the little white bird-第22节

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of　his　night…gown；　and　though　it　was　still　rather　like　a

night…gown　it　made　a　lovely　sail。　　And　that　night；　the　moon　being

full；　and　all　the　birds　asleep；　he　did　enter　his　coracle　（as

Master　Francis　Pretty　would　have　said）　and　depart　out　of　the

island。　　And　first；　he　knew　not　why；　he　looked　upward；　with　his

hands　clasped；　and　from　that　moment　his　eyes　were　pinned　to　the

west。



He　had　promised　the　thrushes　to　begin　by　making　short　voyages；

with　them　to　his　guides；　but　far　away　he　saw　the　Kensington

Gardens　beckoning　to　him　beneath　the　bridge；　and　he　could　not

wait。　　His　face　was　flushed；　but　he　never　looked　back；　there　was

an　exultation　in　his　little　breast　that　drove　out　fear。　　Was

Peter　the　least　gallant　of　the　English　mariners　who　have　sailed

westward　to　meet　the　Unknown？



At　first；　his　boat　turned　round　and　round；　and　he　was　driven　back

to　the　place　of　his　starting；　whereupon　he　shortened　sail；　by

removing　one　of　the　sleeves；　and　was　forthwith　carried　backward

by　a　contrary　breeze；　to　his　no　small　peril。　　He　now　let　go　the

sail；　with　the　result　that　he　was　drifted　toward　the　far　shore；

where　are　black　shadows　he　knew　not　the　dangers　of；　but　suspected

them；　and　so　once　more　hoisted　his　night…gown　and　went　roomer　of

the　shadows　until　he　caught　a　favouring　wind；　which　bore　him

westward；　but　at　so　great　a　speed　that　he　was　like　to　be　broke

against　the　bridge。　　Which；　having　avoided；　he　passed　under　the

bridge　and　came；　to　his　great　rejoicing；　within　full　sight　of　the

delectable　Gardens。　　But　having　tried　to　cast　anchor；　which　was　a

stone　at　the　end　of　a　piece　of　the　kite…string；　he　found　no

bottom；　and　was　fain　to　hold　off；　seeking　for　moorage；　and；

feeling　his　way；　he　buffeted　against　a　sunken　reef　that　cast　him

overboard　by　the　greatness　of　the　shock；　and　he　was　near　to　being

drowned；　but　clambered　back　into　the　vessel。　　There　now　arose　a

mighty　storm；　accompanied　by　roaring　of　waters；　such　as　he　had

never　heard　the　like；　and　he　was　tossed　this　way　and　that；　and

his　hands　so　numbed　with　the　cold　that　he　could　not　close　them。

Having　escaped　the　danger　of　which；　he　was　mercifully　carried

into　a　small　bay；　where　his　boat　rode　at　peace。



Nevertheless；　he　was　not　yet　in　safety；　for；　on　pretending　to

disembark；　he　found　a　multitude　of　small　people　drawn　up　on　the

shore　to　contest　his　landing；　and　shouting　shrilly　to　him　to　be

off；　for　it　was　long　past　Lock…out　Time。　　This；　with　much

brandishing　of　their　holly…leaves；　and　also　a　company　of　them

carried　an　arrow　which　some　boy　had　left　in　the　Gardens；　and　this

they　were　prepared　to　use　as　a　battering…ram。



Then　Peter；　who　knew　them　for　the　fairies；　called　out　that　he　was

not　an　ordinary　human　and　had　no　desire　to　do　them　displeasure；

but　to　be　their　friend；　nevertheless；　having　found　a　jolly

harbour；　he　was　in　no　temper　to　draw　off　therefrom；　and　he　warned

them　if　they　sought　to　mischief　him　to　stand　to　their　harms。



So　saying；　he　boldly　leapt　ashore；　and　they　gathered　around　him

with　intent　to　slay　him；　but　there　then　arose　a　great　cry　among

the　women；　and　it　was　because　they　had　now　observed　that　his　sail

was　a　baby's　night…gown。　　Whereupon；　they　straightway　loved　him；

and　grieved　that　their　laps　were　too　small；　the　which　I　cannot

explain；　except　by　saying　that　such　is　the　way　of　women。　　The

men…　fairies　now　sheathed　their　weapons　on　observing　the

behaviour　of　their　women；　on　whose　intelligence　they　set　great

store；　and　they　led　him　civilly　to　their　queen；　who　conferred

upon　him　the　courtesy　of　the　Gardens　after　Lock…out　Time；　and

henceforth　Peter　could　go　whither　he　chose；　and　the　fairies　had

orders　to　put　him　in　comfort。



Such　was　his　first　voyage　to　the　Gardens；　and　you　may　gather　from

the　antiquity　of　the　language　that　it　took　place　a　long　time　ago。

But　Peter　never　grows　any　older；　and　if　we　could　be　watching　for

him　under　the　bridge　to…night　（but；　of　course；　we　can't）；　I

daresay　we　should　see　him　hoisting　his　night…gown　and　sailing　or

paddling　toward　us　in　the　Thrush's　Nest。　　When　he　sails；　he　sits

down；　but　he　stands　up　to　paddle。　　I　shall　tell　you　presently　how

he　got　his　paddle。



Long　before　the　time　for　the　opening　of　the　gates　comes　he　steals

back　to　the　island；　for　people　must　not　see　him　（he　is　not　so

human　as　all　that）；　but　this　gives　him　hours　for　play；　and　he

plays　exactly　as　real　children　play。　　At　least　he　thinks　so；　and

it　is　one　of　the　pathetic　things　about　him　that　he　often　plays

quite　wrongly。



You　see；　he　had　no　one　to　tell　him　how　children　really　play；　for

the　fairies　were　all　more　or　less　in　hiding　until　dusk；　and　so

know　nothing；　and　though　the　birds　pretended　that　they　could　tell

him　a　great　deal；　when　the　time　for　telling　came；　it　was

wonderful　how　little　they　really　knew。　　They　told　him　the　truth

about　hide…　and…seek；　and　he　often　plays　it　by　himself；　but　even

the　ducks　on　the　Round　Pond　could　not　explain　to　him　what　it　is

that　makes　the　pond　so　fascinating　to　boys。　　Every　night　the

ducks　have　forgotten　all　the　events　of　the　day；　except　the　number

of　pieces　of　cake　thrown　to　them。　　They　are　gloomy　creatures；　and

say　that　cake　is　not　what　it　was　in　their　young　days。



So　Peter　had　to　find　out　many　things　for　himself。　　He　often

played　ships　at　the　Round　Pond；　but　his　ship　was　only　a　hoop

which　he　had　found　on　the　grass。　　Of　course；　he　had　never　seen　a

hoop；　and　he　wondered　what　you　play　at　with　them；　and　decided

that　you　play　at　pretending　they　are　boats。　　This　hoop　always

sank　at　once；　but　he　waded　in　for　it；　and　sometimes　he　dragged　it

gleefully　round　the　rim　of　the　pond；　and　he　was　quite　proud　to

think　that　he　had　discovered　what　boys　do　with　hoops。



Another　time；　when　he　found　a　child's　pail；　he　thought　it　was　for

sitting　in；　and　he　sat　so　hard　in　it　that　he　could　scarcely　get

out　of　it。　　Also　he　found　a　balloon。　　It　was　bobbing　about　on　the

Hump；　quite　as　if　it　was　having　a　game　by　itself；　and　he　caught

it　after　an　exciting　chase。　　But　he　thought　it　was　a　ball；　and

Jenny　Wren　had　told　him　that　boys　kick　balls；　so　he　kicked　it；

and　after　that　he　could　not　find　it　anywhere。



Perhaps　the　most　surprising　thing　he　found　was　a　perambulator。　

It　was　under　a　lime…tree；　near　the　entrance　to　the　Fairy　Queen's

Winter　Palace　（which　is　within　the　circle　of　the　seven　Spanish

chestnuts）；　and　Peter　approached　it　warily；　for　the　birds　had

never　mentioned　such　things　to　him。　　Lest　it　was　alive；　he

addressed　it　politely；　and　then；　as　it　gave　no　answer；　he　went

nearer　and　felt　it　cautiously。　　He　gave　it　a　little　push；　and　it

ran　from　him；　which　made　him　think　it　must　be　alive　after　all；

but；　as　it　had　run　from　him；　he　was　not　afraid。　　So　he　stretched

out　his　hand　to　pull　it　to　him；　but　this　time　it　ran　at　him；　and

he　was　so　alarmed　that　he　leapt　the　railing　and　scudded　away　to

his　boat。　　You　must　not　think；　however；　that　he　was　a　coward；　for

he　came　back　next　night　with　a　crust　in　one　hand　and　a　stick　in

the　other；　but　the　perambulator　had　gone；　and　he　never　saw

another　one。　　I　have　promised　to　tell　you　also　about　his　paddle。　

It　was　a　child's　spade　which　he　had　found　near　St。　Govor's　Well；

and　he　thought　it　was　a　paddle。



Do　you　pity　Peter　Pan　for　making　these　mistakes？　　If　so；　I　think

it　rather　silly　of　you。　　What　I　mean　is　that；　of　course；　one　must

pity　him　now　and　then；　but　to　pity　him　all　the　time　would　be

impertinence。　　He　thought　he　had　the　most　splendid　time　in　the

Gardens；　and　to　think　you　have　it　is　almost　quite　as　good　as

really　to　have　it。　　He　played　without　ceasing；　while　you　often

waste　time　by　being　mad…dog　or　Mary…Annish。　　He　could　be　neither

of　these　things；　for　he　had　never　heard　of　them；　but　do　you　think

he　is　to　be　pitied　for　that？



Oh；　he　was　merry。　　He　was　as　much　merrier　than　you；　for　instance；

as　you　are　merrier　than　your　father。　　Sometimes　he　fell；　like　a

spinning…top；　from　sheer　merriment。　　Have　you　seen　a　greyhound

leaping　the　fences　of　the　Gardens？　　That　is　how　Peter　leaps　them。



And　think　of　the　music　of　his　pipe。　　Gentlemen　who　walk　home　at

night　write　to　the　papers　to　say　they　heard　a　nightingale　in　the

Gardens；　but　it　is　really　Peter's　pipe　they　hear。　　Of　course；　he

had　no　motherat　least；　what　use　was　she　to　him？　　You　can　be

sorry　for　him　for　that；　but　don't　be　too　sorry；　for　the　next

thing　I　mean　to　tell　you　is　how　he　revisited　her。　　It　was　the

fairies　who　gave　him　the　chance





XVI



Lock…Out　Time



It　is　frightfully　difficult　to　know　much　about　the　fairies；　and

almost　the　only　thing　known　for　certain　is　that　there　are　fairies

wherever　there　are　children。　　Long　ago　children　were　forbidden

the　Gardens；　and　at　that　time　there　was　not　a　fairy　in　the　place；

then　the　children　were　admitted；　and　the　fairies　came　trooping　in

that　very　evening。　　They　can't　resist　following　the　children；　but

you　seldom　see　them；　partly　because　they　live　in　the　daytime

behind　the　railings；　where