If one were to look in through the window of the Darling's nursery, they might find quite an unexpected surprise. The normally tidy nursery was in disarray. On one side of the room sheets had been strewn across bed posts creating small forts. At the other end pillow cases had been tied to a coat stand creating a make-shift mast and sails. A small boy in red pajamas was chasing a slightly older boy in glasses around the room. They each held a wooden sword in one hand while the older boy had a clothes hanger in his right hand using it as a hook.
Now for the Darling children this was not unusual. Nearly every night before bed, the children would act out different scenes from the wonderful stories their sister told. Stories about a magnificent flying boy named Peter Pan who was daring and brave. He fought pirates and went on treasure hunts and had many other exciting endeavors. And best of all he lived in a magical place called Neverland where he would never grow up!
"Arg! Take that you scurvy pirate!" the little boy yelled taking a big swing at the older boy.
"Never!" The boy laughed. "Die Peter Pan!" he yelled as he turned and thrust his sword at the little boy. Wendy who was pretending to be tied up to the 'mast' of the ship suddenly looked up in surprise.
"Oh no John!"
The older boy looked at his sister questioningly in mid strike.
"Remember it was Hook's left hand that Peter cut off, not the right."
"Oh yes! I believe you are right Wendy." John adjusted his glasses and then his 'hook'. He turned his attention back to his fierce opponent.
"Take that Peter Pan!" John lunged at the little boy accidently hitting him too hard on the hand. The little boy dropped his sword at the unexpected burst of pain.
"Ouch! John that hurted!" The little boy cried out in protest, sucking on his wounded fingers.
"I am terribly sorry Michael! I did not mean to hit so hard." John apologized, lowering his sword. Wendy seeing the little boy's pain untied herself from the 'mast' and went over to comfort him. She took great pride in making sure that her brothers were safe and cared for.
Wendy knelt down besides Michael and gently took his hand. Michael winced as she lightly pressed on a small red welt. Wendy smiled at her youngest brother, who was trying very hard not to cry.
"You are being very brave Michael." She tenderly kissed the little red spot. Michael wiped his nose on his sleeve. "You are just like Peter Pan."
"Really Wendy?" He sniffled feeling a bit cheered up. For Michael desperately wanted to be brave and strong like Peter Pan. Wendy smiled hugged the little boy.
"Yes Michael. You are strong, and brave, a true hero just like Peter Pan."
"Who is just like Peter Pan?" A soft voice asked from the door. The children jumped up to greet their mother
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Peter was weaving in and out of chimneys and zooming down alleys at lightning speeds. He was having a great time. He was diving towards the ground and seeing how long he could wait before he pulled up, when he heard it. He heard his name.
Peter immediately stopped and looked around. Who could have said that? He looked to Tink thinking she said it. The fairy shook her head. Peter strained his ears but heard nothing. He shrugged his shoulders. Maybe it was just the wind playing tricks on him.
He decided to forget about it and started down a charming little street. Peter stopped for a second time. There! He heard it again he was sure of it! Somebody clearly said 'Peter Pan.' Peter grew suspicious. Who knew he was here and not in Neverland?
"Tink!" He whispered. Tink flew up to Peter's face.
"What?"
"Split up and look along that side of street for whoever keeps saying my name." Tink nodded and flew to the opposite side of the street, muttering something about too much fairy dust in ears. Peter flew low against the roofs of the crowded snow covered houses.
Peter listened close for someone to say his name again. He noticed an opened window on the second story of the house below him and decided to go investigate. He quietly flew down to a tree branch outside the window, just out of site. Peter peered inside and was surprised at what he saw.
A little boy, no more than five years old with light brown hair and freckles, was chasing a slightly older boy with dark hair and glasses, probably about ten years old Peter guessed, around the room with a wooden sword. The little boy was yelling something about the one in glasses being a pirate. This piqued Peter's interest.
Glasses, as Peter now called him, turned to the little boy and yelled something along the lines of 'die Peter Pan.'
The real Peter Pan just about fell off the branch. Those boys knew his name! Peter leaned in closer to be to hear more. He heard someone speak but it wasn't one of the boys. He caught the words 'Hook', 'left hand', and 'Peter." The Peter Pan outside the window was now more confused than ever before. Who knew his name, Hook's and that he had cut off his left hand? And why were these boys playing a game that involved him?
Stumped Peter sat crossed legged on a branch with his fist under his chin. He couldn't figure it out. He was lost in thought when a small yelp of pain dragged him out of his stupor. Peter looked in through the window again. The little boy was sucking on his fingers while 'Glasses', Peter now found out his name was John, tried to apologize for hitting him. Then someone else appeared in the window. It was a girl!
Peter hadn't seen too many girls up close so he tried to get a good look at her. Her back was to him but he could see that she had the same light brown hair as the little boy. Half was pulled up in a little blue bow and the rest cascaded down past her shoulders in soft curls. She wore a long sky blue nightgown with fitted sleeves that came to her elbows in a little frill. A bow tied in the back right under her arms. The girl looked to be about fourteen years old.
She stood and turned to face the window. Peter about fell out of the tree for the second time that night. He stared at two of the bluest eyes he had ever seen. They were bluer than the Never seas and twinkled brighter than the stars. Peter was mesmerized and couldn't seem to turn away. The girl turned around to the little boy and told him, Michael, that he was just as brave as Peter Pan. Peter's stomach did a weird floppy thing and he could have sworn his heart stopped for just a second. But he didn't pay any mind to that.
Peter watched as the children were interrupted by someone. They ran to greet a grownup who came into the room. They called the grownup "Mother." The "Mother" hugged them and then made some remark about the state of the room.
Peter leaned back on the branch, content to watch these curious people who apparently knew so much about him. He felt a tiny pinch on his ear and looked up in surprise.
"OH! Tink! I'm sorry I totally forgot!" The fairy glowed a taint red.
"You could have let me know to stop looking!" she sassed. Peter looked up innocently, trying to get out of a tiny tongue lashing.
Tink pulled on his hair. "Come on let's go, you found out who was saying your name. Now can we please go?"
"Not yet Tink, I want to watch them for a little bit longer." Peter said gesturing to the open nursery window. He didn't say, however, that he really just wanted to watch the girl with the startling blue eyes. She knew his name. Peter was curious and wanted to see just what else she knew.
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Mrs. Darling told the children it was time to tidy up and get ready for bed. Wendy was cleaning up the last traces of their heroic adventures as Mrs. Darling got the boys settled down and into their beds.
"Wendy?"
"Yes Michael?" She answered as she put the last toy sword in the wooden chest at the end of John's bed.
"Will you tell us a story?"
"Yes Wendy, will you?" John chimed in. Wendy looked at them and smiled. She loved it when they asked for her stories. She was just about to ask which one when Mrs. Darling said that it was too late for stories tonight.
Cries of disappointment echoed from all three Darling children. Then Wendy had an idea.
"Might I sing a lullaby instead Mother? It is not as long as a story" she reasoned. The boys groaned.
"I promise I'll tell a really exciting story about Peter Pan tomorrow, if I sing a lullaby tonight," Wendy promised the boys. That seemed to satisfy them and they turned to their mother. Mrs. Darling looked at the pleading eyes of each of her wonderful children and could not say no.
"I think that would be acceptable for tonight, dear." She answered. The children cheered! Wendy knew exactly one she would sing. She ran to the shelf that held her most precious items. She pulled down a music box. It was her favorite because it had a graceful ballerina figure on top that twirled when it was playing. She took the music box and sat on the window seat. She waited until the boys were comfortable and then wound the music. A haunting melody started to float from the little box, as Wendy started to sing.
"A gentle breeze from Hush-a-bye Mountain
Softly blows o'er lullaby bay.
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting--
Waiting to sail your worries away.
It isn't far to Hush-a-bye Mountain
And your boat waits down by the quay.
The winds of night so softly are sighing--
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea..."
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Tink had just about had enough of this. She wanted to go home, she didn't like the city and she certainly didn't like the new look on Peter's face. She started to pull his hair to send the message that she wanted to go home.
"Shh! Stop it Tink I want to listen." Peter said as he swatted at the little fairy tugging on his hair. She stomped her foot in frustration. She realized he was not going to budge and so flew to a different branch to wait impatiently until Peter was done.
Peter was fascinated by the girl sitting in the window. Her voice was beautiful. It was soft as the breeze in Neverland and clear as a bell. It reminded him of sunshine, and laughter and ... and ...well he didn't know what else but he knew that he liked it. He sat back against the tree branch and listened to the haunting melody.
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"So close your eyes on Hush-a-bye Mountain.
Wave good-bye to cares of the day.
And watch your boat from Hush-a-bye Mountain
Sail far away from lullaby bay."
The music finished and Wendy stopped. Her mother smiled and told her it was beautiful. Wendy beamed at the complement. She hurried and put her beloved music box on her special shelf before snuggling into bed. Her mother kissed each child on the head and then turned down the lights before she left.
Wendy was just about on the shores of sleep when a little voice broke through the darkness.
"Wendy?"
"Yes Michael," she whispered.
"Will you tell us about Peter Pan tomorrow night?" Wendy smiled, her eyes closed.
"Of course Michael, I promised."
Outside her window, a figure in a tree whispered, "I promise too, I'll be back to hear your story." And with that the figure and a little ball of light flew off into the night sky.