at the back of the north wind-第10章

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〃Won't　you？〃　　And　North　Wind　grew　a　tall　lady；　and　looked　him

in　the　eyes；　and　Diamond　said



〃Please　take　me。　　You　cannot　be　cruel。〃



〃No；　I　could　not　be　cruel　if　I　would。　　I　can　do　nothing　cruel；

although　I　often　do　what　looks　like　cruel　to　those　who　do　not　know

what　I　really　am　doing。　　The　people　they　say　I　drown；　I　only　carry

away　tototowell；　the　back　of　the　North　Windthat　is　what　they

used　to　call　it　long　ago；　only　I　never　saw　the　place。〃



〃How　can　you　carry　them　there　if　you　never　saw　it？〃



〃I　know　the　way。〃



〃But　how　is　it　you　never　saw　it？〃



〃Because　it　is　behind　me。〃



〃But　you　can　look　round。〃



〃Not　far　enough　to　see　my　own　back。　　No；　I　always　look　before　me。　

In　fact；　I　grow　quite　blind　and　deaf　when　I　try　to　see　my　back。　

I　only　mind　my　work。〃



〃But　how　does　it　be　your　work？〃



〃Ah；　that　I　can't　tell　you。　　I　only　know　it　is；　because　when　I　do　it

I　feel　all　right；　and　when　I　don't　I　feel　all　wrong。　　East　Wind　says

only　one　does　not　exactly　know　how　much　to　believe　of　what　she　says；

for　she　is　very　naughty　sometimesshe　says　it　is　all　managed

by　a　baby；　but　whether　she　is　good　or　naughty　when　she　says　that；

I　don't　know。　　I　just　stick　to　my　work。　　It　is　all　one　to　me　to

let　a　bee　out　of　a　tulip；　or　to　sweep　the　cobwebs　from　the　sky。　

You　would　like　to　go　with　me　to…night？〃



〃I　don't　want　to　see　a　ship　sunk。〃



〃But　suppose　I　had　to　take　you？〃



〃Why；　then；　of　course　I　must　go。〃



〃There's　a　good　Diamond。I　think　I　had　better　be　growing　a　bit。　

Only　you　must　go　to　bed　first。　　I　can't　take　you　till　you're　in　bed。　

That's　the　law　about　the　children。　　So　I　had　better　go　and　do　something

else　first。〃



〃Very　well；　North　Wind；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃What　are　you　going

to　do　first；　if　you　please？〃



〃I　think　I　may　tell　you。　　Jump　up　on　the　top　of　the　wall；　there。〃



〃I　can't。〃



〃Ah！　and　I　can't　help　youyou　haven't　been　to　bed　yet；　you　see。　

Come　out　to　the　road　with　me；　just　in　front　of　the　coach…house；　and　I

will　show　you。〃



North　Wind　grew　very　small　indeed；　so　small　that　she　could　not

have　blown　the　dust　off　a　dusty　miller；　as　the　Scotch　children

call　a　yellow　auricula。　　Diamond　could　not　even　see　the　blades

of　grass　move　as　she　flitted　along　by　his　foot。　　They　left　the　lawn；

went　out　by　the　wicket　in　the…coach…house　gates；　and　then　crossed

the　road　to　the　low　wall　that　separated　it　from　the　river。



〃You　can　get　up　on　this　wall；　Diamond；〃　said　North　Wind。



〃Yes；　but　my　mother　has　forbidden　me。〃



〃Then　don't；〃　said　North　Wind。



〃But　I　can　see　over；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Ah！　to　be　sure。　　I　can't。〃



So　saying；　North　Wind　gave　a　little　bound；　and　stood　on　the　top

of　the　wall。　　She　was　just　about　the　height　a　dragon…fly　would　be；

if　it　stood　on　end。



〃You　darling！〃　said　Diamond；　seeing　what　a　lovely　little　toy…woman

she　was。



〃Don't　be　impertinent；　Master　Diamond；〃　said　North　Wind。　

〃If　there's　one　thing　makes　me　more　angry　than　another；　it　is　the　way

you　humans　judge　things　by　their　size。　　I　am　quite　as　respectable

now　as　I　shall　be　six　hours　after　this；　when　I　take　an　East

Indiaman　by　the　royals；　twist　her　round；　and　push　her　under。　

You　have　no　right　to　address　me　in　such　a　fashion。〃



But　as　she　spoke；　the　tiny　face　wore　the　smile　of　a　great；　grand　woman。　

She　was　only　having　her　own　beautiful　fun　out　of　Diamond；　and　true

woman's　fun　never　hurts。



〃But　look　there！〃　she　resumed。　　〃Do　you　see　a　boat　with　one　man　in　it

a　green　and　white　boat？〃



〃Yes；　quite　well。〃



〃That's　a　poet。〃



〃I　thought　you　said　it　was　a　bo…at。〃



〃Stupid　pet！　　Don't　you　know　what　a　poet　is？〃



〃Why；　a　thing　to　sail　on　the　water　in。〃



〃Well；　perhaps　you're　not　so　far　wrong。　　Some　poets　do　carry

people　over　the　sea。　　But　I　have　no　business　to　talk　so　much。　

The　man　is　a　poet。〃



〃The　boat　is　a　boat；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Can't　you　spell？〃　asked　North　Wind。



〃Not　very　well。〃



〃So　I　see。　　A　poet　is　not　a　bo…at；　as　you　call　it。　　A　poet　is

a　man　who　is　glad　of　something；　and　tries　to　make　other　people

glad　of　it　too。〃



〃Ah！　now　I　know。　　Like　the　man　in　the　sweety…shop。〃



〃Not　very。　　But　I　see　it　is　no　use。　　I　wasn't　sent　to　tell　you；

and　so　I　can't　tell　you。　　I　must　be　off。　　Only　first　just　look　at

the　man。〃



〃He's　not　much　of　a　rower〃　said　Diamond〃paddling　first　with　one

fin　and　then　with　the　other。〃



〃Now　look　here！〃　said　North　Wind。



And　she　flashed　like　a　dragon…fly　across　the　water；　whose　surface

rippled　and　puckered　as　she　passed。　　The　next　moment　the　man

in　the　boat　glanced　about　him；　and　bent　to　his　oars。　　The　boat

flew　over　the　rippling　water。　　Man　and　boat　and　river　were　awake。　

The　same　instant　almost；　North　Wind　perched　again　upon　the　river　wall。



〃How　did　you　do　that？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃I　blew　in　his　face；〃　answered　North　Wind。　　〃I　don't　see　how

that　could　do　it；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　daresay　not。　　And　therefore

you　will　say　you　don't　believe　it　could。〃



〃No；　no；　dear　North　Wind。　　I　know　you　too　well　not　to　believe　you。〃



〃Well；　I　blew　in　his　face；　and　that　woke　him　up。〃



〃But　what　was　the　good　of　it？〃



〃Why！　don't　you　see？　　Look　at　himhow　he　is　pulling。　　I　blew

the　mist　out　of　him。〃



〃How　was　that？〃



〃That　is　just　what　I　cannot　tell　you。〃



〃But　you　did　it。〃



〃Yes。　　I　have　to　do　ten　thousand　things　without　being　able　to　tell　how。〃



〃I　don't　like　that；〃　said　Diamond。



He　was　staring　after　the　boat。　　Hearing　no　answer；　he　looked　down

to　the　wall。



North　Wind　was　gone。　　Away　across　the　river　went　a　long　ripple

what　sailors　call　a　cat's　paw。　　The　man　in　the　boat　was　putting　up

a　sail。　　The　moon　was　coming　to　herself　on　the　edge　of　a　great　cloud；

and　the　sail　began　to　shine　white。　　Diamond　rubbed　his　eyes；

and　wondered　what　it　was　all　about。　　Things　seemed　going　on　around　him；

and　all　to　understand　each　other；　but　he　could　make　nothing　of　it。　

So　he　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　went　in　to　have　his　tea。　

The　night　was　very　hot；　for　the　wind　had　fallen　again。



〃You　don't　seem　very　well　to…night；　Diamond；〃　said　his　mother。



〃I　am　quite　well；　mother；〃　returned　Diamond；　who　was　only　puzzled。



〃I　think　you　had　better　go　to　bed；〃　she　added。



〃Very　well；　mother；〃　he　answered。



He　stopped　for　one　moment　to　look　out　of　the　window。　　Above　the

moon　the　clouds　were　going　different　ways。　　Somehow　or　other　this

troubled　him；　but；　notwithstanding；　he　was　soon　fast　asleep。



He　woke　in　the　middle　of　the　night　and　the　darkness。　　A　terrible

noise　was　rumbling　overhead；　like　the　rolling　beat　of　great　drums

echoing　through　a　brazen　vault。　　The　roof　of　the　loft　in　which　he

lay　had　no　ceiling；　only　the　tiles　were　between　him　and　the　sky。　

For　a　while　he　could　not　come　quite　awake；　for　the　noise　kept　beating

him　down；　so　that　his　heart　was　troubled　and　fluttered　painfully。　

A　second　peal　of　thunder　burst　over　his　head；　and　almost　choked　him

with　fear。　　Nor　did　he　recover　until　the　great　blast　that　followed；

having　torn　some　tiles　off　the　roof；　sent　a　spout　of　wind　down

into　his　bed　and　over　his　face；　which　brought　him　wide　awake；

and　gave　him　back　his　courage。　　The　same　moment　he　heard　a　mighty

yet　musical　voice　calling　him。



〃Come　up；　Diamond；〃　it　said。　　〃It's　all　ready。　　I'm　waiting　for　you。〃



He　looked　out　of　the　bed；　and　saw　a　gigantic；　powerful；　but　most

lovely　armwith　a　hand　whose　fingers　were　nothing　the　less　ladylike

that　they　could　have　strangled　a　boa…constrictor；　or　choked　a　tigress

off　its　preystretched　down　through　a　big　hole　in　the　roof。　

Without　a　moment's　hesitation　he　reached　out　his　tiny　one；　and　laid

it　in　the　grand　palm　before　him。









CHAPTER　VI



OUT　IN　THE　STORM





THE　hand　felt　its　way　up　his　arm；　and；　grasping　it　gently　and

strongly　above　the　elbow；　lifted　Diamond　from　the　bed。　　The　moment

he　was　through　the　hole　in　the　roof；　all　the　winds　o