the little white bird-第28节

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enabled　her　to　attend　the　ball　to　their　great　glory　and　renown；

they　gave　three　huzzas　for　the　little　human；　and　set　off；　like　an

army；　to　thank　her；　the　court　advancing　in　front　and　the　canopy

keeping　step　with　it。　　They　traced　Maimie　easily　by　her

footprints　in　the　snow。



But　though　they　found　her　deep　in　snow　in　the　Figs；　it　seemed

impossible　to　thank　Maimie；　for　they　could　not　waken　her。　　They

went　through　the　form　of　thanking　her；　that　is　to　say；　the　new

King　stood　on　her　body　and　read　her　a　long　address　of　welcome；

but　she　heard　not　a　word　of　it。　　They　also　cleared　the　snow　off

her；　but　soon　she　was　covered　again；　and　they　saw　she　was　in

danger　of　perishing　of　cold。



〃Turn　her　into　something　that　does　not　mind　the　cold；〃　seemed　a

good　suggestion　of　the　doctor's；　but　the　only　thing　they　could

think　of　that　does　not　mind　cold　was　a　snowflake。　　〃And　it　might

melt；〃　the　Queen　pointed　out；　so　that　idea　had　to　be　given　up。



A　magnificent　attempt　was　made　to　carry　her　to　a　sheltered　spot；

but　though　there　were　so　many　of　them　she　was　too　heavy。　　By　this

time　all　the　ladies　were　crying　in　their　handkerchiefs；　but

presently　the　Cupids　had　a　lovely　idea。　　〃Build　a　house　round

her；〃　they　cried；　and　at　once　everybody　perceived　that　this　was

the　thing　to　do；　in　a　moment　a　hundred　fairy　sawyers　were　among

the　branches；　architects　were　running　round　Maimie；　measuring

her；　a　bricklayer's　yard　sprang　up　at　her　feet；　seventy…five

masons　rushed　up　with　the　foundation　stone　and　the　Queen　laid　it；

overseers　were　appointed　to　keep　the　boys　off；　scaffoldings　were

run　up；　the　whole　place　rang　with　hammers　and　chisels　and　turning

lathes；　and　by　this　time　the　roof　was　on　and　the　glaziers　were

putting　in　the　windows。



The　house　was　exactly　the　size　of　Maimie　and　perfectly　lovely。

One　of　her　arms　was　extended　and　this　had　bothered　them　for　a

second；　but　they　built　a　verandah　round　it；　leading　to　the　front

door。　　The　windows　were　the　size　of　a　coloured　picture…book　and

the　door　rather　smaller；　but　it　would　be　easy　for　her　to　get　out

by　taking　off　the　roof。　　The　fairies；　as　is　their　custom；　clapped

their　hands　with　delight　over　their　cleverness；　and　they　were　all

so　madly　in　love　with　the　little　house　that　they　could　not　bear

to　think　they　had　finished　it。　　So　they　gave　it　ever　so　many

little　extra　touches；　and　even　then　they　added　more　extra

touches。



For　instance；　two　of　them　ran　up　a　ladder　and　put　on　a　chimney。



〃Now　we　fear　it　is　quite　finished；〃　they　sighed。　　But　no；　for

another　two　ran　up　the　ladder；　and　tied　some　smoke　to　the

chimney。



〃That　certainly　finishes　it；〃　they　cried　reluctantly。



〃Not　at　all；〃　cried　a　glow…worm；　〃if　she　were　to　wake　without

seeing　a　night…light　she　might　be　frightened；　so　I　shall　be　her

night…light。〃



〃Wait　one　moment；〃　said　a　china　merchant；　〃and　I　shall　make　you　a

saucer。〃



Now　alas；　it　was　absolutely　finished。



Oh；　dear　no！



〃Gracious　me；〃　cried　a　brass　manufacturer；　〃there's　no　handle　on

the　door；〃　and　he　put　one　on。



An　ironmonger　added　a　scraper　and　an　old　lady　ran　up　with　a　door…

mat。　　Carpenters　arrived　with　a　water…butt；　and　the　painters

insisted　on　painting　it。



Finished　at　last！



〃Finished！　how　can　it　be　finished；〃　the　plumber　demanded

scornfully；　〃before　hot　and　cold　are　put　in？〃　and　he　put　in　hot

and　cold。　　Then　an　army　of　gardeners　arrived　with　fairy　carts　and

spades　and　seeds　and　bulbs　and　forcing…houses；　and　soon　they　had

a　flower　garden　to　the　right　of　the　verandah　and　a　vegetable

garden　to　the　left；　and　roses　and　clematis　on　the　walls　of　the

house；　and　in　less　time　than　five　minutes　all　these　dear　things

were　in　full　bloom。



Oh；　how　beautiful　the　little　house　was　now！　　But　it　was　at　last

finished　true　as　true；　and　they　had　to　leave　it　and　return　to　the

dance。　　They　all　kissed　their　hands　to　it　as　they　went　away；　and

the　last　to　go　was　Brownie。　　She　stayed　a　moment　behind　the

others　to　drop　a　pleasant　dream　down　the　chimney。



All　through　the　night　the　exquisite　little　house　stood　there　in

the　Figs　taking　care　of　Maimie；　and　she　never　knew。　　She　slept

until　the　dream　was　quite　finished　and　woke　feeling　deliciously

cosy　just　as　morning　was　breaking　from　its　egg；　and　then　she

almost　fell　asleep　again；　and　then　she　called　out；　〃Tony；〃　for

she　thought　she　was　at　home　in　the　nursery。　　As　Tony　made　no

answer；　she　sat　up；　whereupon　her　head　hit　the　roof；　and　it

opened　like　the　lid　of　a　box；　and　to　her　bewilderment　she　saw　all

around　her　the　Kensington　Gardens　lying　deep　in　snow。　　As　she　was

not　in　the　nursery　she　wondered　whether　this　was　really　herself；

so　she　pinched　her　cheeks；　and　then　she　knew　it　was　herself；　and

this　reminded　her　that　she　was　in　the　middle　of　a　great

adventure。　　She　remembered　now　everything　that　had　happened　to

her　from　the　closing　of　the　gates　up　to　her　running　away　from　the

fairies；　but　however；　she　asked　herself；　had　she　got　into　this

funny　place？　She　stepped　out　by　the　roof；　right　over　the　garden；

and　then　she　saw　the　dear　house　in　which　she　had　passed　the

night。　　It　so　entranced　her　that　she　could　think　of　nothing　else。



〃Oh；　you　darling；　oh；　you　sweet；　oh；　you　love！〃　she　cried。



Perhaps　a　human　voice　frightened　the　little　house；　or　maybe　it

now　knew　that　its　work　was　done；　for　no　sooner　had　Maimie　spoken

than　it　began　to　grow　smaller；　it　shrank　so　slowly　that　she　could

scarce　believe　it　was　shrinking；　yet　she　soon　knew　that　it　could

not　contain　her　now。　　It　always　remained　as　complete　as　ever；　but

it　became　smaller　and　smaller；　and　the　garden　dwindled　at　the

same　time；　and　the　snow　crept　closer；　lapping　house　and　garden

up。　　Now　the　house　was　the　size　of　a　little　dog's　kennel；　and　now

of　a　Noah's　Ark；　but　still　you　could　see　the　smoke　and　the

door…handle　and　the　roses　on　the　wall；　every　one　complete。　　The

glow…worm　light　was　waning　too；　but　it　was　still　there。　

〃Darling；　loveliest；　don't　go！〃　Maimie　cried；　falling　on　her

knees；　for　the　little　house　was　now　the　size　of　a　reel　of　thread；

but　still　quite　complete。　　But　as　she　stretched　out　her　arms

imploringly　the　snow　crept　up　on　all　sides　until　it　met　itself；

and　where　the　little　house　had　been　was　now　one　unbroken　expanse

of　snow。



Maimie　stamped　her　foot　naughtily；　and　was　putting　her　fingers　to

her　eyes；　when　she　heard　a　kind　voice　say；　〃Don't　cry；　pretty

human；　don't　cry；〃　and　then　she　turned　round　and　saw　a　beautiful

little　naked　boy　regarding　her　wistfully。　　She　knew　at　once　that

he　must　be　Peter　Pan。





XVIII



Peter's　Goat



Maimie　felt　quite　shy；　but　Peter　knew　not　what　shy　was。



〃I　hope　you　have　had　a　good　night；〃　he　said　earnestly。



〃Thank　you；〃　she　replied；　〃I　was　so　cosy　and　warm。　　But　you〃and

she　looked　at　his　nakedness　awkwardly〃don't　you　feel　the　least

bit　cold？〃



Now　cold　was　another　word　Peter　had　forgotten；　so　he　answered；　〃I

think　not；　but　I　may　be　wrong：　you　see　I　am　rather　ignorant。　　I

am　not　exactly　a　boy；　Solomon　says　I　am　a　Betwixt…and…Between。〃



〃So　that　is　what　it　is　called；〃　said　Maimie　thoughtfully。



〃That's　not　my　name；〃　he　explained；　〃my　name　is　Peter　Pan。〃



〃Yes；　of　course；〃　she　said；　〃I　know；　everybody　knows。〃



You　can't　think　how　pleased　Peter　was　to　learn　that　all　the

people　outside　the　gates　knew　about　him。　　He　begged　Maimie　to

tell　him　what　they　knew　and　what　they　said；　and　she　did　so。　　They

were　sitting　by　this　time　on　a　fallen　tree；　Peter　had　cleared　off

the　snow　for　Maimie；　but　he　sat　on　a　snowy　bit　himself。



〃Squeeze　closer；〃　Maimie　said。



〃What　is　that？〃　he　asked；　and　she　showed　him；　and　then　he　did　it。

They　talked　together　and　he　found　that　people　knew　a　great　deal

about　him；　but　not　everything；　not　that　he　had　gone　back　to　his

mother　and　been　barred　out；　for　instance；　and　he　said　nothing　of

this　to　Maimie；　for　it　still　humiliated　him。



〃Do　they　know　that　I　play　games　exactly　like　real　boys？〃　he　asked

very　proudly。　　〃Oh；　Maimie；　please　tell　them！〃　　But　when　he

revealed　how　he　played；　by　sailing　his　hoop　on　the　Round　Pond；

and　so　on；　she　was　simply　horrified。



〃All　your　ways　of　playing；〃　she　said　with　her　big　eyes　on　him；

〃are　quite；　quite　wrong；　and　not　in　the　least　like　how　boys

play！〃



Poor　Peter　uttered　a　little　moan　at　this；　and　he　cried　for　the

first　time　for　I　know　not　how　long。　　Maimie　was　extremely　sorry

for　him；　and　lent　him　her　handkerchief；　but　he　didn't　know　in　the

least　what　to　do　with　it；　so　she　showed　him；　that　is　to　say；　she

wiped　her　eyes；　and　then　gave　it　back　to　him；　saying　〃Now　you　do

it；〃　but　instead　of　wiping　his　own　eyes　he　wiped　hers；　and　she

thought　it　best　to　pretend　that　this　was　what　she　had　meant。



She　said；　out　of　pity　for　him；　〃I　shall　give　you　a　kiss　if　you

like；〃　but　though　he　once　knew　he　had　long　forgotten　what　kisses

are；　and　he　replied；　〃Thank　you；〃　and　held　out　his　hand；　thinking

she　had　offered　to　put