Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,
Your go-to podcast that offers you a calm and relaxing transition into a great night's sleep.
It is time to relax and fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Close your eyes and feel yourself sink into the support beneath you and let all the worries of the day drift away.
This is your time and your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.
There is nothing you need to be doing now,
And nowhere you need to go.
Happy listening.
Chapter Eight further continued.
The fight was short and sharp.
First to draw blood was John,
Who gallantly climbed into the boat and held Starkey.
There was a fierce struggle,
In which the cutlass was torn from the pirate's grasp.
He wriggled overboard and John leapt after him.
The dinghy drifted away.
Here and there a head bobbed up in the water and there was a flash of steel,
Followed by a cry or a whoop.
In the confusion,
Some struck at their own side.
The corkscrew of Smee got toodles in the fourth rib,
But he himself was pinked in turn by Curly.
Farther from the rock,
Starkey was pressing slightly and the twins hard,
But where was Peter?
He was seeking bigger game.
The others were all brave boys,
And they must not be blamed for backing from the pirate captain.
His iron claw made a circle of dead water round him,
From which they fled like affrighted fishes.
But there was one who did not fear him,
One prepared to enter the circle.
Strangely it was not in the water they met.
Hook rose to the rock to breathe and at the same moment Peter scaled it on the opposite side.
The rock was as slippery as a ball and they had to crawl rather than climb.
Neither knew the other was coming.
Each feeling for a grip,
Met the other's arm and in surprise they raised their heads.
Their faces were almost touching.
Some of the greatest heroes have confessed that just before they fell,
They had a sinking.
Had it been so with Peter at that moment,
I would admit it.
After all,
This was the only man that Cook had feared.
But Peter had no sinking.
He had one feeling only,
Gladness,
And he gnashed his pretty teeth with joy.
Quick as a thought,
He snatched a knife from Hook's belt and was about to drive it home,
When he saw he was higher up the rock than his foe.
This would not have been fighting fair,
So he gave the pirate a hand to help him up.
It was then that Hook bit him.
Not the pain of this but its unfairness was what dazed Peter.
It made him quite helpless.
He could only stare horrified.
Every child is affected thus the first time he's treated unfairly.
All he thinks he has a right to when he comes to you to be yours is fairness.
After you have been unfair to him,
He will love you again but never afterwards be quite the same boy.
No one ever gets over the first unfairness.
No one except Peter.
He often met it but he always forgot.
I suppose that was the real difference between him and all the rest.
When he met it now it was like the first time and he could just stare helpless.
Twice the iron hand clawed him and after a few minutes the other boys saw Hook in the water striking wildly for the ship.
No elation on his pestilent face now,
Only white fear for the crocodile was in dogged pursuit of him.
On ordinary occasions the boys would have swum alongside cheering but now they were uneasy.
For they'd lost both Peter and Wendy and were scouring the lagoon for them calling Peter,
Wendy as they went.
But no answer came save mocking laughter from the mermaids.
They must be swimming back or flying the boys concluded.
They were not very anxious because they had such faith in Peter.
And when their voices died away there came a cold silence over the lagoon and then a feeble cry,
Help,
Help.
There were two small figures beating against the rock.
The girl fainted and now she lay on the boy's arm.
Peter knew they would soon be drowned but he could do no more.
As they lay side by side a mermaid caught Wendy by the feet and began pulling her softly into the water.
Feeling her slip from him Peter woke with a start and was just in time to draw her back.
We're on the rock Wendy he said but it's growing smaller soon the water will be over it.
We must go said Wendy yes he answered should we swim or fly Peter?
Do you think you could swim or fly as far as the island Wendy without my help?
Wendy had to admit she was far too tired.
Peter moaned.
What is it?
She asked anxious.
I can't help you Wendy hook wounded me and I can't neither fly nor swim.
Do you mean we should both be drowned?
Look how the water's rising.
They put their hands over their eyes to shut out the sight.
They thought they would soon be no more.
And as they sat thus something brushed against Peter as light as a kiss and stayed there as if saying timidly can I be of any use?
It was the tail of a kite which Michael had made some days before.
It had torn itself out of his hand and floated away.
This is Michael's kite said Peter then the next moment he'd seized the tail and was pulling the kite towards him.
He lifted Michael off the ground he cried why shouldn't it carry you?
Why shouldn't it carry both of us?
Said Wendy.
No it can't lift two Michael and Curly tried.
Let's draw lots said Wendy bravely.
And you a lady never.
Already Peter had tied the tail around her she clung to him and refused to go without him.
But with a goodbye Wendy Peter pushed her from the rock and in a few minutes she was born out of his sight.
Now he was alone on the lagoon.
The rock seemed very small soon it would be submerged.
As he watched pale rays of light tiptoed across the waters and by and by there was to be heard a sound at once the most musical and the most melancholy in the world.
It was the mermaids calling to the moon.
Peter was not quite like other boys but this time he felt afraid.
A tremor ran through him like a shudder passing over the sea.
But on the sea one shudder follows another until there are hundreds of them and Peter just felt the one.
The next moment he was standing erect on the rock again with that smile on his face.
And a drum beating in his heart.
It was saying to die will be an awfully big adventure.
Chapter 9 The Never Bird The last sounds Peter heard before he was quite alone were the mermaids retiring one by one to their bed chambers under the sea.
He was too far away to hear their doors shut but every door in the coral caves where they live rings a tiny bell when it opens or closes and he heard the bells.
Steadily the waters rose till they were nibbling at his feet and to pass the time until they made their final gulp Peter watched the only thing moving on the lagoon.
He thought it was a piece of paper perhaps part of the kite and wondered idly how long it would take to drift ashore.
Presently he noticed an odd thing.
It was undoubtedly out upon the lagoon with some definite purpose for it was fighting the tide and sometimes winning.
Peter always sympathetic to the weaker side could not help clapping what a gallon piece of paper.
But it was not really a piece of paper it was the never bird making desperate efforts to reach Peter on her nest.
By working her wings in a way she'd learned since the nest fell into the water she was able to some extent guide her strange craft.
But by the time Peter recognized her she was very exhausted.
She had come to save him to give him her nest though there were eggs in it.
I'd rather wonder at the bird for though Peter had been nice to her he'd also sometimes tormented her.
I suppose only like Mrs Darling and the rest of them the bird was melted because Peter still had all his first teeth.
She called out to him and he called out to her.
What are you doing there?
He said.
But of course neither of them understood the other's language.
In fanciful stories people can talk to the birds freely and I wish for the moment I could pretend this was such a story.
But truth is best and I want to tell you what really happened.
I want you to get into the nest the bird called speaking as slowly and distinctly as possible.
Then you can drift ashore but I am too tired to bring it any nearer.
You must try to swim.
What are you quacking about?
Peter answered.
Why don't you let the nest drift as usual?
And their conversation went back and forth like this.
Nevertheless the bird was determined to save him and by one last mighty effort she propelled the nest against the rock.
Then she flew up,
Deserted her eggs and made her meaning clear.
At last Peter understood and was grateful.
And watching the bird as she flew up and fluttered overhead he thanked her for saving him from a fate worse than death.
