The Wendy Trilogy

The Wendy Trilogy is a three-song cycle written and recorded by American musician S.J. Tucker. It appears on her 2006 release Sirens (SJ Tucker album) and is frequently performed in solo performances and with Tricky Pixie, Ms. Tucker's project with Alexander James Adams and Betsy Tinney. It is a retelling of the Peter Pan story, diverting from the original at the point where Captain Hook offers Wendy the chance to become a pirate. In this version, Wendy accepts the offer and starts an adventure of her own.

The Wendy Trilogy inspired The Lost Girls Pirate Academy, an organization inspired by the "rebel Wendy" character who is central to the trilogy. Founded in 2007, the organization's signature song is "The LGPA Alma Mater," the 2008 release of which was illustrated by fantasy artist Amy Brown.

Wendy On Board
The first entry in the song-cycle starts with Tucker's explanation that "not all tales are true", providing the point of the original Peter Pan from where the story will diverge.

After accepting Hook's offer to become a pirate, the two enter into a deal in which Wendy joins Captain Hook's crew. Hook will become her foster-father if she manages to survive the challenges ahead of her, and she will be his heir if she exceeds expectations. They also both agree to walk the plank if caught double-crossing or betraying the other, with Wendy adding the caveat that Hook's ship will become hers if he betrays her. Wendy takes the pirate name Red-Handed Jill. Peter Pan comes attempting to save Wendy from Captain Hook, but becomes angry when he thinks Wendy has chosen Hook over him. The two become sworn enemies due to Pan's misunderstanding of Wendy's larger plan.

Red-Handed Jill
The second song in the cycle follows Wendy's struggle to become a respected member of the pirate crew. She faces challenges and derision from the pirates, but begins to pick up skills such as swordplay through bribery of the crew and reduces her load of chores by tricking the pirates into completing them for her.

Tinkerbell comes to the ship and, despite the animosity between her and Wendy, Wendy confides in her the plan to wrest control of the ship from Hook. Tinkerbell agrees to carry the news to Peter and the Lost Boys to counter Pan's assumption that Wendy has betrayed him.

Wendy is on deck one night when she hears Hook and Smee plotting against her, in contravention of their deal to not plot against one another. Hook has a plan to marry Wendy to Bluebeard, who he knows will murder her; he trusts in the fact that he is now considered Wendy's foster father to ensure that she will be unable to escape this fate. Wendy challenges Hook's treachery in plotting against her, offering him the choice of retirement or the plank and announcing her plan to take control of the ship by dawn.

Hook threatens Wendy with his hook, but she remains resolute. Peter arrives to assist her and carries Hook into the air, where he is helpless. When Smee injures Wendy and she cries out, Peter drops Hook into the water, where he meets the crocodile. Peter and Wendy are reunited. Wendy stays true to her promise to take over the ship, and she and her crew fight the Lost Boys on Saturdays.

Green-Eyed Sue
The third song in the cycle departs farthest from the original story. Wendy complains to Peter that she'd like to have more girls on her crew. Peter locates a disaffected tomboy named Green-Eyed Sue who is eager to visit Neverland and escape the family that disapproves of her piratical dreams. Sue becomes Wendy's first mate upon the retirement of Smee. More "Lost Girls" are located, and learn pirating from Wendy and Sue.

Tales of Wendy and her ship begin to spread through other lands of fantasy, and the pirate girls become notorious to the point that they are asked to lead the Royal Fleet of the fairies by Titania and Oberon. Wendy agrees if and only if the Lost Girls can be permitted to keep their standing appointment on Saturdays with the Lost Boys. The offer is accepted; Wendy becomes an admiral and liaison between Neverland and Fairyland.

Eventually Wendy makes good on the promise she made in the first song of the cycle, to use the pirate ship to "set a course for home". (Whether or not her brothers join her on this journey is unclear, although her farewell to Pan is included.) Wendy invites the Lost Girls to come home with her and be her sisters at home. Many of the pirate girls are happy; however, some, including Sue, do not wish to grow up or leave Neverland. Sue inherits the ship from Wendy with promises to carry on "the legacy of Red-Handed Jill". Under Sue's guidance, the pirate girls teach the Lost Boys how to sail.

The story ends with a caution from Tucker to brothers, instructing them to be kinder to their sisters lest they "turn pirate and run off to sail the seas". Further cautions are given to parents who discourage such fantasies in their daughters as improper or berate them for playing "boy's games", again lest they run away to follow their dreams.

Origins
Tucker notes on her website that she first had the idea of the trilogy in 2005 while staying in Portland, OR after performing for the first time at the Faerieworlds festival. The songs were completed two months later, the lyrics being written over a few weeks through journal entries. Tucker is also considering the reprisal of the character Green-eyed Sue in future works.