the little white bird-第24节

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linkmen　running　in　front　carrying　winter　cherries；　which　are　the

fairy…lanterns；　the　cloakroom　where　they　put　on　their　silver

slippers　and　get　a　ticket　for　their　wraps；　the　flowers　streaming

up　from　the　Baby　Walk　to　look　on；　and　always　welcome　because　they

can　lend　a　pin；　the　suppertable；　with　Queen　Mab　at　the　head　of

it；　and　behind　her　chair　the　Lord　Chamberlain；　who　carries　a

dandelion　on　which　he　blows　when　Her　Majesty　wants　to　know　the

time。



The　table…cloth　varies　according　to　the　seasons；　and　in　May　it　is

made　of　chestnut…blossom。　　The　ways　the　fairy…servants　do　is

this：　The　men；　scores　of　them；　climb　up　the　trees　and　shake　the

branches；　and　the　blossom　falls　like　snow。　　Then　the　lady

servants　sweep　it　together　by　whisking　their　skirts　until　it　is

exactly　like　a　table…cloth；　and　that　is　how　they　get　their

table…cloth。



They　have　real　glasses　and　real　wine　of　three　kinds；　namely；

blackthorn　wine；　berberris　wine；　and　cowslip　wine；　and　the　Queen

pours　out；　but　the　bottles　are　so　heavy　that　she　just　pretends　to

pour　out。　　There　is　bread　and　butter　to　begin　with；　of　the　size

of　a　threepenny　bit；　and　cakes　to　end　with；　and　they　are　so　small

that　they　have　no　crumbs。　　The　fairies　sit　round　on　mushrooms；

and　at　first　they　are　very　well…behaved　and　always　cough　off　the

table；　and　so　on；　but　after　a　bit　they　are　not　so　well…behaved

and　stick　their　fingers　into　the　butter；　which　is　got　from　the

roots　of　old　trees；　and　the　really　horrid　ones　crawl　over　the

table…　cloth　chasing　sugar　or　other　delicacies　with　their

tongues。　　When　the　Queen　sees　them　doing　this　she　signs　to　the

servants　to　wash　up　and　put　away；　and　then　everybody　adjourns　to

the　dance；　the　Queen　walking　in　front　while　the　Lord　Chamberlain

walks　behind　her；　carrying　two　little　pots；　one　of　which　contains

the　juice　of　wall…flower　and　the　other　the　juice　of　Solomon's

Seals。　　Wall…　flower　juice　is　good　for　reviving　dancers　who　fall

to　the　ground　in　a　fit；　and　Solomon's　Seals　juice　is　for　bruises。

　They　bruise　very　easily　and　when　Peter　plays　faster　and　faster

they　foot　it　till　they　fall　down　in　fits。　　For；　as　you　know

without　my　telling　you；　Peter　Pan　is　the　fairies'　orchestra。　　He

sits　in　the　middle　of　the　ring；　and　they　would　never　dream　of

having　a　smart　dance　nowadays　without　him。　　〃P。　　P。〃　　is　written

on　the　corner　of　the　invitation…cards　sent　out　by　all　really　good

families。　　They　are　grateful　little　people；　too；　and　at　the

princess's　coming…of…age　ball　（they　come　of　age　on　their　second

birthday　and　have　a　birthday　every　month）　they　gave　him　the　wish

of　his　heart。



The　way　it　was　done　was　this。　　The　Queen　ordered　him　to　kneel；

and　then　said　that　for　playing　so　beautifully　she　would　give　him

the　wish　of　his　heart。　　Then　they　all　gathered　round　Peter　to

hear　what　was　the　wish　of　his　heart；　but　for　a　long　time　he

hesitated；　not　being　certain　what　it　was　himself。



〃If　I　chose　to　go　back　to　mother；〃　he　asked　at　last；　〃could　you

give　me　that　wish？〃



Now　this　question　vexed　them；　for　were　he　to　return　to　his　mother

they　should　lose　his　music；　so　the　Queen　tilted　her　nose

contemptuously　and　said；　〃Pooh；　ask　for　a　much　bigger　wish　than

that。〃



〃Is　that　quite　a　little　wish？〃　he　inquired。



〃As　little　as　this；〃　the　Queen　answered；　putting　her　hands　near

each　other。



〃What　size　is　a　big　wish？〃　he　asked。



She　measured　it　off　on　her　skirt　and　it　was　a　very　handsome

length。



Then　Peter　reflected　and　said；　〃Well；　then；　I　think　I　shall　have

two　little　wishes　instead　of　one　big　one。〃



Of　course；　the　fairies　had　to　agree；　though　his　cleverness　rather

shocked　them；　and　he　said　that　his　first　wish　was　to　go　to　his

mother；　but　with　the　right　to　return　to　the　Gardens　if　he　found

her　disappointing。　　His　second　wish　he　would　hold　in　reserve。



They　tried　to　dissuade　him；　and　even　put　obstacles　in　the　way。



〃I　can　give　you　the　power　to　fly　to　her　house；〃　the　Queen　said；

〃but　I　can't　open　the　door　for　you。



〃The　window　I　flew　out　at　will　be　open；〃　Peter　said　confidently。

〃Mother　always　keeps　it　open　in　the　hope　that　I　may　fly　back。〃



〃How　do　you　know？〃　they　asked；　quite　surprised；　and；　really；

Peter　could　not　explain　how　he　knew。



〃I　just　do　know；〃　he　said。



So　as　he　persisted　in　his　wish；　they　had　to　grant　it。　　The　way

they　gave　him　power　to　fly　was　this：　They　all　tickled　him　on　the

shoulder；　and　soon　he　felt　a　funny　itching　in　that　part　and　then

up　he　rose　higher　and　higher　and　flew　away　out　of　the　Gardens　and

over　the　house…tops。



It　was　so　delicious　that　instead　of　flying　straight　to　his　old

home　he　skimmed　away　over　St。　Paul's　to　the　Crystal　Palace　and

back　by　the　river　and　Regent's　Park；　and　by　the　time　he　reached

his　mother's　window　he　had　quite　made　up　his　mind　that　his　second

wish　should　be　to　become　a　bird。



The　window　was　wide　open；　just　as　he　knew　it　would　be；　and　in　he

fluttered；　and　there　was　his　mother　lying　asleep。　　Peter　alighted

softly　on　the　wooden　rail　at　the　foot　of　the　bed　and　had　a　good

look　at　her。　　She　lay　with　her　head　on　her　hand；　and　the　hollow

in　the　pillow　was　like　a　nest　lined　with　her　brown　wavy　hair。　　He

remembered；　though　he　had　long　forgotten　it；　that　she　always　gave

her　hair　a　holiday　at　night。　　How　sweet　the　frills　of　her　night…

gown　were。　　He　was　very　glad　she　was　such　a　pretty　mother。



But　she　looked　sad；　and　he　knew　why　she　looked　sad。　　One　of　her

arms　moved　as　if　it　wanted　to　go　round　something；　and　he　knew

what　it　wanted　to　go　round。



〃Oh；　mother；〃　said　Peter　to　himself；　〃if　you　just　knew　who　is

sitting　on　the　rail　at　the　foot　of　the　bed。〃



Very　gently　he　patted　the　little　mound　that　her　feet　made；　and　he

could　see　by　her　face　that　she　liked　it。　　He　knew　he　had　but　to

say　〃Mother〃　ever　so　softly；　and　she　would　wake　up。　　They　always

wake　up　at　once　if　it　is　you　that　says　their　name。　　Then　she

would　give　such　a　joyous　cry　and　squeeze　him　tight。　　How　nice

that　would　be　to　him；　but　oh；　how　exquisitely　delicious　it　would

be　to　her。　That　I　am　afraid　is　how　Peter　regarded　it。　　In

returning　to　his　mother　he　never　doubted　that　he　was　giving　her

the　greatest　treat　a　woman　can　have。　　Nothing　can　be　more

splendid；　he　thought；　than　to　have　a　little　boy　of　your　own。　　How

proud　of　him　they　are；　and　very　right　and　proper；　too。



But　why　does　Peter　sit　so　long　on　the　rail；　why　does　he　not　tell

his　mother　that　he　has　come　back？



I　quite　shrink　from　the　truth；　which　is　that　he　sat　there　in　two

minds。　　Sometimes　he　looked　longingly　at　his　mother；　and

sometimes　he　looked　longingly　at　the　window。　　Certainly　it　would

be　pleasant　to　be　her　boy　again；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　what

times　those　had　been　in　the　Gardens！　　Was　he　so　sure　that　he

would　enjoy　wearing　clothes　again？　　He　popped　off　the　bed　and

opened　some　drawers　to　have　a　look　at　his　old　garments。　　They

were　still　there；　but　he　could　not　remember　how　you　put　them　on。　

The　socks；　for　instance；　were　they　worn　on　the　hands　or　on　the

feet？　　He　was　about　to　try　one　of　them　on　his　hand；　when　he　had　a

great　adventure。　　Perhaps　the　drawer　had　creaked；　at　any　rate；

his　mother　woke　up；　for　he　heard　her　say　〃Peter；〃　as　if　it　was

the　most　lovely　word　in　the　language。　　He　remained　sitting　on　the

floor　and　held　his　breath；　wondering　how　she　knew　that　he　had

come　back。　　If　she　said　〃Peter〃　again；　he　meant　to　cry　〃Mother〃

and　run　to　her。　　But　she　spoke　no　more；　she　made　little　moans

only；　and　when　next　he　peeped　at　her　she　was　once　more　asleep；

with　tears　on　her　face。



It　made　Peter　very　miserable；　and　what　do　you　think　was　the　first

thing　he　did？　　Sitting　on　the　rail　at　the　foot　of　the　bed；　he

played　a　beautiful　lullaby　to　his　mother　on　his　pipe。　　He　had

made　it　up　himself　out　of　the　way　she　said　〃Peter；〃　and　he　never

stopped　playing　until　she　looked　happy。



He　thought　this　so　clever　of　him　that　he　could　scarcely　resist

wakening　her　to　hear　her　say；　〃Oh；　Peter；　how　exquisitely　you

play。〃　　However；　as　she　now　seemed　comfortable；　he　again　cast

looks　at　the　window。　　You　must　not　think　that　he　meditated　flying

away　and　never　coming　back。　　He　had　quite　decided　to　be　his

mother's　boy；　but　hesitated　about　beginning　to…night。　　It　was　the

second　wish　which　troubled　him。　　He　no　longer　meant　to　make　it　a

wish　to　be　a　bird；　but　not　to　ask　for　a　second　wish　seemed

wasteful；　and；　of　course；　he　could　not　ask　for　it　without

returning　to　the　fairies。　　Also；　if　he　put　off　asking　for　his

wish　too　long　it　might　go　bad。　　He　asked　himself　if　he　had　not

been　hardhearted　to　fly　away　without　saying　good…bye　to　Solomon。　

〃I　should　like　awfully　to　sail　in　my　boat　just　once　more；〃　he

said　wistfully　to　his　sleeping　mother。　　He　quite　argued　with　her

as　if　she　could　hear　him。　　〃It　would　be　so　splendid　to　tell　the

birds　of　this　adventure；〃　he　said　coaxingly。　　〃I　promise　to　come

back；〃　he　said　solemnly　and　meant　it；　too。



And　in　the　end；　you　know；　he　flew　aw