She growled and sprang at the boy , who leapt lightly through the window . Again Mrs. Darling screamed , this time in distress for him , for she thought he was killed , and she ran down into the street to look for his little body , but it was not there ; and she looked up , and in the black night she could see nothing but what she thought was a shooting star . She returned to the nursery , and found Nana with something in her mouth , which proved to be the boy 's shadow . As he leapt at the window Nana had closed it quickly , too late to catch him , but his shadow had not had time to get out ; slam went the window and snapped it off . You may be sure Mrs. Darling examined the shadow carefully , but it was quite the ordinary kind . Nana had no doubt of what was the best thing to do with this shadow . She hung it out at the window , meaning `` He is sure to come back for it ; let us put it where he can get it easily without disturbing the children . '' But unfortunately Mrs. Darling could not leave it hanging out at the window , it looked so like the washing and lowered the whole tone of the house . She thought of showing it to Mr. Darling , but he was totting up winter great-coats for John and Michael , with a wet towel around his head to keep his brain clear , and it seemed a shame to trouble him ; besides , she knew exactly what he would say : `` It all comes of having a dog for a nurse . '' She decided to roll the shadow up and put it away carefully in a drawer , until a fitting opportunity came for telling her husband . Ah me ! The opportunity came a week later , on that never-to-be-forgotten Friday . Of course it was a Friday . `` I ought to have been specially careful on a Friday , '' she used to say afterwards to her husband , while perhaps Nana was on the other side of her , holding her hand . `` No , no , '' Mr. Darling always said , `` I am responsible for it all . I , George Darling , did it . MEA CULPA , MEA CULPA . '' He had had a classical education . They sat thus night after night recalling that fatal Friday , till every detail of it was stamped on their brains and came through on the other side like the faces on a bad coinage . `` If only I had not accepted that invitation to dine at 27 , '' Mrs. Darling said .
`` If only I had not poured my medicine into XXXXX 's bowl , '' said Mr. Darling .
CULPA Darling John Michael Mr. Nana coinage night nursery tone