In the afternoon Lolita is alone in the patio. She isthinking about Don Diego.Suddenly she hears a noise andturns around.She sees Zorro standing in front of her. "Zorro!" she whispers."Don't be afraid, Seiiorita. Ionly punish corrupt people. Ilike your father because he is honest.I amhere to admire your beauty.""What! You mustgo away. You are in great danger," says Lolita."You are beautiful and kind,Lolita," says Zorro. "Let me kiss your hand." Zorro takes hersmall hand and kissesit. Lolita looksinto his eyes and smiles.Then she runs into the house."What a courageous man! He is a banditbut I like him," Lolita thinks.
"Think about it today.One of my servants canbring me youranswer tomorrow.""But why can't you come tomorrow?"asks Lolita."Oh, your haciendais far. I get tired when I ridemyhorse. I prefer to stayat home and rest.""What! You want to marrymeand you don't want to visit me! Is this your idea of love? I want to marry a strong,romantic man. You are young and rich, but youare not strong or romantic!Do you have a heart?" saysLolita. She is angry.She runs away and tells her mother.Doiia Catalina says," You are lucky, Lolita. DonDiego is very rich. He comes from anoble family. The Governor likes his family. This is a big opportunity for our family."
"Lolita is 18 years old and she is very beautiful," answers Don Carlos."Youhave a fine family. With yourpermission, I want to marry your daughter," says Don Diego.Don Carlos smiles and is happy. "This is an honour for our family. You have my permission! Doyou want to see Lolita?""Ithink I must!" answers Don Diego.Don Carlos calls her and she comes to the patio.Lolitais a lovely girl withlong black hair and dark eyes."Good morning. Seiiorita. There is something I must tell you," says Don Diego smiling ."Iwant to marry you and yourfather approves.""Oh, senor!" exclaims Lolita." You want to marry me!" She is surprised and her face is red.
Chapter Three: The PulidoHaciendaThe next dayis warm and sunny. Don Diego gets on his beautiful horse. He ridesto Don Carlos Pulido'sbig hacienda.Don Carlos is a good friend of DonDiego's family. Both familiesarerich and important. But theGovernor does not like DonCarlos. He creates problemsfor him. He wantsto take don Carlos' land.Don Carlos is happy tosee his friend. "Good morning,Don Diego. What a nice surprise! Come and sitin the patio.""Thank you. I amhere to say something very important," says Don Diego. "Iam almost 25 years old.My fatherwants me toget married and start a family. I amnotinterested in marriage. I think love and marriage are boring but I must obey my father. How old is your daughter Lolita?" asks Don Diego.
"Fight, senor!" says the Sergeant.They start fighting. Their swords move quickly and make a lot of noise.The two men are good fighters. Zorro is fast and light. Sergeant Gonzales is slow and heavy. Zorro jumps onto a table. Then he jumps onto a chair. The fight continues and Sergeant Gonzales' sword falls onto the floor. His face is white. He is scared. Zorro slaps his face and says, "This is your punishment." Then he makes a Z on the Sergeant's shirt with his sword.Zorro runs to the window. He opens it and says, "Good evening, gentlemen!"He jumps out of the window and disappears.
"What do you mean?" says the Sergeant."You beat the poor natives. I am a friend of the natives. I am here to punish you.""You idiot! The governor wants you dead or alive!" says Sergeant Gonzales. He pulls out his sword and wants to fight. At that moment Zorro pulls out a pistol. He watches everyone carefully. Sergeant Gonzales looks at the pistol and says, "Courageous men don't use pistols. They use swords. Perhaps you are not courageous, Zorro?""This pistol is necessary because you have many friends in this tavern. Everyone must go near the fire and stay there!" says Zorro. "Now I have a pistol in my left hand and a sword in my right hand. I am ready to punish you."
At 7 p.m. the door of the tavern opens. Sergeant Gonzales and the other soldiers are standing near the fire. They are talking about Don Diego Vega and his rich family.They turn around and see a man. Heis dressed in black. He has a black mask and a black sombrero. It is Zorro!"Good evening! My name is Zorro!" says the masked man. The men in the tavern are very surprised and scared.Sergeant Gonzales looks at him carefully and says, "What do you want bandit?"Zorro laughs loudly. He looks at Sergeant Gonzales and says, "I am here to punish you, Sergeant!"
"Everyone talks about this mysterious man with a mask. Many people say good things about him," says Don Diego."I want to fight him and capture him! I want the big reward," says Sergeant Gonzales."No, no! Don't talk about fighting. I hate fighting and I hate violence. I think Zorro is sincere. He punishes only bad people. He protects the poor, the natives and the friars. Let Zorro do his work," says Don Diego."You are a kind man. You like music and poetry. You don't understand, my friend. You are rich and noble," says the Sergeant.Don Diego smiles and says, "It's 6 p.m. I must return to my hacienda. Good night everyone." He opens the tavern door and goes out into the rain.
At that moment a man enters the tavern. He is young and handsome. He has black hair and dark eyes. He has fine clothes."Don Diego Vega, my friend!" says Sergeant Gonzales. "Your clothes are wet. Why are you out on this rainy night?"Don Diego smiles and says, "I am going home, but I am cold and wet. I want something to drink.""Come and stand near the fire," says the Sergeant." Here is a glass of wine.""Thank you, my friend," says Don Diego."We are talking about Zorro. Everyone is scared of him, but I am not! I am ready to fight Zorro and win! I am a champion with the sword. What do you think, Don Diego?" asks the Sergeant.
"Zorro! Don't saythat name! He is a bandit and a criminal," says Sergeant Gonzales."He is the terror of southern California," says another soldier."People say that he takesfrom the rich and gives to the poor. He is a friendof the natives and the friars. He punishes dishonest people," says anold man."Ha! Zorro is a bigmystery. Who is he? Where is hefrom? He wears a blackmask and no one cansee his face. He travelson the El Camino Real on his fast horse. Heis very goodwith his sword," says the Sergeant."Yes, and he leaves his mark-the Z-everywhere,"says the old man."No one canstop him. The Governor of California offers a big reward for thecapture of Zorro," says onesoldier.
Zorroby Johnston McCulleyChapter One: A Stormy NightReina de Los Angeles is a Spanish village in southern California. In the village there is a military presidio with Spanish soldiers and their horses. There is also a Spanish church called a mission. The Spanish friars live here. All around the village there are big homes with patios.Tonight there is a terrible storm and it is raining. Inside the village tavern there are soldiers and other men. They are eating and drinking. Sergeant Pedro Gonzales is at the tavern. He is a big, strong man."What a horrible night! It always rains in February. Where is Zorro on this stormy night?" asks one soldier.
Wendy is surprised and says, "But Peter, when will I see you again?" Mrs. Darling says, "I have an idea. Wendy, you can visit Peter in Neverland every spring! You can stay there for a week.""Can I really go to Neverland every spring, Mother?" asks Wendy.Peter looks at Mrs. Darling and asks, "Is that a promise?""Of course it is," says Mrs. Darling."Then I want spring to come quickly," says Peter."Yes, very quickly," says Wendy."Come on, Tink! Let's fly home and wait for spring," says Peter.Peter Pan and Tinker Bell fly out of the nursery window into the night sky.Their destination? Neverland!
"Mother," says Wendy, "Peter Pan and the Lost Boys are here too. They are waiting outside."The six Lost Boys slowly enter the nursery. They look at Mrs. Darling and smile at her."Mother, these are the Lost Boys. They haven't got a mother. Can they stay with us?" says Wendy."What dear little boys!" says Mrs. Darling. "Of course they can stay with us. And where is Peter Pan?"Peter enters the nursery and says, "I am here, but I don't want to stay here.I don't want to go to school and I don't want to grow up! I want to be a young boy forever. I must return to Neverland. I am happy with the Indians and the fairies."
One night after several months something incredible happens. Wendy, John and Michael fly into the nursery! Mrs. darling is sitting near the fireplace."Mother, Mother we're home!" says Wendy.Mrs. Darling turns around and sees her three dear children." Is this true or is it a dream? I can't believe it!" she says. "Oh, Mother, we are home at last," the children say.Wendy, John and Michael embrace their mother and kiss her."How wonderful to see you, my dear children! How wonderful to hear your sweet voices. Oh, let me look at you!" She calls Mr. Darling. Mr. Darling is very happy and surprised.There is great joy in the Darling nursery tonight.
Chapter Seven: Home at LastAt the Darling home, Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana are desolate. They always think about Wendy, John and Michael. They look at the three empty beds and tears come to their eyes. Mr. and Mrs. Darling never smile or laugh anymore.Mrs. Darling sits in the silent nursery and cries. She thinks of her children, their games and their happy voices. Nana tries to comfort her, but nothing can make Mrs. Darling happy.
Peter and Hook move all around the big ship. Their swords make a loud noise. Suddenly Peter takes Hook's sword and pushes him into the sea.Hook shouts, "Oh, No!" He falls into the sea and into the mouth of the hungry crocodile."Oh, Peter, we are proud of you!" says Wendy. She kisses him on the cheek. The boys cheer. Peter smiles and says, "The Jolly Roger is ours now. Let's go home!"
"Who is the first to walk the plank?" asks a pirate. "Come on! Let's go! The crocodile is hungry."Suddenly Peter Pan appears on the pirate ship. Tinker Bell follows him. Wendy and the boys cheer. They are very happy to see their young hero.Hook and his pirates are furious. Hook takes his sword and says, "I want to fight you, Pan! Tonight you will die!"Hook fights with his longsword and with his hook. Peter fights courageously. He pushes Hook to the back of the ship. It is a terrible fight. John, Michael and the Lost Boys fight the pirates. After a long fight they throw the pirates into the sea.
The Lost Boys look at John. John looks at Michael and says , "The life of a pirate is exciting. I don't want to walk the plank. I don't want to be food for the crocodile. Let's be pirates!" Michael looks at his brother. Then they look at Wendy. She doesn't like their idea.Captain Hook laughs and moves his hook in front of their faces. "Do you want to be pirates, yes or no?" he asks.John and Michael say, "Never!"Captain Hook is angry and says, "Then you must walk the plank and die!"Wendy is afraid. She loves her brothers and the Lost Boys. She has tears in her eyes.The boys stand near the plank and Wendy watches them. A pirate asks, "Who is the first to walk the plank? "At that moment there is a loud noise. "Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!"Captain Hook's face is white. He says, "The crocodile is here. He wants ME!" He runs to his cabin and hides there.
Chapter Six: The Jolly RogerThere is a yellow moon in the night sky. The Jolly Roger is in the bay near Kidd's Creek. The children are on the pirate ship. They are prisoners of Captain Hook and his cruel pirates.Captain Hook looks at them and says, "This time it's Peter Pan or me! You idiots! Peter Pan can't save you now." Hook laughs and then calls Smee. "Smee, get the plank ready!""Yes sir!" says Smee."Now listen to me," says Hook, "You must all walk the plank!" "Walk the plank?" asks John."Yes! First you walk the plank and then you fall into the sea with the crocodile. It will eat you! Ha, ha!" laughs Hook, "But I can save two of you. I want two young pirates. Who wants to be a pirate?"
Outside, the pirates are waiting for them! The children come out of the underground home and the pirates capture them, Then they take them to the Jolly Roger. They don't make any noise. Peter doesn't know where they are.He is sad without Wendy, John, Michael and the Lost Boys. He sits and thinks."Tap, tap, tap!" There is some on eat the door. "Who is it?" asks Peter.He can hear the sound of little bells and opens the door.Tinker Bell flies in and says, "The pirates have got Wendy, John, Michael and the Lost Boys! They are in danger. Let's help them.""I must save them. Come Tink, let's go to the Jolly Roger! This time I must attack Hook!"
"Do we really have to?" ask John and Michael."Yes, we've got to return home."The Lost Boys are sad and say, "Oh, Wendy, please don't leave us!""Don't be sad. You can come and live with us in London," says Wendy."Oh, how wonderful!" the Lost Boys say. "We can have a real family."They jump up and down with joy. They dance around the room.But Peter is not happy. He is very serious and says, "I'm not coming With you to London. I don't want to grow up. I want to be a boy forever."Everyone says goodbye to Peter.
But one night something happens. Wendy tells the children this bedtime story:"In the big city of London there are two parents. They are very sad because they can not find their three children. Every night they leave the nursery window open. They wait and wait for their children to return. But they don't return. Poor parents! They are very sad without their children.""Oh, Wendy, this is the story of our parents," says John."Yes, it is," says Michael.Peter listens and says, "Sometimes parents forget their children and other children take their place."Wendy is very surprised. "Oh, no!" she says! "Perhaps there are other children in our beds! John, Michael we must go home!"
Chapter Five: The Underground HomeThe Underground Home is a secret place. No one knows where it is. It is a happy, warm place. There is only one room with a big fireplace. Tinker Bell has her tiny room too.Wendy is a perfect mother. She cooks and sews for everyone. She also tells beautiful bedtime stories. The Lost Boys are happy because they finally have a mother. John and Michael are happy because there is a new adventure every day.Peter Pan is a perfect father. He brings home food and protects the family. Wendy and Peter play with the children and laugh with them.
Captain Hook sees everything and he is furious."That horrid Peter Pan! This time I must attack him," he says. He swims to the rock and fights with Peter. It is a long fight.The Captain hurts Peter with his hook, but Peter fights courageously. At last, Peter wins the fight and Hook swims back to the Jolly Roger. Peter is now alone on the rock with Wendy."The sea is rising and we are in great danger here. We must leave this rock," says Peter."Oh, Peter, I am very tired and I cannot swim or fly."He sees a big kite with a long tail. It is flying slowly over the lagoon. He takes the tail of the kite and says, "Wendy, hold on to this tail and fly away with the kite." Wendy flies away."The sea is rising. I must fly away," Peter thinks.When he gets home everyone is happy to see him especially Wendy.
But Wendy stays with Peter. They hide behind the rock. Peter sees Tiger Lily. She is sitting in the small boat. Poor Tiger Lily is a prisoner of the pirates."Let's leave her on this rock. When the sea rises, she will die !" says Smee. The two pirates laugh. It is already night and it is very dark.Peter wants to save Tiger Lily and thinks of something intelligent. He imitates Captain Hook's voice and says, "Cut the ropes and let her go! Do as I say, you idiots! Let her go!" The two pirates are amazed."Can you hear Hook's voice?" asks Smee, "Yes, but what can we do?" asks Starkey."We must obey him and cut the ropes," says Smee. They cut the ropes and Tiger Lily is free.She quickly jumps into the water and swims away.
Chapter Four: The Mermaid's LagoonOne summer evening Peter, Wendy, John, Michael and the Lost Boys go to the Mermaid's Lagoon. Beautiful mermaids live here and they are Peter's friends. They swim and play in the blue lagoon. Then they sit on Marooner's Rock to comb their long hair. They sit in the sun and laugh.The children like the mermaids and John says, "I want to catch one !"He tries, but the mermaid jumps into the water.Peter says, "It is very difficult to catch a mermaid."Suddenly someone says, "Look, the pirates are coming!"A small boat with two pirates is coming to the lagoon, John, Michael and the Lost Boys jump off the rock and swim away.
Peter flies down with John and Michael and asks, "Where is Wendy?" Tootles says, "Here she is."Peter goes over to her and asks, "Wendy, are you all right?"Wendy slowly opens her eyes and smiles. "Yes, but I'm very tired," she says.The Lost Boys are sorry. They decide to build her a little house. When the house is ready.Wendy says, "What a lovely little house! Thank you.""Can you be our mother now? Can you tell us bedtime stories before we go to bed? " asks Nibs."Of course," says Wendy. "Come in and I can tell you the story of Cinderella."They enter, sit down and listen to Wendy's story. It is a wonderful story.Peter Pan is outside the house with his sword. He wants to protect Wendy and the Lost Boys.
Soon some Indians arrive in the forest. They are looking for the pirates. The pirates are their enemy, Tiger Lily is their leader. She is the beautiful daughter of the Indian chief. She loves Peter Pan. Tinker Bell and Wendy love him too. The Indians go away and the Lost Boys return to play in the forest.Then Nibs looks at the sky and says, "Look, there is a lovely white bird in the sky.""Is it really a bird?" the Lost Boys ask.Tinker Bell says, "Yes, yes, it's a bird. It's a Wendy bird. You must shoot it!"Sometimes Tink is a bad fairy. She knows it is Wendy, but she doesn't like her. Nibs takes his bow and arrow and shoots Wendy. Poor Wendy falls to the ground. The Lost Boys see Wendy and say," She's not a bird! She's a lovely girl."
He sees the horrible pirates. They are walking in the forest. They are big and ugly. Their pirate ship is the Jolly Roger.The pirates' captain is James Hook. He is a cruel pirate and a very bad man. He's got black eyes, black hair and a black beard. He hates Peter Pan. He's only got one arm: The other is a hook! In the past Peter Pan cut off Captain Hook's right arm during a fight. A crocodile ate the arm. Now the crocodile follows Captain Hook everywhere because he wants to eat him. The crocodile has an alarm clock in its stomach! Captain Hook can always hear it."I know the Lost Boys live in this forest. We must find them and Peter Pan!" says Captain Hook."Tick, tock, tick, tock!" Captain Hook hears the alarm clock."Oh, no, the crocodile is coming to eat me!" says Captain Hook.He runs away and the pirates follow him.
Chapter Three: The NeverlandWendy, John and Michael fly over cities, towns, mountains, forests and seas. Finally they see an island in the sea below them."Look, that's Neverland," says Peter."Neverland!" say the children.In Neverland the Lost Boys live in the forest in a secret underground home. There are six Lost Boys: Slightly Soiled, Tootles, Nibs, Curly and the Twins. They are waiting for Peter.Suddenly they hear the voices of the pirates. Nibs is very brave. He goes out, hides behind a tree and looks around him.
