont to do.Following Solomon's instructions, Peter's food was brought to him by the birds from Kensington Park.He would not eat worms and insects (which they thought was stupid), so they brought him bread with their beaks.So, whenever you see a bird flying away with a big piece of bread in its mouth, and you yell at him, "Glutton! Glutton!" You should know by now that you're doing it wrong, because he's probably giving Peter Sent by Pan. Peter doesn't wear his nightgown now.For the birds often begged him for rags to cover their nests.He was very kind-hearted and couldn't bear to refuse them.So Solomon advised him to hide the rest of his nightgown.Although he is almost naked now, you must not think that he is cold and unhappy.He was often merry, because Solomon kept his word and taught him many habits of birds, such as being easily contented, always doing something, and always thinking that what he was doing was no matter what he was doing. Everything is very important.Peter became very dexterous, and could help the birds build their nests, and soon he could build better than the wood-pigeon, and almost as good as the thrush, though never to the satisfaction of the chaffinches.He dug small water troughs near the nests and scooped up worms for the chicks with his fingers.He also became proficient in the knowledge of birds, and he could tell the east wind from the west wind by smell, he could see the grass growing, and he could hear the worms walking in the tree stump.But the greatest good that Solomon did was to teach him to have a happy heart.All birds have a happy heart, unless you plunder their nests.Since it was the only kind of heart Solomon knew, he had no trouble teaching Peter to have such a heart. Peter's heart was so happy that he felt he must sing all day long, as the birds sing with joy.But since he was partly human, he needed a musical instrument, so he made a flute out of reeds.He often sits on the shore of the small island at dusk, learning the rustling of the wind, the murmur of the water, and grabbing a beam of moonlight and putting it into his reed flute.He played so beautifully that the birds were fooled, and they said to each other, "Is that the fish jumping in the water, or is it Peter Pan and his flute making the fish jump?" When a baby is born, the mother bird looks back in the nest to see if she has laid an egg.If you were a kid in Kensington Park, you must know that the chestnut tree near the bridge blooms earlier than the other chestnut trees, but you may not have heard of why this chestnut tree is the most popular one. First.This is because Peter longed for summer and blew the sound of summer coming, and the chestnut tree closest to him believed it when he heard the sound of the flute. However, when Peter sat on the bank playing the flute magically, he sometimes fell into a mood, and the music also became melancholy.His melancholy was entirely due to the fact that, though he could see Kensington Park through the bridge opening, he could not go into it.He knew that he could never be a man again, nor would he want to be one, but alas!How he longed to be able to play like other children, and Kensington Park was a lovely place to play more than anything else.The birds brought him news of how boys and girls had played, and tears of longing welled up in his eyes. Maybe you will wonder, why doesn't he swim over?The reason is, he can't swim.He wanted to learn to swim, but no one on the island could swim except the duck, and the duck was amazingly stupid.They tried to teach him, but all they said was, "You sit on the water, like this, and you kick your feet, like that." Peter tried to do it many times, but every time he sank before he could kick his feet up.What he really needed to know was how to sit on water without sinking.But the duck said that such a simple thing cannot be explained.Occasionally, swans swam to the edge of the island, and Peter was willing to give them his whole day's food, to ask them how to sit on the water.But when he had no food to give away, these nasty guys hissed at him and walked away. Once, he did think he had found his way to the park.A strange object, like a newspaper blown away by the wind, flew high above the island, and then fell, tumbling down like a bird with a broken wing.Peter was so scared that he hid.But the birds told him it was only a kite, and what a kite was, and that the kite must have torn the string from a boy's hand, and flew away.After that the birds laughed at Peter, because he liked the kite so much that he put his hands on it even when he slept.I find it touching and beautiful because the only reason he loves that kite is because it once belonged to a real boy. In the eyes of the birds, this reason is not worth mentioning.But the old birds were grateful to Peter now, for he had nursed a bunch of chicks during the rubella epidemic.So they showed him how a bird flies a kite.The six birds held the string of the kite in their beaks and took off with the kite.Peter was amazed to see that the kite flew with them, higher than them. Peter shouted loudly: "Do it again!" The birds patiently did it several times, and he didn't express his thanks each time, but just shouted: "Do it again!" Completely forget what it means to be a boy. In the end, Peter's brave heart bred a grand plan.He begged the birds to do it again, and he grabbed the kite by the tail.A hundred birds took off with kite strings in their mouths and Peter attached to the kite.As soon as he got over the park, he thought, he'd be down.But the kite broke into pieces in the air, and Peter fell into the Snake Lake.He would have drowned in Snake Lake if he hadn't caught two irritated swans and ordered them to take him to the island.After that, said the birds, they would never help him with such wild adventures again. thrush's nest Shelley is a young gentleman who is as grown up as he wishes he was.He was a poet, and poets are never fully grown men.They are people who despise money and want nothing but what they need for the day.He happened to have five pounds extra in hand.So, while he was walking in Kensington Park, he folded the banknotes into a boat and set it adrift in Snake Lake. In the evening, the boat floated to the island.The watchbird presented it to Solomonjay.At first Solomon thought it was just an ordinary object: a message from a lady, saying that if he could give her a nice doll, she would be very grateful.They were always asking him for the best dolls, and if he appreciated the letter, he would choose one of the Class A dolls for her.But if that letter pissed him off, he'd send a very ridiculous one.Sometimes he doesn't send any, sometimes he sends another litter, it all depends on his mood.He wants you to let him decide.If you specifically mentioned that you wanted him to give him a boy this time, he would definitely send you another girl.Whether you are a lady or a little boy who wants a little sister, make sure to write your home address clearly.You can't imagine that Solomon sent so many dolls to the wrong people. Solomon was puzzled when Yukina's boat opened.He consulted his assistants.They made two passes over the bill, the first time with their toes pointing out and the second time with their toes pointing in.It must be some greedy fellow, they decided, who wanted five children at once.They think so because there is a big five characters printed on that piece of paper. "Absurd!" exclaimed Solomon angrily.He gave the paper to Peter.All the useless things that floated on the island were generally given to Peter as a plaything. But Peter didn't take this precious banknote seriously.He knew what it was at a glance, because he had watched it carefully during the week he had been an ordinary boy.He thought, with such a large sum of money, he must be able to find a way to go to the park.He conceived of many possible ways, and decided (wisely, I think) to choose the best one among them.But first he had to tell the birds how much the boat was worth.Though the birds were too good and honest to ask him for it back, he could see that they were discontented and very angry with Solomon.Solomon, who always regarded himself as clever, had to fly to the end of the island, bury his head under his wings, and sit there sullenly.It was clear to Peter that you could do nothing on the island without Solomon's support.So he followed Solomon, trying to please him. Peter did more than that to win the favor of the powerful old man.You know, Solomon didn't intend to reign forever.He looked forward to some day retiring to spend his happy old age on a yew stump among some fig bushes which he fancyed.Year after year, he quietly accumulated the collection in his sock.The sock belonged to some swimmer and had been thrown on the island.At the time I speak, the stocking contains one hundred and eighty pinches of bread crumbs, thirty-four pieces of dried fruit, sixteen loaves of bread, a pen-wipe cloth, and a bootlace.By the time the stocking was full, Solomon had reckoned he had a decent fortune to retire to.Peter gave him a pound this time, which he had cut off his note with a sharp stick. This made Solomon Peter's permanent friend.After the two of them discussed for a while, a thrush meeting was held.Below you will see why only thrushes are invited to this meeting. The proposal presented to the audience was actually Peter's, but it was Solomon who spoke primarily, because he would get annoyed quickly if anyone else spoke.He began by saying that he had been impressed by the ingenuity and tact with which the thrushes built their nests, and that said right away to the thrushes, which was exactly what Solomon was aiming for.For the quarrels among birds are all about the best way to build their nests.Solomon said that the other birds neglected to mud their nests, and as a result, their nests could not hold water.Speaking of this, Solomon raised his head high, as if he had uttered an irrefutable and wise saying.But unfortunately, an uninvited lady finch came to the meeting, and she scoffed sharply: "We don't build nests to hold water, but to hold eggs." So the thrushes stopped. Cheers, Solomon was so confused that he took a few sips of water. "Think," he said at last, "that mud will keep the nest warm." "Just think about it," said Mrs. Sparrow bitterly, "if water gets in the nest and doesn't get out, your little ones will be drowned." The thrushes winked at Solomon, begging him to say something that would utterly refute the chaffinch.But Solomon was just confused again. "Drink more water." Mrs. Sparrow suggested sarcastically.Her name was Kate, and anything called Kate choked. Solomon did take another sip of water, which enlightened him.He said, "If you put a chaffinch's nest in the Snake Lake, it fills up with water and falls apart. But a thrush's nest is as dry as a swan's nest on the water." Listen to how those thrushes roared with joy!Now they understand why they muddy the nest.When Mrs. Sparrow yelled, "We don't nest on Snake Lake," they did what they were supposed to do in the first place—throw her out of the meeting.Since then, the venue has been orderly.Solomon said they were called for this: it was known that their young friend, Peter Pan, wanted so much to go to the park beyond the lake, that he now proposed, with the help of the thrushes, to build him a a boat. At this the thrushes chattered uncomfortably, which made Peter very apprehensive about his plans. Solomon hastened to explain that he did not mean the bulky boats used by humans, but that the boat he suggested was simply a nest big enough for Peter's thrush. However, Peter was distressed to see that the thrushes were still sullen.They complained and said: "We are all busy, this is a big talk." "It's a lot of work," said Solomon, "but, of course, Peter won't ask you to do it for nothing. Remember, he's rich now, and he's going to pay you money you've never been paid. Peter Pan authorizes me to say that he will pay you sixpence a day." As a result, all the thrushes cheered and jumped for joy, and they started the shipbuilding business that day.They put all their daily routines behind them.It was the time of year for mending birds' nests, but no thrush was building a nest of its own except this one.Solomon soon discovered that the thrushes who delivered the necessities from the mainland were understaffed.Those fat, strong, greedy children, who were still lying obediently in the stroller, swelled up as if they were blowing as soon as they walked, and grew into young thrushes.Ladies especially need these children.What do you think Solomon did?He summoned a flock of sparrows from the roof, and ordered them to lay their eggs in the thrush's nest, and sent the chicks to the ladies, and swear to God they were all thrushes!Later, rumors spread on the island that that year was the year of the sparrow.So when you run into adults in the park who brag about being bigger than they are, chances are they were born that year.If you don't believe me, ask them. Peter is a fair employer, and he pays his employees every evening.They lined up on the branches and waited politely for Peter to cut sixpence notes from his banknotes.Then he called the names on the list, and every thrush he called flew down to collect sixpence.This scene is really a spectacle. After many months of hard work, the boat was finally built.Peter watched it getting bigger and bigger, more and more like a thrush's nest, and the pride in his heart was beyond words!From the beginning of the ship's construction, he slept beside the ship, and often woke up to speak soft and sweet words to it.When the cabin was covered with mud and dried, he always slept in the boat.He still sleeps in this nest, curled up in an endearing position, for the boat is just big enough for him to curl up in as snugly as a kitten.The inside of the boat is brown, of course, but the outside is mostly green, for it is woven of grass and twigs.When the grass and twigs are dry or broken, the boat gang will be pruned with grass blades again.There are also some feathers attached here and there, which the thrushes shed when they built the ship. The other birds are not to mention jealous.They said it was impossible for the boat to float smoothly on the water, but it floated steadily.They also said that water would get in the boat, but not a drop of water got in.Then they said Peter had no oars.But Peter said he didn't need oars because he had sails.With a smug look on his face, he produced a sail, which he had made of his dressing-gown.Although it still looks like a nightgown.But it made a lovely sail nonetheless.That night, with a full moon in the sky, all the birds fell asleep.Peter stepped into his wicker boat (as Master Francis Preity called it) and left the island.For some reason at first he clasped his hands and looked up to the sky; from that moment his eyes were fixed on the west. He had promised the Thrush, and at first he only sailed short distances under their guidance.But the sight of Kensington Park beckoning to him from a distance under the arches made him unable to wait.His face flushed with excitement, but he didn't look back once.A surge of ecstasy welled up in his little chest, driving away the fear.Of all the English navigators who sailed westward in search of the unknown, was Peter the least brave? At first, his boat circled and brought him back to where he started.He took off one sleeve and shortened the sail. As a result, the boat drifted to the far shore, where there were only dark shadows and buildings, and no one knew what danger was lurking.He pulled up his dressing-gown again, and stayed out of the shadows until a tail wind swept him westward.But the boat was going so fast that it almost hit the pier.He dodged the piers and drove under the bridge.He was overjoyed to see the lovely park scenery before his eyes.He tried to drop the anchor (the anchor is a rock tied to the end of the kite line), but found that the anchor would not bottom out.I want to find a place to tie the boat, but I can't get to the shore.He groped forward, but the boat touched a reef.The heavy impact shook him overboard and into the water.He managed to climb into the boat when he was about to drown.At this time, the storm was raging, and the waves roared like never before.He was rushed back and forth, his hands were numb from the cold, and he couldn't squeeze them together.After escaping the catastrophe, he was lucky enough to enter a small port, and the ship was able to run smoothly. However, he is not safe yet.When he was about to disembark and land, he saw a group of little people surrounded by the shore, trying to prevent him from going ashore.They were screaming at him that it was long past closing time for the park.At the same time they waved the holly leaves, and another party brought up an arrow some boy had left in the park, and used it for a battering ram. Knowing that they were fairies, Peter shouted to them: He is not an ordinary person, and he has no intention of offending them, but only wants to be friends with them.However, he finally found a lovely harbor, so he didn't plan to evacuate.It would do them no good, he warned, if they set out to antagonize him. With that said, he bravely jumped onto the shore.The fairies surrounded him, trying to kill him.But at that moment the women cried out, for they found that the sail on his boat was a baby's nightgown.For this they fell in love with him at once, and complained that their skirts were too small to hold him in their arms.On this point, I can't say, I can only say that women are born like this.Seeing the actions of the women, the male fairies also put away their weapons, because they admired women's wisdom very much.They led him to the Queen.The queen treated each other with the etiquette of the park after cleaning, and from then on, Peter could go wherever he wanted to go.The fairies were ordered to make him comfortable and happy. This is how he sailed to the park for the first time.Judging from the simplicity of the words, you can guess that this happened a long, long time ago.But as Peter never grows up, if we were to watch him from under the bridge tonight (which we certainly can't), I daresay we'd see him raising his dressing-gown in the thrush's nest Sail, or come at us with oars.When sailing, he is sitting, while paddling, he is standing.Now I will tell you the origin of his oars. He sneaks back to the island long before the park opens because he doesn't want visitors to see him (he's not quite human).He had hours to play, and he played like a real kid, or so he thought.Unfortunately, his playstyle is often not quite right. You see, no one told him exactly how children play.Because most of the fairies hid before dark, and they couldn't see anything.And the birds, though they would think they had told him all then, knew very little.They told him about hide-and-seek, and he often played hide-and-seek alone.But not even the ducks in the garden could explain to him why boys were so fascinated by gardens.When night came, the ducks forgot all about the day except the number of cakes thrown to them.They are melancholy creatures, always lamenting that the cakes are not so good now as they were when they were children. So, Peter had to figure out a lot of things by himself.He often played with a boat in the garden, but his boat was just an iron ring he found in the grass.Naturally, he had never seen a hoop, and didn't know how to play with it, so he decided that it should be played as a boat.The hoop always sank right away, and he dived into the water to bring it up.Sometimes he tugged it merrily along the edge of the pool, flattering himself that he had discovered how boys played with hoops. Another time, he found a small child's bucket. He thought it was for someone to sit in, and he sat in it so hard that he almost got stuck and couldn't get out.Another time, he found a balloon.The balloon jumped up and down the hill, as if playing a game by itself, and he chased it excitedly for a long time before catching it.He thought it was a ball.I heard from the Jenny Wren that the boy was playing kickball, so he gave it a kick, and the balloon disappeared afterwards. Perhaps the most startling thing he found was a baby carriage.It was placed under a pine tree, near the gate of the Fairy Queen Winterlord.It is located in a circle of seven Spanish chestnut trees.Peter approached the pram cautiously because the birds had never mentioned such things to him.He was afraid that it was a living thing, so he spoke to it politely.Seeing that it didn't strike up a conversation, he approached it and touched it carefully with his hands.He pushed slightly, and the car moved away from him, which made him think that it was alive after all.不过既然它离他而去，那就不用怕它。于是他伸手把它往自己这边拽。可这回它径直冲他奔来。他不禁大吃一惊，跃过栏杆，飞跑着上了船。你可别以为彼得是个胆小鬼。因为第二天晚上，他又回来了，一手捏着一块面包皮，另一手握着一根木棍。可是婴儿车却不见了踪影，他也再没看到另外一辆。我答应过，要告诉你有关他的桨的事。那是一把孩子的小铲，是他在高弗泉那儿找到的。他以为那是一把桨。 彼得·潘犯了那么多的错误，你觉得他怪可怜吗？要是你这样想，那我认为你够傻的。当然，我的意思是，咱们有时候要可怜他；可是如果无论什么时候都可怜他，那就太冒失了。他觉得，在肯辛顿的时光，是他最美好的时光。一个人自认为得到了什么，就和实际上得到了什么一样好。他整天玩个不停，而你呢，只是浪费时间，充当疯狗或充当玛丽·安尼什。他不可能这样，因为他从没听说过他们。难道你认为他因此就很可怜吗？ what!他真快活！他比你快活得多，就像你比你父亲更快活。有时候，他会快活得像只飞旋的陀螺那样，倒在地上。你见过一只赛狗跃过公园的围栏吗？彼得正是那样跳过围栏的。 再想想他的笛子的乐声吧。一些绅士走着回家，给报纸写信说，他们听到公园里有夜莺在鸣唱。可他们听到的其实是彼得的笛声。自然罗，他没有妈妈。可是妈妈对他来说又有什么用呢？你也许会因为这可怜他，不过也不必太可怜他，因为下面我就要告诉你，他是怎样回去看望妈妈的。是仙子们给了他这个机会。 公园关门的时候 要想了解仙子们，那可真是难上加难，唯一有把握的是，哪里有孩子，哪里就有仙子。很久以前，孩子们是被禁止上公园的，那时候，公园里一个仙子也没有。后来准许孩子去公园了，就在当天晚上，仙子们就成群结队拥进了公园。他们禁不住要跟随孩子们进去。可是你却很少见到他们。一部分是因为，他们在白天呆在栏杆后面，你是不被允许去那边的，一部分是因为，他们狡猾得很。不过，公园净园以后，他们就半点也不狡猾了。而在净园之前，好家伙！ 当你还是只鸟的时候，你最熟悉仙子，在婴孩期，你记得好些关于仙子的事。可惜，你没法把它们写下来，因为渐渐地你就忘记了。我听说，有些孩子楞说他们从没见过一个仙子。当他们在肯辛顿公园说这话时，很可能他们两眼正直呆呆地瞪着一个仙子哩。他们之所以上当受骗，是因为那仙子乔装成别的什么东西。这是仙子的一大诡计。他们通常装作是花。仙子的宫殿坐落在仙子盆地，那儿的花多着哩。沿婴孩径的两侧花也很多，在那儿一朵花是最不惹眼的东西。他们的衣着也跟花儿一样，并且随着季节更换。在百合开花的季节，他们穿白衣，蓝铃花开花时就穿蓝衣，诸如此类。他们最喜欢报春花和风信子开花的季节，因为他们偏爱绚丽的颜色。至于郁金香嘛（除了白色的，那是仙子的蜡烛），他们嫌它太艳，所以有时会推迟穿得像郁金香。所以，在郁金香开花的那几周的开头，最容易捉到他们，原因就在这里。 在他们认为你不在张望时，他们会活泼地蹦来蹦去；要是你张望，他们怕来不及躲藏，就站定不动，装作是花。等你走了过去，没有发现他们是仙子，他们就飞奔回家，向母亲叙说他们经历了那样一场虚惊。那个仙子盆地，你该记得，是覆满了地面常春藤的（他们用这来熬制蓖麻油），里面到处是花。那多半真的是花，可也有些是仙子，你没法分辨的。不过有一个好办法，就是你一边走一边眼睛望着别处，然后猛地转过脸来。还有一个好办法，大卫和我有时就这么做，那就是目不转睛地盯着他们瞧。盯的时间一长，他们忍不住要眨眨眼睛，这时你就知道他们是仙子了。 沿婴孩径一带也有许多的仙子。那是一处雅境，凡是仙子常去的地方都叫雅境。有一回，二十四个仙子经历了一场特殊的险情。她们都是寄宿学校的女孩子，由女教师领着外出散步。她们全都穿着风信子衣衫。突然间，女教师用手指贴在唇上，于是他们全都一动不动地站在一个空花坛上，佯装是风信子。不幸的是，女教师听到的是两个园丁的声音，他们来是因为要在那个空花坛里栽上新花。他们推着一辆手推车，车里满载着花。当他们看到这个花坛里已经长满了花时，非常惊讶。一个说：“把这些风信子铲掉太可惜了。”另一个说：“这是公爵的命令。”于是，他们把车上的花倒出来，掘出整个寄宿学校，把那些可怜的吓坏了的小家伙排成五行装进车里。当然，不管是女教师还是女学生，谁也不敢泄露说出她们是仙子。于是她们就给推到老远的一个存放花盆的棚子里。夜晚，她们光着脚逃了回来。家长们为了这事闹翻了天，而这所寄宿学校从此就垮掉啦。 说到仙子的住宅，要想找到它们是不可能的，因为它们和我们的房子正好相反。我们的房子，你在白天看得见，在夜里看不见；而他们的房子，你能在夜间看见，因为它们有着夜的颜色。我从没听说过谁能在白天看到夜的颜色。这倒不是说，他们的房子是黑色的，因为夜也像白天一样，自有它的色彩，而且还鲜明得多。他们的蓝色、红色、绿色和我们的一样，不同的是他们的颜色背后能发光。王宫整个是用五颜六色的玻璃造成的，可说是所有皇家宅邸中最可爱的宫室。可是女王有时抱怨说，老百姓老是从外面向里窥望，偷看她在干些什么。仙子们都是些非常好奇的人，他们把脸紧紧地贴着玻璃，以致他们的鼻子多半是翘的。街道有几英里长，曲曲弯弯，两边有许多用鲜艳的绒线织成的小道。鸟儿们不时来偷这些绒线，带回去筑巢。后来，就在小道的另一端派了一名警察守卫。 仙子和我们之间的最大区别是，他们从来不做什么有用的事。当第一个婴孩第一次笑出声时，他的笑碎裂成一百万片，全都向四处蹦跳。仙子就是那么来的。他们看起来忙得不可开交，好像没有一刻儿空闲似的。可要是你问他们在干什么，他们压根儿回答不上来。他们非常无知，他们所做的一切都是在装样子。他们有一个邮递员，可他除了在圣诞节带上他的小盒子，从不上门。他们有漂亮的学校，却什么都不教。最小的孩子是首要人物，总是当选为女主人。当她点名叫号时，他们全都出去散步，可是再也不回来了。一个很值得注意的事是，在仙子家庭中，最小的孩子总是主要人物，一般总要成为王子或公主。孩子们记住了这一点，以为在人类家庭中也应如此。所以，当他们偶尔撞见母亲在偷偷摸摸往摇篮上安装新的褶边时，心里总是不自在。 你也许观察到，你的小婴孩妹妹要做许多你妈妈和保姆不让她做的事，比如，该坐的时候她站着，该站的时候她坐着，该睡的时候她醒着，穿着最漂亮的衣裳在地上爬，等等。也许你认为她这是淘气。But you are wrong.这只是因为她在依照她所看到的仙子的举动在学着做。一开始，她学着仙子的样在做，大约要过两年，她才按照人类的样子去做。她那一阵阵大哭大闹，瞧着怪吓人的，一般人都以为是出牙期的表现，其实根本不是那么回事。那是她自然流露的愤怒，因为她是在说一种明明白白的话，而我们却听不懂。母亲们和保姆们比其他人更早懂得她的意思，好比说，“咕奇”就是“马上给我”的意思，“哇”就是“你为什么戴这么一顶滑稽的帽子”的意思。这是因为，她们和婴孩呆在一起的时间最长，多少听懂了一些仙子的话。 近来，大卫用手摁住太阳穴，使劲回想仙子的语言。他想起了不少仙子的词句，以后我会讲给你听的，如果我没有忘掉的话。那是在他还是一只画眉的时候听到的。我提醒他，他想起的也许是鸟语，他说不是，因为这些词句都是有关玩耍和冒险的，而鸟儿们除了筑巢外，什么都不谈。他记得清清楚楚，鸟儿们老是从一处飞到另一处，就像太太们逛商店一样，仔细观察各色各样的巢，说：“这个颜色不对我的口味，亲爱的。”或者“要是把那个加上一副软衬里怎么样？”或者“这个经久耐用吗？”或者“修整得太马虎了！”诸如此类。 仙子们是擅长跳舞的。所以婴孩们示意要你做的第一件事就是为他们跳舞，而你一跳舞，他们就叫嚷。仙子们在露天里，在一个所谓的“仙人国”里举行他们盛大的舞会。几个星期以后，你就能看见草地上的那个圈儿。跳舞开始时，并没有那个圈儿。后来他们团团转地跳着华尔兹舞，圈子就出现了。有时你会发现圈子里有蘑菇，那是仙子们的椅子，散场时仆人忘了收走的。那些椅子和圈儿，是那些小人儿留下的唯一暴露身份的标记。要不是他们那么爱跳舞，一直要跳到公园开门的那一刻，他们会把这些标记都去掉的。大卫和我有一回发现了一个仙人团，还冒着热气呐。 不过，也有一个办法，事先就可知道要举行舞会。你该见过那些通知游客公园什么时候关门的布告脾吧？好啦，在一个开舞会的晚上，这些诡计多端的仙子有时会把布告牌改动一下，比如说，把公园关门的时间由七点改成六点半。这样，他们就可以提前半小时开始举行舞会了。 在这样一个晚上，要是我们能像有名的梅米·曼纳林那样留在公园里，我们就能看到赏心悦目的美景了。成百可爱的小仙子匆匆赶去参加舞会，已婚的仙子把结婚戒指箍在腰上，男士们全都穿制服，牵着女士们的长裙，联络员们跑在头里，提着冬樱桃，那是仙子的灯笼。他们在衣帽间换上银高跟鞋，存上包。花儿们从婴孩径那边鱼贯而来，要瞧个热闹。它们总是受欢迎的，因为可以借给一只发卡什么的。晚宴长桌上，麦布女王居于首席，她的椅子后面立着侍从长，手里举着一朵蒲公英。当女王陛下要知道是什么时间时，他就吹一下。 台布因季节而异。在五月间，是用栗子花做成的。仙仆们是这样干活的：几十名男仆爬上树，摇晃着树枝，花儿就像雪片般坠落下来。然后女仆们用她们的裙子拂扫着花瓣，扫成恰如一张台布的模样。他们的台布就是这样做成的。 他们有真正的玻璃杯和三种酒：黑刺李酒、莓子酒和立金花酒，由女王来把盏斟酒。可是酒瓶太重了，她只是装作斟酒的样子。接着先上来的是黄油面包，大小和三便士硬币差不多。最后上来的是蛋糕，那么小，小到没有碎屑。仙子们围成一团，坐在蘑菇上。一开始他们都挺讲礼貌，咳嗽时脸朝桌子外等等，可是过不了多久，就不那么讲礼貌了，把手指伸进黄油里（黄油是从老树的根里采集的）。那些实在讨厌的家伙竟爬到台布上，用舌头去舐糖或其他美食。女王看到这情景，就示意仆人们清洗台布，收拾桌面。然后人人都去参加舞会。女王走在前面，侍卫长走在她身后，提着两只小罐子。一只罐子里盛着桂竹香汁（Wallflower，双关语，又指舞会上无人邀舞备受冷落的女子），另一只罐子里盛着所罗门印章汁。桂竹香汁能使那些晕倒在地的跳舞者恢复神智。所罗门印章汁则是涂抹伤口用的。仙子们很容易受伤。当彼得越吹越快时，他们踩着拍子跳，直到晕倒。因为，我不说你也知道，彼得·潘是仙子们的乐队。他坐在圈子当中，少了他，仙子们如今简直没法想像能有一场精彩的舞会。在真正上流人家发出去的请柬的角上，都写着P． P． （彼得·潘的缩写字母）的字样。仙子们都是些知恩必报的小精灵，在为公主成年举行的舞会（他们每个月过一次生日，在过第二个生日时就成年了）上，他们允许彼得有一个心愿。 那是通过这样一种程序完成的：女王命彼得跪下，说道，由于他吹得这么美妙，她要允许他有一个心愿。于是仙子们全都围上来，要听听彼得的心愿是什么。可是好半晌，彼得还犹豫着，因为他自己也闹不清那究竟是什么。 “要是我愿意回到我母亲身边，”最后他说，“你们能允许吗？” 这问题使他们很为难，因为假如他回到母亲身边，他们就失去了他的音乐。所以女王不屑地翘起鼻子说：“呸！提一个比这大得多的心愿吧。” “难道这个心愿很小吗？”他问。 “小得就跟这个一样。”女王把她的两手靠得很近很近。 “那么大心愿有多大？”他问。 她用手在裙子上量出相当长的一个尺寸。 于是彼得想了想说：“好吧，那我就提两个小心愿，而不是提一个大心愿。” 自然，仙子们不得不同意，尽管他的机智颇令他们震惊。他说，他的第一个心愿是去找母亲，但是如果对她感到失望，他有权回到公园。至于第二个心愿，他暂且不提。 他们试图劝阻他，甚至对他设置障碍。 “我可以使你有能力飞回去，”女王说，“可是我没法替你开门呀。” “我飞出来时经过的窗子会是开着的。”彼得自信地说，“妈妈总让窗子开着，为的是盼着我飞回去。” “你怎么知道？”他们惊讶地问。确实，他怎么知道，他也说不上来。 “我就是知道。”他说。 既然他一个心眼提这个心愿，他们也只好答应他。他们是用这样一个办法使他有能力飞的：大伙儿全都胳肢他的肩膀，他马上就感到那地方痒得好滑稽，然后他就腾空而起，越飞越高，飞出了公园，飞过许多屋顶。 飞行是那么愉快，以致他没有直接飞往自己的家，而是绕道越过圣保罗大教堂，飞到水晶官，沿着泰晤士河和摄政公园飞回来。等飞到他母亲的窗前时，他下定决心，第二个心愿将是变成一只鸟。 窗子开得大大的，正象他所知道的那样。他飘了进去，看见母亲在睡觉。彼得轻轻地降落在床脚那头的木栏杆上，仔细凝视着母亲。她躺着，一手托头，枕头中央的凹陷像一个巢，铺满了她栗色的鬃发。虽然他久已忘记，可现在他想起来了，她总是在晚间让她的头发放假休息。她的睡衣的裙褶是多么可爱啊！他真高兴，有这么美丽的一个母亲。 不过她脸上露出愁容，他知道她为什么面露愁容。她的一只胳臂挪动了一下，仿佛想去搂抱什么，他知道那手臂想要搂抱的是什么。 “妈妈呀！”彼得自言自语地说，“要是你知道，现在是谁坐在你床脚的栏杆上啊……” 他轻柔地拍了拍她的脚形成的小突起，从她脸上，看得出她很喜欢。他知道，只要他很轻很轻地叫一声“妈妈”，她就会醒过来。只要你们呼叫她们的名字，母亲们总会立即醒来。然后，她会高兴得大喊一声，紧紧把他搂在怀里。那时他将是多么愉快啊！不，那对她将是莫大的欢欣。我估摸，彼得是这样想的。他毫不怀疑，回到母亲身边，将是给母亲一个女人所能得到的最大快乐。他想，女人有一个自己的小男孩，世上没有比这更美好的了。她们为他感到多么自豪啊！事情也的确如此。 但是，为什么彼得久久地坐在栏杆上，他为什么不告诉母亲他回来了？ 我恨不能避开真话不讲。那就是，他坐在那儿，心里七上八下举棋不定。一阵子，他渴望地望着母亲，一阵子，他渴望地望着窗口。再做母亲的小男孩当然是乐事，可是反过来，在公园里的时光又是多么美好啊！他是不是有把握，愿意再穿上衣裳？他从床上跳下来，打开几个抽屉，翻看他的旧衣裳。那些衣裳还在，可他已想不起怎样穿了。好比说，那些袜子，是穿在手上还是穿在脚上？他正试着要把一只袜子往手上穿，忽然出现了一大险情。或许是抽屉嘎吱响了一声，母亲醒了。他听见她说了声“彼得”，那似乎是英语中最可爱的字眼。他坐在地上一动不动，屏住呼吸，心里纳闷，不知她怎么知道他回来了。要是她再说一声“彼得”，他就会喊着“妈妈”，向她奔去。可是她没有再说什么，只是发出轻微的呻吟。等他再窥看她时，她再度睡着了，脸颊上挂着泪珠。 彼得心里好不是滋味。你知道他所做的第一件事是什么吗？他坐在床尾的栏杆上，用他的笛子吹出一首优美的安眠歌。即是他仿照她说“彼得”时的情调，自己创作出来的。他一直不停地吹，直到她脸上露出快乐的神色。 他觉得自己真是太聪明了，恨不得叫醒她，听她说一声“啊，彼得，你吹得多美妙啊！”不过，既然她现在显得心情舒畅了，他就把眼光又转向窗口。你一定以为他想飞走，再也不回来吧。其实他已差不多决定做妈妈的小男孩了，只是下不了决心今晚就做。困扰他的是那第二个愿望。他已经不打算做一只鸟了，不过，不提第二个愿望，似乎有点浪费。而不回到仙子那里，他就没法提第二个愿望。而且，如果拖延太久不提出，第二个愿望也许会变质的。他扪心自问，不向所罗门说声“再会”，是不是太狠心了。“我特想再乘我的小船航行一次。”他渴望地对沉睡的母亲说。他在和她说理辩论，就像她听得见似的。“要是和鸟儿们摆摆我的这次奇遇，那该多神啊！”他哄着母亲说。“我答应过他们要回去的。”他庄严地说，并且打算履行他的诺言。 最后，他飞走了。有两次，他从窗口飞回来，想亲吻母亲，可是又担心母亲一高兴就会醒来，所以最后他只是用笛子吹出一个可爱的吻，然后就飞回公园去了。 一连许多夜晚甚至好几个月过去了，彼得一直没有向仙子们提出他的第二个愿望。我也不敢说我知道他为什么拖延这样久。一个原因是，他要作那么多的告别，不但对他的特殊朋友，而且要对他喜爱的成百的地点。然后，他要作一次最后的航行，再一次最后的航行，一次最后最后的航行，等等。再说，还有那许多次向他表示敬意的告别宴会。一个让人放心的理由是，毕竟，这事用不着匆忙，因为他的母亲会永远耐心等待他的。最后这个理由，令老所罗门十分不快，因为这会鼓励鸟儿们办事拖拉。所罗门有几句绝妙的格言，敦促鸟儿们干活勤快，比如“今天能下蛋，就别拖到明天再下”，又如“世上没有第二次机遇”。而现在彼得毫不在乎地一拖再拖，却不受损失。鸟儿们互相指出这一点，养成了懒惰的习惯。 不过，请注意，虽然彼得迟迟不走，他却是下定决心要回到母亲身边去的。最好的证明是，他对仙子们保持谨慎的态度。他们急于让他留在公园里，为他们吹奏，为达到这个目的，他们试着使他说出这类的话：“我希望草地不要这么湿才好。”有些仙子跳舞故意不合拍子，想引他说出“我希望你们按拍子跳”。那样，他们就说，这是他的第二个愿望。可是他觉察了他们的诡计，虽然偶尔他会开始说“我希望——”可总是及时打住。所以，最后当他勇敢地对他们说“我希望永远回到母亲身边”时，他们只得胳肢他的肩膀，让他走了。 他终于急匆匆地去了，因为他梦见母亲在哭。他知道，她哭并非为了什么大事，而只要她的那个了不起的彼得把她一抱，就能使她破涕为笑。what!他对这点确信不疑。这回，他是那么急于偎依在母亲怀里，以致他径直就飞往他家的窗子，那窗子永远是为他敞开着的。 然而，窗子关上了，而且装了铁护栏。从窗口向里窥望，他看到母亲正在安然入睡，她的一只胳臂围绕着另一个小男孩。 彼得喊道：“妈妈！妈妈！”可是她听不见。他用小拳头捶打着铁护栏，可是无济于事。他只得抽泣着，飞回公园，从此再也没有见到过他的亲人。本来，他想给母亲当一个多么神气的儿子啊！唉，彼得呀！我们这些往往铸成大错的人，当第二次机会到来时，我们会有多么不同的做法啊！然而所罗门是对的——对我们多数人来说，第二次机会是不存在的。我们来到窗前时，已经是“闭门”的时候了。铁护栏永远封闭了窗口。