The meal happened to be a make-believe tea , and they sat around the board , guzzling in their greed ; and really , what with their chatter and recriminations , the noise , as Wendy said , was positively deafening . To be sure , she did not mind noise , but she simply would not have them grabbing things , and then excusing themselves by saying that Tootles had pushed their elbow . There was a fixed rule that they must never hit back at meals , but should refer the matter of dispute to Wendy by raising the right arm politely and saying , `` I complain of so-and-so ; '' but what usually happened was that they forgot to do this or did it too much . `` Silence , '' cried Wendy when for the twentieth time she had told them that they were not all to speak at once . `` Is your mug empty , Slightly darling ? '' `` Not quite empty , mummy , '' Slightly said , after looking into an imaginary mug . `` He has n't even begun to drink his milk , '' Nibs interposed . This was telling , and Slightly seized his chance . `` I complain of Nibs , '' he cried promptly . John , however , had held up his hand first . `` Well , John ? '' `` May I sit in Peter 's chair , as he is not here ? '' `` Sit in father 's chair , John ! '' Wendy was scandalised . `` Certainly not . '' `` He is not really our father , '' John answered . `` He did n't even know how a father does till I showed him . '' This was grumbling . `` We complain of John , '' cried the twins . Tootles held up his hand .
He was so much the humblest of them , indeed he was the only humble one , that XXXXX was specially gentle with him .
John Nibs Peter Slightly Wendy first mummy right so-and-so twentieth