Fūliś Tūtlz wz standñ lîc a concrr ovr Wndi’z bodi ẃn ɖ uɖr bôz sprañ, armd, fṛm ɖer triz.
“Y r tù lêt,” h craid prǎdli, “I hv śot ɖ Wndi. Pītr wl b so plizd wɖ m.”
Oṿhed Tncr Bel śǎtd “Sili as!” n dartd intu hîdñ. Ɖ uɖrz dd nt hír hr. Ɖe hd crǎdd rnd Wndi, n az ɖe lct a teṛbl sîḷns fél upn ɖ wŭd. F Wndi’z hart hd bn bìtñ ɖe wd ol hv hŕd it.
Slîtli wz ɖ frst t spīc. “Ɖs z no brd,” h sd in a scerd vôs. “I ʈnc ɖs mst b a ledi.”
“A ledi?” sd Tūtlz, n fél atremḅlñ.
“N w hv cild hr,” Nibz sd hōrsli.
Ɖe ol ẃipt of ɖer caps.
“Nǎ I si,” Crli sd: “Pītr wz brññ hr t s.” H ʈrù himslf sorofli on ɖ grǎnd.
“A ledi t tec cer v s at last,” sd wn v ɖ twinz, “n y hv cild hr!”
Ɖe wr sori fr him, bt sorịr fr ɖmslvz, n ẃn h tc a step nirr ɖm ɖe trnd fṛm him.
Tūtlz’ fes wz vri ẃît, bt ɖr wz a digṇti abt him nǎ ɖt hd nvr bn ɖr bfr.
“I dd it,” h sd, rflectñ. “Ẃn lediz yst t cm t m in drīmz, I sd, ‘Priti muɖr, priti muɖr.’ Bt ẃn at last ś riyli cem, I śot hr.”
H muvd slǒli awe.
“D’nt g,” ɖe cōld in piti.
“I mst,” h ansrd, śecñ; “I am so afreid v Pītr.”
It wz at ɖs trajic momnt ɖt ɖe hŕd a sǎnd ẃć md ɖ hart v evrwn v ɖm rîz t hiz mǎʈ. Ɖe hŕd Pītr cro.
“Pītr!” ɖe craid, fr it wz olwz ɖus ɖt h signld hiz rtrn.
“Hîd hr,” ɖe ẃisprd, n gaɖrd hesṭli arnd Wndi. Bt Tūtlz std alūf.
Agn cem ɖt rññ cro, n Pītr dropt in frunt v ɖm. “Grītñz, bôz,” h craid, n mcanicli ɖe s’lūtd, n ɖen agn wz sîḷns.
H frǎnd.
“I am bac,” h sd hotli, “ẃ d y nt ćir?”
Ɖe opnd ɖer mǎɖz, bt ɖ ćirz wd nt cm. H oṿlct it in hiz hest t tel ɖ glorịs tîdñz.
“Gret nyz, bôz,” h craid, “I hv bròt at last a muɖr fr y ol.”
Stl no sǎnd, xpt a litl ʈud fṛm Tūtlz az h dropt on hiz niz.
“Hv y nt sìn hr?” asct Pītr, bcmñ trubld. “Ś flù ɖs we.”
“Ā m!” wn vôs sd, n anɖr sd, “Ǒ, mōrnfl de.”
Tūtlz rouz. “Pītr,” h sd qaytli, “I wl śo hr t y,” n ẃn ɖ uɖrz wd stl hv hidn hr h sd, “Bac, twinz, let Pītr si.”
So ɖe ol std bac, n let him si, n aftr h hd lct fr a litl tîm h dd nt nǒ ẃt t d nxt.
“Ś z ded,” h sd uncumftbli. “Phps ś z frîtnd at biyñ ded.”
H ʈt v hópñ of in a comic sort v we tl h wz ǎt v sît v hr, n ɖen nvr gwñ nir ɖ spot eni mor. Ɖe wd ol hv bn glad t folo f h hd dn ɖs.
Bt ɖr wz ɖ aro. H tc it fṛm hr hart n fest hiz band.
“Huz aro?” h dmandd strnli.
“Mîn, Pītr,” sd Tūtlz on hiz niz.
“Ǒ, dastard hand,” Pītr sd, n h rezd ɖ aro t yz it az a dagr.
Tūtlz dd nt flinć. H bérd hiz brest. “Strîc, Pītr,” h sd frmli, “strîc tru.”
Twîs dd Pītr rêz ɖ aro, n twîs dd hiz hand fōl. “I canot strîc,” h sd wɖ ō, “ɖr z smʈñ stez mî hand.”
Ol lct at him in wundr, sev Nibz, hu forćṇtli lct at Wndi.
“It z ś,” h craid, “ɖ Wndi ledi, si, hr arm!”
Wundrfl t rlet, Wndi hd rezd hr arm. Nibz bnt ovr hr n lisnd revṛntli. “I ʈnc ś sd, ‘Pur Tūtlz,’” h ẃisprd.
“Ś livz,” Pītr sd brīfli.
Slîtli craid instntli, “Ɖ Wndi ledi livz.”
Ɖen Pītr nlt bsd hr n faund hiz butn. Y rmembr ś hd pt it on a ćen ɖt ś wòr rnd hr nec.
“Si,” h sd, “ɖ aro struc agnst ɖs. It z ɖ cis I gev hr. It hz sevd hr lîf.”
“I rmembr cisz,” Slîtli inṭpozd qcli, “let m si it. Ai, ɖt’s a cis.”
Pītr dd nt hír him. H wz begñ Wndi t gt betr qcli, so ɖt h cd śo hr ɖ mrmeidz. V cors ś cd nt ansr yt, biyñ stl in a frîtfl fent; bt fṛm oṿhed cem a weilñ not.
“Lisn t Tnc,” sd Crli, “ś z crayñ bcz ɖ Wndi livz.”
Ɖen ɖe hd t tel Pītr v Tnc’s crîm, n olmst nvr hd ɖe sìn him lc so strn.
“Lisn, Tncr Bel,” h craid, “I am yr frend no mor. Bgon fṛm m fr evr.”
Ś flù on t hiz śoldr n plīdd, bt h bruśt hr of. Nt untl Wndi agn rezd hr arm dd h rlent sfiśntli t se, “Wel, nt fr evr, bt fr a hol wīc.”
D y ʈnc Tncr Bel wz gretfl t Wndi fr rezñ hr arm? Ǒ dir no, nvr wontd t pinć hr so mć. Fẹriz indd r strenj, n Pītr, hu unḍstd ɖm bst, ofn cuft ɖm.
Bt ẃt t d wɖ Wndi in hr preznt delic̣t stet v hlʈ?
“Let s cari hr dǎn intu ɖ hǎs,” Crli sjstd.
“Ai,” sd Slîtli, “ɖt z ẃt wn dz wɖ lediz.”
“No, no,” Pītr sd, “y mst nt tuć hr. It wd nt b sfiśntli rspctfl.”
“Ɖt,” sd Slîtli, “z ẃt I wz ʈncñ.”
“Bt f ś lîz ɖr,” Tūtlz sd, “ś wl dî.”
“Ai, ś wl dî,” Slîtli admitd, “bt ɖr z no we ǎt.”
“Yes, ɖr z,” craid Pītr. “Let s bild a litl hǎs rnd hr.”
Ɖe wr ol dlîtd. “Qc,” h ordrd ɖm, “brñ m ć v y ɖ bst v ẃt w hv. Gut ǎr hǎs. B śarp.”
In a momnt ɖe wr az bizi az teilrz ɖ nît bfr a wedñ. Ɖe scurid ɖs we n ɖt, dǎn fr bedñ, p fr fîrwŭd, n ẃl ɖe wr at it, hu śd apir bt Jon n Mîcl. Az ɖe dragd alñ ɖ grǎnd ɖe fél aslip standñ, stopt, wouc p, muvd anɖr step n slept agn.
“Jon, Jon,” Mîcl wd crî, “wec p! Ẃr z Nana, Jon, n muɖr?”
N ɖen Jon wd rub hiz îz n mutr, “It z tru, w dd flî.”
Y me b śr ɖe wr vri rlivd t fînd Pītr.
“Hlo, Pītr,” ɖe sd.
“Hlo,” rplaid Pītr amicbli, ɖo h hd qt fgotn ɖm. H wz vri bizi at ɖ momnt meẓ́rñ Wndi wɖ hiz fīt t si hǎ larj a hǎs ś wd nīd. V cors h mnt t līv rūm fr ćerz n a tebl. Jon n Mîcl woćt him.
“Z Wndi aslip?” ɖe asct.
“Yes.”
“Jon,” Mîcl pṛpozd, “let s wec hr n gt hr t mc supr fr s,” bt az h sd it sm v ɖ uɖr bôz ruśt on cariyñ branćz fr ɖ bildñ v ɖ hǎs. “Lc at ɖm!” h craid.
“Crli,” sd Pītr in hiz most capṭni vôs, “si ɖt ɖz bôz hlp in ɖ bildñ v ɖ hǎs.”
“Ai, ai, sr.”
“Bild a hǎs?” xclemd Jon.
“Fr ɖ Wndi,” sd Crli.
“Fr Wndi?” Jon sd, agast. “Ẃ, ś z onli a grl!”
“Ɖt,” xplend Crli, “z ẃ w r hr srvnts.”
“Y? Wndi’z srvnts!”
“Yes,” sd Pītr, “n y olso. Awe wɖ ɖm.”
Ɖ astǎndd bruɖrz wr dragd awe t hac n hỳ n cari. “Ćerz n a fndr frst,” Pītr ordrd. “Ɖen w śl bild a hǎs rnd ɖm.”
“Ai,” sd Slîtli, “ɖt z hǎ a hǎs z bilt; it ol cmz bac t m.”
Pītr ʈt v evrʈñ. “Slîtli,” h craid, “feć a doctr.”
“Ai, ai,” sd Slîtli at wns, n dis’pird, scraćñ hiz hed. Bt h ń Pītr mst b obeid, n h rtrnd in a momnt, wẹrñ Jon’z hat n lcñ soḷm.
“Plīz, sr,” sd Pītr, gwñ t him, “r y a doctr?”
Ɖ difṛns btwn him n ɖ uɖr bôz at sć a tîm wz ɖt ɖe ń it wz mc-b’liv, ẃl t him mc-b’liv n tru wr xacli ɖ sem ʈñ. Ɖs smtmz trubld ɖm, az ẃn ɖe hd t mc-b’liv ɖt ɖe hd hd ɖer dinrz.
F ɖe brouc dǎn in ɖer mc-b’liv h rapt ɖm on ɖ nuclz.
“Yes, mî litl man,” Slîtli añśsli rplaid, hu hd ćapt nuclz.
“Plīz, sr,” Pītr xplend, “a ledi lîz vri il.”
Ś wz layñ at ɖer fīt, bt Slîtli hd ɖ sns nt t si hr.
“Tut, tut, tut,” h sd, “ẃr dz ś lî?”
“In yondr gled.”
“I wl pt a glas ʈñ in hr mǎʈ,” sd Slîtli, n h md-b’liv t d it, ẃl Pītr wêtd. It wz an añśs momnt ẃn ɖ glas ʈñ wz wɖdrwn.
“Hǎ z ś?” inqîrd Pītr.
“Tut, tut, tut,” sd Slîtli, “ɖs hz krd hr.”
“I am glad!” Pītr craid.
“I wl cōl agn in ɖ īvnñ,” Slîtli sd; “gv hr bīf ti ǎt v a cup wɖ a spǎt t it;” bt aftr h hd rtrnd ɖ hat t Jon h blù big breʈs, ẃć wz hiz habit on iscepñ fṛm a dificlti.
In ɖ mntm ɖ wŭd hd bn alîv wɖ ɖ sǎnd v axz; olmst evrʈñ nīdd fr a cozi dwelñ olrdi le at Wndi’z fīt.
“F onli w ń,” sd wn, “ɖ cnd v hǎs ś lîcs bst.”
“Pītr,” śǎtd anɖr, “ś z muvñ in hr slīp.”
“Hr mǎʈ opnz,” craid a ʈrd, lcñ rspctḟli intu it. “Ǒ, luvli!”
“Phps ś z gwñ t sñ in hr slīp,” sd Pītr. “Wndi, sñ ɖ cnd v hǎs y wd lîc t hv.”
Imīɉtli, wɖt oṗnñ hr îz, Wndi bgan t sñ:
I wś I hd a priti hǎs,
Ɖ liṭlist evr sìn,
Wɖ funi litl red wōlz
N rūf v mosi grīn.
Ɖe grgld wɖ jô at ɖs, fr bî ɖ gretist gd luc ɖ branćz ɖe hd bròt wr stici wɖ red sap, n ol ɖ grǎnd wz carṗtd wɖ mos. Az ɖe ratld p ɖ litl hǎs ɖe brouc intu soñ ɖmslvz:
W’v bilt ɖ litl wōlz n rūf
N md a luvli dor,
So tel s, muɖr Wndi,
Ẃt r y wontñ mor?
T ɖs ś ansrd grīḍli:
Ǒ, riyli nxt I ʈnc I’l hv
Ge windoz ol abt,
Wɖ rozz pīpñ in, y nǒ,
N bebiz pīpñ ǎt.
Wɖ a blo v ɖer fists ɖe md windoz, n larj yelo līvz wr ɖ blîndz. Bt rozz—?
“Rozz,” craid Pītr strnli.
Qcli ɖe md-b’liv t gro ɖ luvliist rozz p ɖ wōlz.
Bebiz?
T privnt Pītr orḍrñ bebiz ɖe hurid intu soñ agn:
W’v md ɖ rozz pīpñ ǎt,
Ɖ bebz r at ɖ dor,
W canot mc ǎrslvz, y nǒ,
coz w’v bn md bfr.
Pītr, siyñ ɖs t b a gd îdīa, at wns pritndd ɖt it wz hiz ǒn. Ɖ hǎs wz qt bytifl, n no dǎt Wndi wz vri cozi wɖn, ɖo, v cors, ɖe cd no longr si hr. Pītr stroud p n dǎn, orḍrñ fiṇśñ tućz. Nʈñ iscept hiz īgl îz. Jst ẃn it sīmd abṣlutli finiśt:
“Ɖr’z no nocr on ɖ dor,” h sd.
Ɖe wr vri aśemd, bt Tūtlz gev ɖ sol v hiz śu, n it md an xḷnt nocr.
Abṣlutli finiśt nǎ, ɖe ʈt.
Nt v bit v it. “Ɖr’z no ćimni,” Pītr sd; “w mst hv a ćimni.”
“It srtnli dz nīd a ćimni,” sd Jon importntli. Ɖs gev Pītr an îdīa. H snaćt ɖ hat of Jon’z hed, noct ǎt ɖ botm, n pt ɖ hat on ɖ rūf. Ɖ litl hǎs wz so plizd t hv sć a capitl ćimni ɖt, az f t se ʈanc y, smoc imīɉtli bgan t cm ǎt v ɖ hat.
Nǎ riyli n trūli it wz finiśt. Nʈñ rmend t d bt t noc.
“Ol lc yr bst,” Pītr wornd ɖm; “frst impreśnz r ōḟli importnt.”
H wz glad nwn asct him ẃt frst impreśnz r; ɖe wr ol tù bizi lcñ ɖer bst.
H noct p’lîtli, n nǎ ɖ wŭd wz az stil az ɖ ćildṛn, nt a sǎnd t b hŕd xpt fṛm Tncr Bel, hu wz woćñ fṛm a branć n opnli snirñ.
Ẃt ɖ bôz wr wunḍrñ wz, wd enwn ansr ɖ noc? F a ledi, ẃt wd ś b lîc?
Ɖ dor opnd n a ledi cem ǎt. It wz Wndi. Ɖe ol ẃipt of ɖer hats.
Ś lct proprli s’prîzd, n ɖs wz jst hǎ ɖe hd hopt ś wd lc.
“Ẃr am I?” ś sd.
V cors Slîtli wz ɖ frst t gt hiz wrd in. “Wndi ledi,” h sd rapidli, “fr y w bilt ɖs hǎs.”
“Ǒ, se y’r plizd,” craid Nibz.
“Luvli, darlñ hǎs,” Wndi sd, n ɖe wr ɖ vri wrdz ɖe hd hopt ś wd se.
“N w r yr ćildṛn,” craid ɖ twinz.
Ɖen ol wnt on ɖer niz, n holdñ ǎt ɖer armz craid, “O Wndi ledi, b ǎr muɖr.”
“Òt I?” Wndi sd, ol śînñ. “V cors it’s frîtḟli faṣnetñ, bt y si I am onli a litl grl. I hv no riyl xpirịns.”
“Ɖt dz’nt matr,” sd Pītr, az f h wr ɖ onli prsn preznt hu ń ol abt it, ɖo h wz riyli ɖ wn hu ń līst. “Ẃt w nīd z jst a nîs muɖrli prsn.”
“Ǒ dir!” Wndi sd, “y si, I fīl ɖt z xacli ẃt I am.”
“It z, it z,” ɖe ol craid; “w sw it at wns.”
“Vri wel,” ś sd, “I wl d mî bst. Cm insd at wns, y nōti ćildṛn; I am śr yr fīt r damp. N bfr I pt y t bed I hv jst tîm t finiś ɖ stori v Sinḍrela.”
In ɖe wnt; I d’nt nǒ hǎ ɖr wz rūm fr ɖm, bt y cn sqīz vri tît in ɖ Neṿland. N ɖt wz ɖ frst v ɖ mni joys īvnñz ɖe hd wɖ Wndi. Bî n bî ś tuct ɖm p in ɖ gret bed in ɖ hom undr ɖ triz, bt ś hrslf slept ɖt nît in ɖ litl hǎs, n Pītr cept woć ǎtsd wɖ drwn sord, fr ɖ pîṛts cd b hŕd c’rǎzñ far awe n ɖ wlvz wr on ɖ prǎl. Ɖ litl hǎs lct so cozi n sef in ɖ darcnis, wɖ a brît lît śowñ ʈru its blîndz, n ɖ ćimni smocñ bytifli, n Pītr standñ on gard. Aftr a tîm h fél aslip, n sm unstedi fẹriz hd t clîm ovr him on ɖer we hom fṛm an orji. Eni v ɖ uɖr bôz obstructñ ɖ fẹripaʈ at nît ɖe wd hv misćift, bt ɖe jst twīct Pītr’z nǒz n pást on.
