Mr. Darling and Mrs. Darling left the house. For a moment, the night-lights burned clearly. But then Wendy Darling’s light went out. The other two lights went out also. The room was dark, but a new light appeared. It was much brighter than the night-lights.
The light moved very fast around the nursery. It looked into every drawer (a sliding box in a piece of furniture). It looked for Peter Pan’s shadow. This light was a fairy (a very small person with magic powers). Her name was Tinker Bell. She wore a dress made of a leaf.
Then the window opened. Peter Pan dropped into the room. He called for Tinker Bell. She was hiding in a water jug. She liked the jug very much. Peter Pan told her to come out. He asked her where his shadow was.
Tinker Bell spoke in the fairy language. It sounded like the music of golden bells. She told Peter Pan the shadow was in the big chest of drawers. Peter Pan pulled out the drawers. He found his shadow. He was very happy. But he forgot that Tinker Bell was still inside a drawer.
Peter Pan tried to stick the shadow to his feet. He thought it would join his body like a drop of water. But it did not stick. He tried to use soap from the bathroom. That did not work either. Peter Pan was very sad. He sat on the floor and cried.
Wendy Darling woke up because she heard him. She saw the boy on the floor. She was not afraid. She was interested. She said, "Boy, why are you crying?" Peter Pan stood up and bowed to her. Wendy Darling bowed back to him from her bed.
"What is your name?" Peter Pan asked. She told him her full name was Wendy Moira Angela Darling. Peter Pan told her his name. Wendy Darling thought his name was very short. She asked him where he lived.
Peter Pan said his address was "second to the right and then straight on until morning." Wendy Darling thought this was a very strange address. She asked him about his mother. Peter Pan said he did not have a mother. He did not want one. Wendy Darling felt very sorry for him.
Peter Pan said he was not crying about mothers. He was crying because his shadow would not stick. Wendy Darling saw the shadow on the floor. She saw the soap. She smiled because Peter Pan was acting like a boy.
Wendy Darling said the shadow must be sewn (joined together using a needle and thread). Peter Pan did not know what that meant. Wendy Darling got her sewing tools. She sewed the shadow to Peter Pan’s foot.
Peter Pan said it did not hurt. Soon the shadow was on his foot. Peter Pan was very happy. He danced around the room. He shouted, "Oh, I am very clever!" He forgot that Wendy Darling helped him.
Wendy Darling was angry. She said, "You are very proud! I did the work!" Peter Pan said she helped a little bit. Wendy Darling got back into bed. She covered her face with the blankets. Peter Pan sat on the bed. He told her she was more useful than twenty boys.
Wendy Darling looked out from the blankets. She was happy again. She asked Peter Pan if he wanted a kiss. Peter Pan did not know what a kiss was. He held out his hand to receive something. Wendy Darling did not want to hurt his feelings. She gave him a thimble (a small metal cap for a finger).
Peter Pan thought the thimble was a kiss. Then he gave Wendy Darling a "kiss." He gave her an acorn (a small nut from an oak tree). Wendy Darling put the acorn on a chain around her neck. This acorn later saved her life.
Wendy Darling asked Peter Pan how old he was. Peter Pan did not know. He said he ran away the day he was born. He heard his parents talking about his future. They wanted him to be a man. Peter Pan did not want to be a man. He wanted to be a little boy forever.
Peter Pan lived in Kensington Gardens with the fairies. He told Wendy Darling about the first fairy. Long ago, a baby laughed for the first time. The laugh broke into a thousand pieces. Those pieces became fairies.
Peter Pan said there should be a fairy for every child. But many children do not believe in fairies. Every time a child says "I do not believe in fairies," a fairy dies. Then Peter Pan remembered Tinker Bell. He found her inside the drawer.
Tinker Bell flew out of the drawer. She was very angry. She flew around the room and shouted. Wendy Darling wanted to see her. Tinker Bell stopped on the clock for a moment. Wendy Darling thought she was beautiful.
But Tinker Bell was not polite. She was a tinker (a person who fixes pots and pans). That is why her name was Tinker Bell. She said Wendy Darling was an ugly girl. She said she was Peter Pan’s fairy.
Peter Pan told Wendy Darling about the Lost Boys (children who fall out of their carriages and have no home). Peter Pan was their captain. They lived in the Neverland. They were lonely because they had no mothers to tell them stories.
Peter Pan came to the nursery window to listen to stories. He heard Mrs. Darling tell the story of Cinderella. He wanted to know the end of the story. Wendy Darling told him that Cinderella lived happily ever after.
Peter Pan was very happy. He wanted to tell the other boys. He asked Wendy Darling to come with him to the Neverland. He said she could tell stories to the boys. He said she could look after them and fix their clothes.
Wendy Darling wanted to go. She wanted to see mermaids (creatures that are half woman and half fish). She wanted to see pirates (bad men who rob ships at sea). But she did not know how to fly. Peter Pan said he would teach her.
Wendy Darling woke up John Darling and Michael Darling. Peter Pan told them to be quiet. They heard the grown-up world. Liza the servant came in with Nana. The children hid behind the window curtains.
Liza thought the children were asleep. She took Nana away and tied her up in the yard. Nana was very worried. She broke her chain. She ran to house number 27 to find Mr. Darling and Mrs. Darling. The parents ran back to the nursery.
Peter Pan told the children to fly. He blew fairy dust (magic powder that helps people fly) on them. He told them to think happy thoughts. Michael Darling flew first. Then John Darling and Wendy Darling flew.
They all flew around the ceiling. They were very happy. It was a wonderful feeling. Then Peter Pan said it was time to leave. John Darling took his hat. They were ready for an adventure.
Mr. Darling and Mrs. Darling arrived at the house. They looked up at the window. They saw the shadows of the children flying. They ran inside. They ran up the stairs as fast as they could.
The stars were watching. The stars wanted Peter Pan to be safe. The smallest star shouted, "Quick, Peter!" Peter Pan called to the children. He flew out of the window into the night. Wendy Darling, John Darling, and Michael Darling followed him.
Mr. Darling, Mrs. Darling, and Nana ran into the nursery. But the room was empty. The children were gone.