It was Spring again, at last. It had been a long winter for Wendy Moira Angela Darling, and she was ecstatic to have it over with. To her mother, Mrs. Darling, Spring meant that it was time for Spring Cleaning, and she and Nana, the Nursedog, spent many hours of the day scrubbing windows, sweeping floors and removing old clutter. But young Wendy was expecting quite a different Spring.
All children remember well the story of Wendy, her brothers John and Michael, and their flight to Neverland. All children recall the valor of Peter Pan as he�as always�foiled the schemes of one Captain James Hook. And as you, who were once a child, also know the tale, I won�t have to mention the part about Tigerlily the Indian and Tinkerbell�s exile from Peter�s company, after she attempted to kill Wendy. I�m sure it�s all coming back to you now, as you read. The cobwebs are thick, yes, but you do remember.
At the end of the tale, Wendy is most upset that their time in Neverland was so short, and she begged her mother that she might go again next year. A deal was struck. Peter was to return for her next year, so that she might sew pockets, tell him stories, and clean the house. That was quite a few years ago though.
This year, Wendy would be thirteen years old, and her mother had bought her a new dress for the occasion. It had long sleeves; it tied in the back and had a square collar. It was velvet of the darkest forest green. Wendy laughed as she tried it on, and, spinning around, she enjoyed the flare of the skirt, and admired the sheen from the moonlight in the window.
�Oh, Mother! Won�t Peter love me in this dress!� She ran to the open bay window and sat upon the settee, �Oh, I do hope he comes for me tonight.� She paused a moment, then prattled on, �You know, I was quite surprised when he didn�t come last year, especially since he had come in the fall the year before on accident and you wouldn�t let me go with him. I am fond of him, and he does so need a mother. I�m sure by now he has many pockets that need sewing and the hideout must be covered with dirt. You don�t suppose that he�s forgotten about me, do you? It has been a long time. Why look at me! Do you think he�ll recognize me in this dress and with my hair up?�
When Wendy�s mother laughed, it sounded like peals from a bell. �My dear girl, you must stop your worrying. If he comes, then he will, and if he doesn�t�well, you must behave like a lady and not be upset about it. Surely Peter could never forget you.�
Wendy�s face lit up in a smile, �I certainly hope not.�
�All right, dear. Now I will say goodnight to you and close the door. Shut the window before you fall asleep.� With that, she was gone, and Wendy had the room to herself.
It didn�t feel like the same nursery that she and her brothers had shared before; indeed, all of the boys had gone off to boarding school. The Lost Boys, too, were with her brothers learning mathematics and geography. The empty nursery seemed much too big. And now that it was her own personal room, she had slowly begun to put her toys away. She now had a vanity; a gift from Mr. Darling. Her brothers would have laughed at her attempts at makeup and rouge. She was quite lonely without them, especially during the Spring, when Peter might come. In a year, she herself would be going to finishing school, to learn the ways of being a proper grown-up lady. Perhaps that is why she felt the urgent need to see Peter again, if for one last time to say goodbye.
