Питер Пен / Peter Pan

John and Wendy were playing at their favourite game of being Father and Mother[10 - game of being Father and Mother – игра в папу и маму]. Then Mr. Darling appeared. Mr. Darling was very much excited because he could not fasten his evening tie (evening ties are difficult things to fasten, you know). Mrs. Darling easily managed that for him. She decided to tell him about the boy. At first he smiled, but he became thoughtful when she showed him the shadow.

“It is nobody I know,” he said, examining it carefully, “but it does look a scoundrel.

”

“We were still discussing it, you remember,” says Mr. Darling, “when Nana came in with Michael’s medicine. You will never carry the bottle in your mouth again, Nana, and it is all my fault.”

Unfortunately, in going to the bathroom, Nana accidentally brushed against Mr. Darling’s beautifully pressed black trousers, and left some of her grey clinging hairs upon them. Now no grown-up person likes hairy trousers, so Mr. Darling was very rude with Nana.

Mrs.

Darling told her husband how glad she was to have such a treasure as Nana for a nurse. “You see how very useful Nana is,” concluded Mrs. Darling, as the faithful dog came in with Michael’s bottle of cough mixture. But Michael refused to take his medicine. “Won’t; won’t!” Michael cried naughtily. Mrs. Darling left the room to get a chocolate for him.

“Michael, when I was your age,” said Mr. Darling, “I took medicine without a murmur. I said, ‘Thank you, kind parents, for giving me bottles to make me well[11 - to make me well – чтобы я выздоровел].

’”

He really thought this was true, and Wendy believed it also, and she said, to encourage Michael, “That medicine you sometimes take, father, is much nastier, isn’t it?”

“Ever so much nastier[12 - Ever so much nastier – Гораздо противнее],” Mr. Darling said bravely, “and I am ready to take it now as an example to you, Michael, but I lost the bottle.”

He did not exactly lose it; he climbed in the night to the top of the wardrobe and hid it there.

What he did not know was that the faithful Liza found it, and put it back on his table.

“I know where it is, father,” Wendy cried. “I’ll bring it!”

“Very well,” said Mr. Darling, “we shall see who is the braver.”

Wendy returned with the medicine in a glass.

“You were wonderfully quick,” her father said. “Michael first,” he added doggedly.

“Father first,” said Michael, who was very suspicious.

“Come on, father,” said John.