Peter Pan was alone on the rock. He heard the mermaids (mythical creatures with the head of a human and the tail of a fish) go to their rooms under the sea. Every door in the sea had a small bell. The bells rang when the doors opened or closed. Peter Pan heard the bells ringing.
The water rose higher and higher. Soon it touched Peter Pan’s feet. He looked at the water and saw something moving. It looked like a piece of paper or part of a kite (a toy made of paper or cloth that flies in the wind). It moved across the lagoon toward the rock.
The object fought against the water. Peter Pan liked the object because it was brave. He started to clap his hands. Then he saw that it was not a piece of paper. It was the Never bird (a special bird from the island).
The Never bird was sitting on her nest. She used her wings like a boat to move through the water. She was very tired, but she wanted to reach Peter Pan. She wanted to save him. She wanted to give him her nest.
The bird had two eggs in the nest, but she wanted to help Peter Pan anyway. She liked Peter Pan because he was a young boy. She called out to him, but Peter Pan did not understand her. They did not speak the same language.
"Get into the nest!" the bird shouted slowly. "You can float to the land. I am too tired to bring the nest to you. You must swim to it."
"Why are you making that noise?" Peter Pan asked. He spoke slowly too. "Why don't you let the nest float?"
The bird became very angry. She had a short temper. She called Peter Pan a silly name. Peter Pan felt that she was being mean. He shouted "Be quiet!" and the bird shouted "Be quiet!" back at him.
But the bird still wanted to save Peter Pan. She used all her strength and pushed the nest against the rock. Then she flew into the sky. She left her eggs so Peter Pan could use the nest.
Finally, Peter Pan understood the plan. He took the nest and thanked the bird. The bird stayed in the sky to watch him. She wanted to see what happened to her eggs.
There was a stave (a strong wooden pole) on the rock. Long ago, pirates (bad men who rob ships at sea) put it there to mark hidden treasure. Starkey had left his hat on the pole. The hat was made of tarpaulin (a strong, waterproof material).
Peter Pan put the two white eggs into the hat. He put the hat on the water, and it floated very well. The Never bird was very happy. She flew down and sat on her eggs in the hat.
Peter Pan got into the nest. He used the wooden pole as a mast and his shirt as a sail. He sailed in one direction, and the bird in the hat sailed in another direction. They both felt very happy.
Peter Pan reached the land safely. The bird liked the hat very much, so she stayed in it. She did not go back to her old nest. Starkey often went to the shore and saw the bird sitting in his hat. Now, all Never birds build nests that look like hats with broad edges.
Everyone was very happy when Peter Pan reached the house under the ground. Wendy Darling was already there. All the boys had stories to tell about their adventures. They were very happy because they were late for bed.
The boys tried to stay awake longer. They asked for bandages (strips of cloth for wounds). Wendy Darling was happy that they were safe, but she was also strict. "Go to bed now!" she cried. The boys obeyed her and went to sleep.
The next day, Wendy Darling was very kind to everyone. she gave bandages to all the boys. They played a game for the rest of the day. They pretended to have hurt arms and legs. It was a very good day.