Peter Pan (8)

" Who don't ? "

There was no answer.

" Do you want an adventure first, or tea ? " said Peter.
" There's a pirate asleep down there in those bushes. If you like, I'll go and kill him ! "

" Tea, please ! " said John, timidly.

Then Peter told them more about the pirates and their dreaded leader, Captain Hook.

They had all heard of him, the most bloodthirsty buccaneer that ever sailed the Spanish Main.

" I cut off his right hand ! " said Peter proudly.

" Then he can't fight ? " asked Wendy.

" Oh, yes ー he has an iron hook instead of a hand, and he uses it like a craw ! "

The chidren shivered.

" One thing you must promise me, " said Peter, his eyes glittering sternly.
" If we meet Captain Hook in open fight, you must leave me to deal with him. "

Just then, Tinker Bell flew up, tinkling a warning.

The pirates had loaded their big gun, Long Tom, and were waiing to shoot.

They could tell where Peter and his friends were, by Tinker's light.

So the children hid her in John's Sunday top hat, which Wendy carried.

Suddenly there was an enormous BANG !
The gun had been fired.

The blast blew them on their backs and scattered them.

Tinker Bell and Wendy were separated from the rest.

This was Tinker bell's great chnce.
She hated Wendy and wanted to get rid of her.

So pretending to be her friend, she led Wendy away, following her golden tinkle, in quite the wrong direction.

(8/30)