`` Are you sure , Wendy ? '' `` Oh , yes . '' Mrs. Darling quivered and went to the window . It was securely fastened . She looked out , and the night was peppered with stars . They were crowding round the house , as if curious to see what was to take place there , but she did not notice this , nor that one or two of the smaller ones winked at her . Yet a nameless fear clutched at her heart and made her cry , `` Oh , how I wish that I was n't going to a party to-night ! '' Even Michael , already half asleep , knew that she was perturbed , and he asked , `` Can anything harm us , mother , after the night-lights are lit ? '' `` Nothing , precious , '' she said ; `` they are the eyes a mother leaves behind her to guard her children . '' She went from bed to bed singing enchantments over them , and little Michael flung his arms round her . `` Mother , '' he cried , `` I 'm glad of you . '' They were the last words she was to hear from him for a long time . No. 27 was only a few yards distant , but there had been a slight fall of snow , and Father and Mother Darling picked their way over it deftly not to soil their shoes . They were already the only persons in the street , and all the stars were watching them . Stars are beautiful , but they may not take an active part in anything , they must just look on for ever . It is a punishment put on them for something they did so long ago that no star now knows what it was . So the older ones have become glassy-eyed and seldom speak -LRB- winking is the star language -RRB- , but the little ones still wonder . They are not really friendly to Peter , who had a mischievous way of stealing up behind them and trying to blow them out ; but they are so fond of fun that they were on his side to-night , and anxious to get the grown-ups out of the way . So as soon as the door of 27 closed on Mr. and Mrs. Darling there was a commotion in the firmament , and the smallest of all the stars in the Milky Way screamed out : `` Now , Peter ! '' Chapter 3 COME AWAY , COME AWAY !
For a moment after Mr. and Mrs. Darling left the house the XXXXX by the beds of the three children continued to burn clearly .
Michael Mother Peter Way Wendy firmament night night-lights stealing to-night