Peter Pan - The Return Home

None

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Chapter sixteen of Peter Pan The Return Home. This is
a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Claire Gauget. Chapter sixteen of Peter Pan by J. M. Barry,

(00:26):
The Return Home. By three bells that morning. They were
all stirring their stumps, for there was a big sea
running and toodles. The bosum was among them, with a
rope's end in his hand and chewing tobacco. They all
dawned pirate clothes cut off at the knee, shaved smartly,
and tumbled up with the true nautical roll in hitching

(00:48):
their trousers. It need not be said who was the captain.
Nibs and John were first and second mate. There was
a woman aboard. The rest were tars before the mast
and the forecastle. Peter had already lashed himself to the wheel,
but he piped all hands and delivered a short address
to them. Said he hoped they would do their duty

(01:09):
like gallant hardies, but that he knew they were the
scum of Rio and the Gold Coast, and if they
snapped at him, he would tear them the bluff. Strident
words struck the note. Sailors understood, and they cheered him lustily.
Then a few sharp orders were given, and they returned
the ship round and nosed her for the mainland. Captain

(01:30):
Pan calculated, after consulting the ship's chart, that if this
weather lasted, they should strike the Azores about the twenty
first of June, after which it would save time to fly.
Some of them wanted it to be an honest ship,
and others were in favor of keeping it a pirate,
but the captain treated them as dogs, and they dared
not express their wishes to him, even in a round

(01:52):
robin one person after another, as they had to captain Hook,
instant obedience was the only safe thing. Slightly got a
dozen for looking perplexed when told to take soundings. The
general feeling was that Peter was honest just now to
lull Wendy's suspicions, but that there might be a change
when the new suit was ready, which against her will,

(02:13):
she was making for him out of some of Hook's
wickedest garments. It was afterwards whispered among them that on
the first night he wore this suit, he sat long
in the cabin, with hook's cigar holder in his mouth,
and one hand clenched all but for the forefinger, which
he bent and held threateningly aloft like a hook. Instead

(02:33):
of watching the ship, however, we must now return to
that desolate home from which three of our characters had
taken heartless flight so long ago. It seems a shame
to have neglected number fourteen all this time, And yet
we may be sure that missus Darling does not blame us.
If we had returned sooner to look with sorrowful sympathy
at her, she would probably have cried, don't be silly,

(02:54):
What do I matter? Do? Go back and keep an
eye on the children. So long as mother are like this,
their children will take advantage of them, and they may
lay to bed on that Even now we venture into
that familiar nursery only because its lawful occupants are on
their way home. We are merely hurrying on in advance
of them, to see that their beds are properly aired,

(03:16):
and that mister and missus Darling do not go out
for the evening. We are no more than servants. Why
on earth should their beds be properly aired, seeing that
they left them in such a thankless hurry. Would it
not serve them jolly well right? If they came back
and found that their parents were spending the week end
in the country. It would be the moral lesson that
they have been in need of ever since we met them.

(03:38):
But if we contrived things in this way, Missus Darling
would never forgive us one thing I should like to do, Immensley,
and that is to tell her in the way authors
have that the children are coming back, that indeed they
will be here on Thursday week This would spoil so
completely the surprise to which Wendy and John and Michael
are looking forward. They have been planning it out on

(04:00):
the ship. Mother's rapture, father's shout of joy, Nana's leaped
through the air to embrace them first, when what they
ought to be prepared for is a good hiding. How
delicious to spoil it all by breaking the news in advance,
so that when they enter grandly Missus Darling may not
even offer Wendy her mouth, and mister Darling may exclaim
pittishly dash it all. Hear those boys again, However, we

(04:24):
should get no thanks even for this. We are beginning
to know, Missus darling by this time, and may be
sure that she would upbraid us for depriving the children
of their little pleasure. But my dear madam, it is
ten days till Thursday week, So that by telling you
what's what, we can save you ten days of unhappiness. Yes,
but at what cost by depriving the children of ten

(04:45):
minutes of delight? Oh? If you look at it that way,
what other way is there in which to look at it?
You see? The woman had no proper spirit. I had
meant to say extraordinarily nice things about her, but I
despise her, and not one of them will I say? Now?
She does not really need to be told to have
things ready, for they are ready. All the beds are aired,

(05:07):
and she never leaves the house. And observe the window
is open for all the use we are to her.
We might well go back to the ship. However, as
we are here, we may as well stay and look on.
That is all we are lookers on. Nobody really wants us,
so let us watch and say jaggy things in the
hope that some of them will hurt. The only change

(05:29):
to be seen in the night nursery is that between
nine and six the kennel is no longer there. When
the children flew away, mister Darling felt in his bones
that all the blame was his for having chained Nana up,
and that from first to last she had been wiser
than he. Of course, as we have seen, he was
quite a simple man. Indeed, he might have passed for

(05:50):
a boy again if he had been able to take
his baldness off. But he had also a noble sense
of justice and a lion's courage to do what seemed
right to him, And having thought them out with anxious care,
after the flight of the children, he went down on
all fours and crawled into the kennel. To all missus
Darling's dear invitations to him to come out, he replied,

(06:11):
sadly but firmly, no, my own one, this is the
place for me. In the bitterness of his remorse, he
swore that he would never leave the kennel until his
children came back. Of course, this was a pity, but
whatever mister Darling did, he had to do it in excess,
otherwise he soon gave up doing it. And there never
was a more humble man than the once proud George Darling.

(06:33):
As he sat in the kennel of an evening, talking
with his wife of their children and all their pretty ways.
Very touching was his deference to Nana. He would not
let her come into the kennel, but on all other
matters he followed her wishes implicitly. Every morning, the kennel
was carried with mister Darling in it to a cab,
which conveyed him to his office, and he returned home

(06:55):
in the same way at six. Something of the strength
of character of the man will be seen if we
remember how sensitive he was to the opinion of neighbors.
This man, whose every movement now attracted surprised attention. Inwardly,
he must have suffered torture, but he preserved a calm
exterior even when the young criticized his little home, and

(07:16):
he always lifted his hat courteously to any lady who
looked inside. It may have been quizotic, but it was magnificent.
Soon the inward meaning of it leaked out, and the
great heart of the public was touched. Crowds followed the cab,
cheering it lustily. Charming girls scaled it to get his autograph.
Interviews appeared in the better class of papers, and society

(07:38):
invited him to dinner, and added, do come in the kennel.
On that eventful Thursday week, missus Darling was in the
night nursery awaiting George's return home, a very sad eyed woman.
Now that we look at her closely and remember the
gayety of her in the old days, all gone now,
just because she has lost her babes, I find I

(07:58):
won't be able to say nasty things about her. After all,
if she was too fond of her rubbishy children, she
couldn't help it. Look at her in her chair where
she has fallen asleep. The corner of her mouth, where
one looks first, is almost withered up. Her hand moves
restlessly on her breast, as if she had had a
pain there. Some like Peter Best and some like Wendy Best,

(08:22):
but I like her best. Suppose to make her happy,
we whisper to her in her sleep that her brats
are coming back. They are really within two miles of
the window now and flying strong. But all we need
whisper is that they're on their way. Let's it is
a pity we did it, for she has started up
calling their names, and there is no one in the

(08:43):
room but Nana, oh, Nana, I dreamt my dear ones
had come back. Nana had filmy eyes, but all she
could do was put her paw gently on her mistress's lap,
and they were sitting together. Thus, when the kennel was
brought back, as mister Darling put his head out to
kiss his wife, we see that his face is more
worn than of yore, but has a softer expression. He

(09:06):
gave his hat to Liza, who took it scornfully. She
had no imagination, it was quite incapable of understanding the
motives of such a man. Outside the crowd who had
accompanied the cab home were still cheering, and he was
naturally not unmoved. Listen to them, he said, it is
very gratifying. Lots of little boys sneered Eliza. There were

(09:29):
several adults to day, he assured her with a faint flush,
But when she tossed her head, he had not a
word of reproof, for her social success had not spoilt him.
It had made him sweeter. For some time he sat
with his head out of the kennel, talking with missus
Darling of this success, and pressing her hand reassuringly when

(09:49):
she said she hoped his head would not be turned
by it. But if I had been a weak man,
he said, good, heavens, if I had been a weak man.
And George, she said to him, mid you are as
full of remorse as ever, aren't you full of remorse
as ever? Dearest? See my punishment living in a kennel.

(10:09):
But it is punishment, isn't it. George? You are sure
you are not enjoying it? My love, You may be sure.
She begged his pardon, and then, feeling drowsy, he curled
round in the kennel. Won't you play me to sleep?
He asked on the nursery piano, And as she was
crossing to the day nursery, he added, thoughtlessly, and shut

(10:29):
that window. I feel a draft. Oh, George, never ask
me to do that. The window must always be left
open for them, always, always. Now it was his turn
to beg her pardon, and she went into the day
nursery and played, and soon he was asleep. And while
he slept, Wendy and John and Michael flew into the room.

(10:50):
Oh no, we have ridden it so, because that was
the charming arrangement planned by them before we left the ship.
But something must have happened since then, For it does
not they who have flown in. It is Peter and
tinker Bell. Peter's first words tell all quick, Tink, he whispered,
close the window, bar it. That's right now, You and

(11:11):
I must get away by that door. And when Wendy comes,
she will think her mother has barred her out, and
she will have to go back with me. Now I
understand what had hitherto puzzled me. Why when Peter had
exterminated the pirates, he did not return to the island
and leave Tink to escort the children to the mainland.
This trick had been in his head all the time.
Instead of feeling that he was behaving badly, he danced

(11:34):
with glee. Then he peeped into the day nursery to
see who was playing. He whispered to Tink, it's Wendy's mother.
She is a pretty lady, but not so pretty as
my mother. Her mouth is full of thimbles, but not
so full as my mother's was. Of course, he knew
nothing whatever about his mother, but he sometimes bragged about her.

(11:55):
He did not know the tune, which was Home, Sweet Home,
but he knew what it was saying, Come back, Wendy Wendy, Wendy,
and he cried exultantly. You will never see Wendy again, lady,
for the window is barred. He peeped in again to
see why the music had stopped, and now he saw
that missus Darling had laid her head on the box,
and that two tears were sitting on her eyes. She

(12:18):
wants me to unbar the window, thought Peter. But I won't,
not I. He peeped again, and the tears were still there,
or another two had taken their place. She's awfully fond
of Wendy, he said to himself. He was angry with
her now for not seeing why she could not have Wendy.
The reason was so simple. I'm fond of her too.

(12:41):
We can't both have her, lady. But the lady would
not make the best of it, and he was unhappy.
He ceased to look at her, but even then she
would not let go of him. He skipped about and
made funny faces, but when he stopped, it was just
as if she were inside him knocking. Oh, all right,
he said, at length, asked, and gulped. Then he unbarred

(13:02):
the window. Come on, tink, he cried, with a frightful
sneer at the laws of nature. We don't want any
silly mothers, and he flew away. Thus Wendy and John
and Michael found the window open for them after all,
which of course was more than they deserved. They alighted
on the floor, quite unashamed of themselves, and the youngest

(13:22):
one had already forgotten his home. John, he said, looking
around him, doubtfully, I think I have been here before.
Of course you have, you silly. There is your old bed,
So it is, Michael said, but not with much conviction.
I say, cried John the kennel, and he dashed across
to look into it. Perhaps Nana is inside it, Wendy said,

(13:46):
But John whistled, hullo. He said, there's a man inside it.
It's father, exclaimed Wendy. Let me see father, Michael begged eagerly,
and he took a good look. He is not so
big as the pirate I killed. He said, with such
frank disappointment that I am glad mister Darling was asleep.
It would have been sad if those had been the

(14:06):
first words he heard as little Michael say. Wendy and
John had been taken aback somewhat at finding their father
in the kennel, surely, said John, like one who had
lost faith in his memory. He used not to sleep
in this kennel, John, Wendy said, falteringly. Perhaps we don't
remember the old life as well as we thought we did.
A chill fell upon them and served them right. It

(14:30):
is very careless of mother, said the young scoundrel John,
not to be here when we come back. It was
then that missus Darling began playing again. It's mother, cried Wendy,
peeping so it is, said John. Then are you not
really our mother? Wendy asked Michael, who was surely sleepy.
Oh dear, exclaimed Wendy, with her first real twinge of

(14:52):
remorse for having gone. It was quite time we came back.
Let us creep in, John suggested, and our hands over
her eyes. But Wendy, who saw that they must break
the joyous news more gently, had a better plan. Let
us all slip into our beds and be there when
she comes in, just as if we had never been away.

(15:14):
And so, when missus Darling went back to the night
nursery to see if her husband was asleep, all the
beds were occupied. The children waited for her cry of joy,
but it did not come. She saw them, but she
did not believe they were there. You see, she saw
them in their beds so often in her dreams that
she thought this was just the dream hanging around her. Still,

(15:37):
she sat down in the chair by the fire where
in the old days she had nursed them. They could
not understand this, and a cold fear fell upon all
the three of them. Mother Wendy cried, that's Wendy, she said.
But still she was sure it was the dream. Mother,
that's John, she said. Mother cried Michael her. Now, that's Michael,

(16:02):
she said, and she stretched out her arms for the
three little selfish children. They would never envelope again. Yes
they did. They went round Wendy and John and Michael,
who had slipped out of bed and run to her. George, George,
she cried when she could speak, and mister Darling woke
to share her bliss, and Nana came rushing in. There

(16:24):
could not have been a lovelier sight, but there was
none to see it except a little boy who was
staring in at the window. He had had ecstasies innumerable
that other children can never know, but he was looking
through the window at the one joy from which he
must be forever barred. End of Chapter sixteen,