J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan” Quotes (56 Quotes)


    However, as we are here we may as well stay and look on. That is all we are, lookers-on. Nobody really wants us. So let us watch and say jaggy things, in the hope that some of them will hurt.

    Off we skip like the most heartless things in the world, which is what children are, but so attractive; and we have an entirely selfish time, and then when we have need of special attention we nobly return for it, confident that we shall be rewarded instead of smacked.



    On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.



    All are keeping a sharp look-out in front, but none suspects that the danger may be creeping up from behind.

    I suppose it's like the ticking crocodile, isn't it? Time is chasing after all of us.

    One could mention many lovable traits in Smee. For instance, after killing, it was his spectacles he wiped instead of his weapon.








    Peter invented, with Wendy's help, a new game that fascinated him enormously, until he suddenly had no more interest in it, which, as you have been told, was what always happened with his games. It consisted in pretending not to have adventures...

    Wendy, Wendy, when you are sleeping in your silly bed you might be flying about with me saying funny things to the stars.

    All the boys were grown up and done for by this time; so it is scarcely worth while saying anything more about them. You may see the twins and Nibs and Curly any day going to an office, each carrying a little bag and an umbrella. Michael is an engine driver. Slightly married a lady of title, and so he became a lord. You see that judge in a wig coming out at the iron door? That used to be Tootles. The bearded man who doesn't know any story to tell his children was once John.

    If you shut your eyes and are a lucky one, you may see at times a shapeless pool of lovely pale colours suspended in the darkness; then if you squeeze your eyes tighter, the pool begins to take shape, and the colours become so vivid that with another squeeze they must go on fire.

    She also said she would give him a kiss if he liked, but Peter did not know what she meant, and he held out his hand expectantly.

    When a new baby laughs for the first time a new fairy is born, and as there are always new babies there are always new fairies.


    In time they could not even fly after their hats. Want of practice, they called it; but what it really meant was that they no longer believed.

    She was a lovely lady, with a romantic mind and such a sweet mocking mouth. Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East, however many you discover there is always one more; and her sweet mocking mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous in the right-hand corner.

    Will they reach the nursery in time? If so, how delightful for them, and we shall all breathe a sigh of relief, but there will be no story. On the other hand, if they are not in time, I solemnly promise that it will all come right in the end.

    And so when Mrs. Darling went back to the night-nursery to see if her husband was asleep, all the beds were occupied. The children waited for her cry of joy, but it did not come. She saw them, but she did not believe they were there. You see, she saw them in their beds so often in her dreams that she thought this was just the dream hanging around her still.

    It was dreadful the way all the three were looking at him, just as if they did not admire him.

    Stars are beautiful, but they may not take part in anything, they must just look on forever.

    Years rolled on again, and Wendy had a daughter. This ought not to be written in ink but in a golden splash.


    It was not really Saturday night, at least it may have been, for they had long lost count of the days; but always if they wanted to do anything special they said this was Saturday night, and then they did it.

    Take care, lest an adventure is now offered you, which, if accepted, will plunge you in deepest woe.

    You know that place between sleep and awake, the place where you can still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you. That's where I'll be waiting.

    Every child is affected thus the first time he is treated unfairly . All he thinks he has a right to when he comes to you to be yours is fairness. After you have been unfair to him he will love you again, but will never afterwards be the same boy. No one ever gets over the first unfairness; no one except Peter. He often met it, but he always forgot it. I suppose that was the real difference between him and all the rest.


    The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.

    You need not be sorry for her. She was one of the kind that likes to grow up. In the end she grew up of her own free will a day quicker than the other girls.

    Every child is thus affected thus the first time he is treated unfairly. All he thinks he has a right to when he comes to you to be yours is fairness. After you have been unfair to him he will love you again, but will never afterwards be quite the same boy.

    Most disquieting reflection of all, was it not bad form to think about good form?

    There could not have been a lovelier sight; but there was none to see it except a little boy who was staring in at the window. He had ecstasies innumerable that other children can never know; but he was looking through the window at the one joy from which he must be for ever barred.

    Fairies don't live long, but they are so little that a short time seems a good while to them



    Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time.

    Mr. Darling used to boast to Wendy that her mother not only loved him but respected him. He was one of those deep ones who know about stocks and shares. Of course no one really knows, but he quite seemed to know, and he often said stocks were up and shares were down in a way that would have made any woman respect him.

    They knew in what they called their hearts that one can get on quite well without a mother, and that it is only the mothers who think you can't.

    Feeling that Peter was on his way back, the Neverland had again woke into life. We ought to use the pluperfect and say wakened, but woke is better and was always used by Peter.


    They took it for granted that if they went he would go also, but really they scarcely cared. Thus children are ever so ready, when novelty knocks, to desert their dearest ones.


    More J.M. Barrie Quotations (Based on Topics)


    Time - Children - Adventure - Fairy - Fairness - World - Joy & Excitement - Confidence - Flying - Belief & Faith - Dreams - Daughters - Night - Life - Contemplation - Games - Change - Anger - Education - View All J.M. Barrie Quotations

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