Tootles stood over the body of Wendy Darling. He felt like a great hero. The other Lost Boys came out of their trees with their weapons.
"You are too late," Tootles said proudly. "I shot the Wendy bird. Peter Pan will be very happy with me."
Tinker Bell was hiding in the trees. She shouted that Tootles was a fool. The other boys did not hear the fairy. They looked at Wendy Darling and became very quiet.
Slightly looked at Wendy Darling. "This is not a bird," Slightly said in a scared voice. "I think this is a lady."
"A lady?" Tootles asked. He began to shake.
"We have killed her," Nibs said. The boys took off their hats. They felt very sad. They realized that Peter Pan brought a lady to take care of them.
Tootles was very white. He felt terrible. He often dreamed of a mother. When a real lady finally arrived, he shot her. Tootles wanted to leave because he was afraid of Peter Pan.
Suddenly, the boys heard a loud sound. Peter Pan made a crow (a loud, happy sound like a rooster). This was his signal. Peter Pan was back.
"Hide her!" the boys whispered. They stood in a circle around Wendy Darling.
Peter Pan landed in front of them. "Hello, boys!" Peter Pan shouted. The boys saluted him, but they were silent. Peter Pan was angry because they did not cheer for him.
"I have great news," Peter Pan said. "I brought a mother for all of you."
No one said anything. Tootles fell to his knees. Peter Pan looked worried. He asked if the boys saw the lady.
Tootles stood up. "Peter Pan, I will show her to you," Tootles said. He told the other boys to move away.
Peter Pan saw Wendy Darling on the ground. He thought she was dead. He saw the arrow in her chest.
"Whose arrow is this?" Peter Pan asked. His voice was very cold.
"It is mine, Peter Pan," Tootles said.
Peter Pan was very angry. He took the arrow and raised it. He wanted to hit Tootles. Tootles did not move. He told Peter Pan to strike him.
Peter Pan tried to hit Tootles two times. But Peter Pan stopped. He felt that he could not do it.
"Look!" Nibs shouted. "The Wendy lady moved her arm!"
Wendy Darling was alive. Peter Pan knelt beside her. He found a metal button on a chain around her neck.
"Look," Peter Pan said. "The arrow hit this button. It is the 'kiss' I gave her. The kiss saved her life."
The boys were very happy. But they heard Tinker Bell crying in the trees. She was sad because Wendy Darling was alive. The boys told Peter Pan about Tinker Bell’s crime.
Peter Pan was very stern. "Tinker Bell," Peter Pan shouted. "I am not your friend now. Go away forever!"
Tinker Bell flew to his shoulder and said she was sorry. But Peter Pan pushed her away. Then Wendy Darling moved her arm again. Peter Pan changed his mind. He told Tinker Bell to go away for one week.
The boys wanted to help Wendy Darling. They wanted to carry her into their house. But Peter Pan said no. He wanted to be respectful.
"If she stays on the ground, she will die," Tootles said.
"We will build a little house around her," Peter Pan said.
The boys were very excited. They began to work very fast. They brought wood and plants from their underground home.
John and Michael Darling arrived. They were walking while they were asleep. They were very happy to see Peter Pan. Peter Pan told them to help build the house.
"Is Wendy Darling asleep?" Michael asked. He wanted her to make supper.
"She is a lady," Peter Pan said. "We are her servants now. You must help us build the house."
John and Michael started to work. Peter Pan told Slightly to find a doctor. Slightly put on John’s hat and looked very serious.
Slightly pretended to be a doctor. He put a piece of glass in Wendy Darling's mouth. This is a thermometer (a tool to see if a person is sick or healthy). He said that Wendy Darling was cured.
The woods were full of the sound of axes. The boys had everything they needed. They wanted to know what kind of house Wendy Darling liked.
Wendy Darling began to sing in her sleep. She sang about a house with red walls and a green roof.
The boys used branches with red sap (the liquid inside a tree) for the walls. They used moss (a soft green plant that grows on the ground) for the roof.
Wendy Darling sang about windows and roses. The boys made windows with yellow leaves. They pretended to grow roses on the walls.
The house was very beautiful. Peter Pan looked at the house. He saw that it did not have a knocker (a metal object on a door used for knocking). Tootles used the bottom of his shoe for a knocker.
Then Peter Pan saw that there was no chimney (a pipe that lets smoke out of a house). He took John’s hat and put it on the roof. Smoke started to come out of the hat.
The house was finished. Peter Pan told everyone to look their best. He knocked on the door politely.
The door opened and Wendy Darling came out. She looked very surprised. This made the boys very happy.
"Wendy lady," Slightly said. "We built this house for you."
"It is a lovely house," Wendy Darling said.
The Lost Boys went on their knees. They asked Wendy Darling to be their mother.
"I am only a little girl," Wendy Darling said. "I do not have experience."
"We just need a nice mother," Peter Pan said.
"I think I can be a mother," Wendy Darling said. "Come inside now, you naughty children. Your feet are damp. I will tell you the story of Cinderella."
They all went inside the small house. It was a very happy evening. Later, the boys went to sleep in their big bed under the trees. Wendy Darling slept in the little house.
Peter Pan stood outside the door with his sword. He guarded the house from pirates and wolves. The little house looked very safe in the dark night.