Wendy, John, and Michael sailed home.
As they enjoyed the salty ocean breeze and the rolling waves, they imagined their homecoming at Number 14.
They pictured their mother's delight, their father's shout of joy, and Nana's leap to embrace them.
In fact, everything in the nursery was already prepared for them.
The beds were made, the window was open, and Mrs. Darling was waiting—just as she had every day since they had left.
The only change was that between nine in the morning and six at night Nana's dog house was not in the nursery.
When the children flew away, Mr. Darling felt that he was to blame.
After all, he had chained up Nana and left the children alone.
Nana, he realized, had been the wise one.
If anyone deserved to be locked up, Mr. Darling decided, it was he.
He crawled into Nana's dog house and wouldn't allow her in.
When Mrs. Darling begged him to come out, he said, "No, dear, this is where I belong."
He swore that he would never leave the dog house until his children came back.
Every morning, a taxi came to pick up Mr. Darling in the dog house and took him to his office.
In the evening, he came home the same way.
Soon the news leaked out to his neighbors.
They were saddened by the Darlings' tragedy and by Mr. Darling's grief.
Crowds would follow his taxi home, touched by his devotion.
On the day of the children's return, Mrs. Darling was in the nursery waiting for her husband.
She was a very sad woman now.
She had lost her cheerfulness when she lost her children.
The sparkle in the right corner of her mouth, where she kept her secret kiss, had dimmed.
Tearfully she said to Nana, "Last night, I dreamed my little ones had come home."
Nana put her paw gently on Mrs. Darling's lap.
And there they sat until George was brought home in his dog house.
When he arrived home from work, Mr. Darling was carried up to the nursery.
He stuck his head out of the dog house to kiss his wife.
He sat like that for a while, with his head outside the dog house, talking to Mrs. Darling and holding her hand.
"I am so full of sadness and regret," he sighed.
Then he curled up in his dog house for a nap.
"Won't you play me something on the piano to put me to sleep?" he asked.
"And shut the nursery window, dear. I feel a chilly draft."
"Oh, George, don't ever ask me to do that!" said Mrs. Darling.
"The window must always be left open for the children."
Mr. Darling apologized, and Mrs. Darling went into the other room to play the piano.
Soon he was asleep.
And while he slept, Peter and Tinker Bell flew into the nursery.
After defeating the pirates, Peter could have returned to his underground home.
He could have stayed there and let Tinker Bell guide Wendy, John, and Michael home—just as he had first planned.
But Peter had changed his mind.
He sailed on the Jolly Roger because he had come up with a new scheme.
He and Tinker Bell arrived ahead of the others to put his scheme into action.
"Quick, Tink," Peter whispered, "close the window!
Now you and I must hide by the door.
When Wendy flies by, she will think her mother has shut her out forever.
Then she will have to go back to Neverland with me."