This is the story of the Darling family. It is also the story of Peter Pan, a boy who may or may not exist—depending on how old you are.
The Darlings lived at Number 14, a house in London, England, near Kensington Gardens.
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At first, the family was just Mr. George Darling and his wife, Mrs. Darling. But then their children were born. Wendy came first, then John, and then Michael.
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Later, Nana came to live with them. She was the children’s nanny and made sure they were all well-cared for. Nana was a large, no-nonsense Newfoundland dog, who slept on the nursery floor.
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Mr. Darling was a good father and an excellent provider. During the day, he worked in the city as a banker, encouraging people to spend money wisely. He liked to work with numbers at home too.
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Mr. Darling counted how much money the children cost him. How much would he have to spend on their milk and cookies? How much money would he spend on their shirts and coats?
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When the children caught the German measles or the mumps, he worried about the cost of medicine. But he and Mrs. Darling agreed that the children were worth every penny spent.
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Mrs. Darling was more concerned about her children’s minds than about money. She was a lovely lady with a sweet mouth and a romantic sense of the world. Her mind was like a puzzle with many boxes, each one inside the other.
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Mrs. Darling thought about deep things. She worried about how her children were growing up. She knew from her own experience that when a child reaches the age of two, childhood is beginning to end.
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As a young girl, Mrs. Darling had many suitors. All of them wanted to marry her. But George Darling, who was a young man at the time, asked her first. He was very smart. One day, while the other boys were walking to her house to propose, Mr. Darling took a taxi.
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He got there ahead of the others and won her love. She happily gave him all her kisses, except for one. This kiss was her little secret. She saved it in the right corner of her sweet mouth for a special occasion.
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When Mrs. Darling was busy, Nana took care of the children. Nana was a treasure. Every morning, she walked the children in single file to Miss Fulsom’s kindergarten school.
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When they were well-behaved, Nana walked quietly by their side. When they were naughty, she barked and pushed them back into line with her huge head. She always carried an umbrella in her mouth, just in case of rain.
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Mr. Darling hired Nana as a nanny because she was much cheaper than a person. Even though the neighbors might gossip about a dog working as a nanny, the idea made perfect sense to Mr. Darling.
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Before Nana picked up the children from school, she waited in the basement with the other nannies. They complained about having a dog among them, and the neighbors did talk, but the Darlings didn’t care.
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Before bedtime, there was always much merriment at Number 14. The children were allowed to sing and dance before going to bed. Oh, the dances were such fun! Nana barked in time with the music. The other servant, Liza, danced too.
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Mr. Darling watched alone and apart on the sidelines. But Mrs. Darling joined the children and spun around wildly. And sometimes she even planted her secret kiss on the cheek of one of the children.
Yes, the Darling family lived very happily together—until the coming of Peter Pan.