Peter Pan measured Wendy, John, and Michael for their hollow trees. Every boy needed a tree that fit his body perfectly. This was important because the boys used the trees to go into their home.
If the tree fit you, you could move up and down easily. To go down, you took a deep breath. Then you fell down at the right speed. To go up, you breathed in and out. Then you moved your body up the tree.
Peter was very careful with the measurements. He measured the children just as a tailor measures a person for a suit. Sometimes a child wore more clothes to fit the tree. Other times, Peter changed the shape of the child. Wendy and Michael fit their trees quickly, but John needed some changes.
After a few days, the children could go up and down the trees very fast. They loved their home under the ground. It was one large room. The floor was made of dirt, and you could dig in it. Large mushrooms grew from the floor. The children used these mushrooms as chairs.
A tree tried to grow in the middle of the room. It grew very fast, and by the afternoon it was always two feet high. The boys put a flat door on top of the trunk to use as their table. After they finished their tea, they sawed the trunk down to the floor to make more space for play.
There was a large fireplace in the room. Wendy put strings across the room to dry the clothes. During the day, the bed stood upright against the wall. At half past six, they lowered it onto the floor. It was very big and filled half the room.
All the boys slept in the big bed together. They were very close like sardines in a tin. They could not turn over until someone gave a signal. Michael was the smallest boy, so he slept in a basket hanging on the wall.
There was a small hole in the wall. This was Tinker Bell's private room. It was very small and beautiful. She had a tiny curtain for privacy. She always closed the curtain when she changed her clothes.
Tinker Bell was very proud of her room. She had a small bed and a mirror. She had a tiny chandelier. Tinker Bell thought the rest of the house was ugly and simple.
Wendy was very busy because she looked after the boys. She stayed under the ground for many weeks. She cooked every day. Sometimes the food was real, but sometimes it was make-believe.
Peter loved games. If the food was part of a game, Peter ate a lot. If the food was real but not a game, he did not want to eat. Wendy watched the boys carefully. She wanted them to stay the same size so they could fit in their trees.
Wendy liked to sew when the boys were asleep. She mended the holes in their socks and the knees of their trousers. Sometimes she felt very tired. She said she was lucky to have her boys, but she also wanted to rest.
Wendy had a pet wolf. The wolf had found her on the island, and now it followed her everywhere. It loved her very much and stayed near her.
Wendy did not worry about her father and mother. She was sure the window at home was always open. She thought she could fly back any time she wanted. But John began to forget their parents. Michael even thought Wendy was his real mother.
This made Wendy worried. She wanted the boys to remember their old life. She gave them examinations. The boys sat at the table and wrote on slates.
Wendy asked John and Michael many questions about their home, and the other boys tried to take the test too. What was the color of Mother’s eyes? Who was taller, Father or Mother? Describe Mother’s party dress. Even John and Michael could not answer many of the questions. When a boy did not know the answer, he put a cross on his slate.
Slightly tried to answer every question. But his answers were very silly. He got the lowest marks in the class. Peter did not do the tests. He did not like mothers. Also, Peter could not read or write a single word.
Peter often had adventures. But sometimes he invented a new game. He pretended that he was an ordinary boy at home, not on an island. They sat on chairs, played with balls, and went for quiet walks without fighting anyone. Peter looked very serious during this game.
Peter often went out alone. When he came home, Wendy did not know if his stories were true. Sometimes he had a bandage on his head, and Wendy bathed his wound with warm water. He told a great story, but she was never sure about it.
There were many adventures on the island. One time, they fought with Tiger Lily’s tribe. Peter changed sides in the middle of the fight. He wanted the fight to be more exciting for everyone.
We could tell many stories about the boys. We could talk about the attack on the house. We could talk about how Peter saved Tiger Lily. We could also talk about the poisoned cake that the pirates made.
There was a story about a bird on a nest in the water. There was also a story about Tinker Bell. She tried to send Wendy away on a large leaf. But the leaf sank and Wendy swam back. Peter also fought lions on the island.
We must choose one of these stories to tell next. Let us choose the adventure at the lagoon, where Peter saved Tiger Lily and met the bird on her nest.