All children—except one—grow up. They begin to know it after they are two. And that was when Wendy Darling began to know it.
The Darlings lived in London at number 14. Wendy was the oldest. Then came John and little Michael. Mrs. Darling loved her children and wanted everything just so. But Mr. Darling was always worried about money. So the children had a nurse. But the nurse was a huge dog named Nana.
Nana’s kennel was in the night nursery. She awoke at the slightest cry. Nana was a treasure, as Mr. Darling well knew. But sometimes he worried that the neighbors talked. Even worse, he worried that Nana did not admire him enough. Being admired was very important to Mr. Darling.
The Darlings were a happy family. That is, until Peter Pan came.
Mrs. Darling first learned of Peter when she was tidying up her children’s minds. All good mothers do this after their children go to sleep. It is quite like tidying up drawers. Mrs. Darling tucked the bad thoughts down at the bottom. She folded the beautiful thoughts right on top. Ready for her children to put on as soon as they awoke in the morning.
Have you ever seen a map of a child’s mind? Each one is different. But all of them are very confusing. A child’s mind is a Neverland. It is filled with skipping stones and chocolate pudding, verbs, and the first day of school. There are zigzag lines everywhere. Those are the roads on the island.
For the Neverland is always an island. It has caves and pirates and lagoons and mermaids. And children are always at play on those magic shores.
Mostly Mrs. Darling did not worry about what she found in her children’s minds. But then she came across the word Peter.
“Who is Peter?” Mrs. Darling asked Wendy the next day.
“You know, Mother,” said Wendy. “Peter Pan.”
At first Mrs. Darling did not know. Then she remembered a Peter who was said to live among the fairies. Perhaps she had even believed in him as a child. But now she was married and full of sense. So Mrs. Darling had put Peter out of her mind.
A few nights later there were leaves by the nursery window. “I do believe that Peter tracked them in,” said Wendy.
Mrs. Darling did not know what to think. The nursery was three stories up! Thirty feet from the ground and no way to climb up!
Mrs. Darling told Mr. Darling.
“Oh, it is just some nonsense Nana has put in their heads,” said Mr. Darling. “Leave it alone and it will blow over.”
But of course, it did not blow over.
The next evening was Nana’s night off. Mrs. Darling tucked the children into bed. Then she sat by the fire in the nursery to sew. Soon she fell asleep.
But her dreams were troubled. She dreamed that the Neverland came too near. She dreamed that a strange boy broke through it. And she saw her children peeping through the gap.
Suddenly the window of the nursery blew open. There was a boy dressed in a suit of leaves. He dropped to the floor like a cat. A strange light no bigger than your fist flew with him. It twinkled and darted about the room like a living thing.
Mrs. Darling woke up with a scream. She knew at once that the boy was Peter Pan. He still had all his baby teeth.
Nana had just come home. The scream brought her rushing into the nursery. She sprang at the boy. But he leapt through the open window.
Mrs. Darling screamed again. Surely the poor boy had fallen to his death! She ran to the street. But his body was not there. She looked up into the dark night sky. All she saw was what looked like a shooting star.
But Nana had caught something in her mouth. It was the boy’s shadow!
Nana knew the boy would come back for it. And she did not want him to upset the children. So she hung the shadow out the window. He could get it when he pleased and be on his way.
But Mrs. Darling would not have that. It looked as if washing was hanging out the front window. What would the neighbors think!
Quickly Mrs. Darling rolled up the shadow. Then she hid it in a drawer. She would have to tell Mr. Darling. But how?