sitting on their eggs, used to get the
young ones to break their shells a day before the right time by
whispering to them that now was their chance to see Peter washing or
drinking or eating. Thousands gathered round him daily to watch him do
these things, just as you watch the peacocks, and they screamed with
delight when he lifted the crusts they flung him with his hands instead
of in the usual way with the mouth. All his food was brought to him
from the Gardens at Solomon's orders by the birds. He would not eat
worms or insects (which they thought very silly of him), so they
brought him bread in their beaks. Thus, when you cry out, 'Greedy!
Greedy!' to the bird that flies away with the big crust, you know now
that you ought not to do this, for he is very likely taking it to Peter
Pan.

[Illustration: The birds on the island never got used to him. His
oddities tickled them every day]

Peter wore no nightgown now. You see, the birds were always begging
him for bits of it to line their nests with, and, being very
good-natured, he could not refuse, so by Solomon's advice he had hidden
what was left of it. But, though he was now quite naked, you must not
think that he was cold or unhappy. He was usually very happy and gay,
and the reason was that Solomon had kept his promise and taught him
many of the bird ways. To be easily pleased, for instance, and always
to be really doing something, and to think that whatever he was doing
was a thing of vast importance. Peter became very clever at helping
the birds to build their nests; soon he could build better than a
wood-pigeon, and nearly as well as a blackbird, though never did he
satisfy the finches, and he made nice little water-troughs near the
nests and dug up worms for the young ones with his fingers. He also
became very learned in bird-lore, and knew an east wind from a west
wind by its smell, and he could see the grass growing and hear the
insects walking about inside the tree-trunks. But the best thing
Solomon had done was to teach him to have a glad heart. All birds have
glad hearts unless you rob their nests, and so, as they were the only
kind of heart Solomon knew about, it was easy to him to teach Peter how
to have one.

[Illustration: Peter screamed out, 'Do it again!' and with great
good-nature they did it several times]

Peter's heart was so glad that he felt he must sing all day long, just
as the birds sing for joy, but, being partly human, he