SCENE
6

KENSINGTON
GARDENS

First
a front scene with one of the garden walks running from R. to L. On back cloth
a view of the Round Pond. Two boys run by with hoops. A ticket collector hurries
by.

A
boarding school of six girls passes with a starchy governess — all are
played by the mothers of previous scene.

A
scavenger from R. sweeps leaves and rubbish into a heap C. leaves them and exits
L. sweeping as enter R. nurse wheeling pram. A soldier enters L. in military
uniform, he smiles as passes nurse, both look behind at each other — he
sniggers proudly and exits R. — she leaves pram and exits after him admiringly.
A man carrying yacht which is too heavy for him enters R. sees pram, lays the
baby in it on ground, puts yacht in baby's place and exits thankfully wheeling
pram L. Scavenger returns L. still sweeping — sweeps all rubbish into
the pile he has left, including the baby and exits sweeping R.

The
twins in Eton suits enter R. with their mother and meet Slightly — entering
L. He is a street arab carrying a cluster of balloons.

  SLIGHTLY:
Buy a b'loon, ma'am?

  LADY:
Go away, vulgar boy.

  SLIGHTLY:
My wife is ill, ma'am, and I have ten starving children.

  FIRST
TWIN (now very classy): Mama, it's Slightly.

  SECOND
TWIN: Hello, Slightly!

  SLIGHTLY
(mimicking them): How de do, Twins?

  LADY:
How often have I forbid you to talk to that vulgar boy! you may give him a penny,
but you mustn't talk to him.

(She
gives them pennies which they give him. As they exeunt L. Peter steals on dressed
and made up as clown and rubs them with red hot poker — they jump and
he behaves in traditional clown manner — Slightly sits depressed on rail
— Enter Tootles R. — a man of fashion — cane, cigarette, small
moustache — Neither of them sees Peter.)

  TOOTLES:
Do, Slightly? Don't you know me, Slightly?

  SLIGHTLY:
Yes, my lord, but you being a swell now I though you lordship wouldn't like
me to let on as I knowed you.

  TOOTLES:
Rot! I say, slightly, there's nobody looking. I'll shake hands with you. (Does
so.) And you can have that. (Gives him cigarette end.) How do I look
Slightly?

  SLIGHTLY:
Splendid, your lordship.

  TOOTLES:
Look at that, Slightly, and that. (Pointing to his moustache — a prim
lady and gentleman enter R. — he is holding parasol over her.) Excuse
me, lady and gentleman, I don't have the pleasure of knowing you, but look at
that, and that! (Exits R. delighted with himself and exit slightly L. much
admiring.)

  LADY:
The impertinence!

  GENTLEMAN:
Outrageous!

(Peter
from behind takes parasol and puts poker in its place without their knowing
— they exeunt L. the man holding up poker — Peter grins —
Wendy dances on from R. dressed as a columbine.)

  WENDY
(suddenly): Peter, the keeper!

  PETER:
Hide, Wendy!

(They
hide at each side as enter Keeper L. He meets Hook entering R. dressed as schoolmaster
in cap and gown and carrying birch. The hook is hidden.)

  STARKEY
(shaking): Captain Hook! (Goes on knees.)

  HOOK:
You know me! Who are you? (Starkey pulls off his beard.) Starkey! So
you escaped also!

  STARKEY:
Ay, I swam ashore, but I thought your crocodile had got you.

  HOOK:
No, I gave him this in the eye (holding up Hook) and he had to let go.
Starkey, you're now an honest man — for shame!

  STARKEY
(cringing): Times are so hard. T'was those boys did for us.

  HOOK:
That's why I'm a schoolmaster — to revenge myself on boys! I hook them
so, Starkey (indicating how he lifts them by waist) and then I lay on
like this! When it was found out what a useful hook I had every school in merry
England clamored for my services.

  STARKEY:
What's clamored?

  HOOK:
Yelled. But that's not enough — I want Peter Pan himself. Starkey, I dream
at nights that I'm laying on to Peter Pan. I'll have him yet — he's here!

  STARKEY:
Here?

  HOOK:
He paints his face that none may recognise him as a boy who ought to be at school.

  STARKEY:
A boy who, they say, lives here both night and day?

  HOOK:
In some magic house. That's Peter.

  STARKEY:
Now I know him — and his mother too.

  HOOK:
That's Wendy, and she has broke the law by not sending her boy to school. Come,
bully, let's catch them — Peter I'll look after, and Mother Wendy,
she shall go to jail! They can't escape me, I have assistant masters watching
at all the gates. (Exeunt L. — Peter and Wendy emerge quaking —
Tippy has been darting about.)

  PETER:
He's bound to get us! Oh, I wish I hadn't become a clown. Boys oughtn't to be
too funny, but just funny enough.

  WENDY:
Our dress makes us so conspicuous.

  PETER:
What's conspicuous?

  WENDY:
Easy to pick out.

  PETER:
School, Wendy!

  WENDY:
Jail, Peter! Tippy alone can save us.

  PETER:
Tippy! (They go on knees to Tippy who has alighted in grass — Tippy
rings.) She says she will save me but not you.

  WENDY:
Oh!

  PETER
(rising): Tippy, I refuse.

  WENDY:
Where are you going?

  PETER:
To give myself up to Hook if he promises to spare you.

  WENDY:
No, Peter, no, take Tippy's help and let me go to Jail.

  PETER:
Never! Goodbye! (They embrace tragically — bells.) She says "Stop
that thimbling and I'll save you both!"

  WENDY:
Dear fairy!

  PETER:
Tippy, be quick. (Tippy darts away L.)

  WENDY:
I wonder how she'll do it? (A sound as of a cracker being pulled is heard.)
What's that? It sounds like someone pulling crackers! (Another — then
the two boys with hoops run by — they are now in clown make-up and dress.)

  PETER:
Wendy, I believe she's making them all like me so that Hook won't be able to
pick me out. (Another cracker.) Oh look! (A nursery maid dressed as
columbine enters L. with pram.) Do you think she knows she's like that?

  WENDY:
Excuse me, nurse — do you know you're like that?

  NURSE:
Like what? (Looks down and is astounded.) Lawks! (She dances, then
in sudden alarm lifts child in pram — it is now a clown.) Oh! What
will mussus say!

  LADY
(looking behind): What disgraceful dresses for school-girls, Charles!

  GENTLEMAN:
Monstrous, my love.

  WENDY:
Peter, you can break it to that one.

  PETER:
Lady, look down. (Sensation.)

  LADY:
Charles!

  GENTLEMAN:
Katie, for shame.

  LADY:
Charles, take me home!

  GENTLEMAN:
No, Katie, for the children's sake I can never take you home again. Farewell,
for ever! (Exit L.)

  LADY:
Charles! (Rushes after him.)

  PETER
(imitating her): Charles — Charles —

(Exits
after with comic burlesque of her — and seems to return still burlesquing
her, but not quaking — It is, however, another clown like him in appearance
who comes on — the idea being to deceive the audience into thinking this
is still Peter.)

  WENDY:
Oh, Peter, how naughty of you! (She suddenly sees Hook coming L.) Run,
Peter, run!

(As
Hook enters L. Wendy rushes off R. eluding starkey who enters R. — Hook
and Starkey bar Peter's way — he dodges, &c but they at last clutch
him.)

  HOOK:
I have him now!

  STARKEY:
Are you sure it's Peter?

  HOOK:
I'll soon show you it's Peter. (Wipes the make-up off boy's face and he stands
revealed as another boy — perhaps Alex, John or one of the lost children.
Hook and Starkey stare — exit boy impudently.) I'll have him yet!

(Signs
L. and a number of assistant masters in cap and gown and birch enter and follwo
him andStarkey out R. stealthily, and with pantomime business — The crocodile
appears and exits doggedly after them.

The
Scene changes to another scene in the Kensington Gardens, the whole stage now
being used and this is got merely by raisng back cloth of first scene. The Serpentine
is new scene on back cloth — Up stage C. is the little house. The centre
is turf under trees, and it is covered with clowns, pantaloons, columbines and
harlequins, very gay and animated and all engaged in a dance in character ie.
is to say it is a dance in which clowns do polka business, columbines run up
harlequins, pantaloons are knocked down &c — Hook is seen hiding in
a prctical tree R. half down stage — As the dance goes on, assistant masters
occasionally rush forward, capture a clown and rub his face when he always turns
out not to be Peter. There is a dramatic pause in dance at these times, and
then it is gaily resumed suddenly a clang makes all stop.

  ONE
(as in Crichton): Was that a ship's gun, Gov? (Clang.)

  ANOTHER:
It was the closing of the gates!

  TOOTLES:
I don't want to be shut up here all night — do you, Twins?

  FIRST
TWIN: Rather not.

  TOOTLES:
Do you, Curly?

  CURLY:
Rather not.

  TOOTLES:
Do you, John?

  JOHN
: Rather not.

  TOOTLES:
Do you, Alexander?

  ALEX:
Rather not.

  TOOTLES:
Do you, Peter?

(Dramatic
pause as masters creep forward to see who will answer — clang of
gates and everybody rushes away except Hook in tree — Peter with face
clean comes out of little house and sits at door playing childishly on a whistle
— Hook is triumphant and prepares to come down tree and seize him —
the crocodile emerges from Serpentine, comes down and rears forepart of his
monstrous body against tree with great mouth open — Hook unconscious of
his danger comes down feet foremost, his feet, legs &c enter crocodile —
he just realises his position as his head is also going down. Crocodile closes
mouth. Peter has been looking on unconcernedly at the incident and still whistling.
On crodocile's way back to Serpentine it opens its mouth and Hook looks out.)

  HOOK
(to Peter): No words of mine can indicate my utter contempt for you.

  PETER;
Thou not altogether unheroic figure, farewell.

  HOOK:
Peter, do you think you could get me a pack of cards quick, Peter?

(Crocodile
shuts mouth — Peter crows — Crocodile disappears in Serpentine.
The little house lights up from inside and Wendy and Mrs D. emerge. The latter
is in ordinary dress — all has been fantastic so far, but now they are
strictly matter of fact.)

  MRS
D.: Well, goodbye, Wendy — I'm very glad to find you so comfortable.

  WENDY:
you really do like the house?

  MRS
D.: Immensely, of course it's small, Wendy.

  WENDY:
It is small — Peter, don't bite your nails. But you see, Mother,
I didn't want a tall house. Stairs are such a bother to servants.

  MRS
D.: Yes indeed, still, as you don't have any servants, my love?

  WENDY:
True, true. But you see, Mummy, it isn't as if we meant to entertain.

  MRS
D.: Quite so. And after all, you're a small family.

  WENDY:
That's just what I say. Most people our size wouldn't have a house at all. Peter,
where do boys who touzle their hair go to? (Darling comes from house in ordinary
clothes.)

  DARLING:
I like your house, Wendy. Gravel soil — south aspect.

  WENDY:
And the cupboard accomodation is so good, Father. I made a point of that. Besides,
we pay no rent.

  DARLING:
And that's a consideration. Though how the keepers allow it, Wendy —

  WENDY:
They don't, but when they try to meddle, Tippy makes the house disappear, you
know.

  DARLING:
She's certainly a clever little creature. (Tippy darts and rings.)

  PETER:
Tippy says she'll let you out if you go now, Grandpa.

  DARLING:
Grandpa! Yes, well, bye bye, Peter — Wendy, a penny?

  WENDY:
Thank you, Father, it will be very useful — of course our expenses are
rather heavy just now.

  MRS
D.: But where is Nana? (Calling.) Nana, we are going. I must say
Nana hasn't been nearly such a good nurse since she had puppies of her own.

(Enter
Nana followed by two real Newfoundland puppies — leave-takings and exeunt
all but Peter and Wendy who kiss hands and wave — clock in little house
strikes six.)

  WENDY:
Peter, sweetest, bath time! (Lifts him up in her arms.)

  PETER:
Are you so glad, glad glad, Mummy, that I'm your son?

  WENDY:
Peter, I consider it such a privilege!

(Hugs
him in motherly way. They wave handkerchiefs to audience, as it were, from door
of little house. There is no moon but many stars — these twinkle violently.
For a moment many go out leaving stage dark, and in this moment the house is
removed and Peter and Wendy exeunt. At same time the house is flung on stage
by the Peppers ghost illustion and also Peter and Wendy are flung by same illusion
so that as stars beam again it seems to audience that the house is still there
and that the children are still at door waving. Footsteps are heard. They are
the steps of Starkey as keeper with lantern. As he appears trudging by the house
and children are no longer there. When he has passed, they are there again.
Stars all go out. Blackness.

CURTAIN

                                                                                       March
1 1904.