And after they didn't fly any more, Melicent and Michael grew up.
Michael married Bridget, a pretty red-haired girl from Tipperary. Bridget begat five little red-haired boys who were just like their father, so you know how they are, and sometimes I wish they would get lost.
Melicent, of course, met Edward again in England. He is just as handsome as she said he was. Later they got married, and they lived in the big old Darling house at Number 14. Melicent begat Ellen, who was very pretty like her mother, and very, very smart, if you believe her Uncle Michael.
But she wasn't all that smart, because one day Melicent began to teach Ellen to sing the song, and all summer long, Ellen wondered why she had to learn that silly song, because she had no little brother to sing it to.
"But you might someday, Ellie," said Melicent, the mother.
"No, I won't," said Ellen. "I've always been an only child, and always will be. I shan't ever have a little brother, ever. Never, never, ever."
You can guess what happened next.
Entered in the Peter Pan book on Wednesday, 15 January 2025 by Ellen Darling Hest, age 9, Official Big Sister!
Oh, P.S. Teddy and Peter are in the little room, and they sleep all night now, but Wendy sleeps in my room, and she keeps whining and fussing until she wakes me up, and I have to put her in my lap and sing the song.
Of the three of them, she's going to be the trouble one. I can tell.
-o-
And now you've read the story, so it's time to say g'night,
So now you'll put the book away and then you'll turn the light.
And then you'll pull the covers up and listen in the dark,
And then you'll dream a story, 'cos your soul still has the spark.
But if your next adventure has a need for you to fly,
Remember that it all works best if you believe and try.
You'll leave your little cavern on a journey ever grand -
You'll fly above the rooftops and beyond to Neverland!
Sands in an hourglass, stars in the night;
Straight on til morning, second to the right.
Addendum
This being a full-service fanfic, here are the tunes for the songs.
The simplest way for me to transcribe the music is to name the notes of the scale. The songs cover 1½ octaves; the lower octave is labled a through g, and the upper A through G.
Sands In An Hourglass is a slow lullaby. As the story says, it follows the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, alias the A-B-C Song. Melicent's Song is a brisk allegro. Everybody's Dreams is a slow nocturne, with longer pauses between lines.
c c c cgg g g AA A A g... ... .Time can last forever if your childhood does as well;
g f f f f e e shhh! e d d dd c...And if the child lives in you, shhh! for you should never tell,
c g g gg ff f f e e e e d... ... ...But read this under covers in a warm bed late at night,
c g g g g ff-f f e e ee d... ... ...When no one hears you snicker-snick or sees your torch's light.
g E D C B D C B A eg feg...Just take the time and you can be in Never, forever!
g ED CB D C B A eg... ... ...You're never ever lost for time in Never.
e f g AA AB g... ... ... ... ... ...You're not there tho you really are;
g E D CB BC A... ... ... ... ... It's not so very, very far,
e f g AA A B g f eg... ... ... ...And just by flying to a star - how clever!
CCCC C g ABC C g AA... ...Everybody's dreams come together in the twilight,
BD D BBA BD D B B A g...Chatting of adventures, sharing all we've seen and done,
CC CC C g A BC C g AA... .Hearing other dreams tell of children, sun and dewdrops,
B ggA B D Bg g A B D C... .And romantic tales of lovers who have lost and won.
b c c c cgg g g A A A A g... .But if your next adventure has a need for you to fly,
gff f f e e e e d dd d c... ... ...Remember that it all works best if you believe and try.
c g g g g ff f f ee ee d... ... ...You'll leave your little cavern on a journey ever grand -
c g g g g ff f fe e eed... ... ... You'll fly above the rooftops and beyond to Neverland!
c c c gg A A A g... ... ... ... ...Sands in an hourglass, stars in the night;
f f f ee dd d d c... ... ... ... ... .Straight on til morning, second to the right.
Bridge (slowly, in harmony):
1st woodwind: CDC g A B E. 2nd woodwind:CDC e f g e.
This is my longest fic attempt so far, and thanks to those who followed this mess all the way to the end, typos and all. Fanfic is just a writing exercise - very time-consuming, but a lot of fun!