I suppose , ' said Peter huskily , ' I suppose I can still fly ? ' You see he had lost faith . ` Poor little half-and-half ! ' said Solomon , who was not really hard-hearted , ` you will never be able to fly again , not even on windy days . You must live here on the island always . ' ` And never even go to the Kensington Gardens ? ' Peter asked tragically . ` How could you get across ? ' said Solomon . He promised very kindly , however , to teach Peter as many of the bird ways as could be learned by one of such an awkward shape . ` Then I sha n't be exactly a human ? ' Peter asked . ` No . ' ` Nor exactly a bird ? ' ` No . ' ` What shall I be ? ' ` You will be a Betwixt-and-Between , ' Solomon said , and certainly he was a wise old fellow , for that is exactly how it turned out . The birds on the island never got used to him . His oddities tickled them every day , as if they were quite new , though it was really the birds that were new . They came out of the eggs daily , and laughed at him at once ; then off they soon flew to be humans , and other birds came out of other eggs ; and so it went on for ever .
The crafty mother-birds , when they tired of sitting on their eggs , used to get the young ones to break their shells a XXXXX before the right time by whispering to them that now was their chance to see Peter washing or drinking or eating .
Betwixt-and-Between Gardens Peter Solomon bird birds daily day days half-and-half