If you close your eyes, you might see beautiful colors in the dark. If you squeeze your eyes tight, the colors become very bright. Then you see the lagoon. On the mainland, you can only see it for one moment. You might even hear the mermaids (mythical creatures with the head of a human and the tail of a fish) singing.
The children spent many summer days at this lagoon. They liked to swim and float in the water. But the mermaids were not friendly to them. Wendy Darling wanted to talk to them, but they never spoke to her. This made Wendy Darling very sad.
The mermaids sat on Marooners’ Rock to brush their long hair. When Wendy Darling came near, they dived into the water. They splashed Wendy Darling with their tails on purpose. They were only friendly to Peter Pan. He sat with them and talked for many hours.
In the sun, the mermaids played with bubbles. These bubbles had many colors like a rainbow. The mermaids hit the bubbles with their tails. They tried to keep the bubbles inside the rainbow. When the children tried to join the game, the mermaids always went away.
Every day after lunch, Wendy Darling made the boys rest. They sat on Marooners’ Rock for half an hour. The rock was small, like their big bed in the ground. The boys closed their eyes in the warm sun. Wendy Darling sat near the boys and fixed their clothes.
One day, the lagoon suddenly changed. The sun went away and the water became cold. Dark shadows moved across the water. Wendy Darling could not see to sew her needle. The lagoon did not look happy anymore. It looked dangerous and scary.
Wendy Darling remembered stories about Marooners’ Rock. Bad captains left sailors on this rock. When the tide (the rising and falling of the ocean water) came up, the sailors drowned. Soon, the water would cover the rock completely.
Wendy Darling was afraid. She heard the sound of a boat in the water. She wanted to wake the boys, but she followed her rule. She let the boys sleep for the full half hour. Then Peter Pan woke up suddenly. He smelled danger like a dog.
"Pirates!" Peter Pan shouted. He had a strange smile on his face. The boys stood near Peter Pan and waited for his orders. "Dive!" Peter Pan cried. All the children jumped into the water. Now Marooners' Rock was empty.
A pirate boat came near the rock. Smee and Starkey were in the boat. They had a prisoner named Tiger Lily. Her hands and feet were tied with rope. The pirates (bad men who rob ships at sea) wanted to leave her on the rock to drown.
Tiger Lily was the daughter of a chief. She was very brave and she was not afraid to die. Peter Pan and Wendy Darling watched from the water. Peter Pan wanted to save Tiger Lily. He decided to play a trick. He used a fake voice that sounded like Captain Hook.
"Set the girl free!" Peter Pan shouted in the captain's voice. The pirates were very surprised. They thought Captain Hook was nearby. "Cut the ropes now!" Peter Pan cried. Smee cut the ropes, and Tiger Lily dived into the water like a fish.
Wendy Darling was happy, but then the real Captain Hook arrived. He swam to the boat and climbed inside. His face was very angry. Wendy Darling wanted to swim away, but Peter Pan stayed to listen. He was very proud of his trick.
Captain Hook was sad. He told his men that the boys found a mother. "What is a mother?" Smee asked. Wendy Darling was shocked that Smee did not know. Peter Pan pulled Wendy Darling under the water so the pirates did not see her.
The pirates saw a bird on the water. It was the Never bird. She sat on her nest to protect her eggs. "Look," Captain Hook said. "That is a mother. She will not leave her eggs." Then the pirates decided to kidnap Wendy Darling. They wanted her to be their mother.
Captain Hook asked about Tiger Lily. The pirates said they set her free because of his orders. Captain Hook was very angry. "I did not give that order!" he shouted. He asked the "spirit" of the lagoon to speak to him.
Peter Pan answered in Captain Hook's voice again. He called Captain Hook a "codfish" (a type of common fish). Captain Hook was very upset. Then they played a guessing game. Finally, Peter Pan told them his real name. "I am Peter Pan!" he shouted.
"Catch him!" Captain Hook yelled. The pirates jumped into the water to fight. The boys came to help Peter Pan. John Darling climbed into the boat and fought Starkey. John Darling took the pirate's cutlass (a short, curved sword). The lagoon was full of fighting and noise.
Peter Pan looked for Captain Hook. They both climbed onto the rock at the same time. The rock was very slippery. They met at the top and looked at each other. Peter Pan took a knife from Captain Hook’s belt. He saw that he was higher on the rock than his enemy.
Peter Pan wanted a fair fight. He gave Captain Hook a hand to help him up. But Captain Hook was not fair. He bit Peter Pan's hand! Peter Pan was shocked and hurt. He could not move because he was so surprised by the unfair action.
Suddenly, Captain Hook saw the crocodile. He was very afraid and swam away quickly. The boys found the boat and started to go home. They called for Peter Pan and Wendy Darling. But the boys did not hear an answer, so they went back to the house.
The lagoon became quiet and cold. Peter Pan and Wendy Darling were still on the rock. Wendy Darling fainted because she was very tired. Peter Pan was wounded and weak. The tide was rising, and the water started to cover the rock.
Peter Pan woke up and saw the water. "We must go, Wendy Darling," Peter Pan said. Wendy Darling asked if they should fly or swim. Peter Pan told her the truth. He was too hurt to fly or swim to the island. He could not help her.
A kite (a toy made of paper or cloth that flies in the wind) floated past the rock. It was the kite that belonged to Michael Darling. Peter Pan grabbed the tail of the kite. "This kite can carry you, Wendy Darling!" Peter Pan said.
Wendy Darling did not want to leave Peter Pan alone. But Peter Pan tied the tail of the kite around her. The wind pulled the kite into the air. It carried Wendy Darling away from the rock. Now Peter Pan was alone in the middle of the lagoon.
The rock was very small now. The water was almost over Peter Pan's feet. He heard the mermaids calling to the moon. Peter Pan stood up straight on the rock and smiled. "To die will be a very big adventure," Peter Pan thought.