Also , if he put off asking for his wish too long it might go bad . He asked himself if he had not been hard-hearted to fly away without saying good-bye to Solomon . `` I should like awfully to sail in my boat just once more , '' he said wistfully to his sleeping mother . He quite argued with her as if she could hear him . `` It would be so splendid to tell the birds of this adventure , '' he said coaxingly . `` I promise to come back , '' he said solemnly and meant it , too . And in the end , you know , he flew away . Twice he came back from the window , wanting to kiss his mother , but he feared the delight of it might waken her , so at last he played her a lovely kiss on his pipe , and then he flew back to the Gardens . Many nights and even months passed before he asked the fairies for his second wish ; and I am not sure that I quite know why he delayed so long . One reason was that he had so many good-byes to say , not only to his particular friends , but to a hundred favourite spots . Then he had his last sail , and his very last sail , and his last sail of all , and so on . Again , a number of farewell feasts were given in his honour ; and another comfortable reason was that , after all , there was no hurry , for his mother would never weary of waiting for him . This last reason displeased old Solomon , for it was an encouragement to the birds to procrastinate . Solomon had several excellent mottoes for keeping them at their work , such as `` Never put off laying to-day , because you can lay to-morrow , '' and `` In this world there are no second chances , '' and yet here was Peter gaily putting off and none the worse for it . The birds pointed this out to each other , and fell into lazy habits . But , mind you , though Peter was so slow in going back to his mother , he was quite decided to go back . The best proof of this was his caution with the fairies . They were most anxious that he should remain in the Gardens to play to them , and to bring this to pass they tried to trick him into making such a remark as `` I wish the grass was not so wet , '' and some of them danced out of time in the hope that he might cry , `` I do wish you would keep time ! '' Then they would have said that this was his second wish . But he smoked their design , and though on occasions he began , `` I wish -- '' he always stopped in time .
So when at last he XXXXX to them bravely , `` I wish now to go back to mother for ever and always , '' they had to tickle his shoulder and let him go .
fell go going pass passed pointed putting said saying smoked