Barrie, James Matthew Peter Pan

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before they go on fire you see the lagoon. This is the nearest you ever get to it on the mainland, just
one heavenly moment; if there could be two moments you might see the surf and hear the mermaids
singing.
The children often spent long summer days on this lagoon, swimming or floating most of the time,
playing the mermaid games in the water, and so forth. You must not think from this that the
mermaids were on friendly terms with them: on the contrary, it was among Wendy's lasting regrets
that all the time she was on the island she never had a civil word from one of them. When she stole
softly to the edge of the lagoon she might see them by the score, especially on Marooners' Rock,
where they loved to bask, combing out their hair in a lazy way that quite irritated her; or she might
even swim, on tiptoe as it were, to within a yard of them, but then they saw her and dived, probably
splashing her with their tails, not by accident, but intentionally.
They treated all the boys in the same way, except of course Peter, who chatted with them on
Marooners' Rock by the hour, and sat on their tails when they got cheeky. He gave Wendy one of
their combs.
The most haunting time at which to see them is at the turn of the moon, when they utter strange
wailing cries; but the lagoon is dangerous for mortals then, and until the evening of which we have
now to tell, Wendy had never seen the lagoon by moonlight, less from fear, for of course Peter would
have accompanied her, than because she had strict rules about every one being in bed by seven. She
was often at the lagoon, however, on sunny days after rain, when the mermaids come up in
extraordinary numbers to play with their bubbles. The bubbles of many colours made in rainbow
water they treat as balls, hitting them gaily from one to another with their tails, and trying to keep
them in the rainbow till they burst. The goals are at each end of the rainbow, and the keepers only are
allowed to use their hands. Sometimes a dozen of these games will be going on in the lagoon at a
time, and it is quite a pretty sight.
But the moment the children tried to join in they had to play by themselves, for the mermaids
immediately disappeared. Nevertheless we have proof that they secretly watched the interlopers, and
were not above taking an idea from them; for John introduced a new way of hitting the bubble, with
the head instead of the hand, and the mermaids adopted it. This is the one mark that John has left on
the Neverland.
It must also have been rather pretty to see the children resting on a rock for half an hour after their
mid-day meal. Wendy insisted on their doing this, and it had to be a real rest even though the meal
was make-believe. So they lay there in the sun, and their bodies glistened in it, while she sat beside
them and looked important.
It was one such day, and they were all on Marooners' Rock. The rock was not much larger than their
great bed, but of course they all knew how not to take up much room, and they were dozing, or at
53 Kids4Classics.com
Peter Pan Chapter 8 THE MERMAIDS' LAGOON
least lying with their eyes shut, and pinching occasionally when they thought Wendy was not
looking. She was very busy, stitching.
While she stitched a change came to the lagoon. Little shivers ran over it, and the sun went away and
shadows stole across the water, turning it cold. Wendy could no longer see to thread her needle, and
when she looked up, the lagoon that had always hitherto been such a laughing place seemed
formidable and unfriendly.
It was not, she knew, that night had come, but something as dark as night had come. No, worse than
that. It had not come, but it had sent that shiver through the sea to say that it was coming. What was
it?
There crowded upon her all the stories she had been told of Marooners' Rock, so called because evil
captains put sailors on it and leave them there to drown. They drown when the tide rises, for then it is
submerged.
Of course she should have roused the children at once; not merely because of the unknown that was
stalking toward them, but because it was no longer good for them to sleep on a rock grown chilly.
But she was a young mother and she did not know this; she thought you simply must stick to your
rule about half an hour after the mid-day meal. So, though fear was upon her, and she longed to hear
male voices, she would not waken them. Even when she heard the sound of muffled oars, though her
heart was in her mouth, she did not waken them. She stood over them to let them have their sleep
out. Was it not brave of Wendy?
It was well for those boys then that there was one among them who could sniff danger even in his
sleep. Peter sprang erect, as wide awake at once as a dog, and with one warning cry he roused the
others.
He stood motionless, one hand to his ear.
"Pirates!" he cried. The others came closer to him. A strange smile was playing about his face, and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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