a fairy only lives as long a time as a feather is blown about the air on a windy day. But fairies are so little that a short time seems a good while to them. As the feather flutters they have quite an enjoyable life, with time to be born respectably and have a look round, and to dance once and to cry once and to bring up their children – just as one can go a long way quickly in a motor car. And so motor cars help us to understand fairies.
JANE Everybody grows up and dies except Peter, doesn't they?
WENDY Yes, you see he had no sense of time. He thought all the past was just yesterday. He spoke as if it was just yesterday that he and I had parted – and it was a whole year.
JANE Oh dearie Dear!
WENDY We had a lovely time, but soon I had to go back home, and another year passed, and Spring Cleaning time came again. And oh the terror of me sitting waiting for him – for I was another two niches round the waist! But he never came. How I cried! Another year passed, and still I got into my little frock somehow, and that year he came – and the strangest thing was that he never knew that he had missed a year. I didn't tell him. I meant to, but I saod to him 'What am I to you Peter?' and he said 'You are my mother' – so of course after that I couldn't tell him. But that was the last. Many Spring Cleaning times came round, but never Peter any more. 'Just always be waiting for me' he said, 'and then some time you will hear me crow', but I never heard him crow again. It's just as well Sweetie for you see he would think all the past was yesterday, and he would expect to find me a little girl still – and that would be too tragic. And now you must sleep. (Rises)
JANE I am fearfully awake. Tell me about Nana.
WENDY (at foot of bed) Of course I see now that Nana wasn't a perfect nurse. She was rather old-fashioned in her ideas – she had too much faith in your stocking round your throat, and so on – and two or three times she became just an ordinary dog, and stayed out so late at night with bad companions that father had to get up at two in the morning in his pyjamas to let her in. But she was so fond of children that her favourite way of spending her afternoons off was to go to Kensington Gardens, and follow careless nurses to their homes and report them to their mistresses. As she's old now I have to coddle her a good deal and that's why we give her John's bed to sleep in. (Looking left) Dear Nana! (Flings kiss to the hidden bed)
JANE Now tell me about being married in white with a pink sash.
WENDY Most of the boys married their favourite heroines in fiction and Slightly married a lady of title and so he became a lord.
JANE And one of them married Wendy and so he became my Papa!
WENDY Yes and we bought this house at 3 per cents from Grand-Papa because he felt the stairs. And Papa is very clever, and knows all about Stocks and Shares. Of course he doesn't really know about them, nobody really knows, but in the mornings when he wakes up fresh he says 'Stocks are up and Shares are down' in a way that makes Mummy very, very proud of him.
JANE Now tell me about me.
WENDY At last there came to our heroine a little daughter. I don't know how it is but I just always thought that some day Wendy would have a little daughter.
JANE So did I, mother, so did I! Tell me what she's like.
WENDY Pen cannot describe her, she would have to be written with a golden splash! (Hugs her) That's the end. You must sleep.
JANE I am not a bit sleepy.
WENDY (leaving her) Hsh!
JANE Mother, I think – (pause)
WENDY Well dear, what do you think? (Pause again – Wendy goes and looks and sees that Jane has suddenly fallen asleep) Asleep! (Tucks her in bed, removes the clothes on screen, leisurely, folds and puts them away and then Nana is revealed lying asleep in John's bed beneath the coverlet. She puts down light and sits by fire to sew. Pause – then the night-light over Jane's bed quivers and goes out. Then Peter's crow is heard – Wendy starts up breatheless – then the window opens and Peter flies into the room. He is not a day altered. He is gay. Wendy gasps, sinks back in chair. He sees Nana in bed and is startled. Nana moans, he comes forward avoiding Nana's bed, sees Wendy's dress, thinks she's playing a trick on him)
PETER (gaily jumping in front of her) Hulloh Wendy! (She turns lamplight away from her) Thimbles! (He leaps on to her knee and kisses her)
WENDY (not knowing what to do) Peter! Peter, do you know how long it is since you were here before?
PETER It was yesterday.
WENDY Oh! (He feels her cheek)
PETER Why is there wet on your face? (She can't answer) I know! It's 'cos you are so glad I've come for you. (Suddenly remembers Nana – jumps up) Why is Nana in John's bed?
WENDY (quivering) John – doesn't sleep here now.
PETER Oh the cheek! (Looking carelessly at Jane's bed) Is Michael asleep?
WENDY (after hesitating) Yes. (Horrified at herself) That isn't Michael! (Peter peeps curiously)
PETER (going) Hullo, it's a new one!
WENDY Yes.
PETER Boy or girl?
WENDY Girl.
PETER Do you like her?
WENDY Yes! (Desperate) Peter, don't you see whose child she is?
PETER Of course I do. She's your mother's child. I say, I like her too!
WENDY (crying) Why?
PETER 'Cos now your mother can let you stay longer with me for Spring Cleaning. (Agony of Wendy)
WENDY Peter. I – I have something to tell you.
PETER (running to her gaily) Is it a secret?
WENDY Oh! Peter, when Captain Hook carried us away –
PETER Who's Captain Hook? Is it a story? Tell it me.
WENDY (aghast) Do you mean to say you've even forgotten Captain Hook, and how you killed him and saved all our lives?
PETER (fidgeting) I forget them after I kill them.
WENDY Oh, Peter, your forget everything!
PETER Everything except mother Wendy. (hugs her)
WENDY Oh!
PETER Come on Wendy.
WENDY (miserably) Where to?
PETER To the Little House. (A little strong) Have you forgotten it is Spring Cleaning time – it's you that forgets.
WENDY Peter, Peter! by this time the little house must have rotted all away.
PETER So it has, but there are new ones, even littler.
WENDY Did you build them yourself?
PETER Oh no, I just found them. You see the little house was a Mother and it has young ones.
WENDY You sweet.
PETER So come on. ('Pulling her) I'm Captain.
WENDY I can't come, Peter – I have forgotten how to fly.
PETER I'll soon teach you again. (Blows fairy dust on her)
WENDY Peter, Peter, you are wasting the fairy dust.
PETER (At last alarmed) What is it, Wendy? Is something wrong? Don't cheat me mother Wendy, – I'm only a little boy.
WENDY I can't come with you, Peter – because I'm no longer young and innocent.
PETER (with a cry) Yes you are.
WENDY I'm going to turn up the light, and then you will see for yourself.
PETER (frightened – hastily) Wendy, don't turn up the light.
WENDY Yes. But first I want to say to you for the last time something I said often and often in the dear Never Never Land. Peter, what are your exact feelings for me?
PETER