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 Three Further Continued Peter Pan let poor Tinkerbell out of the drawer and she flew about the nursery screaming and ringing her little bells.
You shouldn't say such things,
Peter retorted.
Of course I'm very sorry,
But how could I know you were in the drawer?
Wendy was not listening.
If only she would stand still and let me see her,
She cried.
They hardly ever stand still,
Said Peter.
But for one moment,
Wendy saw the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock.
Aren't you lovely,
She cried,
Although Tinkerbell's face was still distorted with passion.
Tink,
Said Peter amiably.
This lady says she wishes you were her fairy,
Tinkerbell answered insolently.
What does she say,
Peter?
Peter Pan had to translate.
Tink is not being very polite.
She says you're a great ugly girl and she is my fairy.
Then he tried to argue with Tinkerbell.
You know you can't be my fairy,
Tink,
Because I'm a gentleman and you are a lady.
To this Tink replied in these words,
You silly ass,
And she disappeared into the bathroom.
She is quite a common fairy,
Peter explained apologetically.
She's called Tinkerbell because she mends the pots and the kettles.
They were together in the armchair by this time and Wendy plied him with more questions.
If you don't live in Kensington Gardens now,
Well,
Sometimes I do still.
But where do you live mostly now,
Peter?
With the lost boys.
Who are they?
They're the children who fall after their perambulators when the nurse is looking the other way.
If they're not claimed in seven days,
They're sent far away to the Neverland to defray expenses.
I am the captain.
What fun that sounds.
Yes,
Said cunning Peter,
But we're rather lonely.
You see,
We have no female companionship.
Are none of the others girls?
Oh no,
Girls,
You know,
Are much too clever to fall out of their prams.
This flattered Wendy immensely.
I think,
She said,
It's perfectly lovely the way you talk about girls.
John there just despises us.
For reply,
Peter rose and kicked John out of bed,
Blankets and all,
With one kick.
This seemed to Wendy rather forward for a first meeting,
And she told him with spirit he was not captain in her house.
However,
John continued to sleep so placidly on the floor,
She allowed him to remain there.
And I know you meant to be kind,
She said to Peter,
So you may give me a kiss.
For the moment she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses.
Wendy kept her head erect this time,
And then almost immediately she screeched.
What is it,
Wendy?
It was exactly as if someone was pulling my hair.
That must have been Tink.
I never knew her so naughty before.
Indeed,
Tinkerbell was darting about again using offensive language.
She says she'll do that to you,
Wendy,
Every time I give you a kiss.
But why?
Why,
Tink?
Again,
Tink replied,
You silly ass.
Peter could not understand why,
But Wendy understood,
And she was slightly disappointed when he admitted he came to the nursery window not to see her,
But to listen to stories.
You see,
I don't know any stories,
He said,
None of the lost boys know any stories.
How perfectly awful,
Said Wendy.
Do you know,
Peter asked,
Why swallows build in the eaves of houses?
It's to listen to the stories.
Oh,
Wendy,
Your mother was telling you such a lovely story.
Which story was it?
The one about the prince who couldn't find the lady who wore the glass slipper.
Peter,
Said Wendy excitedly,
That was Cinderella,
And he did find her,
And they lived happily ever after.
Peter was so glad at this that he rose from the floor where they'd been sitting and hurried to the window.
Where are you going,
Said Wendy.
To tell the other boys.
Don't go,
Peter,
She entreated.
I know such a lot of stories.
Those were her precise words,
So there can be no denying it was she who first tempted him.
He came back,
And there was a greedy look in his eyes now which ought to have alarmed her,
But it did not.
All the stories I could tell to the boys,
She cried.
Then Peter gripped her and began to draw her towards the window.
No,
Let me go,
She ordered him.
Wendy,
Come with me and tell the boys.
Of course Wendy was very pleased to be asked,
But she said,
No,
I can't,
Think of mummy.
Besides,
I can't fly.
I'll teach you.
Oh,
How lovely to be able to fly.
Yes,
I'll teach you how to jump on the wind's back,
Then away we go.
Oh,
Exclaimed Wendy rapturously.
Wendy,
Said Peter,
Instead of sleeping in your silly bed,
You might be flying about with me saying funny things to the stars.
Oh,
And Wendy,
There are mermaids.
Mermaids,
With tails,
Such long tails.
Oh,
Cried Wendy,
To see a mermaid.
Peter had now become frightfully cunning.
Wendy,
He said,
How should we all respect you?
Wendy was wriggling her body in distress.
It was quite as if she were trying to remain on the nursery floor,
But Peter had no pity.
Wendy,
He said,
You could tuck us up at night.
Oh,
Said Wendy,
None of us has ever been tucked in at night,
Wendy.
Oh,
Wendy's arms went out to him.
And you could darn our clothes and make pockets for us.
None of us has any pockets.
How could Wendy resist?
Of course,
It's awfully fascinating,
She cried.
Peter,
Would you teach John and Michael to fly too?
If you like,
He said indifferently,
And she ran to John and Michael and shook them to wake up.
Peter Pan has come,
She cried,
And he's going to teach us how to fly.
John rubbed his eyes.
And I'll get up,
He said.
Of course,
He was on the floor already.
Michael was up by this time also,
Looking sharp as a knife with six blades and a saw.
But Peter suddenly signed silence.
Their faces assumed the awful craftiness of children listening to sounds from the grown-up world.
All was still assault.
Then everything was right.
No,
Stop,
Everything was wrong.
Nana,
The dog who'd been barking distressfully all evening,
Was quiet.
And it was her silence they had heard.
Out with the light,
Hide,
Quick,
Cried John,
Taking command for the only time throughout the whole adventure.
And when Liza entered,
Holding Nana,
The nursery seemed quite its old self.
Very dark.
You could have sworn you heard three wicked inmates breathing angelically as they slept.
They were really doing it artfully from behind the window curtains.
Liza was in a bad temper,
For she was mixing the Christmas puddings in the kitchen and had been drawn away from them,
With a raisin still on her cheek,
By Nana's absurd suspicions.
She thought the best way of getting a little quiet was to take Nana to the nursery for a moment.
But in custody,
Of course.
There,
You suspicious brute,
She said.
Not sorry Nana was in disgrace.
They're perfectly safe,
Aren't they?
Every one of the little angels sound asleep in bed.
Just listen to their gentle breathing.
Here,
Michael,
Encouraged by his success,
Breathed so loudly they were nearly detected.
Nana knew that kind of breathing and she tried to drag herself out of Liza's clutches.
But Liza was dense.
No more of it,
Nana,
She said sternly.
I warn you,
If you bark again I'll go straight for the master and missus and bring them home from the party.
And then I won't master whip you just.
At this she tied the unhappy dog up again.
Then she returned to her puddings.
And Nana,
Seeing that no help would come from her,
Strained at the chain until at last she broke it.
