Chapter VI. THE LITTLE HOUSE · page 21 2 3101“John, John,” Michael would cry, “wake up!102Where is Nana, John, and mother?”103And then John would rub his eyes and mutter, “It is true, we did fly.”104You may be sure they were very relieved to find Peter.105“Hullo, Peter,” they said.106“Hullo,” replied Peter amicably, though he had quite forgotten them.107He was very busy at the moment measuring Wendy with his feet to see how large a house she would need.108Of course he meant to leave room for chairs and a table.109John and Michael watched him.110“Is Wendy asleep?” they asked.checked by a teacher111“Yes.”112“John,” Michael proposed, “let us wake her and get her to make supper for us,” but as he said it some of the other boys rushed on carrying branches for the building of the house.113“Look at them!” he cried.114“Curly,” said Peter in his most captainy voice, “see that these boys help in the building of the house.”115“Ay, ay, sir.”116“Build a house?” exclaimed John.117“For the Wendy,” said Curly.118“For Wendy?”119John said, aghast.120“Why, she is only a girl!”121“That,” explained Curly, “is why we are her servants.”122“You?123Wendy’s servants!”124“Yes,” said Peter, “and you also.125Away with them.”126The astounded brothers were dragged away to hack and hew and carry.127“Chairs and a fender first,” Peter ordered.128“Then we shall build a house round them.”129“Ay,” said Slightly, “that is how a house is built; it all comes back to me.”130Peter thought of everything.131“Slightly,” he cried, “fetch a doctor.”132“Ay, ay,” said Slightly at once, and disappeared, scratching his head.133But he knew Peter must be obeyed, and he returned in a moment, wearing John’s hat and looking solemn.134“Please, sir,” said Peter, going to him, “are you a doctor?”135The difference between him and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe, while to him make-believe and true were exactly the same thing.136This sometimes troubled them, as when they had to make-believe that they had had their dinners.137If they broke down in their make-believe he rapped them on the knuckles.138“Yes, my little man,” Slightly anxiously replied, who had chapped knuckles.139“Please, sir,” Peter explained, “a lady lies very ill.”140She was lying at their feet, but Slightly had the sense not to see her.141“Tut, tut, tut,” he said, “where does she lie?”142“In yonder glade.”143“I will put a glass thing in her mouth,” said Slightly, and he made-believe to do it, while Peter waited.144It was an anxious moment when the glass thing was withdrawn.145“How is she?” inquired Peter.146“Tut, tut, tut,” said Slightly, “this has cured her.”147“I am glad!”148Peter cried.149“I will call again in the evening,” Slightly said; “give her beef tea out of a cup with a spout to it;” but after he had returned the hat to John he blew big breaths, which was his habit on escaping from a difficulty.150In the meantime the wood had been alive with the sound of axes; almost everything needed for a cosy dwelling already lay at Wendy’s feet.151“If only we knew,” said one, “the kind of house she likes best.”152“Peter,” shouted another, “she is moving in her sleep.”153“Her mouth opens,” cried a third, looking respectfully into it.154“Oh, lovely!”155“Perhaps she is going to sing in her sleep,” said Peter.156“Wendy, sing the kind of house you would like to have.”157Immediately, without opening her eyes, Wendy began to sing:158“I wish I had a pretty house, The littlest ever seen, With funny little red walls And roof of mossy green.”159They gurgled with joy at this, for by the greatest good luck the branches they had brought were sticky with red sap, and all the ground was carpeted with moss.160As they rattled up the little house they broke into song themselves:161“We’ve built the little walls and roof And made a lovely door, So tell us, mother Wendy, What are you wanting more?”162To this she answered greedily:163“Oh, really next I think I’ll have Gay windows all about, With roses peeping in, you know, And babies peeping out.”164With a blow of their fists they made windows, and large yellow leaves were the blinds.165But roses—?166“Roses,” cried Peter sternly.167Quickly they made-believe to grow the loveliest roses up the walls.168Babies?169To prevent Peter ordering babies they hurried into song again:170“We’ve made the roses peeping out, The babes are at the door, We cannot make ourselves, you know, ’Cos we’ve been made before.”171Peter, seeing this to be a good idea, at once pretended that it was his own.172The house was quite beautiful, and no doubt Wendy was very cosy within, though, of course, they could no longer see her.173Peter strode up and down, ordering finishing touches.174Nothing escaped his eagle eyes.175Just when it seemed absolutely finished:176“There’s no knocker on the door,” he said.177They were very ashamed, but Tootles gave the sole of his shoe, and it made an excellent knocker.178Absolutely finished now, they thought.179Not of bit of it.180“There’s no chimney,” Peter said; “we must have a chimney.”181“It certainly does need a chimney,” said John importantly.182This gave Peter an idea.183He snatched the hat off John’s head, knocked out the bottom, and put the hat on the roof.184The little house was so pleased to have such a capital chimney that, as if to say thank you, smoke immediately began to come out of the hat.185Now really and truly it was finished.186Nothing remained to do but to knock.187“All look your best,” Peter warned them; “first impressions are awfully important.”188He was glad no one asked him what first impressions are; they were all too busy looking their best.189He knocked politely, and now the wood was as still as the children, not a sound to be heard except from Tinker Bell, who was watching from a branch and openly sneering.190What the boys were wondering was, would any one answer the knock?191If a lady, what would she be like?192The door opened and a lady came out.193It was Wendy.194They all whipped off their hats.195She looked properly surprised, and this was just how they had hoped she would look.196“Where am I?” she said.197Of course Slightly was the first to get his word in.198“Wendy lady,” he said rapidly, “for you we built this house.”199“Oh, say you’re pleased,” cried Nibs.200“Lovely, darling house,” Wendy said, and they were the very words they had hoped she would say.1 2 3← previousChapter V. 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