While the Darling family was happily hugging upstairs, the Lost Boys were waiting outside.
Wendy needed time to tell her parents about them, so the boys counted to five hundred before knocking on the front door.
They thought this was more polite than flying through the window.
When Mr. and Mrs. Darling opened the door, the boys stood in a row, looking as innocent as they could.
Each had a sweet grin on his face and an eager spark in his eyes.
"We are very pleased to meet you," the boys said together.
All their attention was on Mrs. Darling, for they hoped she would be their new mother.
Of course she told the boys right away that she would adopt them.
But Mr. Darling did not feel quite the same way.
"Six new children is an awfully large number," he said, worried.
"It will be very expensive."
"George!" Mrs. Darling cried, upset to see his selfishness come out again.
Then Mr. Darling burst into a smile. He was as glad to have them as she was.
"I just thought you could have asked my permission," he said.
The boys all told him that having a father was just as important as having a mother.
Delighted, Mr. Darling said that he would find space for them in an extra room.
"We can all fit into a single bed, sir," Tootles assured him.
"Then follow me," Mr. Darling cried merrily.
"Mind you, I'm not sure that we have an extra room, but we can pretend to have one."
He went off dancing through the house, and the boys danced after him.
As for Peter, before he flew away, he saw Wendy once more.
She called to him from the nursery, and he shyly brushed up against the window.
"Peter, are you really going away?" she asked.
"Yes, Wendy. It's time for me to go," he said.
"Peter, don't you want to ask my parents something?" Wendy asked.
"No, what would I ask?" he answered, trying to sound casual.
Mrs. Darling joined them at the window.
When she saw Peter, she told him she would be happy to adopt him as well.
"Would you send me to school?" he asked.
"Yes."
"And then to work?"
"I suppose so."
"Soon I would become a grown-up?" he asked.
"Very soon," said Mrs. Darling.
"I don't want to go to school, and I don't want to be a grown-up—ever!"
Peter protested. "No one is going to catch me and make me grow up."
"But where will you live?" asked Mrs. Darling gently.
"With Tink, in the house we built for Wendy.
The fairies will put it up high among the treetops."
"How lovely," said Wendy longingly.
"I thought all the fairies were dead," said Mrs. Darling.
"There are always more young ones," explained Wendy, who was now an expert on fairies.
"I shall have such fun!" said Peter to Wendy.
"But it will be so lonely in the evenings sitting by the fire," Wendy said sadly.
"Well then, come with me," he said.
"May I, Mother?" Wendy asked.
"Certainly not," Mrs. Darling replied.
"You are finally home, and that is where you will stay."
"But who will look after Peter, and cook and clean for him?" Wendy asked.
"He does so need a mother."
"So do you, Wendy," said her mother sternly.
But when she saw Peter's mouth tremble, she made him another offer.
She would let Wendy join him for one week every year to help him with his spring cleaning.
Having no sense of time, Peter was very happy with this offer.
But Wendy said sadly, "You won't forget me, Peter, will you?
Before spring cleaning time comes?"
Peter promised to remember her.
And then, in the blink of an eye, he flew away.