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[Assistant] She rattled the poker up the chimney and tapped the walls.


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[Assistant] She let down a tape from the window to the pavement, and it was a sheer drop of 30 feet, without so much as a spout to climb up by. Certainly Wendy had been dreaming, but Wendy had not been dreaming, as the very next night showed.


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[Assistant] The night on which the extraordinary adventures of these children may be said to have begun. On the night we speak of all the children were once more in bed. It happened to be Nana's evening off and Mrs. Darling had bathed them and sung to them till one by one they had let go of her hand and slid away into the land of sleep.


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[Assistant] That she smiled at her fears now and sat down tranquilly in the fire to sew. It was something for Michael, who on his birthday was getting into shirts. The fire was warm.


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[Assistant] However, and the nursery dimly lit by three nightlights, and presently, the sewing lay on Mrs. Darling's lap. Then her head nodded, oh, so gracefully, she was asleep. Look at the four of them, Wendy and Michael over there, John here, and Mrs. Darling by the fire.


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[Assistant] There should have been a fourth night light. While she slept she had a dream.


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[Assistant] She dreamt that the Neverland had came too near and that a strange boy had broken through from it.


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[Assistant] He did not alarm her, for she thought she had seen him before, in the faces of many women who have no children.


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[Assistant] Perhaps he is to be found in the faces of some others also. But in her dreams, he had rent the film that obscures the Netherlands, and she saw Wendy and John and Michael peeping through the gap. The dream by itself would have been trifle.


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[Assistant] But while she was dreaming the window of the nursery blew open, and a boy did drop on the floor. He was accompanied by a strange light, no bigger than your fist, which darted around the room, like a living thing, and I think it must have been this night, awakened Mrs Darling. She startled up with a cry, and saw the boy, and somehow she knew at once,


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[Assistant] He was a lovely boy, clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that ooze out of trees, but the most entrancing thing about him was that he had all his first teeth. When he saw she was a grown up, he gnashed the little pearls at her.


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[Assistant] Mrs Darling screamed, and, as if in answer to a bell, the door opened.


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[Assistant] And Nana entered, returned from her evening out. She growled and sprang at the boy, who leapt lightly through the window. Again, Mrs. Darling screamed, this time in distress for him, for she thought he was killed, as she ran into the street to look for his little body. But it was not there. As she looked up, and in the black of night she could see nothing.


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[Assistant] She returned to the nursery and found Nana with something in her mouth, which proved to be the boy's shadow. As he leapt out of the window, Nana had closed it quickly, too late to catch him, but his shadow had not time to get out. Slam went the window and it snapped off. You may be sure Mrs. Darling examined the shadow carefully.


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[Assistant] Nana had no doubt of what was the best thing to do with this shadow. She hung it out of the window, meaning, he is sure to come back for it. Let us put it there, where he can get it easily, without disturbing the children. But unfortunately, Mrs. Darling could not leave it hanging out of the window. It looked so like the washing, and lowered the whole tone of the house.


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[Assistant] With a wet towel around his head to keep his brain clear, and it seemed a shame to trouble him. Besides, she knew exactly what he would say. It all comes of having a dog for a nurse. She decided to roll the shadow up and put it away carefully in the drawer, until a fitting opportunity came for telling her husband, uh, me. Opportunity came a week later.


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[Assistant] On that never to be forgotten Friday. Of course it was a Friday. I ought to have been specially careful on a Friday, she used to say afterwards to her husband.


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[Assistant] While perhaps Nana was on the other side of her holding her hand. No, no, Mr. Darling always said. I'm responsible for it all. Aye, George Darling did it. Mia Culper, Mia Culper. He had had a classical education.


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[Assistant] They sat thus night after night recalling that fatal Friday, till every detail of it was stamped on their brains and came through on the other side like the faces on a bad coinage.


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[Assistant] Only I had not accepted that invitation to dine at 27, Mrs. Darling said.


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[Assistant] If only I had not poured my medicines into Nana's bowl, said Mr Darling.


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[Assistant] If only I had pretended to like the medicine, was what Nana's wet eyes said.


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[Assistant] My liking for parties, George. My fatal gift of humor, dearest.


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[Assistant] My touchiness about trifles, dear master and mistress. Then one or more of them would break down altogether. Nana at the thought, it's true, it's true. They ought not to have had a dog for a nurse. Many a time it was Mr. Darling who would put the handkerchief to Nana's eyes. That fiend to Mr. Darling would cry, and Nana's bark was the echo of it.


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[Assistant] But Mrs. Darling had never unbraided Peter. There was something on the right corner of her mouth that wanted her not to call Peter names. They would sit in that empty nursery.


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[Assistant] Recording fondly every smallest detail of that dreadful evening, it had begun so uneventfully, so precisely like a hundred other evenings, with Nana putting on the water for Michael's bath and carrying him to it on her butt. I won't go to bed, he shouted.


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[Assistant] Like one who still believed that he had the last word on the subject. I won't, I won't. Nana, it isn't six o'clock yet. Oh dear, oh dear, I shan't love you anymore, Nana. I tell you I won't be bathed. I won't, I won't.


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[Assistant] Then Mrs. Darling came in, wearing her white evening gown.


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[Assistant] She had dressed early because Wendy so loved to see her in her evening gown, with the necklace George had given her.


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[Assistant] She was wearing Wendy's bracelet on her arm. She had asked for the loan of it. Wendy loved to lend her bracelet to her mother. She found her two older children playing at being herself and father on the occasion of Wendy's birth. And John was saying, I am happy to inform you, Mrs. Darling, that you are now a mother in just such a tone.


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[Assistant] As Mr Darling himself would have used on the real occasion. Wendy had danced with joy, just as the real Mrs Darling must have done. Then John was born with the extra pomp that he conceived due to the birth of a male.


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[Assistant] And Michael came from his bath to ask to be born also. But John said brutally that they did not want any more. Michael had nearly cried. Nobody wants me, he said. And of course the lady in the evening dress could not stand that. I do, she said. I so want a third child. Boy or girl? Asked Michael, not to, hopefully. Boy.


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[Assistant] And he had leapt into her arms, such a little thing for a mister and missus darling, and none are to recall now, but not so little.


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[Assistant] If that was to be Michael's last night in the nursery. They go on with their recollections. It was then that I rushed in like a tornado, wasn't it? Mr Darling would say, scorning himself, and indeed, he had been like a tornado. Perhaps there was some excuse for him. He too had been dressed for the party, and all had gone well with him, until he came to his tie.


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[Assistant] It is an outstanding thing to have to tell that this man, though he knew about stocks and chairs, had no real mastery of the tie. Sometimes the thing yielded him without a contest, but there were occasions when it would have been better for the house if he had swallowed his pride and used a made-up tie. There was such an occasion. He came rushing into the nursery,


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[Assistant] With a crumpled little brute of a tie in his hand. Why, what is the matter, father dear? Matter, he yelled. He really yelled. This tie, it will not tie. He became dangerously sarcastic. Not round my neck. Round the bedpost.


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[Assistant] Oh yes, 20 times I've made it round the bedpost, but round my neck, no. Oh dear, no. Begs to be excused.


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[Assistant] He thought Mrs Darling was not sufficiently impressed, and he went on to tell me, I warn you of this, mother, that unless this ties round my neck, we don't go out to dinner tonight, and if I don't go out to dinner tonight, I will never go to the office again, and if I don't go to the office again, you and I starve, and our children will be flung into the streets. Even then, Mrs Darling was placid. Let me try, dear, she said.


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[Assistant] And indeed that was what he had come to ask her to do. And with her nice cool hands, she tied his tie for him.


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[Assistant] While the children stood around to see their fate decided.


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[Assistant] Some men would have resented her being able to do it so easily, but Mr Darling had far too fine a nature for that. He thanked her carelessly, and at once forgot his rage, and in another moment was dancing round the room, with Michael on his back. How wildly we romped, says Mrs Darling now recalling it. Our last romp, Mr Darling groaned,


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[Assistant] Oh George, do you remember Michael suddenly said to me, how do you get to know me mother? I remember. They were rather sweet, don't you think George?


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[Assistant] And they were ours, ours, and now they are gone. The romp had ended with the appearance of Nana, and most unluckily, Mr. Darling collided against her, covering his trousers with hairs.


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[Assistant] There were not only new trousers, but they were the first he had, with braid on them, and he had to bite his lip to prevent the tears coming. Of course Mrs. Darling brushed him.


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[Assistant] But he began to talk again about it being a mistake to having a dog for a nurse. George, Nana is a treasure, no doubt, but I have an uneasy feeling at times that she looks at the children as puppies. Oh no, dear one, I feel sure she knows they have souls. I wonder, Mr Darling said thoughtfully, I wonder. It was an opportunity, his wife felt,


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[Assistant] But telling him about the boy, at first he poo-pooed the story, but he became thoughtful when she showed him the shadow. It is no one I know, he said, exclaiming it carefully, but it does look like a scoundrel. We were discussing it, you remember, says Mr. Darling. When Nana came in with Michael's medicine, you will never carry that bottle in your mouth again, Nana.


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[Assistant] Strong man as he was, there was no doubt that he had behaved rather foolishly over the medicine. If he had a weakness,


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[Assistant] It was for thinking that all his life he had taken medicine boldly.


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[Assistant] And now, when Michael dodged the spoon in Nana's mouth, he said, reprovingly, be a man, Michael. Won't, won't, Michael cried naughtily.


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[Assistant] Mrs. Darling left the room to get a chocolate for him.


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[Assistant] And Mr Darling thought this showed want of firmness. Mother, don't pamper him, he called out to her. Michael, when I was your age, I took medicine without a murmur, I said.


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[Assistant] Thank you kind parents for giving me bottles to make me well. You really thought this was true. And Wendy, who was now in her nightgown, believed it also. As she said to encourage Michael, that medicine you sometimes take, father, is much nastier isn't it? Ever so much nastier, Mr Darling said bravely. I would take it now as an example to you Michael, if I hadn't lost the bottle.


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[Assistant] He had climbed in the dead of night to the top of the wardrobe and hidden it there. What he did not know was that the faithful Liza had found it and put it back on his washstand. I know where it is father, Wendy cried, always glad to be of service. I'll bring it. As she went off before he could stop her.


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[Assistant] Immediately his spirit sank in the strangest way. John, he said, shuddering. It's most beastly stuff. It's that nasty, sticky, sweet kind. It will soon be over, father, John said cheerily. And then in rushed Wendy with the medicine in glass. I've been as quick as I could, she panted. You have been wonderfully quick, her father retorted.


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[Assistant] With a vindictive politeness that was quite thrown away upon her. Michael first, he said doggedly. Father first, said Michael, who was of a suspicious nature. I shall be sick, you know, Mr. Darling said threateningly. Come on, father, said John. Hold your tongue, John, his father rapped out. Wendy was quite puzzled. I thought you took it quite easily, father. That is not the point, he retorted.


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[Assistant] The point is that there is more in my glass than in Michael's spoon. His proud heart was nearly bursting, and it isn't fair I would say it though, it were with my last breath. It isn't fair. Father, I am waiting, said Michael coldly. It is all very well to say you are waiting, so am I waiting? Fathers are cowardly custard, so are you a cowardly custard. I'm not frightened,


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[Assistant] When he gave the words one, two, three, and Michael took his medicine, but Mr. Darling slipped his behind his back.


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[Assistant] That was a yell of rage from Michael, and, oh father! Wendy exclaimed.


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[Assistant] What do you mean by oh father? Mr Darling demanded. Stop that row Michael, I meant to take mine, but I, I missed it. It was dreadful the way all three were looking at him, just if they did not admire him. Look here all of you, he said. Intriguingly, as soon as Nana has gone to the bathroom, I have just thought of a splendid joke.


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[Assistant] And they looked at him reproachfully as he pulled the medicine into Nana's bowl. What fun, he said doubtfully, and they did not dare expose him when Mrs. Darling and Nana returned. Nana, good dog, he said, patting her. I've put a little milk into your bowl, Nana. Nana, without her tail, ran to the medicine and began lapping it. Then she gave Mr. Darling such a look


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[Assistant] Not an angry look, she showed him the great red tear that makes her so sorry for noble dogs, and crept into her kennel. Mr. Darling was frightfully ashamed of himself, but he would not give in. In a horrid silence, Mrs. Darling smelt the bowl. Oh George, she said, is your medicine? It was only a joke, you roared. While she comforted her boys,


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[Assistant] And Wendy hooked Nana. Much good, he said bitterly. By wearing myself to the bone, trying to be funny in this house. And still Wendy hooked Nana. That's right, he shouted. Cuddle her. Nobody cuddles me. Oh dear, no. I am only the breadwinner. Why should I be cuddled? Why, why, why? George, Mrs Darling, entreated him. Not so loud.


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[Assistant] The servants will hear you." Somehow they had got into the way of calling Liza the servants. Let them, he answered recklessly, bring in the whole world, but I refuse to allow that dog to lord it in my nursery for an hour longer. The children wept, and Nana ran into him beseechingly, but he waved her back. He felt he was a strong man,


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[Assistant] In vain, in vain, he cried, the proper place for you is in the yard, and there you go to be tied up this instant. George, George, Mrs Darling whispered, remember what I told you about the boy. Alas, he would not listen.


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[Assistant] He was determined to show who was the master in that house, and when commands would not draw Nana from the kennel, he lured her out with honeyed words, and seizing her roughly, dragged her up from the nursery. He was ashamed of himself, and yet he did it. It was all owing to his too affectionate nature, which craved for admiration. When he tied her back up in the yard,


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[Assistant] The wretched father went and sat in the passage with his knuckles to his eyes.


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[Assistant] In the meantime, Mrs. Darling had put the children to bed in unwanted silence and lit their nightlights. They could hear Nana barking and John whimpered. It is because he is chaining her up in the yard. But Wendy was wiser. That is not Nana's unhappy bark, she said, little guessing what was about to happen. That is her bark when she smells danger.


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[Assistant] Danger. Are you sure Wendy? Oh yes. Mrs Darling quivered and went to the window. It was securely fastened.


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[Assistant] She looked out and the night was peppered with stars. They were crowding round the house, as if curious to see what was to take place there, but she did not notice this.


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[Assistant] Nor but one or two of the smaller ones winked at her, yet a nameless fear clutched at her heart and made her cry. Oh, I wish that I wasn't going to a party. Even Michael, already half asleep, knew that she was perturbed, and he asked, can anything harm his mother after the nightlights are lit? Nothing precious, she said.


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[Assistant] There are the eyes and mother leaves behind to guard her children. She went from bed to bed, singing enchantments over them, and little Michael flung his arms around her. Mother, he cried, I'm glad of you.


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[Assistant] They were the last words she was to hear from him for a long time.


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[Assistant] Number 27 was only a few yards distant, but there had been a slight fall of snow, and mother and father darling picked their way over it deftly not to soil their shoes. They were already the only persons in the street, and all the stars were watching them. Stars are beautiful,


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[Assistant] But they may not take an active part in anything. They may just look on forever.


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[Assistant] It is a punishment put on them for something they did not so long ago, and no star now knows what it was.


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[Assistant] So the older ones have become glassy-eyed and seldom speak. Winking is the star language, but the little ones still wonder. They are not really friendly to Peter, who had a mischievous way of steening up behind them and trying to blow them out, but they are so fond of fun that they were on his side tonight and anxious to get grown-ups out of the way. Soon as the door


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[Assistant] 27 closed. On Mr and Mrs Darling there was a commotion in the firmament.


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[Assistant] And the smallest of all the stars in the Milky Way screamed out, Now, Peter.


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[Assistant] Chapter three. Come away, come away. For a moment after Mr and Mrs Darling left the house, the night lights by the beds of the three children continued to burn clearly. They were awfully nice little night lights, and one cannot help wishing that they could have kept awake to see Peter, but Wendy's light blinked


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[Assistant] And gave such a yawn that the other two yawned also, and before they could close their mouths, all the three went out. There was another light in the room now, a thousand times brighter than the night lights, and in the time we have taken to say this, it had been in all the drawers in the nursery, looking for Peter's shadow,


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[Assistant] It's called Tinkerbell, exquisitely gowned in a skeleton leaf cut low and square.


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[Assistant] A Rewitcher figure could be seen to the best advantage.


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[Assistant] She was slightly inclined to have a plump hourglass figure. A moment after the fairy's entrance, the window was blown open by the breathing of the little stars and Peter dropped in. He carried Tinkerbell part of the way and his hand was still messy with the fairy dust. Tinkerbell, he called softly,


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[Assistant] After making sure the children were asleep, Tink, where are you? She was in a jug for the moment, and liking it extremely. She'd never been in a jug before. Oh, do come out of the jug and tell me, do you know where they put my shadow? The loveliest Tinkle, as of golden bells answered him, it is the fairy language.


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[Assistant] You ordinary children can never hear it, but if you were to hear it, you would know that you have heard it once before. Tink said the shadow was in the big box, she meant the chest of drawers, and Peter jumped at the drawers.


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[Assistant] Scattering their contents to the floor with both hands, as kings toss a halfpence to the crowd. In a moment he had recovered his shadow, and in his delight he forgot that he had shut Tinkerbell up in the draw. If he thought at all, but I don't believe he ever thought, it was that he and his shadow


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[Assistant] Who brought near each other would join like drops of water, and when they did not he was appalled.


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[Assistant] He tried to stick it on with soap from the bathroom, but that also failed.


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[Assistant] A shudder passed through Peter as he sat on the floor and cried.


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[Assistant] His sobs woke Wendy and she sat up in bed. She was not alarmed to see a stranger, crying on the nursery floor. She was only pleasantly interested. Boy, she said courteously, why are you crying? Peter could be exceedingly polite.


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[Assistant] Having learned the grand manner at fairy ceremonies, and you rose and bowed to her beautifully.


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[Assistant] She was much pleased and bowled beautifully to him from the bed. What's your name? He asked. Wendy Moira Angela Darling. She replied with some satisfaction. What is your name? Peter Pan. She was already sure that he must be Peter, but it did seem a comparatively short name. Is that all?


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[Assistant] He felt for the first time that it was a shortest name. I'm so sorry, said Wendy Mora Angina. It doesn't matter, Peter Gault. She asked where he lived. Second to the right, said Peter, and then straight on till morning. What a funny address, said Wendy.


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[Assistant] For the first time you felt that perhaps it was a funny address.


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[Assistant] I mean, Wendy said nicely, remembering that she was hostess. Is that what they put on the letters? He wished she had not mentioned letters. Don't get any letters, he said, contemptuously. But your mother gets letters? Don't have a mother, he said.


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[Assistant] Not only had he no mother, but he had not the slightest desire to have one.


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[Assistant] You thought them very overrated persons.


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[Assistant] Oh Peter, no wonder you were crying, she said, and got out of bed and ran to him.


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[Assistant] I was crying because I can't get my shadow to stick on. Besides, I wasn't crying. It has come off, said Wendy. Yes, said Peter. Then Wendy saw the shadow on the floor, looking so draggled, and she was frightfully sorry for Peter. How awful, she said, but she could not help smiling when she saw that he had been trying to stick it on with soap


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[Assistant] Though still a little greased. Perhaps I should have ironed it, Wendy said thoughtfully, but Peter, boy-like, was indifferent to appearances.


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[Assistant] And he was now jumping about in the wildest glee. At last he had already forgotten that he owed his bliss to Wendy, though he thought he had attached the shadow himself. How clever I am, he crowed, rapturously. Oh, the cleverness of me. It's humiliating to have to confess


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[Assistant] That this conceit of Peter was one of his most fascinating qualities. To put it with brutal frankness, there never was a cockier boy. For the moment Wendy was shocked.


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[Assistant] You can seat, she exclaimed with frightful sarcasm. Of course I did nothing. You did a little, Peter said carelessly, and continued to dance. A little, she replied with pride. If I am no use, I can at least withdraw. And she sprang in the most dignified way into bed, and covered her face with the blankets.


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[Assistant] To induce her to look up he pretended to be going away, and when this failed he sat on the end of the bed and tapped her gently with his foot. Wendy, he said, don't withdraw. I can't help crowing, Wendy, when I'm pleased with myself. Still she would not look up, though she was listening eagerly.


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[Assistant] Wendy, he continued in a voice that no woman has ever yet been able to resist. Wendy, one girl is more use than twenty boys. Now Wendy was every inch a woman, though there were not very many inches, as she peeped out of the bedclothes. Do you really think so, Peter? Yes, I do. I think it's perfectly sweet of you, she declared.


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[Assistant] And I'll get up again. And she sat with him on the side of the bed. 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. Surely you know what a kiss is, she asked aghast. I shall know when you give it to me, he replied stiffly. And not to hurt his feelings, she gave him a thimble.


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[Assistant] Now, said he, shall I give you a kiss? And she replied with a slight primness. If you please. She made herself rather cheap by inclining her face towards him.


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[Assistant] But he merely dropped an acorn button into her hand.


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[Assistant] So she slowly returned her face to where it had been before and said nicely,


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[Assistant] That she would wear his kiss on the chain around her neck. It was lucky that she did put it on that chain, for it was afterwards to save her life.


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[Assistant] It is customary for them to ask each other's age. And so Wendy, who always liked to do the correct thing, asked Peter how old he was. It was not really a happy question to ask him. It was like an examination paper that asks grammar, when what you want to be asked is Kings of England. I don't know, he replied uneasily, but I'm quite young. You really knew nothing about it.


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[Assistant] He had merely suspicions, but he said at adventure, Wendy, I ran away the day I was born. Wendy was quite surprised, but interested, as she indicated in the charming drawing room manner by a touch on her nightgown, that he could sit near her.


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[Assistant] Because I heard father and mother, he explained in a low voice, talking about what I was going to be when I became a man. He was extraordinarily agitated now. I don't want ever to be a man, he said with passion.


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[Assistant] I want always to be a little boy and to have fun. I ran away to Kensington Gardens and lived a long time among the fairies. She gave him a look of the most intense admiration and he thought it was because he had run away, but it was really because he knew fairies. Wendy had lived such a home life.


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[Assistant] That no fairies struck her as quite delightful. She poured out questions about them to his surprise, for they were rather a nuisance to him, getting in his way and so on. And indeed, he sometimes had to give them a little hiding. Still, he liked them on the whole, and he told her about the beginning of fairies. You see, Wendy,


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[Assistant] When the first baby laughed for the first time, his laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies. Tedious talk this, but being a stay at home, she liked it. And so he went on good naturedly, they ought to be one fairy for every boy and girl. Ought to be? Isn't there?


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[Assistant] No. You see children know such a lot now. They soon don't believe in fairies. And every time a child says, I don't believe in fairies, there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.


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[Assistant] Really, he thought they had now talked enough about fairies, and it struck him that Tinkerbell was keeping very quiet. I can't think where she'd gone to, he said, rising and calling Tink by name.


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[Assistant] Wendy's heart went aflutter with a sudden thrill. Peter, she cried, clutching him. You don't mean to tell me there's a fairy in this room. She was here just now, he said a little impatiently. You don't hear her, do you? And they both listened. The only sound I hear, said Wendy, is a tinkle of bells. Well, that's tink, that's the fairy language. I think I hear her too.


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[Assistant] The sound came from the chest of drawers, and Peter made a merry laugh. No one could ever look quite as merry as Peter, and the loveliest of gurgles was his laugh. He had his first laugh still. Wendy, he whispered gleefully, I do believe I shut her up in the drawer. Let poor Tink out of the drawer.


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[Assistant] And she flew about the nursery, screaming with fury. You shouldn't say such things, Peter retorted. Of course I am very sorry, but how could I know you were in the drawer?


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[Assistant] Wendy was not listening to him. Oh Peter, she cried. If she would only stand still and let me see her.


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[Assistant] They hardly ever stand still, he said. But for one moment, Wendy saw the romantic figure come to rest on the cuckoo clock.


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[Assistant] Oh, the lovely she cried through Tink's face was still distorted with passion. Tink said, Peter, amiably, this lady wishes you were her fairy. Tinkerbell answered insolently. What does she say, Peter? He had to translate. She's not very polite. She says you are a great, ugly girl and that she is my fairy.


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[Assistant] He tried to argue with Tink, you know you can't be my fairy Tink, because I'm a gentleman and you are a lady. This, Tink replied in these words, you silly ass, and disappeared into the bathroom.


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[Assistant] She is quite a common fairy, Peter explained apologetically. She is called Tinkerbell.


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[Assistant] Because she mends the pots and the kettles. They were soon to gather in the armchair by this time. And Wendy plied him with some more questions. If you don't live in Kensington Gardens now. Sometimes I still do, said Peter. But where do you live mostly now? With the Lost Boys. Who are they, said Wendy.


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[Assistant] They are the children who fall out of the permaplatus when the nurse is looking the other way.


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[Assistant] If they are not claimed in seven days, they are sent away to the Neverland to defray expenses. I'm Captain. What fun it must be, said Wendy. Yes, said Cunning Peter. But we are rather lonely. You see, we have no female companionship. Are none of the others girls, said Wendy? Oh no, girls you know.


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[Assistant] This flattered Wendy immensely. I think she said it is perfectly lovely the way you talk about girls. John there just despises us.


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[Assistant] Or reply Peter Rose and kicked John out of the bed. Blankets and all, one kick.


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[Assistant] This seemed to Wendy rather forward for a first meeting.


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[Assistant] As she told him with spirit that he was not captain in her house.


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[Assistant] However, John continued to sleep so placidly on the floor that she allowed him to remain there. And I know you meant to be kind, she said relenting, so you may give me a kiss.


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[Assistant] From the moment she had forgotten his ignorance about kisses. I thought you'd want it back, he said, a little bitterly, and offered to return her the thimble. Oh dear, said the nice Wendy. I don't mean a kiss, I mean a thimble. What's that, said Peter. It's like this, and she kissed him. Funny, said Peter gravely. Now shall I give you a thimble?


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[Assistant] If you wish to, said Wendy, keeping her hair direct this time. Peter thumbled her, and almost immediately she screeched. What is it, Wendy? It was exactly if someone was pulling my hair. That must have been Tink. I never knew her so naughty before. And indeed, Tink was darting about again, using offensive language. She says she will do that to you, Wendy.


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[Assistant] None of the Lost Boys knows any stories.


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[Assistant] How perfectly awful, Wendy said. You know, Peter asked, why swallows build in the heaves of houses? It is the lesson to the stories.


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[Assistant] Oh Wendy, your mother was telling such a lovely story. Which story was it?


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[Assistant] About the prince who couldn't find the lady who wore the glass slipper said Peter. Peter said Wendy excitedly. That was Cinderella and he found her and they lived happily ever after. Peter was so glad that he rose from the floor where they had been sitting and hurried to the window. Where are you going? She cried with misgiving. To tell the other boys.


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[Assistant] Don't go Peter, she entreated. I know lots of stories.


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[Assistant] Those were her precise words, so there can be no denying that it was she who first tempted him.


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[Assistant] He came back and there was a greedy look in his eyes now, which ought to have alarmed her, but did not. Oh, the stories I could tell to the boys, she cried. And then Peter gripped her and began to draw her towards the window. Let me go, she ordered him. Wendy, do come with me and tell the other boys. Of course, she was very pleased to be asked, but she said,


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[Assistant] Oh dear, I can't think of Mummy. Besides, I can't fly. I'll teach you, said Peter. Oh, how very lovely to fly, said Wendy.


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[Assistant] I'll teach you how to jump on the wind's back and away we will go. Oh, she exclaimed ruptiously. Wendy, Wendy, when you're sleeping in your silly bed, you might be flying about with me, saying funny things to the stars. Oh, said Wendy. And Wendy, there are mermaids. Mermaids with tails? Such long tails. Oh, cried Wendy.


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[Assistant] The singer mermaid. He had become frightfully cunning. Wendy, he said. How we should all respect you. She was wriggling her body in distress.


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[Assistant] It was quite if she was trying to remain on the nursery floor.


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[Assistant] But he had no pity for her. Wendy, he said, the sigh one, you could tuck us in at night. Oh, none of us have ever been tucked in at night. Oh, and her arms went out to him.


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[Assistant] Peter, would you teach John and Michael to fly too? If you like, he said indifferently, as she ran to John and Michael and shook them. Wake up! she cried. Peter Pan has come, and he is here to teach us to fly. John rubbed his eyes. Then I shall get up, he said. Of course, he was on the floor already. Hello, he said. I am up.


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[Assistant] Michael was up by this time also, looking as sharp as a knife with six blades and a saw. But Peter suddenly signed silence. Their faces assumed the awful craftiness of children listening to sounds from their grown-up world. All was as still as salt. Then everything was right. No, stop. Everything was wrong.


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[Assistant] Nanna, who had been barking distressfully all the evening was quiet now. It was her silence they had heard.


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[Assistant] Out with the light, quick, hide, cried John, taking command for the only time throughout the whole adventure. And thus, when Lyza entered holding Nana, the nursery seemed quite its old self. Very dark, and you could have sworn you heard these three wicked inmates breathing angelically as they slept. They were really doing it artfully from behind the window curtains.


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[Assistant] Liza was in a bad temper, for she was mixing the Christmas puddings in the kitchen and being drawn from them, with the raisins still on her cheek by Nana's absurd suspicions. She thought the best way of getting a little quiet was to take Nana to the nursery for a moment, but in custody of course. There, you suspicious brute, she said. Not sorry that Nana was in disgrace.


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[Assistant] They are perfectly safe, aren't they? Every one of the little angels sound asleep in bed. Listen to their gentle breathing. I call encouraged by his success.


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[Assistant] Breathe so loudly that they were nearly detected, and Nana knew what kind of breathing that was, that she tried to drag herself out of Liza's clutches. Liza was dense. No more of it, Nana, she said sternly, pulling it out of the room


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[Assistant] I warn you, if you bark again, I should go straight for master and missus, and bring them home from the party, and then, oh, won't master whip you just? She tied the unhappy dog up again, but do not think Nana ceased to bark. Bring master and missus home from the party. Why? That was just what she wanted. Do you think she cared whether she was whipped?


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[Assistant] Fortunately Liza returned to her buddies, and Nana seen that no help would come from her, strained, strained at the chain upon her neck until it broke.


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[Assistant] In another moment she had burst into the dining room at 27, flung up a pause to heaven,


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[Assistant] A most expressive way of making a communication.


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[Assistant] Mr and Mrs Darling knew at once that something terrible was happening in their nursery, and without a goodbye to their hostess, they rushed into the street.


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[Assistant] Instead of troubling to ask him, Peter flew around the room, taking the mantelpiece on the way. How topping, said John and Michael. How sweet, cried Wendy. I'm sweet. Oh, I am sweet, said Peter, forgetting his manners again. It looked delightfully easy.


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[Assistant] And they tried it first from the floor and then the beds, but they always went down instead of up. I say, how do you do it, asked John, rubbing his knee. He was quite a practical boy. You just think lovely, wonderful thoughts, Peter explained, and they lift you up in the air. He showed them again. You're so nippy at it, said John.


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[Assistant] Couldn't you do it very slowly once? Peter did it both slowly and quickly. I've got it now Wendy, cried John, but soon he found out he had not. Not one of them could fly an inch.


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[Assistant] Though even Michael was in words of two syllables, and Peter did not know A to Z.


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[Assistant] Of course Peter had been trifling with them, for no one can fly unless the fairy dust has been blown on him.


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[Assistant] As we have mentioned, one of his hands was messy with it, and he blew some on each of them with the most superb results.


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[Assistant] Now just wiggle your shoulders this way, he said, and let go.


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[Assistant] They were all on the beds, and Gallop Michael let go first. He did not quite mean to let go, but he did it, and immediately he was born across the room. I flewed, he screamed, whilst still in midair.


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[Assistant] John let go and met Wendy near the bathroom. Oh lovely, oh ripping, look at me, look at me, look at me, the children said. They were not nearly so elegant as Peter.


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[Assistant] They could not help kicking a little, but their heads were bobbing against the ceiling, and there is almost nothing so delicious as that. Peter gave Wendy a hand at first, but had to desist. Tink was so indignant. Up and down they went, and round and round. Heavenly was Wendy's word. I say, cried John, why shouldn't we all go out?


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[Assistant] Of course it was to this that Peter had been luring them. Michael was ready. He wanted to see how long it took him to do a billion miles. But Wendy hesitated. Mermaids, said Peter again. Ooh, said Wendy. And there are pirates. Pirates, cried John, seizing his Sunday hat. Let us go at once.


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[Assistant] But it was just at this moment that Mr. and Mrs. Darling hurried with Nana out of 27.


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[Assistant] They ran into the middle of the street and looked up at the nursery window, and yes, it was still shut, but the room was ablaze with light, and most heart-ripping sight of all, they could see in the window on the curtain, three little figures in night attire, circling round and round, not on the floor, but in the air. Not three figures.


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[Assistant] In a tremble they open the street door, and Mr Darling would have rushed upstairs, but Mrs Darling signed for him to go softly. She even tried to make her heart go softly. We reach the nursery in time, if so how delightful for them, and we all shall breathe a sigh of relief. But there will be no story. On the other hand,


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[Assistant] If they are not in time, I solemnly promise that it will come alright in the end. They would have reached the nursery in time had it not been that the little stars were watching them. Once again the stars blew open the window and the smallest star of all called out, Cave Peter, then Peter knew there was not a moment to lose.


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[Assistant] Come, he cried empirically and soared out at once into the night followed by John, Michael and Wendy.


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[Assistant] Mr and Mrs Darling and Nana rushed into the nursery too late. The birds had flown.


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[Assistant] Okay guys, Lucy now is in the main studio of Radiotubers in Los Cuarenta in Spain. How are you?


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[Assistant] So now you will be, uhm, a really, a little bit stressed.


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[Assistant] This program is brought to you by Stanford University. Please visit us at stanford.edu.


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[Assistant] The preceding program is copyrighted by Stanford University. Please visit us at stanford.edu.


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[Assistant] Hello everyone and welcome back to English with Lucy. Today I've got a pronunciation video for you. I'm going to teach you how to pronounce


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[Assistant] Ten commonly mispronounced girls' names. So I've got ten of the most popular names in the UK that are commonly mispronounced.


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[Assistant] So if you have any of these names yourself, you're going to have to say it a million times on the phone, spell it out for people, correct people. Sometimes you might get so bored of it that you don't even bother correcting people anymore. So let me know if you have this name and how you deal with people mispronouncing it all the time.


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[Assistant] Uhm, now some of these are mispronounced because there are various different ways of pronouncing them. So I will go through those, and if I miss any out, comment down below.


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[Assistant] So this video is a pronunciation lesson. If you want to improve your speaking and pronunciation even further, a great alternative to reading books is listening to audiobooks.


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[Assistant] And you can read the book at the same time as listening and you can hear how the words are pronounced. You can get 30 days for free on Audible. That's a whole free audiobook of your choosing. The link is in the description box along with some of my audiobook recommendations if you want to learn the British English accent. And I've got some recommendations for American as well. Let's get started with the lesson. The first one is this one.


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[Assistant] So the official pronunciation of this name is Siobhan, but obviously you can name your baby whatever you want to name it. So if you want to call it Siobhan, that is absolutely fine, it's a lovely name as well. I think I actually had more Siobhans in my year at school than I did Siobhans.


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[Assistant] But yea, you can call it what you want, but commonly mispronounced, so be careful. The next one is a gorgeous name. I absolutely love this name. It is this one.


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[Assistant] I think I just love any name with like the I sound in it. I think it's so beautiful. Ayla.


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[Assistant] Now the next one is actually a combination of two names and this is mispronounced.


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[Assistant] Purely because people misread it. So we've got Kristen and Kirsten. Kristen, Kirsten. But yes, a number of times I've emailed someone called Kristen and I've greeted them as Kirsten and it gets a bit embarrassing. So yeah, be extra, extra careful over Kristen and Kirsten.


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[Assistant] With this particular spelling, it could be either or.


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[Assistant] It could be either Kyra or Kira, but with other spellings it can be a little bit more clear.


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[Assistant] The next one is confusing purely because it has three vowels in a row. Oh my god. It should be pronounced Gaia.


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[Assistant] Gaia. But I'm pretty sure there will be someone in the world that calls it Gaia.


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[Assistant] Actually, on that line of thought, one of my school teachers was actually called gay, uhm, which comes from the, the meaning happy. But yeah, bit of a shame actually, it's not a name that I hear so frequently nowadays.


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[Assistant] So it could be Lee on its own or it could be Ashley. People who have this in their name frequently complain of being called Lay or Ashley, etc. Next we have this one.


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[Assistant] Now obviously it depends on the parent. This one should actually be Kaya, like in Maya. But some people might mispronounce it by saying Kaya. And the last one is this one.


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[Assistant] Again, it depends on the parent. It could be Layla or it could be Lila.


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[Assistant] I personally prefer Lila because it's got that eye sound in it which I think is so beautiful.


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[Assistant] Right guys, that's it for today's video. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you learnt something. Those were ten popular girls' names that are commonly mispronounced.


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[Assistant] Comment below if you have a name that is often said or spelt incorrectly. Don't forget to connect with me on all of my social media. I have my Facebook, I have my Instagram, and I have my Twitter. And I will see you soon for another lesson. Mwah!


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[Assistant] Hello everyone and welcome back to English with Lucy. Today I want to talk to you about commonly mispronounced baby names that are usually given to boys.


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[Assistant] So this is a pronunciation video designed to help you with your English speaking and pronunciation. If you'd like to further improve that, I really encourage you to check out Audible. There's a link in the description. You can get a 30 day free trial. That's a whole free audiobook.


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[Assistant] And I've got some recommendations for books with British English pronunciation, I've got an American English pronunciation one as well. So don't miss out! Right, let's get started with the video. So, the first name that I'd like to talk about is actually a Hispanic name, and it is Joaquin. Joaquin, like the Joaquin Dead.


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[Assistant] So in Spanish it should be Joaquín, but speakers of English generally tend to pronounce it as.


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[Assistant] Joaquin. Joaquin. So Joaquin Phoenix, for example. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't roll off the tongue. Number two. Now, some of you are gonna laugh at this one because you will know how to pronounce it, but I honestly, for the majority of my childhood, thought that this was pronounced as seen.


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[Assistant] Scene. So you know the actor Sean Bean?


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[Assistant] I thought he was seen being. But yes, it should be pronounced Sean.


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[Assistant] The next one. Now this just depends on the parents. It could be.


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[Assistant] Stefan, and it could be Stephen. It's up to them, so just ask with this one. Now the next one is a little bit confusing, because it could be anything.


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[Assistant] So you are likely to mispronounce it and that's why it's best just to ask the person how they pronounce their name. It could be Elias, it could be Elias, and it could be Elias. Are those just all the variations there? I guess you could say Elias as well. Just ask. The next one.


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[Assistant] And I think beginning with an X is difficult. This one is normally pronounced zander. Zander.


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[Assistant] Next one we have is actually pronounced with an X and that is Xavier. Xavier. But you could meet someone called Xavier as well. What about this one? Is it Noel? Like Christmas?


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[Assistant] It could be. I have met somebody called Noel before.


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[Assistant] Is just the Irish version of Owen. Owen.


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[Assistant] And I remember, does anyone remember Owen Quigg? He was an X Factor participant in like...


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[Assistant] Two thousand and something, and I thought he was so handsome. Uh, but yeaah, I remember reading his name and thinking, Yohan, but no, Owen, apparently. Now the next one. Is it Louis or is it Louis?


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[Assistant] You're going to have to ask the person because it all depends on what their parents decided to call them. Sorry guys, that one's a bit of a cop out.


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[Assistant] The last one we have is Jaden. We know it now because of Jaden Smith.


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[Assistant] But a few years back, people were pretty confused and we were hearing Jarden.


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[Assistant] Jaden. But no, apparently it should be Jaden.


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[Assistant] Right guys, that's it for the pronunciation lesson today. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you learnt something. Again, if you have a name that is commonly misspelt or mispronounced, put it in the comments and let me sympathise with you. Mine's very easy to pronounce, although I do get a lot of my students calling me lucky.


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[Assistant] Or misspelling it with an S, which confuses me so much because the channel name is English with Lucy. It is right there. I say it for you and I write it for you. So really, it's just careless.


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[Assistant] But, that being said, don't forget to connect with me on all of my social media. I've got my Facebook, my Instagram, and my Twitter. And I will see you soon for another lesson. Mwah!


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[Assistant] Let the light guide your way, yeaah.


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[Assistant] Is that I recently wrote this book, this memoir called Eat Pray Love, uhm, which decidedly unlike any of my previous books, uhm, went out in the world for some reason and became this big mega sensation international best seller thing. The result of which is that everywhere I go now, people treat me like I'm doomed.


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[Assistant] The Greeks famously called these divine attendant spirits of creativity daemons. Socrates famously believed that he had a daemon who spoke wisdom to him from afar.


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[Assistant] The Romans had the same idea, but they called that sort of disembodied creative spirit a genius, uhm, which is great because the Romans


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[Assistant] As anybody who has ever tried to make something, which is to say, as basically everyone here knows, does not always behave rationally, and in fact can sometimes feel downright paranormal.


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[Assistant] And uhm, and grab it on the page. And other times, she wouldn't be fast enough, so she'd be like running and running and running, and the, she wouldn't get to the house, and the poem would like barrel through her, and she would miss it, and she said it would continue on across the landscape looking, as she put it, for another poet. And uhm, and then there were these times,


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[Assistant] Moonlight dances of sacred dance and music that would go on for hours and hours until dawn. And they were always magnificent because the dancers were professionals and they were terrific, right? But every once in a while, very rarely, something would happen and one of these performers would actually become transcendent.


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[Assistant] They would put their hands together and they would start to chant Allah, Allah, Allah, God, God, God, that's God.


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[Assistant] You know? Uhm, curious historical footnote. Uhm, when the Moors invaded southern Spain, they took this


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[Assistant] In a creative life, you know? Uhm, but maybe it doesn't have to be quite so full of anguish if you never happened to believe in the first place that the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you.


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[Assistant] Uhm, I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Jamni.


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[Assistant] That's Johnny, but spelt accidentally with an M, in case you were wondering, because we're not all perfect. Jamni is an alien who has been sent to Earth with a mission to study humans. Jamni is feeling lost and alone and far from home, and I think we've all felt this way.


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[Assistant] Or at least I have. I wrote this story about this alien at a moment in my life when I was feeling particularly alien. I had just moved to Cambridge and started my doctoral program at MIT and I was feeling intimidated and isolated and very much like I didn't belong. But I had a lifeline of sorts, see?


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[Assistant] I was writing jokes for years and years and sharing them on social media. And I found that I was turning to doing this more and more.


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[Assistant] Now, for many people, the internet can feel like a lonely place. It can feel like this, a big, endless, expansive void where you can constantly call out to it, but no one's ever listening.


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[Assistant] But I actually found a comfort in speaking out to the void. I found in sharing my feelings with the void, eventually the void started to speak back.


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[Assistant] And it turns out that the void isn't this endless lonely expanse at all, but instead it's full of all sorts of other people, also staring out into it and also wanting to be heard.


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[Assistant] Now, there have been many bad things that have come from social media. I'm not trying to dispute that at all. To be online at any given point is to feel so much sadness and anger and violence. It can feel like the end of the world. Yet at the same time, I'm conflicted because


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[Assistant] I can't deny the fact that so many of my closest friends are people that I had met originally online.


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[Assistant] And I think that's partly because there's this confessional nature to social media.


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[Assistant] It can feel like you're writing in this personal, intimate diary that's completely private, yet at the same time you want everyone in the world to read it. And I think ...


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[Assistant] Part of that, I think the joy of that is that we get to experience things from perspectives from people who are completely different from ourselves. And sometimes that's a nice thing.


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[Assistant] For example, when I first joined Twitter, I found that so many of the people that I was following were talking about mental health and going to therapy in ways that had none of the stigma that they often do when we talk about these issues in person.


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[Assistant] Through them, the conversation around mental health was normalized, and they helped me realize that going to therapy was something that would help me as well.


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[Assistant] Now for many people, it sounds like a scary idea to be talking about all these topics, uhm, so publicly and so openly on the internet. I feel ...


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[Assistant] Like, a lot of people think that it is a big, scary thing to be online if you're not already perfectly and fully formed. But I think the internet can be actually a great place to not know. And I think we can treat that with excitement.


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[Assistant] Because to me, there's something important about sharing your imperfections and your insecurities and your vulnerabilities with other people.


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[Assistant] Now when someone shares that they feel sad or afraid or alone, for example, it actually makes me feel less alone, not by ...


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[Assistant] Getting rid of any of my loneliness, but by showing me that I am not alone in feeling lonely.


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[Assistant] And as a writer and as an artist, I care very much about making this comfort of being vulnerable a communal thing, something that we can share with each other. I'm excited about externalizing the internal, about taking those invisible, personal feelings that I don't have words for.


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[Assistant] Holding them to the light, putting words to them, and then sharing them with other people, in the hopes that it might help them find words to find their feelings as well.


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[Assistant] Now I know that sounds like a big thing, but ultimately I'm interested in putting all these things into small, approachable packages. Because when we can hide them into these smaller pieces, I think they're easier to approach, I think they're more fun, I think they can more easily help us see our shared humanness.


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[Assistant] Sometimes that takes the form of a short story, sometimes that takes the form of a cute book of illustrations, for example, and sometimes that takes the form of a silly joke that I'll throw on the internet. For example, a few months ago, I posted this app idea.


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[Assistant] For a dog walking service where a dog shows up at your door and you have to get out of the house and go for a walk.


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[Assistant] If there are app developers in the audience, please find me after the talk.


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[Assistant] When I sign my emails best, it's short for, I am trying my best, which is short for, please don't hate me, I promise I'm trying my best. Or my answer to the classic icebreaker,


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[Assistant] And I find that when I post things like these online, the reaction is very similar. People come together to share a laugh, to share in that feeling, and then to disperse just as quickly. But, yes, leaving me once again alone.


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[Assistant] How many people in your life have you already had your last conversation with?


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[Assistant] And I was thinking about my own friends who had moved away to different cities and different countries even and how hard it would be for me to keep in touch with them.


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[Assistant] But other people started replying and sharing their own experiences. Somebody talked about a family member they had a falling out with. Someone talked about a loved one who had passed away quickly and unexpectedly. Someone else talked about their friends from school who had moved away as well.


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[Assistant] But then something really nice started happening. Instead of just replying to me, people started replying to each other. And they started to talk to each other and share their own experiences and comfort each other and encourage each other to reach out to that friend that they haven't spoken to in a while or that family member that they had a falling out with. And eventually,


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[Assistant] We got this little tiny micro community. It felt like this support group formed of all sorts of people coming together.


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[Assistant] And I think every time we post online, every time we do this, there's a chance that these little micro communities can form. There's a chance that all sorts of different ...


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[Assistant] Creatures can come together and be drawn together. And sometimes, through the muck of the internet, you get to find a kindred spirit.


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[Assistant] Sometimes that's in the reading the replies and the comment sections and finding a reply that is particularly kind or insightful or funny. Sometimes that's in going to follow someone and seeing that they already follow you back.


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[Assistant] And sometimes that's in looking at someone that you know in real life and seeing the things that you write and the things that they write and realizing that you share so many of the same interests as they do and that brings them closer together to you. Sometimes if you're lucky, you get to meet another alien.


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[Assistant] But I am worried, too, because as we all know, the internet for the most part doesn't feel like this. We all know that for the most part, the internet feels like a place where we misunderstand each other, where we come into conflict with each other.


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[Assistant] Where there's all sorts of confusion and screaming and yelling and shouting. And it feels like there's too much of everything. It feels like chaos. And I don't know how to square away the bad parts with the good, because as we know and as we've seen, the bad parts can really, really hurt us.


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[Assistant] It feels to me that the platforms that we use to inhabit these online spaces have been designed either ignorantly or willfully to allow for harassment and abuse, to propagate misinformation, to enable hatred and hate speech and the violence that comes from it, and it feels like none of our current platforms are doing enough to address and to fix that. But still ...


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[Assistant] And maybe, probably, unfortunately, I'm still drawn to these online spaces as many others are, because sometimes it just feels like that's where all the people are. And I feel silly and ...


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[Assistant] Stupid sometimes for valuing these small moments of human connection in times like these.


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[Assistant] These little moments of humanness are not superfluous. They're not retreats from the world at all, but instead, they're the reasons why we come to these spaces. They are important and vital, and they affirm and they give us life.


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[Assistant] And they are these tiny temporary sanctuaries that show us that we are not as alone as we think we are.


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[Assistant] I think the inflatable, metaphorical bouncy castle in this case is really our relationships and our connections to other people.


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[Assistant] And so one night, when I was feeling particularly sad and hopeless about the world, I shouted out to the void, to the lonely darkness. I said, at this point, logging onto social media feels like holding someone's hand at the end of the world.


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[Assistant] And this time, instead of the void responding, it was people who showed up.


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[Assistant] Who started replying to me and then who started talking to each other and slowly this little tiny community formed. Everybody came together to hold hands.


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[Assistant] And in these dangerous and unsure times, in the midst of it all, I think the thing that we have to hold onto is other people. And I know that is a small thing, made up of small moments, but I think it is one tiny, tiny sliver of light in all the darkness. Thank you.


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[Assistant] If you have hepatitis A or B, your liver is inflamed because you have been infected with either the hepatitis A virus or the hepatitis B virus.


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[Assistant] The functional parts of your liver are called hepatic lobules. Your hepatic lobules filter all of the blood in your body.


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[Assistant] As the blood passes through, your hepatic lobules break down harmful substances.


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[Assistant] Remove bacteria and worn out blood cells.


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[Assistant] and forms clotting factors that control bleeding.


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[Assistant] After a meal, your liver stores nutrients to provide your body with energy when needed.


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[Assistant] Your liver also makes a substance called bile.


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[Assistant] Your gallbladder stores bile and releases it into your small intestine to help digest fats in the food you eat.


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[Assistant] If you have hepatitis A, the virus entered your body when you were exposed to fecal matter from a person infected with the virus.


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[Assistant] You may have been exposed to the virus by eating contaminated food or water.


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[Assistant] Contact with infected feces such as during a diaper change or having unprotected sex with a person infected with the virus.


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[Assistant] If you have hepatitis B, the virus entered your body when you were exposed to the blood or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus. This could have happened from sharing a drug syringe with an infected person.


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[Assistant] Other ways you may have been exposed to the virus include Having sex with someone infected by the virus Sharing personal hygiene items such as razors or toothbrushes used by an infected person Direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person


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[Assistant] Or when a mother passes it to her baby during birth.


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[Assistant] In response, your body sends immune cells to attack both the virus and liver cells infected with the virus.


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[Assistant] Over time, scar tissue forms around dead and infected liver cells, which prevents your liver from working properly.


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[Assistant] If you have a chronic hepatitis B infection, your liver contains a large amount of scar tissue called cirrhosis, which limits blood flow and results in permanent shrinking and hardening of your liver.


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[Assistant] If you have hepatitis A, your doctor won't prescribe any medical treatment because your immune cells will eventually find and destroy all of the hepatitis A viruses in your body.


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[Assistant] If you have hepatitis B, your immune system will usually remove all the hepatitis B viruses from your body.


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[Assistant] In some people with chronic hepatitis B, particularly children, their immune cells are unable to remove all of the hepatitis B viruses.


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[Assistant] If you have chronic hepatitis B and your immune system can't get rid of the virus completely, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication.


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[Assistant] If you have a severe case of chronic hepatitis B, your doctor may recommend a liver transplant operation.


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[Assistant] Of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves. Please check out my YouTube channel for other bedtime stories.


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[Assistant] Including other Arabian night tales such as Aladdin. If you prefer your bedtime stories with music, this recording.


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[Assistant] is also available with relaxing music on my channel please do not listen to this recording


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[Assistant] Alibaba and the Forty Thieves


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[Assistant] Qasim, however, having married the heiress of a rich merchant, became, soon after his marriage, the owner of a fine shop, together with several pieces of land, and was in consequence, through no effort of his own,


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[Assistant] The most considerable merchant in the town, Alibaba on the other hand, was married to one as poor as himself, and having no other means of gaining a livelihood, he used to go every day into the forest to cut wood and lading, therewith


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[Assistant] The three asses, which were his sole stock in trade, would then hawk it about the streets for sale.


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[Assistant] One day, when he was at work within the skirts of the forest, Ali Baba saw advancing towards him, across the open, a large company of horsemen.


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[Assistant] And sought safety for himself in the lower branches of a large tree.


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[Assistant] Which grew in the close overshadowing of a rock.


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[Assistant] Almost immediately, it became evident that this very precipitous rock was the goal towards which the troop were bound.


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[Assistant] For having arrived, they alighted instantly from their horses, and took down each man of the Massac, which seemed by its weight and form to be filled with gold.


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[Assistant] Not daring to descend from his hiding place lest they should come out and catch him in the act. But at last, when the waiting had grown almost unbearably, his patience was rewarded and the door in the rock opened and out came the forty men, their captain leading them.


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[Assistant] Disregarding the silver and the gold that lay loose.


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[Assistant] He brought to the mouth of the cave as many sacks of gold as he thought his three asses might carry


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[Assistant] And having loaded them and covered them with wood, so they might not be seen.


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[Assistant] When he got home he drove his asses into a small court and shutting the gates carefully he took off the wood that covered the bags and carried them to his wife.


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[Assistant] She discovering them, to be full of gold, fear that her husband had stolen them, and began sorrowfully to reproach him.


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[Assistant] And having poured all the gold into a great heap on the floor, he sat down at her side to consider how well it looked.


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[Assistant] I will go round to Kasim's house and borrow a measure, small enough to give us an exact reckoning. Do as you will, answer the husband, but see that you keep the thing secret.


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[Assistant] So before bringing it, she covered all the bottom with lard.


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[Assistant] And giving it to Ali Baba's wife told her to be sure and be quick in returning it. The other promised to restore it punctually and made haste to get home. And there, finding the hole dug for its reception, she started to measure the money into it.


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[Assistant] No sooner was her back turned than Cassine's wife looked at the bottom of the measure.


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[Assistant] Is Alibaba so rich that he needs a measure for his gold? Where then, I would know, has the miserable wretch obtained it?


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[Assistant] She waited with impatience for her husband's return, and as soon as he came in, she began to cheer at him. You think yourself rich, she said, but Ali Baba is richer. You count your gold by the piece, but Ali Baba does not count. He measures it. In comparison to Ali Baba,


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[Assistant] We are book rubs and groundlings.


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[Assistant] Having thus riddled him to the top of her benten order to provoke his curiosity, she told him the story of the borrowed measure.


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[Assistant] Of our own stratagem and of its results, Kasim, instead of being pleased at Alibaba's sudden prosperity, grew furiously jealous. Not a wink could he sleep all night for thinking of it. The next morning,


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[Assistant] Before sunrise, he went to his brother's house. Alibaba, said he, what do you mean by pretending to be poor?


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[Assistant] When all the time you are scooping up gold by the quartz.


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[Assistant] Have you like this that my wife found sticking to the bottom of the measure yesterday?


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[Assistant] Alibaba perceiving that the intervention of wives had made further concealment useless.


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[Assistant] That you should tell me exactly where the treasure lies. That I may, if need be test the truth of your story.


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[Assistant] Otherwise I shall find it my duty to denounce you to the authorities.


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[Assistant] Alibaba, having a clear conscience, had little fear of Kasim's threats.


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[Assistant] But out of pure good nature he gave him all the information he desired, not forgetting to instruct him in the words which would give him a free passing into the cave and out again.


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[Assistant] Intent on possessing himself all the treasures, which he actually remained, he set off the next morning before daybreak, taking with him ten mules laid in with empty crates.


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[Assistant] Arrived before the cave, he recalled the words which his brother had taught him. No sooner was open sesame said than the door in the rock lay wide for him to pass through.


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[Assistant] Intoxicated with the wealth that lay before his eyes, he had no thought but to gather together with all speed as much treasure as the ten mules could carry. And so, having exhausted himself with heavy labour and excitement, he suddenly found, on returning to the door, that he had forgotten the key which opened it.


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[Assistant] Up and down, in and out, through the mazes of his brain, he chased the missing word.


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[Assistant] Barley and maize and rice, he thought of them all, but of sesame never once, because his mind had become dark to the revealing light of heaven, and so the door stayed fast, holding him prisoner in the cave, where to his fate, undeserving of pity, we leave him. Towards noon, the robbers returned, and Saul standing about the rock,


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[Assistant] The door immediately fell open. Kasim, who from within had heard the trampling of horses, had no doubt that the robbers were arrived and that his hour was come.


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[Assistant] Resolved, however, to make one last effort to escape, he stood, ready, by the door.


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[Assistant] And no sooner had the opening word been uttered than he sprang forth with such violence that he threw the captain to the ground. But his attempt was vain. Before he could break through, he was mercilessly hacked down by the swords of the robber band. With their fears thus verified, the robbers anxiously entered the cave.


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[Assistant] There they saw piled by the door, the treasure which Kasim had sought to carry away. But while restoring this to its place, they failed altogether to detect the earlier loss which Ali Baba had caused them. Reckoning, however, that as one had discovered the secret of entry, others might know of it.


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[Assistant] They determined to leave an example for any who might venture thither on a similar errand, and having quartered the body of Kasim,


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[Assistant] They disposed it at the entrance in a manner most calculated to strike horror into the heart of the boulder. Then, closing the door of the cave, they rode away in search of fresh exploits and plunder. Meanwhile,


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[Assistant] Cassim's wife had grown very uneasy at her husband's prolonged absence and at nightfall and able to endure further suspense, she ran to Alibaba and telling him of his brother's secret expedition,


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[Assistant] There were traces of blood, he became filled with misgiving


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[Assistant] But no sooner than he had entered than his worst fears were realised. Nevertheless, brotherly pity gave him courage.


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[Assistant] Gathering together the severed remains and wrapping them about with all possible decency, he laid them upon one of the asses, then bethinking him that he deserved some payment for his pains.


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[Assistant] He loaded two remaining asses with sacks of gold and covering them with wood, as his first occasion made his way back to the town where it was yet early.


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[Assistant] Leaving his wife to dispose of the treasure born by the Tuassus, he led the third to a sisters-in-law's house, knocking quietly so that none of the neighbours might hear, was presently admitted by Morgana, a female slave, whose intelligence and discretion had long been known to him.


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[Assistant] Morgiana, he said. There's trouble on the back of that ass. Can you keep a secret?


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[Assistant] And Morgiana's nod satisfied him better than any oath. Well, he said, your master's body lies there, waiting to be pierced, and our own business now is to bury him honorably, as though he had died a natural death.


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[Assistant] Go and tell your mistress that I want to speak to her.


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[Assistant] Morgiana went to her mistress and returning presently, bade Alibaba enter. Then, leading him to break to his sister-in-law the news and the sad circumstances of his brother's death, she, with her plan already formed, hastened forth and knocked at the door of the nearest apothecary. And,


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[Assistant] Tears in her eyes besought him to supply her in haste with a certain drug that is given to sick people only in the last extremity. Meanwhile, the rumour of Kasim's sickness had got abroad.


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[Assistant] Ali Baba and his wife had been seen coming and going, while Morgiana, by her ceaseless activity,


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[Assistant] had made the day's pretending illness seem like a fortnight. So when a sound of wailing arose within the house, all the neighbors concluded without further question that Cassine had died a natural and honorable death. But Morgiana had now a still more difficult task to perform, it being necessary


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[Assistant] For the obsequences that the body should be made in some way presentable.


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[Assistant] So at a very early hour, the next morning, she went to the shop of a certain merry old cobbler, Baba Mustafa by name, who lived on the other side of the town.


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[Assistant] Showing him a piece of gold, she inquired whether he was ready to earn it by exercising his craft in implicit obedience to her instruction.


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[Assistant] And when Baba Mustafa sought to know the terms, first, said she, you must come with your eyes bandaged. Secondly, you must sew.


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[Assistant] That I put before you without asking questions. And thirdly, when you return, you must tell nobody.


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[Assistant] Mustafa, who had a lively curiosity into other folks affairs.


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[Assistant] Boggled for a time at the bandaging and doubted much of his ability to refrain from question.


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[Assistant] But having on these considerations secured the doubling of his fee, he promised secrecy.


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[Assistant] Readly enough, and taking his cobblest tackle in hand, submitted himself to Morgiana's guidance and set forth, this way, that she led him blindfold.


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[Assistant] Until she had brought him to the house of her deceased master.


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[Assistant] Then, uncovering his eyes in the presence of the dismembered corpse, she bade him get out thread and wax and join the pieces together.


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[Assistant] Baba Mustafa plied his task according to the compact, asking no question. When he was done,


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[Assistant] Morgiana again bandaged his eyes and led him home, and giving him a third piece of gold, the maul to satisfy him, she bade him good day, and departed.


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[Assistant] So in seamliness and without scandal of any kind were the obsequiesces of the murdered Kassim performed. And when all was ended,


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[Assistant] Seeing that his widow was desolate and his house in need of a protector,


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[Assistant] Ali Baba, with brotherly piety, took both the one and the other into care, marrying his sister-in-law according to Muslim law and removing


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[Assistant] With all the goods and newly acquired treasure to the house, which had been his brother's and having also acquired the shop where Kasim had done his business, he put it to his own son who had already served an apprenticeship to the trade.


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[Assistant] So with this fortune well established, let us now leave Alibaba and return to the robbers cave. Thither at the appointed time came the forty robbers bearing in hand fresh booty and great was their consternation to discover


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[Assistant] But not only had the body of Kasim been removed, but a good many sacks of gold as well. It was no wonder that this should trouble them.


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[Assistant] For so long as anyone could command secret access.


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[Assistant] Blown from their report, whether there had been recently any case in their midst of a sudden prosperity or sudden death, if such a thing could be discovered, then they would make sure of tracking the evil to its source and imposing a remedy.


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[Assistant] Although the penalty for failure was death, one of the robbers at once boldly offered himself for the venture and having transformed himself by disguise and received the wise counsels and commendations of his fellows, he set out for the town.


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[Assistant] He began to walk up and down the streets and watch the early stirring of the inhabitants. So, before long, he drew up at the door of Baba Mustafa, who, though old, was already seated at work upon his cobblest bench. The robber accosted him. I wonder, said he.


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[Assistant] I saw well enough to stitch up a dead body.


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[Assistant] In a place where it was certainly no lighter. Stitch up a dead body, cried the robber, in pretended amazement, concealing his joy at the sudden intelligence. Surely you mean, in its winding sheet,


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[Assistant] For how else can a dead body be stitched? No, no, said Mustafa. What I say I mean. But as it is a secret, I can tell you no more. The robber drew out a piece of gold. Come, he said. Tell me nothing you do not care to. Only shame the house. Where lay the body that you stitched? Baba Mustafa eyed the gold longingly.


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[Assistant] I've heard that a blind man remembers his road. Perhaps, though, seeing you might lose it, blindfold you might find it again, tempted by the offer of a second piece of gold.


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[Assistant] The robber then put a bandage over his eyes and walked beside him through the streets, partly guiding and partly being led, till, of his own accord, Baba Mustafa stopped. It was here, said he, the door by which I went in should now lie to the right.


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[Assistant] And had in fact come exactly opposite to the house, which had once been Cassim's, where Alibaba now dwelt.


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[Assistant] The robber, having marked the door with a piece of chalk,


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[Assistant] Which had been provided for the purpose, removed the bandage from Mustafa's eyes, and, leaving him to his own devices, returned with all possible speed to the cave where his comrades were awaiting him.


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[Assistant] Soon after, the robber and cobbler had parted, Morgiana happened to go out upon an errand.


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[Assistant] And as she returned, she noticed the mark upon the door.


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[Assistant] Either some trick is intended, or there is evil brewing for my master's house.


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[Assistant] Taking a piece of chalk, she put a similar mark.


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[Assistant] Upon five or six doorways to the right and left, and having done this she went home with her mind satisfied, saying nothing.


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[Assistant] In the meantime, the robbers had learned from their companion the success of his venture.


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[Assistant] Greatly elated at the thought of their vengeance, soon to be theirs, they formed a plan for entering the city in a manner that should arise no suspicion amongst the inhabitants.


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[Assistant] They were passing by twos and threes and by different routes. They came together to the marketplace at an appointed time. While the captain and the robber who had acted as spy made their way alone to the street in which the marked door was to be found. Presently, just as they had expected, they perceived a door with the mark on it. That is it, said the robber.


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[Assistant] But as they continued walking, so as to avoid suspicion, they came upon another and another, till before they were done, they had passed six in succession.


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[Assistant] So alike were the marks that the spy, though he swore he had made but one, could not tell which it was.


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[Assistant] Seeing that the design had failed, the captain returned to the marketplace, and having passed the word for his troop to go back in the same way they had come, he himself set the example of retreat.


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[Assistant] When they were all reassembled in the forest, the captain explained how the matter had fallen, and then the spy acquiescing in his own condemnation, kneeled down and received the stroke of the executioner.


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[Assistant] But, as it was still necessary for the safety of all, that so great a trespass and theft should not pass unavenged, another other band, undeterred by the fate of his comrade, volunteered upon the same conditions to prosecute the quest wherein the other had failed.


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[Assistant] Coming by the same means in the house of Ali Baba, he set upon the door at a spot not likely to be noticed, a mark in red chalk to distinguish it clearly from those which were already marked in white. But even this precaution failed. Of its end. Morgiana, whose eye nothing could escape,


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[Assistant] Notice the red mark at the first time of passing, and dealt with it just as she'd done with the previous one. So when the robbers came, hoping this time to light upon the door without fail, they found not one, but all six similarly marked with red.


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[Assistant] When the second spy had received the due reward of his blunder, the captain considered how by trusting to others he had come to lose two of his bravest followers, so the third attempt he determined to conduct in person.


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[Assistant] Having found his way to Ali Baba's door, as the two others had done by the aid of Baba Mustafa.


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[Assistant] He then returned to the forest and communicated to his band the plan which he had formed. This was to go into the town in the disguise of an oil merchant, bearing with him upon 19 mules 38 large leather jars.


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[Assistant] One of the jars, as an example, was to be full of oil, but all the others empty.


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[Assistant] In these he purposed to conceal the 37 robbers to which his band was now reduced.


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[Assistant] And so to convey his full force to the scene of action in such a manner as to arouse no suspicion till the signal for vengeance should be given.


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[Assistant] Within a couple of days he had secured all the mules and jars that were requisite and having disposed of his troop according to the pre-arranged plan


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[Assistant] He drove his train of well laden mules to the gates of the city, through which he passed just before sunset.


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[Assistant] Proceeding thence to Ali Baba's house and arriving as it fell dark.


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[Assistant] When he perceived Alibaba at the door enjoying the fresh air after supper, addressing him in tones of respect, Sir said he,


[User] Please transcribe this text

[Assistant] I port my oil at a great distance to sell tomorrow in the market, and at this late hour, being a stranger, I know not where to seek for a shelter. If it is not troubling you,


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[Assistant] Too much. Allow me to staple my beasts here for the night.


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[Assistant] The captain's voice was now so changed from its accustomed tone of command that Alibaba, though he had heard it before, did not recognise it.


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[Assistant] Not only did he grant the strangers request for bear accommodation,


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[Assistant] But as soon as the unlanding of the stable of the mules had been accomplished, he invited him to stay no longer.


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[Assistant] The captain, whose plans this proposal somewhat disarranged, endeavoured to excuse himself from a pretended reluctance to give trouble, but since Anubaba would take no refusal, he was forced at last to yield, and to submit with apparent complacence.


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[Assistant] Alibaba went into the kitchen to speak to Mulgiana.


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[Assistant] And the captain on the robbers, on the pretext of going to look after his mules, slipped out into the yard where the oil jars were standing in line. Passing from jar to jar, he whispered into each.


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[Assistant] He then returned to the house where Morgiana came with a light and conducted him to his chamber. Now Alibaba, before going to bed, had said to Morgiana, tomorrow at dawn, I'm going to the baths. Let my bathing linen be put ready and see that the cook has some good broth prepared for me against my return.


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[Assistant] Having therefore led the guest up to his chamber, Morgiana returned to the kitchen and ordered Abdallah the cook to put on the pot for the broth. Suddenly, while she was skimming it, the lamp went out. And on searching, she found there was no more oil in the house. At so late an hour, no shop would be open, yet somehow


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[Assistant] Up down to bed, so you might be up in time to wake his master on the morrow.


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[Assistant] She took the oil can herself and went out into the court. As she approached the jar which stood nearest, she heard a voice within say, is it time? To one of Morgiana's intelligence, an oil jar that spoke was an object of even more suspicion than a chalk mark on a wall, and in an instant, she apprehended what danger for her master.


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[Assistant] And his family might lie concealed around her. Understanding well enough that an oil jar, which asked a question, required an answer, she replied quick, as thought, and without the least sign of perturbation. Not yet, but presently. And thus she passed from jar to jar, 37 and all, giving the same answer.


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[Assistant] Till she came to the one which contained the oil. The situation was now clear to her.