Wn importnt rzult v ɖ bruś on ɖ l’gūn wz ɖt it md ɖ redscinz ɖer frendz. Pītr hd sevd Tîgr Lili fṛm a dredfl fet, n nǎ ɖr wz nʈñ ś n hr brevz wd nt d fr him. Ol nît ɖe sat abv, cīpñ woć ovr ɖ hom undr ɖ grǎnd n awêtñ ɖ big atac bî ɖ pîṛts ẃć obvịsli cd nt b mć longr dleid. Īvn bî de ɖe huñ abt, smocñ ɖ pîp v pīs, n lcñ olmst az f ɖe wontd tit-bits t īt.
Ɖe cōld Pītr ɖ Gret Ẃît Faɖr, pṛstretñ ɖmslvz bfr him; n h lîct ɖs tṛmndsli, so ɖt it wz nt riyli gd fr him.
“Ɖ gret ẃît faɖr,” h wd se t ɖm in a vri lordli manr, az ɖe grovld at hiz fīt, “z glad t si ɖ Pic̣nini worịrz pṛtctñ hiz wigwam fṛm ɖ pîṛts.”
“M Tîgr Lili,” ɖt luvli crīćr wd rplî. “Pītr Pan sev m, m hiz veli nîs frend. M no let pîṛts hrt him.”
Ś wz far tù priti t crinj in ɖs we, bt Pītr ʈt it hiz dy, n h wd ansr condisndñli, “It z gd. Pītr Pan hz spocn.”
Olwz ẃn h sd, “Pītr Pan hz spocn,” it mnt ɖt ɖe mst nǎ śut p, n ɖe axptd it humbli in ɖt spirit; bt ɖe wr bî no mīnz so rspctfl t ɖ uɖr bôz, hūm ɖe lct upn az jst ordnri brevz. Ɖe sd “Hǎ d?” t ɖm, n ʈñz lîc ɖt; n ẃt anoid ɖ bôz wz ɖt Pītr sīmd t ʈnc ɖs olrît.
Sīcṛtli Wndi simṗʈîzd wɖ ɖm a litl, bt ś wz far tù loyl a hǎswîf t lisn t eni cmplents agnst faɖr. “Faɖr nz bst,” ś olwz sd, ẃtvr hr prîṿt opińn mst b. Hr prîṿt opińn wz ɖt ɖ redscinz śd nt cōl hr a sqw.
W hv nǎ rīćt ɖ īvnñ ɖt wz t b noun amñ ɖm az ɖ Nît v Nîts, bcz v its advnćrz n ɖer upśot. Ɖ de, az f qaytli gaɖ̇rñ its forsz, hd bn olmst univntfl, n nǎ ɖ redscinz in ɖer blancits wr at ɖer posts abv, ẃl, b’lo, ɖ ćildṛn wr hvñ ɖer īvnñ mīl; ol xpt Pītr, hu hd gn ǎt t gt ɖ tîm. Ɖ we y got ɖ tîm on ɖ îḷnd wz t fînd ɖ croc̣dîl, n ɖen ste nir him tl ɖ cloc struc.
Ɖ mīl hapnd t b a mc-b’liv ti, n ɖe sat arnd ɖ bōrd, guẓlñ in ɖer grīd; n riyli, ẃt wɖ ɖer ćatr n rcriṃneśnz, ɖ nôz, az Wndi sd, wz poztivli deḟnñ. T b śr, ś dd nt mînd nôz, bt ś simpli wd nt hv ɖm grabñ ʈñz, n ɖen xkzñ ɖmslvz bî seyñ ɖt Tūtlz hd pśt ɖer elbo. Ɖr wz a fixt rūl ɖt ɖe mst nvr hit bac at mīlz, bt śd rfŕ ɖ matr v dspyt t Wndi bî rezñ ɖ rît arm p’lîtli n seyñ, “I cmplen v so-n-so;” bt ẃt yẓ́li hapnd wz ɖt ɖe fgot t d ɖs or dd it tù mć.
“Sîḷns,” craid Wndi ẃn fr ɖ twentiiʈ tîm ś hd tld ɖm ɖt ɖe wr nt ol t spīc at wns. “Z yr mug emti, Slîtli darlñ?”
“Nt qt emti, mumi,” Slîtli sd, aftr lcñ intu an imajinri mug.
“H hz’nt īvn bgun t drinc hiz milc,” Nibz inṭpozd.
Ɖs wz telñ, n Slîtli sizd hiz ćans.
“I cmplen v Nibz,” h craid promtli.
Jon, hvr, hd hld p hiz hand frst.
“Wel, Jon?”
“Me I sit in Pītr’z ćer, az h z nt hir?”
“Sit in faɖr’z ćer, Jon!” Wndi wz scanḍlîzd. “Srtnli nt.”
“H z nt riyli ǎr faɖr,” Jon ansrd. “H dd’nt īvn nǒ hǎ a faɖr dz tl I śoud him.”
Ɖs wz grumḅlñ. “W cmplen v Jon,” craid ɖ twinz.
Tūtlz hld p hiz hand. H wz so mć ɖ humblist v ɖm, indd h wz ɖ onli humbl wn, ɖt Wndi wz speṣ́li jntl wɖ him.
“I d’nt s’poz,” Tūtlz sd difidntli, “ɖt I cd b faɖr.”
“No, Tūtlz.”
Wns Tūtlz bgan, ẃć wz nt vri ofn, h hd a sili we v gwñ on.
“Az I c’nt b faɖr,” h sd heṿli, “I d’nt s’poz, Mîcl, y wd let m b bebi?”
“No, I w’nt,” Mîcl rapt ǎt. H wz olrdi in hiz bascit.
“Az I c’nt b bebi,” Tūtlz sd, gtñ hevịr n hevịr n hevịr, “d y ʈnc I cd b a twin?”
“No, indd,” rplaid ɖ twinz; “it’s ōḟli dificlt t b a twin.”
“Az I c’nt b enʈñ importnt,” sd Tūtlz, “wd eni v y lîc t si m d a tric?”
“No,” ɖe ol rplaid.
Ɖen at last h stopt. “I hd’nt riyli eni hop,” h sd.
Ɖ hetfl telñ brouc ǎt agn.
“Slîtli z cofñ on ɖ tebl.”
“Ɖ twinz bgan wɖ ćīz cecs.”
“Crli z tecñ bʈ butr n huni.”
“Nibz z spīcñ wɖ hiz mǎʈ fl.”
“I cmplen v ɖ twinz.”
“I cmplen v Crli.”
“I cmplen v Nibz.”
“Ǒ dir, ǒ dir,” craid Wndi, “I’m śr I smtmz ʈnc ɖt spinstrz r t b envid.”
Ś tld ɖm t clir awe, n sat dǎn t hr wrcbascit, a hevi lod v stocñz n evri ni wɖ a houl in it az yźl.
“Wndi,” remnstretd Mîcl, “I’m tù big fr a credl.”
“I mst hv smbdi in a credl,” ś sd olmst tartli, “n y r ɖ liṭlist. A credl z sć a nîs homli ʈñ t hv abt a hǎs.”
Ẃl ś soud ɖe pleid arnd hr; sć a grūp v hapi fesz n dansñ limz lit p bî ɖt r’mantic fîr. It hd bcm a vri fmiłr sīn, ɖs, in ɖ hom undr ɖ grǎnd, bt w r lcñ on it fr ɖ last tîm.
Ɖr wz a step abv, n Wndi, y me b śr, wz ɖ frst t rec̣gnîz it.
“Ćildṛn, I hír yr faɖr’z step. H lîcs y t mīt him at ɖ dor.”
Abv, ɖ redscinz crǎćt bfr Pītr.
“Woć wel, brevz. I hv spocn.”
N ɖen, az so ofn bfr, ɖ ge ćildṛn dragd him fṛm hiz tri. Az so ofn bfr, bt nvr agn.
H hd bròt nuts fr ɖ bôz az wel az ɖ c’rect tîm fr Wndi.
“Pītr, y jst spôl ɖm, y nǒ,” Wndi simprd.
“Ā, old ledi,” sd Pītr, haññ p hiz gun.
“It wz m tld him muɖrz r cōld old ledi,” Mîcl ẃisprd t Crli.
“I cmplen v Mîcl,” sd Crli instntli.
Ɖ frst twin cem t Pītr. “Faɖr, w wont t dans.”
“Dans awe, mî litl man,” sd Pītr, hu wz in hî gd hymr.
“Bt w wont y t dans.”
Pītr wz riyli ɖ bst dansr amñ ɖm, bt h pritndd t b scanḍlîzd.
“M! Mî old bonz wd ratl!”
“N mumi tù.”
“Ẃt,” craid Wndi, “ɖ muɖr v sć an armfl, dans!”
“Bt on a Saṭde nît,” Slîtli insińuetd.
It wz nt riyli Saṭde nît, at līst it me hv bn, fr ɖe hd loñ lost cǎnt v ɖ dez; bt olwz f ɖe wontd t d enʈñ speśl ɖe sd ɖs wz Saṭde nît, n ɖen ɖe dd it.
“V cors it z Saṭde nît, Pītr,” Wndi sd, rlentñ.
“Ppl v ǎr figr, Wndi!”
“Bt it z onli amñ ǎr ǒn proɉni.”
“Tru, tru.”
So ɖe wr tld ɖe cd dans, bt ɖe mst pt on ɖer nîtiz frst.
“Ā, old ledi,” Pītr sd asd t Wndi, wormñ himslf bî ɖ fîr n lcñ dǎn at hr az ś sat trnñ a hìl, “ɖr z nʈñ mor pleznt v an īvnñ fr y n m ẃn ɖ de’z tôl z ovr ɖn t rest bî ɖ fîr wɖ ɖ litl wnz nir bî.”
“It z swīt, Pītr, z’nt it?” Wndi sd, frîtḟli graṭfaid. “Pītr, I ʈnc Crli hz yr nǒz.”
“Mîcl tecs aftr y.”
Ś wnt t him n pt hr hand on hiz śoldr.
“Dir Pītr,” ś sd, “wɖ sć a larj faṃli, v cors, I hv nǎ pást mî bst, bt y d’nt wont t ćenj m, d y?”
“No, Wndi.”
Srtnli h dd nt wont a ćenj, bt h lct at hr uncumftbli, blincñ, y nǒ, lîc wn nt śr ẃɖr h wz awec or aslip.
“Pītr, ẃt z it?”
“I wz jst ʈncñ,” h sd, a litl scerd. “It z onli mc-b’liv, z’nt it, ɖt I am ɖer faɖr?”
“Ǒ yes,” Wndi sd primli.
“Y si,” h cntinyd apoḷjeticli, “it wd mc m sīm so old t b ɖer riyl faɖr.”
“Bt ɖe r ǎrz, Pītr, yrz n mîn.”
“Bt nt riyli, Wndi?” h asct añśsli.
“Nt f y d’nt wś it,” ś rplaid; n ś dstñtli hŕd hiz sai v rlif. “Pītr,” ś asct, trayñ t spīc frmli, “ẃt r yr xact fīlñz t m?”
“Ɖoz v a dvotd sun, Wndi.”
“I ʈt so,” ś sd, n wnt n sat bî hrslf at ɖ xtrim end v ɖ rūm.
“Y r so qir,” h sd, francli puzld, “n Tîgr Lili z jst ɖ sem. Ɖr z smʈñ ś wonts t b t m, bt ś sz it z nt mî muɖr.”
“No, indd, it z nt,” Wndi rplaid wɖ frîtfl emḟsis. Nǎ w nǒ ẃ ś wz preɉdist agnst ɖ redscinz.
“Ɖen ẃt z it?”
“It z’nt fr a ledi t tel.”
“Ǒ, vri wel,” Pītr sd, a litl netld. “Phps Tncr Bel wl tel m.”
“Ǒ yes, Tncr Bel wl tel y,” Wndi rtortd scornḟli. “Ś z an abandnd litl crīćr.”
Hir Tnc, hu wz in hr bedrūm, īvzdropñ, sqīct ǎt smʈñ impydnt.
“Ś sz ś gloriz in biyñ abandnd,” Pītr intrpṛtd.
H hd a sudn îdīa. “Phps Tnc wonts t b mî muɖr?”
“Y sili as!” craid Tncr Bel in a paśn.
Ś hd sd it so ofn ɖt Wndi nīdd no trnzleśn.
“I olmst agri wɖ hr,” Wndi snapt. Fansi Wndi snapñ! Bt ś hd bn mć traid, n ś litl ń ẃt wz t hapn bfr ɖ nît wz ǎt. F ś hd noun ś wd nt hv snapt.
Nn v ɖm ń. Phps it wz bst nt t nǒ. Ɖer ignṛns gev ɖm wn mor glad aur; n az it wz t b ɖer last aur on ɖ îḷnd, let s rjôs ɖt ɖr wr sixti glad minits in it. Ɖe sañ n danst in ɖer nîtgǎnz. Sć a dliśsli crīpi soñ it wz, in ẃć ɖe pritndd t b frîtnd at ɖer ǒn śadoz, litl witñ ɖt so sn śadoz wd clos in upn ɖm, fṛm hūm ɖe wd śrinc in riyl fir. So uprorịsli ge wz ɖ dans, n hǎ ɖe buḟtd ć uɖr on ɖ bed n ǎt v it! It wz a pilo fît rɖr ɖn a dans, n ẃn it wz finiśt, ɖ piloz insistd on wn bǎt mor, lîc partnrz hu nǒ ɖt ɖe me nvr mīt agn. Ɖ storiz ɖe tld, bfr it wz tîm fr Wndi’z gdnît stori! Īvn Slîtli traid t tel a stori ɖt nît, bt ɖ bginñ wz so firḟli dul ɖt it apōld nt onli ɖ uɖrz bt himslf, n h sd glūṃli:
“Yes, it z a dul bginñ. I se, let s pritnd ɖt it z ɖ end.”
N ɖen at last ɖe ol got intu bed fr Wndi’z stori, ɖ stori ɖe luvd bst, ɖ stori Pītr hetd. Yẓ́li ẃn ś bgan t tel ɖs stori h left ɖ rūm or pt hiz handz ovr hiz irz; n poṣbli f h hd dn îɖr v ɖoz ʈñz ɖs tîm ɖe mt ol stl b on ɖ îḷnd. Bt tnît h rmend on hiz stūl; n w śl si ẃt hapnd.
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