ked them up in the
great bed in the home under the trees, but she herself slept that night
in the little house, and Peter kept watch outside with drawn sword, for
the pirates could be heard carousing far away and the wolves were on the
prowl. The little house looked so cosy and safe in the darkness, with a
bright light showing through its blinds, and the chimney smoking
beautifully, and Peter standing on guard. After a time he fell asleep,
and some unsteady fairies had to climb over him on their way home from
an orgy. Any of the other boys obstructing the fairy path at night they
would have mischiefed, but they just tweaked Peter's nose and passed on.

[Illustration: PETER ON GUARD]

CHAPTER VII

THE HOME UNDER THE GROUND

One of the first things Peter did next day was to measure Wendy and John
and Michael for hollow trees. Hook, you remember, had sneered at the
boys for thinking they needed a tree apiece, but this was ignorance, for
unless your tree fitted you it was difficult to go up and down, and no
two of the boys were quite the same size. Once you fitted, you drew in
your breath at the top, and down you went at exactly the right speed,
while to ascend you drew in and let out alternately, and so wriggled up.
Of course, when you have mastered the action you are able to do these
things without thinking of them, and then nothing can be more graceful.

But you simply must fit, and Peter measures you for your tree as
carefully as for a suit of clothes: the only difference being that the
clothes are made to fit you, while you have to be made to fit the tree.
Usually it is done quite easily, as by your wearing too many garments or
too few; but if you are bumpy in awkward places or the only available
tree is an odd shape, Peter does some things to you, and after that you
fit. Once you fit, great care must be taken to go on fitting, and this,
as Wendy was to discover to her delight, keeps a whole family in perfect
condition.

Wendy and Michael fitted their trees at the first try, but John had to
be altered a little.

After a few days' practice they could go up and down as gaily as buckets
in a well. And how ardently they grew to love their home under the
ground; especially Wendy. It consisted of one large room, as all houses
should do, with a floor in which you could dig if you wanted to go
fishing, and in this floor grew stout mushrooms of a charming colour,
which were used as stools. A Never tree tried har