Peter Pan
Chapter One
All children grow up, except one. That child is Peter Pan.
Wendy Darling lived with her parents and her two brothers, John and Michael. They lived in a small house in London. Wendy was a loving and thoughtful girl, and she often listened carefully to her mother. One day, when Wendy was very young, her mother looked at her and said she wished Wendy could stay a little girl forever. After that day, Wendy understood that growing up was something that would happen to everyone.
Mrs. Darling was a gentle and caring woman. She loved stories and dreams, and she cared deeply for her children. Mr. Darling worked in an office in the city. He liked order and rules, and he often worried about money. He loved his family, but he liked to count expenses and make careful plans.
When Wendy was born, Mr. Darling sat with a pencil and paper and counted how much money the family had. He worried about food, clothes, and sickness. Mrs. Darling wanted to keep Wendy no matter what, and in the end they decided they could manage. Later, John was born, and then Michael. Each time, Mr. Darling counted again, and each time the children stayed.
Because they wanted to live like other families, the Darlings hired a nurse. Their nurse was a large Newfoundland dog named Nana. Nana took her job very seriously. She washed the children, watched over them at night, and made sure they were safe and healthy. Her kennel was in the nursery, and she was always ready to help.
Mr. Darling sometimes felt that Nana did not respect him. Mrs. Darling told him that Nana admired him very much. To make him happy, she asked the children to be especially kind to their father, and they often danced and played together in the nursery.
Life in the Darling house was calm and happy. The children went to school each day, and everything seemed safe and ordinary.
Each night, Mrs. Darling had a special habit. After the children fell asleep, she liked to tidy their thoughts. She imagined putting away worries and bad feelings and leaving only good thoughts for the morning. One evening, while doing this, she noticed something strange. She saw the name “Peter Pan” again and again in the children’s minds.
Mrs. Darling asked Wendy who Peter Pan was. Wendy answered easily, as if it were obvious. She said Peter Pan was a boy who never grew up and who could fly. Mrs. Darling remembered hearing stories about Peter Pan when she was a child, but she thought they were only fairy tales.
Wendy also said that Peter sometimes came to the nursery at night and played music for her. She believed he entered through the window. Mrs. Darling did not believe this, but she felt uneasy.
One morning, Mrs. Darling found leaves on the nursery floor. They were near the open window. The window was very high above the street, and no one could climb up to it. Mrs. Darling tried to explain it, but she could not.
That evening, Nana had the night off, and Mrs. Darling put the children to bed herself. She sang to them until they fell asleep. Then she sat by the fire and began to sew.
The warm room made her sleepy, and soon she fell asleep in her chair.
While she slept, the nursery window suddenly opened. A small light flew into the room, shining like a tiny lamp. Then a boy flew in after it. The light moved quickly around the room.
Mrs. Darling woke up and saw the boy. At once she knew who he was. He was Peter Pan. He was dressed in clothes made of leaves and tree sap, and he had all his baby teeth. When he saw Mrs. Darling, he showed his teeth and looked angry, because he did not like grown-ups.
Peter Pan had come from a magical place called Neverland. This night was the beginning of the children’s great adventure.