Peter Pan

“Papa, Papa, please read me a story!”
The little girl asks her father with glee.
“All right then, just one more, and then to bed.
Now cuddle up close, lay down your head.”

Once upon a time lived little Wendy,
Who thought that her life was rather bland.
But, with her imagination and teddy,
She met fairies and saw faraway lands.

Imagine her surprise when she saw that,
Perched on her windowsill, was a young man!
“Who are you?” she asked, to which he tipped his hat—
“I’m the one and only, the great Peter Pan.”

He held out his hand, and she knew what to do:
She grabbed it real tight, and away they flew!
Over mountains, forests, and gurgling streams,
Like a compilation of her best dreams!

And at last their journey came to an end
As they landed on a lush little isle.
“Welcome to my humble home, my dear friend,”
Said Peter Pan with a big, friendly smile.

From that day on, Wendy had so much fun:
She sang and played games, picked flowers, and drew,
Bathed in the ocean, pranced under the sun,
No more school, no homework, no chores to do!

But, soon after, she started feeling quite sad;
She wanted to visit her home for a while.
So she asked Peter, but he looked quite mad,
Then he broke into a sinister smile.

At this, Wendy couldn’t hold back a shiver.
“You’re not going back,” Peter Pan said,
“You see, I like nice little girls … for dinner!”
He laughed, and poor Wendy was filled with dread.

She turned to flee, but he didn’t let her,
“Where are you going? You have nowhere to run!”
Wendy cried at the words of her captor,
Peter Pan gloated: He knew he had won.

But all of a sudden, what did they hear?
“Fear not, my child, I am here to save you!”
Peter Pan froze, then turned around in fear;
Because that deep voice was one that he knew.

Truth be told, Wendy found the man scary,
With his pirate’s hat and glistening hook.
He looked, in a way, quite extraordinary:
Like a villain from a fantasy book.

“I won’t let you take another life, Pan,
Today I defeat you,” said Captain Hook.
“Prepare yourself for a shortened life span,
I’ve waited a long time for this day, crook.

“You see, I’ve found myself a nice new pet,
Rather large, and of a pretty green hue.
Remember Tick Tock? I believe you’ve met.
He’s had his taste of me—now he wants you.”

Pan drew his weapon, but it was in vain,
As from the sea emerged the crocodile.
Jaws open so wide he could swallow a plane,
He ate Pan with an appetite quite virile.

With Pan defeated, at last Wendy was freed,
And Captain Hook’s crew cheered for his success.
“How could I repay this wonderful deed?”
“Simple—just stay out of trouble, princess!

“Now, let’s get you home,” said the kind man,
“Forget all of this and forget Peter Pan,
Just remember, don’t judge a book by its cover—
You never know what you might discover.”

“And so,” said the father, “the story ends:
Wendy safe back home with parents and friends.
But every night she still hoped to see Hook’s ship,
Secretly dreaming of another trip.

“I would tell you about another lady,
Who seemed nice, but was really quite shady:
She forced her stepsisters to slave away,
But that’s a story for another day.”