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 5 Continued As the pirates advanced,
The quick eye of Starkey sighted Nibs disappearing through the wood,
And at once his pistol flashed out,
But an iron claw gripped his shoulder.
Captain,
Let go!
He cried,
Writhing.
Now for the first time we hear the voice of Hook.
It was a very black voice.
Put that pistol back first,
He'd said threateningly.
It was one of those boys you hate.
I could have shot him dead.
Aye,
And the sound would have brought tiger lilies' red skins upon us.
Do you want to lose your scalp?
Shall I ask to him,
Captain?
Asked pathetic Smee,
And tickle him with Johnny Corkscrew.
Smee had pleasant names for everything,
And his cutlass was Johnny Corkscrew because he wriggled it in the wound.
One could mention many lovable traits in Smee,
For instance,
After killing it was his spectacles he wiped instead of his weapon.
Johnny's a silent fellow,
He reminded Hook.
Nod now,
Smee,
Said Hook darkly,
He's only one,
And I want to mischief all the seven.
Scatter and look out for them.
The pirates disappeared among the trees,
And in a moment their captain and Smee were alone.
Hook heaved a heavy sigh.
I know not why it was,
Perhaps it was because of the soft beauty of the evening,
But there came over him a desire to confide to his faithful bosun the story of his life.
He spoke long and earnestly,
But what it was all about,
Smee,
Who was rather stupid,
Did not know.
And on he caught the word Peter.
Most of all,
Hook was saying passionately,
I want their captain Peter Pan,
T'was he who cut off my arm.
He brandished the hook threateningly.
I've waited long to shake his hand with this,
How I'll tear him up.
And yet,
Said Smee,
I have often heard you say that Hook was worth a score of hands for combing the hair and other homely uses.
Aye,
The captain answered,
If I was a mother I'd pray to have my children born with this instead of that.
He cast a look of pride upon his iron hand,
Then one of scorn upon the other.
Then he frowned.
Peter Pan flung my arm to a crocodile that happened to be passing by.
I have often,
Said Smee,
Noticed your strange dread of crocodiles.
Not of crocodiles,
But of that one crocodile,
Hook corrected him.
It liked my arm so much,
Smee,
It's followed me ever since,
Licking its lips for the rest of me.
In a way,
Said Smee,
It's a sort of compliment.
I want no such compliments.
I want Peter Pan,
Who first gave the brute its taste for me.
Captain Hook sat down on a large mushroom,
And now there was a quiver in his voice.
That crocodile would have had me before this,
But by some lucky chance it swallowed a clock which goes tick,
Tick,
Tick inside it.
So before it can reach me,
I hear the tick,
Tick,
Tick,
And I bolt.
Someday,
Said Smee,
The clock will run down,
And then it'll get you.
Aye,
That's the fear that haunts me,
Said Captain Hook.
He examined the mushroom,
Which was a size and solidity unknown on the mainland.
This seat is hot,
He jumped up.
Bots,
Bots,
Hammer and tongs are burning.
Hook and Smee tried to pull it up,
And it came away at once in their hands,
For it had no root.
It's a chimney.
They had indeed discovered the chimney of a home under the ground.
It was the custom of the boys to stop it with a mushroom when enemies were near.
Not only smoke came out of it,
There also came children's voices.
For so safe did the boys feel in their hiding place,
They were gaily chattering.
The pirates listened grimly,
Then replaced the mushroom.
They looked all around them and noted the holes in the seven trees.
Did you hear them say Peter Pan's away from home?
Smee whispered,
Fidgeting with Johnny Corkscrew.
Hook nodded.
He stood for a long time,
Lost in thought,
And at last a curdling smile lit up his swarthy face.
Return to the ship,
Hook replied slowly,
And cook a large rich cake of a jolly thickness with green sugar on it.
There can be but one room below,
For there is but one chimney.
We'll leave the cake on the shore of the mermaid's lagoon.
Those boys are always swimming about there,
Playing with the mermaids.
They'll goggle the cake up,
Because having no mother,
They don't know how dangerous it is to eat rich,
Damp cake.
Ha ha,
He laughed.
Then they will die.
Smee listened with growing admiration.
It's the wickedest,
Prettiest policy I ever heard of,
He cried.
And in their exultation,
They danced around and sang.
Avast,
Belay,
When I appear,
By fear they're overtook.
Nowt's left upon your bones,
When you have shaken claws with Hook.
Just then,
A sound broke in instilled them.
It was at first such a tiny sound,
A leaf might have fallen on it and smothered it,
But as it came nearer,
It was more distinct.
Tick,
Tick,
Tick,
Tick it went,
And Hook stood shuddering,
One foot in the air.
The crocodile,
He gasped,
And bounded away,
Followed by his bosun.
It was indeed the crocodile,
It had passed the redskins,
Who were now on the trail of the other pirates.
At this time,
There was a large white bird flying their way.
What kind of bird do you think?
Cried one of the boys.
I don't know,
Nibs answered awestruck,
But it looked so weary,
And it flies as it moans,
Poor Wendy.
Poor Wendy?
There are birds called Wendy's,
I think.
Here it comes,
Cried Curly,
Pointing to Wendy in the heavens.
Wendy was now almost overhead,
And they could hear her plaintive cry,
But more distinct came the shrill voice of Tinkerbell.
The jealous fairy had now cast off all disguise of friendship,
And was darting at her victim from every direction,
Pinching savagely each time she touched her.
Hello Tink,
Cried the wandering boys.
Tink's reply rang out,
Peter wants you to shoot the Wendy.
But it was not in their nature to question,
When Peter ordered.
So let's do as Peter wishes,
They said,
Get the bows and arrows.
Much to the dismay of Wendy.
All but Tootles popped down their trees.
He had a bow and arrow with him,
And Tink noted it,
And rubbed her little hands.
Quick Tootles,
Quick!
She screamed.
Peter will be so pleased with you,
And with Slightly,
And with Nibs.
Tootles excitedly fixed the arrow to his bow.
Out of the way Tink!
He shouted.
And as all the boys watched,
He aimed and fired.
And poor Wendy fluttered to the ground,
With an arrow deep in her breast.
