Chapter 2

THE SHADOW


Mrs. Darling screamed, and, as if in answer to a bell, the door
opened, and Nana entered, returned from her evening out. 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