CHAPTER TWELVE

Tinker Bell Saves Peter

Peter had felt very sad when Wendy and the boys left. He was all alone now. He had gone to bed without dinner or a story from Wendy and had slept deeply all night. Peter finally awoke when he heard a knocking on the door of his tree. Peter quickly pulled out his knife.

"Who's out there?" he shouted.

There was no answer.

"Speak if you want to come in!" he said louder.

He listened quietly and heard a sound like bells from the other side of the door.

"Please let me in, Peter," said Tink.

Peter opened the door and felt a little bit happy. At least he still had one friend, even if a small friend. Tink flew inside, full of excitement. She was covered with dirt and began talking quickly. Tinker Bell had learned many things while she was out. She knew that the pirates had killed all the Indians and captured the boys, she had even heard Hook laughing about putting poison in Peter's medicine.

"What's the problem, Tink?"

"The pirates killed all the Indians and captured Wendy and the boys!" she said all at once. She then described how the pirates had tied all the boys up and taken them to their ship.

"I'll save them!" cried Peter, grasping his sword. "I'll drink Wendy's medicine to give me more strength."

"No!" yelled Tink, who had not yet told Peter about the poison.

"Why shouldn't I drink my medicine?" asked Peter with a strange look on his face.

"There is poison in it!"

"Poison? Who could have put poison in it?"

"Captain Hook did."

"That's crazy! Hook couldn't have come down here. You're just jealous of Wendy!"

Tinker Bell could not explain how Hook came down because she didn't know about Slightly's larger hole.

Peter raised the poisoned cup to his mouth, but before he could drink it Tinker Bell flew between the cup and his lips and drank all the medicine.

"How dare you drink all my medicine?" Peter shouted in anger.

The fairy couldn't answer. She was already becoming sick.

"What's wrong?" he said in a worried voice. He could see Tink's face turning green.

"It was poisoned. I am going to die," she said softly.

"Oh, Tink, did you drink the poison to save me?"

"Yes, I did," she replied softly. She then fell down on Peter's bed. Her light became darker and darker; when the light went out, she would be dead.

Tink began to whisper something quietly. Peter came close to her and tried to hear what she was saying. She said that she might be able to live if children still believed in fairies.

Since there were not any children in the house now, Peter looked up to the sky and asked all the children who were dreaming of Neverland in the whole world.

"Do you believe in fairies?" he yelled out to them.

Tink listened to hear the voices that would decide if she would live or die. She could hear many say a soft "yes".

"If you really believe, clap your hands loudly! Please don't let Tink die!" Peter cried.

Then Tink and Peter heard a great clapping coming from thousands of children's hands all over the world. Then all the clapping stopped, because all the mothers of the world had run into their nurseries to see what their children were doing.

But already Tink's life was saved. Her light became bright and her voice strong. She began to fly rapidly around the room.

"They believe!" she cried happily.

"Now I must go to save Wendy!" said Peter.

He grasped his sword and went up his tree. He wanted to fly quickly, but he knew the pirates would see him in the moonlight. He needed to surprise them, so he walked quietly like the Indians walked. While he walked not a single animal except the great crocodile passed him, and the night was silent.

Peter thought about Hook and Wendy and promised himself a terrible promise: "Hook or I will die this time!"

(end of section)