He was the ship's mender
Mr Smee always had a needle and thread in his pocket. He mended the crew's socks, his own spectacles, and — most importantly — Captain Hook's long crimson coat, one careful silver stitch at a time.
Meet the Characters
The True Story of Mr Smee
The bosun of the Jolly Roger — round, kindly, and the only pirate Hook ever trusted with his coat.
Featured on the map at The Jolly Roger · House Ember
Did you know?
He was Hook's only real friend
When Captain Hook stood alone at the rail looking out at the moon, it was Mr Smee, quietly, who came up beside him with a tin mug of hot tea. Hook was often afraid — and Smee, in his own quiet way, was the only friend he had.
He was the only pirate who got away
J. M. Barrie tells us Mr Smee was the one pirate on the Jolly Roger who escaped. He rowed himself home, and lived happily for the rest of his life telling anyone who'd listen that he was the only man Captain Hook had ever feared.
Would you rather?
So — would you rather be feared, like Captain Hook, or kind, like Mr Smee?
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Family reading companion
The True Story of Mr Smee
A short bedtime version — one screen. Read it aloud together.
Not every story of the Jolly Roger is about pirates who were cruel. Some of them, if you look closely, are about pirates who were quite kind. This is the story of one of them. His name was Mr Smee, and he was the bosun of Captain Hook.
Mr Smee was round, and elderly, with a shining bald head fringed by short white hair, and small round spectacles he was forever pushing back up his nose. He wore a red and white striped shirt, a red kerchief at his throat, and he almost always had a needle and thread in his pocket. Because Mr Smee, of all people, mended things.
He mended the crew's socks. He mended his own spectacles when they broke. And he was the only pirate on the Jolly Roger that Captain Hook trusted with his long crimson coat. Every night, in the yellow light of the ship's lantern, Mr Smee would sit on a coil of rope and stitch that coat, very carefully, one small silver stitch at a time.
And every night, when Captain Hook stood alone at the rail looking out at the moon, it was Mr Smee who came softly up beside him with a tin mug of hot tea. Because Captain Hook was often afraid. And Mr Smee, in his own quiet way, was the only friend he had.
When the pirates took the Darling children captive, it was Mr Smee, of course, who fetched them a thick wool blanket and offered it, rather sheepishly, to the smallest one — Michael, who was still hugging his teddy bear. Because a pirate, said Mr Smee to himself, was one thing. But a cold child was quite another.
Mr Smee was, however, absolutely terrified of the crocodile. Whenever he heard the faint tick-tick-tick of the clock inside its belly out in the dark sea, he would freeze in place, one hand cupped to his ear, and go very, very pale. And when Peter Pan finally came to the ship, and the cutlasses began to sing, Mr Smee did what Mr Smee always did in a fight. He ducked, put both hands over his head, and quietly waited for it to be over.
Barrie tells us Mr Smee was the only pirate on the Jolly Roger who ever got away. He climbed into a small rowing boat, put his spectacles carefully into his pocket, and rowed himself all the way home. And he lived, quite happily, for the rest of his life, telling anyone who would listen that he was the only man Captain Hook had ever feared. Which was not, exactly, true. But it was rather nice for Mr Smee to think so.
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