Fr a momnt aftr Mr n Msz Darlñ left ɖ hǎs ɖ nîtlîts bî ɖ bedz v ɖ ʈri ćildṛn cntinyd t brn clirli. Ɖe wr ōḟli nîs litl nîtlîts, n wn canot hlp wśñ ɖt ɖe cd hv cept awec t si Pītr; bt Wndi’z lît blinct n gev sć a yōn ɖt ɖ uɖr tū yōnd olso, n bfr ɖe cd cloz ɖer mǎɖz ol ɖ ʈri wnt ǎt.
Ɖr wz anɖr lît in ɖ rūm nǎ, a ʈǎznd tîmz brîtr ɖn ɖ nîtlîts, n in ɖ tîm w hv tecn t se ɖs, it hd bn in ol ɖ drorz in ɖ nrṣri, lcñ fr Pītr’z śado, rumijd ɖ wordrob n trnd evri pocit insd ǎt. It wz nt riyli a lît; it md ɖs lît bî flaśñ abt so qcli, bt ẃn it cem t rest fr a secnd y sw it wz a fẹri, no longr ɖn yr hand, bt stl growñ. It wz a grl cōld Tncr Bel xqiztli gǎnd in a scelitn līf, cut lo n sqer, ʈru ẃć hr figr cd b sìn t ɖ bst advantij. Ś wz slîtli inclînd t embonpoint.
A momnt aftr ɖ fẹri’z entṛns ɖ windo wz bloun opn bî ɖ briɖñ v ɖ litl starz, n Pītr dropt in. H hd carid Tncr Bel part v ɖ we, n hiz hand wz stl mesi wɖ ɖ fẹri dust.
“Tncr Bel,” h cōld softli, aftr mcñ śr ɖt ɖ ćildṛn wr aslip, “Tnc, ẃr r y?” Ś wz in a jug fr ɖ momnt, n lîcñ it xtrimli; ś hd nvr bn in a jug bfr.
“Ǒ, d cm ǎt v ɖt jug, n tel m, d y nǒ ẃr ɖe pt mî śado?”
Ɖ luvliist tncl az v goldn belz ansrd him. It z ɖ fẹrilanḡj. Y ordnri ćildṛn cn nvr hír it, bt f y wr t hír it y wd nǒ ɖt y hd hŕd it wns bfr.
Tnc sd ɖt ɖ śado wz in ɖ big box. Ś mnt ɖ ćst v drorz, n Pītr jumt at ɖ drorz, scaṭrñ ɖer contents t ɖ flor wɖ bʈ handz, az cñz tos hêpns t ɖ crǎd. In a momnt h hd rcuvrd hiz śado, n in hiz dlît h fgot ɖt h hd śut Tncr Bel p in ɖ dror.
F h ʈt at ol, bt I d’nt b’liv h evr ʈt, it wz ɖt h n hiz śado, ẃn bròt nir ć uɖr, wd jôn lîc drops v wōtr, n ẃn ɖe dd nt h wz apōld. H traid t stic it on wɖ sop fṛm ɖ baʈrūm, bt ɖt olso feld. A śudr pást ʈru Pītr, n h sat on ɖ flor n craid.
Hiz sobz wouc Wndi, n ś sat p in bed. Ś wz nt alarmd t si a strenjr crayñ on ɖ nrṣriflor; ś wz onli plezntli inṭrestd.
“Bô,” ś sd crtịsli, “ẃ r y crayñ?”
Pītr cd b xidñ p’lît olso, hvñ lrnt ɖ grand manr at fẹriseriṃniz, n h rouz n baud t hr bytifli. Ś wz mć plizd, n baud bytifli t him fṛm ɖ bed.
“Ẃt’s yr nem?” h asct.
“Wndi Môra Anɉla Darlñ,” ś rplaid wɖ sm saṭsfax́n. “Ẃt z yr nem?”
“Pītr Pan.”
Ś wz olrdi śr ɖt h mst b Pītr, bt it dd sīm a cmpaṛtivli śort nem.
“Z ɖt ol?”
“Yes,” h sd rɖr śarpli. H flt fr ɖ frst tîm ɖt it wz a śortiś nem.
“I’m so sori,” sd Wndi Môra Anɉla.
“It dz’nt matr,” Pītr gulpt.
Ś asct ẃr h livd.
“Secnd t ɖ rît,” sd Pītr, “n ɖen stret on tl mornñ.”
“Ẃt a funi adres!”
Pītr hd a sncñ. Fr ɖ frst tîm h flt ɖt phps it wz a funi adres.
“No, it z’nt,” h sd.
“I mīn,” Wndi sd nîsli, rmemḅrñ ɖt ś wz hostes, “z ɖt ẃt ɖe pt on ɖ letrz?”
H wśt ś hd nt mnśnd letrz.
“D’nt gt eni letrz,” h sd cntmtẏsli.
“Bt yr muɖr gts letrz?”
“D’nt hv a muɖr,” h sd. Nt onli hd h no muɖr, bt h hd nt ɖ slîtist dzîr t hv wn. H ʈt ɖm vri ovŗetd prsnz. Wndi, hvr, flt at wns ɖt ś wz in ɖ prezns v a traɉdi.
“O Pītr, no wundr y wr crayñ,” ś sd, n got ǎt v bed n ran t him.
“I wz’nt crayñ abt muɖrz,” h sd rɖr indignntli. “I wz crayñ bcz I c’nt gt mî śado t stic on. Bsdz, I wz’nt crayñ.”
“It hz cm of?”
“Yes.”
Ɖen Wndi sw ɖ śado on ɖ flor, lcñ so dragld, n ś wz frîtḟli sori fr Pītr. “Hǎ ōfl!” ś sd, bt ś cd nt hlp smîlñ ẃn ś sw ɖt h hd bn trayñ t stic it on wɖ sop. Hǎ xacli lîc a bô!
Forćṇtli ś ń at wns ẃt t d. “It mst b soun on,” ś sd, jst a litl patṛnîzñli.
“Ẃt’s soun?” h asct.
“Y’r dredḟli ignṛnt.”
“No, I’m nt.”
Bt ś wz xultñ in hiz ignṛns. “I śl sou it on fr y, mî litl man,” ś sd, ɖo h wz tōl az hrslf, n ś got ǎt hr hǎswîf, n soud ɖ śado on t Pītr’z ft.
“I derse it wl hrt a litl,” ś wornd him.
“Ǒ, I ś’nt crî,” sd Pītr, hu wz olrdi v ɖ opińn ɖt h hd nvr craid in hiz lîf. N h clenćt hiz tīʈ n dd nt crî, n sn hiz śado wz bhevñ proprli, ɖo stl a litl crīst.
“Phps I śd hv aynd it,” Wndi sd ʈōtḟli, bt Pītr, bôlîc, wz indifṛnt t apiṛnsz, n h wz nǎ jumpñ abt in ɖ wîldist gli. Alas, h hd olrdi fgotn ɖt h oud hiz blis t Wndi. H ʈt h hd ataćt ɖ śado himslf. “Hǎ clevr I am!” h croud rapćṛsli, “ǒ, ɖ clevrnis v m!”
It z hymilietñ t hv t cnfes ɖt ɖs cnsit v Pītr wz wn v hiz most faṣnetñ qoḷtiz. T pt it wɖ brūtl francnis, ɖr nvr wz a cocịr bô.
Bt fr ɖ momnt Wndi wz śoct. “Y cnsit,” ś xclemd, wɖ frîtfl sarcazm; “v cors I dd nʈñ!”
“Y dd a litl,” Pītr sd cerlisli, n cntinyd t dans.
“A litl!” ś rplaid wɖ ǒtŕ; “f I am no ys I cn at līst wɖdrw,” n ś sprañ in ɖ most digṇfaid we intu bed n cuvrd hr fes wɖ ɖ blancits.
T indys hr t lc p h pritndd t b gwñ awe, n ẃn ɖs feld h sat on ɖ end v ɖ bed n tapt hr jntli wɖ hiz ft. “Wndi,” h sd, “d’nt wɖdrw. I c’nt hlp crowñ, Wndi, ẃn I’m plizd wɖ mslf.” Stl ś wd nt lc p, ɖo ś wz liṣnñ īgrli. “Wndi,” h cntinyd, in a vôs ɖt no wmn hz evr yt bn ebl t rzist, “Wndi, wn grl z mor ys ɖn twenti bôz.”
Nǎ Wndi wz evri inć a wmn, ɖo ɖr wr nt vri mni inćz, n ś pīpt ǎt v ɖ bedcloɖz.
“D y riyli ʈnc so, Pītr?”
“Yes, I d.”
“I ʈnc it’s prficli swīt v y,” ś dclerd, “n I’l gt p agn,” n ś sat wɖ him on ɖ sîd v ɖ bed. Ś olso sd ś wd gv him a cis f h lîct, bt Pītr dd nt nǒ ẃt ś mnt, n h hld ǎt hiz hand xpctntli.
“Śrli y nǒ ẃt a cis z?” ś asct, agast.
“I śl nǒ ẃn y gv it t m,” h rplaid stifli, n nt t hrt hiz fīlñ ś gev him a ʈimbl.
“Nǎ,” sd h, “śl I gv y a cis?” n ś rplaid wɖ a slît primnis, “F y plīz.” Ś md hrslf rɖr ćīp bî inclînñ hr fes twd him, bt h mirli dropt an ecornbutn intu hr hand, so ś slǒli rtrnd hr fes t ẃr it hd bn bfr, n sd nîsli ɖt ś wd wer hiz cis on ɖ ćen arnd hr nec. It wz luci ɖt ś dd pt it on ɖt ćen, fr it wz afṭwdz t sev hr lîf.
Ẃn ppl in ǎr set r intṛdyst, it z custmri fr ɖm t asc ć uɖr’z ej, n so Wndi, hu olwz lîct t d ɖ c’rect ʈñ, asct Pītr hǎ old h wz. It wz nt riyli a hapi qsćn t asc him; it wz lîc an xaṃneśnpepr ɖt ascs gramr, ẃn ẃt y wont t b asct z Cñz v Ñgḷnd.
“I d’nt nǒ,” h rplaid unīẓli, “bt I am qt yuñ.” H riyli ń nʈñ abt it, h hd mirli sspiśnz, bt h sd at a vnćr, “Wndi, I ran awe ɖ de I wz born.”
Wndi wz qt s’prîzd, bt inṭrestd; n ś indcetd in ɖ ćarmñ drw̃rūm manr, bî a tuć on hr nîtgǎn, ɖt h cd sit nirr hr.
“It wz bcz I hŕd faɖr n muɖr,” h xplend in a lo vôs, “tōcñ abt ẃt I wz t b ẃn I bcem a man.” H wz xtrordnṛli ajtetd nǎ. “I d’nt wont evr t b a man,” h sd wɖ paśn. “I wont olwz t b a litl bô n t hv fun. So I ran awe t Cnzñtn Gardnz n livd a loñ loñ tîm amñ ɖ fẹriz.”
Ś gev him a lc v ɖ most intns adṃreśn, n h ʈt it wz bcz h hd run awe, bt it wz riyli bcz h ń fẹriz. Wndi hd livd sć a homlîf ɖt t nǒ fẹriz struc hr az qt dlîtfl. Ś pord ǎt qsćnz abt ɖm, t hiz s’prîz, fr ɖe wr rɖr a ńsns t him, gtñ in hiz we n so on, n indd h smtmz hd t gv ɖm a hîdñ. Stl, h lîct ɖm on ɖ hol, n h tld hr abt ɖ bginñ v fẹriz.
“Y si, Wndi, ẃn ɖ frst bebi laft fr ɖ frst tîm, its laf brouc intu a ʈǎznd pìsz, n ɖe ol wnt scipñ abt, n ɖt wz ɖ bginñ v fẹriz.”
Tīdịs tōc ɖs, bt biyñ a ste-at-hom ś lîct it.
“N so,” h wnt on gd-nećrdli, “ɖr òt t b wn fẹri fr evri bô n grl.”
“Òt t b? Z’nt ɖr?”
“No. Y si ćildṛn nǒ sć a lot nǎ, ɖe sn d’nt b’liv in fẹriz, n evri tîm a ćîld sz, ‘I d’nt b’liv in fẹriz,’ ɖr z a fẹri smẃr ɖt fōlz dǎn ded.”
Riyli, h ʈt ɖe hd nǎ tōct inuf abt fẹriz, n it struc him ɖt Tncr Bel wz cīpñ vri qayt. “I c’nt ʈnc ẃr ś hz gn t,” h sd, rîzñ, n h cōld Tnc bî nem. Wndi’z hart wnt flutr wɖ a sudn ʈril.
“Pītr,” ś craid, clućñ him, “y d’nt mīn t tel m ɖt ɖr z a fẹri in ɖs rūm!”
“Ś wz hir jst nǎ,” h sd a litl impeśntli. “Y d’nt hír hr, d y?” n ɖe bʈ lisnd.
“Ɖ onli sǎnd I hír,” sd Wndi, “z lîc a tncl v belz.”
“Wel, ɖt’s Tnc, ɖt’s ɖ fẹrilanḡj. I ʈnc I hír hr tù.”
Ɖ sǎnd cem fṛm ɖ ćst v drorz, n Pītr md a meri fes. Nwn cd evr lc qt so meri az Pītr, n ɖ luvliist v grglz wz hiz laf. H hd hiz frst laf stl.
“Wndi,” h ẃisprd glīḟli, “I d b’liv I śut hr p in ɖ dror!”
H let pur Tnc ǎt v ɖ dror, n ś flù abt ɖ nrṣri scrīmñ wɖ fyri. “Y śd’nt se sć ʈñz,” Pītr rtortd. “V cors I’m vri sori, bt hǎ cd I nǒ y wr in ɖ dror?”
Wndi wz nt liṣnñ t him. “O Pītr,” ś craid, “f ś wd onli stand stl n let m si hr!”
“Ɖe hardli evr stand stl,” h sd, bt fr wn momnt Wndi sw ɖ r’mantic figr cm t rest on ɖ ccucloc. “O ɖ luvli!” ś craid, ɖo Tnc’s fes wz stl dstortd wɖ paśn.
“Tnc,” sd Pītr emịbli, “ɖs ledi sz ś wśz y wr hr fẹri.”
Tncr Bel ansrd inṣḷntli.
“Ẃt dz ś se, Pītr?”
H hd t trnzlet. “Ś z nt vri p’lît. Ś sz y r a gret ugli grl, n ɖt ś z mî fẹri.”
H traid t argy wɖ Tnc. “Y nǒ y c’nt b mî fẹri, Tnc, bcz I am a jntlmn n y r a ledi.”
T ɖs Tnc rplaid in ɖz wrdz, “Y sili as,” n dis’pird intu ɖ baʈrūm. “Ś z qt a comn fẹri,” Pītr xplend apoḷjeticli, “ś z cōld Tncr Bel bcz ś mndz ɖ pots n cetlz.”
Ɖe wr tgɖr in ɖ armćer bî ɖs tîm, n Wndi plaid him wɖ mor qsćnz.
“F y d’nt liv in Cnzñtn Gardnz nǎ—”
“Smtmz I d stl.”
“Bt ẃr d y liv mostli nǎ?”
“Wɖ ɖ lost bôz.”
“Hu r ɖe?”
“Ɖe r ɖ ćildṛn hu fōl ǎt v ɖer p’rambyletrz ẃn ɖ nrs z lcñ ɖ uɖr we. F ɖe r nt clemd in sevn dez ɖe r snt far awe t ɖ Neṿland t dfre xpnsz. I’m captin.”
“Ẃt fun it mst b!”
“Yes,” sd cunñ Pītr, “bt w r rɖr lonli. Y si w hv no fīmel cmpańnśp.”
“R nn v ɖ uɖrz grlz?”
“Ǒ, no; grlz, y nǒ, r mć tù clevr t fōl ǎt v ɖer pramz.”
Ɖs flatrd Wndi imnsli. “I ʈnc,” ś sd, “it z prficli luvli ɖ we y tōc abt grlz; Jon ɖr jst dspîzz s.”
Fr rplî Pītr rouz n cict Jon ǎt v bed, blancits n ol; wn cic. Ɖs sīmd t Wndi rɖr fwd fr a frst mītñ, n ś tld him wɖ spirit ɖt h wz nt captin in hr hǎs. Hvr, Jon cntinyd t slīp so plasidli on ɖ flor ɖt ś alaud him t rmen ɖr. “N I nǒ y mnt t b cnd,” ś sd, rlentñ, “so y me gv m a cis.”
Fr ɖ momnt ś hd fgotn hiz ignṛns abt cisz. “I ʈt y wd wont it bac,” h sd a litl bitrli, n ofrd t rtrn hr ɖ ʈimbl.
“Ǒ dir,” sd ɖ nîs Wndi, “I d’nt mīn a cis, I mīn a ʈimbl.”
“Ẃt’s ɖt?”
“It’s lîc ɖs.” Ś cist him.
“Funi!” sd Pītr grevli. “Nǎ śl I gv y a ʈimbl?”
“F y wś t,” sd Wndi, cīpñ hr hed irect ɖs tîm.
Pītr ʈimbld hr, n olmst imīɉtli ś scrīćt. “Ẃt z it, Wndi?”
“It wz xacli az f smwn wr pŭlñ mî her.”
“Ɖt mst hv bn Tnc. I nvr ń hr so nōti bfr.”
N indd Tnc wz dartñ abt agn, yzñ ofnsiv lanḡj.
“Ś sz ś wl d ɖt t y, Wndi, evri tîm I gv y a ʈimbl.”
“Bt ẃ?”
“Ẃ, Tnc?”
Agn Tnc rplaid, “Y sili as.” Pītr cd nt unḍstand ẃ, bt Wndi unḍstd, n ś wz jst slîtli dis’pôntd ẃn h admitd ɖt h cem t ɖ nrṣriwindo nt t si hr bt t lisn t storiz.
“Y si, I d’nt nǒ eni storiz. Nn v ɖ lost bôz nz eni storiz.”
“Hǎ prficli ōfl,” Wndi sd.
“D y nǒ,” Pītr asct “ẃ swoloz bild in ɖ ìvz v hǎzz? It z t lisn t ɖ storiz. O Wndi, yr muɖr wz telñ y sć a luvli stori.”
“Ẃć stori wz it?”
“Abt ɖ prins hu cd’nt fînd ɖ ledi hu wòr ɖ glas slipr.”
“Pītr,” sd Wndi xîtidli, “ɖt wz Sinḍrela, n h faund hr, n ɖe livd haṗli evr aftr.”
Pītr wz so glad ɖt h rouz fṛm ɖ flor, ẃr ɖe hd bn sitñ, n hurid t ɖ windo.
“Ẃr r y gwñ?” ś craid wɖ msgivñ.
“T tel ɖ uɖr bôz.”
“D’nt g Pītr,” ś intritd, “I nǒ sć lots v storiz.”
Ɖoz wr hr prisîs wrdz, so ɖr cn b no dnayñ ɖt it wz ś hu frst tmtd him.
H cem bac, n ɖr wz a grīdi lc in hiz îz nǎ ẃć òt t hv alarmd hr, bt dd nt.
“Ǒ, ɖ storiz I cd tel t ɖ bôz!” ś craid, n ɖen Pītr gript hr n bgan t drw hr twd ɖ windo.
“Let m g!” ś ordrd him.
“Wndi, d cm wɖ m n tel ɖ uɖr bôz.”
V cors ś wz vri plizd t b asct, bt ś sd, “Ǒ dir, I c’nt. Ʈnc v mumi! Bsdz, I c’nt flî.”
“I’l tīć y.”
“Ǒ, hǎ luvli t flî.”
“I’l tīć y hǎ t jump on ɖ wind’z bac, n ɖen awe w g.”
“Oo!” ś xclemd rapćṛsli.
“Wndi, Wndi, ẃn y r slīpñ in yr sili bed y mt b flayñ abt wɖ m seyñ funi ʈñz t ɖ starz.”
“Oo!”
“N, Wndi, ɖr r mrmeidz.”
“Mrmeidz! Wɖ teilz?”
“Sć loñ teilz.”
“Ǒ,” craid Wndi, “t si a mrmeid!”
H hd bcm frîtḟli cunñ. “Wndi,” h sd, “hǎ w śd ol rspct y.”
Ś wz riġlñ hr bodi in dstres. It wz qt az f ś wr trayñ t rmen on ɖ nrṣriflor.
Bt h hd no piti fr hr.
“Wndi,” h sd, ɖ slî wn, “y cd tuc s in at nît.”
“Oo!”
“Nn v s hz evr bn tuct in at nît.”
“Oo,” n hr armz wnt ǎt t him.
“N y cd darn ǎr cloɖz, n mc pocits fr s. Nn v s hz eni pocits.”
Hǎ cd ś rzist. “V cors it’s ōḟli faṣnetñ!” ś craid.
“Pītr, wd y tīć Jon n Mîcl t flî tù?”
“F y lîc,” h sd indifṛntli, n ś ran t Jon n Mîcl n śc ɖm. “Wec p,” ś craid, “Pītr Pan hz cm n h z t tīć s t flî.”
Jon rubd hiz îz. “Ɖen I śl gt p,” h sd. V cors h wz on ɖ flor olrdi. “Hlo,” h sd, “I am p!”
Mîcl wz p bî ɖs tîm olso, lcñ az śarp az a nîf wɖ six bledz n a sw, bt Pītr sudnli sînd sîḷns. Ɖer fesz asymd ɖ ōfl craftinis v ćildṛn liṣnñ fr sǎndz fṛm ɖ groun-p wrld. Ol wz az stl az sōlt. Ɖen evrʈñ wz rît. No, stop! Evrʈñ wz roñ. Nana, hu hd bn barcñ dstresḟli ol ɖ īvnñ, wz qayt nǎ. It wz hr sîḷns ɖe hd hŕd.
“Ǎt wɖ ɖ lît! Hîd! Qc!” craid Jon, tecñ cmand fr ɖ onli tîm ʈrt ɖ hol advnćr. N ɖus ẃn Lîza entrd, holdñ Nana, ɖ nrṣri sīmd qt its old slf, vri darc, n y wd hv sworn y hŕd its ʈri wicid inmets briɖñ anjelicli az ɖe slept. Ɖe wr riyli dwñ it artḟli fṛm bhnd ɖ windocrtnz.
Lîza wz in a bad tmpr, fr ś wz mixñ ɖ Crisṃs pdñz in ɖ cićn, n hd bn drwn fṛm ɖm, wɖ a rezn stl on hr ćīc, bî Nana’z absrd sspiśnz. Ś ʈt ɖ bst we v gtñ a litl qayt wz t tec Nana t ɖ nrṣri fr a momnt, bt in cusṭdi v cors.
“Ɖr, y sspiśs brūt,” ś sd, nt sori ɖt Nana wz in dsgres. “Ɖe r prficli sef, r’nt ɖe? Evrwn v ɖ litl enjlz sǎnd aslip in bed. Lisn t ɖer jntl briɖñ.”
Hir Mîcl, incurijd bî hiz s’xes, briɖd so lǎdli ɖt ɖe wr nirli dtctd. Nana ń ɖt cnd v briɖñ, n ś traid t drag hrslf ǎt v Lîza’z clućz.
Bt Lîza wz dns. “No mor v it, Nana,” ś sd strnli, pŭlñ hr ǎt v ɖ rūm. “I worn y f y barc agn I śl g stret fr mastr n mis n brñ ɖm hom fṛm ɖ parti, n ɖen, ǒ, w’nt mastr ẃip y, jst.”
Ś taid ɖ unhapi dog p agn, bt d y ʈnc Nana sīst t barc? Brñ mastr n mis hom fṛm ɖ parti! Ẃ, ɖt wz jst ẃt ś wontd. D y ʈnc ś cerd ẃɖr ś wz ẃipt so loñ az hr ćarjz wr sef? Unforćṇtli Lîza rtrnd t hr pdñz, n Nana, siyñ ɖt no hlp wd cm fṛm hr, strend n strend at ɖ ćen untl at last ś brouc it. In anɖr momnt ś hd brst intu ɖ dînñrūm v 27 n fluñ p hr pwz t hevn, hr most xpresiv we v mcñ a cḿṇceśn. Mr n Msz Darlñ ń at wns ɖt smʈñ teṛbl wz haṗnñ in ɖer nrṣri, n wɖt a gdbî t ɖer hostes ɖe ruśt intu ɖ strīt.
Bt it wz nǎ ten minits sins ʈri scǎndṛlz hd bn briɖñ bhnd ɖ crtnz, n Pītr Pan cn d a gret dīl in ten minits.
W nǎ rtrn t ɖ nrṣri.
“It’s ol rît,” Jon anǎnst, imrjñ fṛm hiz hîdñples.
“I se, Pītr, cn y riyli flî?”
Instd v truḅlñ t ansr him Pītr flù arnd ɖ rūm, tecñ ɖ mantlpìs on ɖ we.
“Hǎ topñ!” sd Jon n Mîcl.
“Hǎ swīt!” craid Wndi.
“Yes, I’m swīt, ǒ, I am swīt!” sd Pītr, fgetñ hiz manrz agn.
It lct dlîtḟli īzi, n ɖe traid it frst fṛm ɖ flor n ɖen fṛm ɖ bedz, bt ɖe olwz wnt dǎn instd v p.
“I se, hǎ d y d it?” asct Jon, rubñ hiz ni. H wz qt a practicl bô.
“Y jst ʈnc luvli wundrfl ʈōts,” Pītr xplend, “n ɖe lift y p in ɖ er.”
H śoud ɖm agn.
“Y’r so nipi at it,” Jon sd, “cd’nt y d it vri slǒli wns?”
Pītr dd it bʈ slǒli n qcli. “I’v got it nǎ, Wndi!” craid Jon, bt sn h faund h hd nt. Nt wn v ɖm cd flî an inć, ɖo īvn Mîcl wz in wrdz v tū siḷblz, n Pītr dd nt nǒ A fṛm Z.
V cors Pītr hd bn trîḟlñ wɖ ɖm, fr nwn cn flî unls ɖ fẹri dust hz bn bloun on him. Forćṇtli, az w hv mnśnd, wn v hiz handz wz mesi wɖ it, n h blù sm on ć v ɖm, wɖ ɖ most sūprb rzults.
“Nǎ jst wigl yr śoldrz ɖs we,” h sd, “n let g.”
Ɖe wr ol on ɖer bedz, n gaḷnt Mîcl let g frst. H dd nt qt mīn t let g, bt h dd it, n imīɉtli h wz bòrn acrs ɖ rūm.
“I flùd!” h scrīmd ẃl stl in mid-er.
Jon let g n met Wndi nir ɖ baʈrūm.
“Ǒ, luvli!”
“Ǒ, ripñ!”
“Lc at m!”
“Lc at m!”
“Lc at m!”
Ɖe wr nt nirli so elignt az Pītr, ɖe cd nt hlp cicñ a litl, bt ɖer hedz wr bobñ agnst ɖ sīlñ, n ɖr z olmst nʈñ so dliśs az ɖt. Pītr gev Wndi a hand at frst, bt hd t dzist, Tnc wz so indignnt.
P n dǎn ɖe wnt, n rnd n rnd. Hevnli wz Wndi’z wrd.
“I se,” craid Jon, “ẃ śd’nt w ol g ǎt?”
V cors it wz t ɖs ɖt Pītr hd bn lurñ ɖm.
Mîcl wz redi: h wontd t si hǎ loñ it tc him t d a biłn mîlz. Bt Wndi heztetd.
“Mrmeidz!” sd Pītr agn.
“Oo!”
“N ɖr r pîṛts.”
“Pîṛts,” craid Jon, sizñ hiz Súnde hat, “let s g at wns.”
It wz jst at ɖs momnt ɖt Mr n Msz Darlñ hurid wɖ Nana ǎt v 27. Ɖe ran intu ɖ midl v ɖ strīt t lc p at ɖ nrṣriwindo; n, yes, it wz stl śut, bt ɖ rūm wz ablez wɖ lît, n most hart-gripñ sît v ol, ɖe cd si in śado on ɖ crtn ʈri litl figrz in nît atîr src̣lñ rnd n rnd, nt on ɖ flor bt in ɖ er.
Nt ʈri figrz, for!
In a trembl ɖe opnd ɖ strīt dor. Mr Darlñ wd hv ruśt upsterz, bt Msz Darlñ sînd him t g softli. Ś īvn traid t mc hr hart g softli.
Wl ɖe rīć ɖ nrṣri in tîm? F so, hǎ dlîtfl fr ɖm, n w śl ol briɖ a sai v rlif, bt ɖr wl b no stori. On ɖ uɖr hand, f ɖe r nt in tîm, I soḷmli promis ɖt it wl ol cm rît in ɖ end.
Ɖe wd hv rīćt ɖ nrṣri in tîm hd it nt bn ɖt ɖ litl starz wr woćñ ɖm. Wns agn ɖ starz blù ɖ windo opn, n ɖt smōlist star v ol cōld ǎt:
“Cave, Pītr!”
Ɖen Pītr ń ɖt ɖr wz nt a momnt t lūz. “Cm,” h craid impirịsli, n sōrd ǎt at wns intu ɖ nît, foloud bî Jon n Mîcl n Wndi.
Mr n Msz Darlñ n Nana ruśt intu ɖ nrṣri tù lêt. Ɖ brdz wr floun.
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