Peter Pan in Kensington GardensWord下载.docx

Peter Pan in Kensington GardensWord下载.docx

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ThenifyouaskyourgrandmotherwhethersheknewaboutPeterPanwhenshewasagirl,shealsosays,"

butifyouaskherwhetherherodeonagoatinthosedays,shesayssheneverheardofhishavingagoat.Perhapsshehasforgotten,justasshesometimesforgetsyournameandcallsyouMildred,whichisyourmother'

sname.Still,shecouldhardlyforgetsuchanimportantthingasthegoat.Thereforetherewasnogoatwhenyourgrandmotherwasalittlegirl.Thisshowsthat,intellingthestoryofPeterPan,tobeginwiththegoat（asmostpeopledo）isassillyastoputonyourjacketbeforeyourvest.

Ofcourse,italsoshowsthatPeteriseversoold,butheisreallyalwaysthesameage,sothatdoesnotmatterintheleast.Hisageisoneweek,andthoughhewasbornsolongagohehasneverhadabirthday,noristheretheslightestchanceofhiseverhavingone.Thereasonisthatheescapedfrombeingahumanwhenhewassevendays'

old;

heescapedbythewindowandflewbacktotheKensingtonGardens.

Ifyouthinkhewastheonlybabywhoeverwantedtoescape,itshowshowcompletelyyouhaveforgottenyourownyoungdays.WhenDavidheardthisstoryfirsthewasquitecertainthathehadnevertriedtoescape,butItoldhimtothinkbackhard,pressinghishandstohistemples,andwhenhehaddonethishard,andevenharder,hedistinctlyrememberedayouthfuldesiretoreturntothetree-tops,andwiththatmemorycameothers,asthathehadlaininbedplanningtoescapeassoonashismotherwasasleep,andhowshehadoncecaughthimhalf-wayupthechimney.Allchildrencouldhavesuchrecollectionsiftheywouldpresstheirhandshardtotheirtemples,for,havingbeenbirdsbeforetheywerehuman,theyarenaturallyalittlewildduringthefirstfewweeks,andveryitchyattheshoulders,wheretheirwingsusedtobe.SoDavidtellsme.

Ioughttomentionherethatthefollowingisourwaywithastory:

First,Itellittohim,andthenhetellsittome,theunderstandingbeingthatitisquiteadifferentstory;

andthenIretellitwithhisadditions,andsowegoonuntilnoonecouldsaywhetheritismorehisstoryormine.InthisstoryofPeterPan,forinstance,thebaldnarrativeandmostofthemoralreflectionsaremine,thoughnotall,forthisboycanbeasternmoralist,buttheinterestingbitsaboutthewaysandcustomsofbabiesinthebird-stagearemostlyreminiscencesofDavid'

s,recalledbypressinghishandstohistemplesandthinkinghard.

Well,PeterPangotoutbythewindow,whichhadnobars.Standingontheledgehecouldseetreesfaraway,whichweredoubtlesstheKensingtonGardens,andthemomenthesawthemheentirelyforgotthathewasnowalittleboyinanightgown,andawayheflew,rightoverthehousestotheGardens.Itiswonderfulthathecouldflywithoutwings,buttheplaceitchedtremendously,and,perhapswecouldallflyifwewereasdead-confident-sureofourcapacitytodoitaswasboldPeterPanthatevening.

Healightedgailyontheopensward,betweentheBaby'

sPalaceandtheSerpentine,andthefirstthinghedidwastolieonhisbackandkick.Hewasquiteunawarealreadythathehadeverbeenhuman,andthoughthewasabird,eveninappearance,justthesameasinhisearlydays,andwhenhetriedtocatchaflyhedidnotunderstandthatthereasonhemisseditwasbecausehehadattemptedtoseizeitwithhishand,which,ofcourse,abirdneverdoes.Hesaw,however,thatitmustbepastLock-outTime,fortherewereagoodmanyfairiesabout,alltoobusytonoticehim;

theyweregettingbreakfastready,milkingtheircows,drawingwater,andsoon,andthesightofthewater-pailsmadehimthirsty,soheflewovertotheRoundPondtohaveadrink.Hestooped,anddippedhisbeakinthepond;

hethoughtitwashisbeak,but,ofcourse,itwasonlyhisnose,and,therefore,verylittlewatercameup,andthatnotsorefreshingasusual,sonexthetriedapuddle,andhefellflopintoit.Whenarealbirdfallsinflop,hespreadsouthisfeathersandpecksthemdry,butPetercouldnotrememberwhatwasthethingtodo,andhedecided,rathersulkily,togotosleepontheweepingbeechintheBabyWalk.

Atfirsthefoundsomedifficultyinbalancinghimselfonabranch,butpresentlyherememberedtheway,andfellasleep.Heawokelongbeforemorning,shivering,andsayingtohimself,"

Ineverwasoutinsuchacoldnight;

"

hehadreallybeenoutincoldernightswhenhewasabird,but,ofcourse,aseverybodyknows,whatseemsawarmnighttoabirdisacoldnighttoaboyinanightgown.Peteralsofeltstrangelyuncomfortable,asifhisheadwasstuffy,heheardloudnoisesthatmadehimlookroundsharply,thoughtheywerereallyhimselfsneezing.Therewassomethinghewantedverymuch,but,thoughheknewhewantedit,hecouldnotthinkwhatitwas.Whathewantedsomuchwashismothertoblowhisnose,butthatneverstruckhim,sohedecidedtoappealtothefairiesforenlightenment.Theyarereputedtoknowagooddeal.

ThereweretwoofthemstrollingalongtheBabyWalk,withtheirarmsroundeachother'

swaists,andhehoppeddowntoaddressthem.Thefairieshavetheirtiffswiththebirds,buttheyusuallygiveacivilanswertoacivilquestion,andhewasquiteangrywhenthesetworanawaythemomenttheysawhim.Anotherwaslollingonagarden-chair,readingapostage-stampwhichsomehumanhadletfall,andwhenheheardPeter'

svoicehepoppedinalarmbehindatulip.

ToPeter'

sbewildermenthediscoveredthateveryfairyhemetfledfromhim.Abandofworkmen,whoweresawingdownatoadstool,rushedaway,leavingtheirtoolsbehindthem.Amilkmaidturnedherpailupsidedownandhidinit.SoontheGardenswereinanuproar.Crowdsoffairieswererunningthiswayandthat,askingeachotherstoutly,whowasafraid,lightswereextinguished,doorsbarricaded,andfromthegroundsofQueenMab'

spalacecametherubadubofdrums,showingthattheroyalguardhadbeencalledout.

AregimentofLancerscamechargingdowntheBroadWalk,armedwithholly-leaves,withwhichtheyjogtheenemyhorriblyinpassing.PeterheardthelittlepeoplecryingeverywherethattherewasahumanintheGardensafterLock-outTime,butheneverthoughtforamomentthathewasthehuman.Hewasfeelingstuffierandstuffier,andmoreandmorewistfultolearnwhathewanteddonetohisnose,buthepursuedthemwiththevitalquestioninvain;

thetimidcreaturesranfromhim,andeventheLancers,whenheapproachedthemuptheHump,turnedswiftlyintoaside-walk,onthepretencethattheysawhimthere.

Despairingofthefairies,heresolvedtoconsultthebirds,butnowheremembered,asanoddthing,thatallthebirdsontheweepingbeechhadflownawaywhenhealightedonit,andthoughthathadnottroubledhimatthetime,hesawitsmeaningnow.Everylivingthingwasshunninghim.PoorlittlePeterPan,hesatdownandcried,andeventhenhedidnotknowthat,forabird,hewassittingonhiswrongpart.Itisablessingthathedidnotknow,forotherwisehewouldhavelostfaithinhispowertofly,andthemomentyoudoubtwhetheryoucanfly,youceaseforevertobeabletodoit.Thereasonbirdscanflyandwecan'

tissimplythattheyhaveperfectfaith,fortohavefaithistohavewings.

Now,exceptbyflying,noonecanreachtheislandintheSerpentine,fortheboatsofhumansareforbiddentolandthere,andtherearestakesroundit,standingupinthewater,oneachofwhichabird-sentinelsitsbydayandnight.ItwastotheislandthatPeternowflewtoputhisstrangecasebeforeoldSolomonCaw,andhealightedonitwithrelief,muchheartenedtofindhimselfatlastathome,asthebirdscalltheisland.Allofthemwereasleep,includingthesentinels,exceptSolomon,whowaswideawakeononeside,andhelistenedquietlytoPeter'

sadventures,andthentoldhimtheirtruemeaning.

Lookatyournight-gown,ifyoudon'

tbelieveme,"

Solomonsaid,andwithstaringeyesPeterlookedathisnightgown,andthenatthesleepingbirds.Notoneofthemworeanything.

Howmanyofyourtoesarethumbs?

saidSolomonalittlecruelly,andPetersawtohisconsternation,thatallhistoeswerefingers.Theshockwassogreatthatitdroveawayhiscold.

Ruffleyourfeathers,"

saidthatgrimoldSolomon,andPetertriedmostdesperatelyhardtorufflehisfeathers,buthehadnone.Thenheroseup,quaking,andforthefirsttimesincehestoodonthewindow-ledge,herememberedaladywhohadbeenveryfondofhim.

IthinkIshallgobacktomother,"

hesaidtimidly.

Good-bye,"

repliedSolomonCawwithaqueerlook.

ButPeterhesitated."

Whydon'

tyougo?

theoldoneaskedpolitely.

Isuppose,"

saidPeterhuskily,"

IsupposeIcanstillfly?

Yousee,hehadlostfaith.

Poorlittlehalf-and-half,"

saidSolomon,whowasnotreallyhard-hearted,"

youwillneverbeabletoflyagain,notevenonwindydays.Youmustlivehereontheislandalways."

AndneverevengototheKensingtonGardens?

Peteraskedtragically.

Howcouldyougetacross?

saidSolomon.Hepromisedverykindly,however,toteachPeterasmanyofthebirdwaysascouldbelearnedbyoneofsuchanawkwardshape.

ThenIsha'

n'

tbeexactlyahuman?

Peterasked.

No."

Norexactlyabird?

WhatshallIbe?

YouwillbeaBetwixt-and-Between,"

Solomonsaid,andcertainlyh