Chapter 4 The Birds Leave the Nest Peter, Wendy said, why did you come to the nursery?
To hear the story your mother was telling, Peter replied.
Wendy was a bit disappointed to learn that he had not come for her, but she asked which story was it?
It was a story about the lady who lost her glass slipper.
But I had to leave and I missed the ending.
That's Cinderella, Wendy said.
I can tell you how it ends.
The prince finds her and they live happily ever after.
Peter turned to the window.
Wait, where are you going?
Wendy asked.
Back to Neverland to tell the other boys, Peter replied. go, Wendy begged.
I know lots of other stories, even better than that one.
Well, then, come on, he said, dragging her.
We'll fly back together.
You can tell the stories to the Lost Boys. of me, Wendy cried.
She was very flattered to be asked, of course, but she couldn't leave her poor mother.
Besides, she couldn't fly.
I'll teach you, Peter said.
Wendy had always wanted to learn how to fly.
Think how much the lost boys will love you, Peter continued.
You could be a sort of mother to them.
You could even tuck them in.
None of them has ever been tucked in before.
This was too much for Wendy to resist.
She did have very strong maternal feelings.
John and Michael, she asked.
If I leave them, they will be lost boys in a way as well.
They can come.
I'll teach them to fly, too.
At this, the boys jumped out of bed.
They had been listening quietly the entire time, not letting on that they were really awake.
But at the thought of flying, they could no longer stay still.
Suddenly, Peter spun around.
He said, his eyes narrowed.
Listen, do you hear that?
Wendy didn't hear anything.
Exactly, Peter said.
Nana, sensing his presence, had been barking since Peter had entered the nursery.
Now she was oddly quiet.
There can be only one explanation, John said.
She's broken her chain and is running up here.
I want to learn how to fly, and Nana's going to ruin everything.
Pretend to be sleeping, Peter instructed.
Tink and I will hide.
And so it was that Liza, the family cook, saw the children resting peacefully when she entered with the very excited Nana.
Liza had finally had enough of Nana's barking and thought the best way to ease the dog's mind would be to bring her upstairs and show her that the children were fine.
I told you so, she whispered to Nana.
They are all safe and sound.
Silly dog.
Nana was still suspicious, but Liza would have no more of it.
She dragged Nana downstairs and chained her up again.
What else could Nana do?
She strained and strained at her chain until it finally broke.
Then she ran over to where Mr and Mrs Darling were dining and burst into the house barking for help.
Even Mr. Darling realized at once that something must be seriously wrong at home.
Thanking their hosts.
He and Mrs Darling rushed out, but it had been ten minutes, since Nana had been in the nursery and Peter Pan could do a lot in ten minutes.
"'You simply think wonderful thoughts,' Peter explained, "'and they lift you up in the air.'
The children tried and tried, thinking the happiest thoughts they could, but still they could not rise from their beds.
Of course, Peter was not telling them the whole truth.
No one can fly unless some fairy dust has been blown on them.
Tinkerbell was still being uncooperative, but Peter had some dust on his hands from holding her earlier.
He blew a bit on each of the children, and wouldn't you know it, they flew.
Oh, how they laughed as they sailed clumsily around their room.
Watch out, Michael cried as he narrowly missed crashing into his brother by the bathroom.
Let's go outside, John said.
I'm gonna fly for one million miles, Michael said.
Wendy frowned.
It suddenly all seemed a bit too real and risky now that her brothers were involved.
But the sly Peter knew how to make her come along.
Did I tell you about the mermaids, he said.
Mermaids, Wendy breathed.
Mermaids were even more exciting than fairies.
And pirates, Peter added.
Let's go at once, said John.
Mr. and Mrs. Darling were almost home, but they were not close enough.
From the middle of the street, they gasped as they looked up at the bedroom window.
Beyond the curtain, the room was ablaze with light.
Inside they could see three little shadows whirling around and around, not on the floor but incredibly, in the air.
No, not Three figures but four.
The stars, still watching from up above, called out a warning.
Peter!
The grown-ups are coming back!
There was no time to lose.
Peter threw open the window.
Come on, he cried, soaring into the night.
John, Michael, and Wendy followed.
Still on the street, Mr and Mrs Darling and Nana watched in horror as their three little birds left the nest and were gone.
