She was often at the lagoon , however , on sunny days after rain , when the mermaids come up in extraordinary numbers to play with their bubbles . The bubbles of many colours made in rainbow water they treat as balls , hitting them gaily from one to another with their tails , and trying to keep them in the rainbow till they burst . The goals are at each end of the rainbow , and the keepers only are allowed to use their hands . Sometimes hundreds of mermaids will be playing in the lagoon at a time , and it is quite a pretty sight . But the moment the children tried to join in they had to play by themselves , for the mermaids immediately disappeared . Nevertheless we have proof that they secretly watched the interlopers , and were not above taking an idea from them ; for John introduced a new way of hitting the bubble , with the head instead of the hand , and the mermaid goal-keepers adopted it . This is the one mark that John has left on the Neverland . It must also have been rather pretty to see the children resting on a rock for half an hour after their midday meal . Wendy insisted on their doing this , and it had to be a real rest even though the meal was make-believe . So they lay there in the sun , and their bodies glistened in it , while she sat beside them and looked important . It was one such day , and they were all on Marooners ' Rock . The rock was not much larger than their great bed , but of course they all knew how not to take up much room , and they were dozing , or at least lying with their eyes shut , and pinching occasionally when they thought Wendy was not looking . She was very busy , stitching . While she stitched a change came to the lagoon . Little shivers ran over it , and the sun went away and shadows stole across the water , turning it cold . Wendy could no longer see to thread her needle , and when she looked up , the lagoon that had always hitherto been such a laughing place seemed formidable and unfriendly . It was not , she knew , that night had come , but something as dark as night had come . No , worse than that . It had not come , but it had sent that shiver through the sea to say that it was coming . What was it ?
There crowded upon her all the stories she had been told of XXXXX ' Rock , so called because evil captains put sailors on it and leave them there to drown .
Marooners Neverland Wendy day hour interlopers keepers mermaids midday shivers