The children spent many sunny days at the lagoon.
This was where the mermaids lived and played.
Wendy was fascinated by the mermaids and wanted to meet them.
But the only human they would talk to was Peter.
Sometimes they even let him sit on their tails.
When they saw Wendy, however, they would dive back into the water.
Then they would use their tails to splash her.
So Wendy had to watch from a distance.
The best time to see mermaids was on sunny days after a rain.
Then they surfaced in large numbers to play with their bubbles.
The bubbles were made of rainbow water.
The mermaids hit the colorful bubbles from one to another with their fins until the bubbles burst.
It was lovely to watch.
Sometimes the children came to the lagoon.
They would sit on Marooners' Rock to have a picnic lunch.
First, they would eat, and then Wendy would insist they rest for half an hour before swimming.
Obediently, they would lie down on the rock in the sunlight.
Watching over the children, Wendy would gaze at them with great pride.
It was just such a day on Marooners' Rock when a great adventure occurred.
They had all dozed off except for Wendy, who continued to sew.
Suddenly a great change came over the lagoon.
The sun disappeared, and a chilly breeze made stiff waves in the water.
The surface of the rock became cold. Something frightening was coming.
When Wendy saw the dark gloom rising, she should have awakened the boys.
But being a new mother, she didn't know this.
Instead, she thought it was more important to stick to her rule of a half hour's rest.
Even when she heard the sound of oncoming oars, she let the boys sleep on.
They all continued to sleep—except for Peter.
When he heard the splash of oars, he sprang up with excitement.
"Pirates coming—dive!" he yelled.
Instantly, the children all dove into the water.
The boys and Wendy swam quickly away.
By the time the small pirate boat drew near, Marooners' Rock was deserted.
Three figures stood up in the boat—the pirates Smee and Starkey, and Tiger Lily.
The hands and feet of the Indian princess were tied with rope.
The pirates' plan was to leave their captive on Marooners' Rock.
For centuries, evil captains had tied sailors to the rock, waiting for the tide to rise.
When the water rose, the men drowned.
This was the fate the pirates planned for Tiger Lily too.
Traveling in what was now almost darkness, the pirates crashed into the rock.
"Lift the girl onto the rock!" Smee yelled.
The proud Indian maiden did not resist but continued to hold her head high.
Nearby, two heads bobbed up and down in the water. It was Peter and Wendy.
Wendy wept at the sight of poor Tiger Lily.
Peter was angered by the unfairness of two against one.
Even though Tiger Lily had been an enemy of the boys, he now wanted to save her.
Imitating the voice of Hook to perfection, Peter called out, "Ahoy, you pirates!"
"It's Captain Hook," the pirates said to each other with surprise.
"Captain, we have the Indian princess," they shouted.
"Cut her ropes and set her free," commanded Peter in Captain Hook's voice.
"But Captain . . ." they called back.
"I said set her free at once or you'll tangle with my hook!" yelled Peter.
"We'd better do what the captain orders," said Smee to Starkey.
They cut the ropes on Tiger Lily's hands and feet.
Immediately, she slipped gracefully into the water and swam away from sight.
For a brief moment, there was complete silence in the lagoon.
Wendy looked at Peter with great admiration.
Peter tried really hard not to look pleased.
The pirates struggled to get their boat off the rock.
Suddenly a voice cried out, "Ahoy, you pirates!"
It was the voice of the real Captain Hook, and he was in the water too!