The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two... They are forbidden by Peter to look in the least like him, and they wear the skins of the bears slain by themselves, in which they are so round and furry that when they fall they roll. They have therefore become very sure-footed.
Peter Pan, by JM Barrie
1980, illustrator Trina Schart Hyman
from kidpix
4 comments:
Aw, god. Children's literature used to trust that children were capable of dealing with a sort of unreality that mirrored their own magical thoughts.
And the children were sure-footed.
This has inspired me to get a copy of that book... not sure why I don't have one already.
I miss death in children's stories. They kill and are killed. Serious stuff, gets you ready for real life.
The end of this book, when the Lost Boys have gone back to England and are starting to forget how to fly, was one of the most disturbing and sad things I read as a child. And I read some fucked up shit.
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