at the back of the north wind-第2章

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〃You　must　have　a　tall　house；　then；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Yes；　a　tall　house：　　the　clouds　are　inside　it。〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　Diamond；　and　thought　a　minute。　　〃I　think；　then；

you　can　hardly　expect　me　to　keep　a　window　in　my　bed　for　you。　

Why　don't　you　make　a　window　into　Mr。　Dyves's　bed？〃



〃Nobody　makes　a　window　into　an　ash…pit；〃　said　the　voice；　rather　sadly。　

〃I　like　to　see　nice　things　out　of　my　windows。〃



〃But　he　must　have　a　nicer　bed　than　I　have；　though　mine　is　very　nice

so　nice　that　I　couldn't　wish　a　better。〃



〃It's　not　the　bed　I　care　about：　　it's　what　is　in　it。But　you

just　open　that　window。〃



〃Well；　mother　says　I　shouldn't　be　disobliging；　but　it's　rather　hard。　

You　see　the　north　wind　will　blow　right　in　my　face　if　I　do。〃



〃I　am　the　North　Wind。〃



〃O…o…oh！〃　said　Diamond；　thoughtfully。　　〃Then　will　you　promise

not　to　blow　on　my　face　if　I　open　your　window？〃



〃I　can't　promise　that。〃



〃But　you'll　give　me　the　toothache。　　Mother's　got　it　already。〃



〃But　what's　to　become　of　me　without　a　window？〃



〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know。　　All　I　say　is；　it　will　be　worse　for　me

than　for　you。〃



〃No；　it　will　not。　　You　shall　not　be　the　worse　for　itI　promise　you　that。　

You　will　be　much　the　better　for　it。　　Just　you　believe　what　I　say；

and　do　as　I　tell　you。〃



〃Well；　I　can　pull　the　clothes　over　my　head；〃　said　Diamond；

and　feeling　with　his　little　sharp　nails；　he　got　hold　of　the　open

edge　of　the　paper　and　tore　it　off　at　once。



In　came　a　long　whistling　spear　of　cold；　and　struck　his　little

naked　chest。　　He　scrambled　and　tumbled　in　under　the　bedclothes；

and　covered　himself　up：　　there　was　no　paper　now　between　him　and　the　voice；

and　he　felt　a　littlenot　frightened　exactlyI　told　you　he　had　not

learned　that　yetbut　rather　queer；　for　what　a　strange　person　this

North　Wind　must　be　that　lived　in　the　great　house〃called　Out…of…Doors；

I　suppose；〃　thought　Diamondand　made　windows　into　people's　beds！　

But　the　voice　began　again；　and　he　could　hear　it　quite　plainly；

even　with　his　head　under　the　bed…clothes。　It　was　a　still　more　gentle

voice　now；　although　six　times　as　large　and　loud　as　it　had　been；

and　he　thought　it　sounded　a　little　like　his　mother's。



〃What　is　your　name；　little　boy？〃　it　asked。



〃Diamond；〃　answered　Diamond；　under　the　bed…clothes。



〃What　a　funny　name！〃



〃It's　a　very　nice　name；〃　returned　its　owner。



〃I　don't　know　that；〃　said　the　voice。



〃Well；　I　do；〃　retorted　Diamond；　a　little　rudely。



〃Do　you　know　to　whom　you　are　speaking！〃



〃No；〃　said　Diamond。



And　indeed　he　did　not。　　For　to　know　a　person's　name　is　not　always

to　know　the　person's　self。



〃Then　I　must　not　be　angry　with　you。You　had　better　look　and　see；　though。〃



〃Diamond　is　a　very　pretty　name；〃　persisted　the　boy；　vexed　that　it

should　not　give　satisfaction。



〃Diamond　is　a　useless　thing　rather；〃　said　the　voice。



〃That's　not　true。　　Diamond　is　very　niceas　big　as　twoand　so

quiet　all　night！　　And　doesn't　he　make　a　jolly　row　in　the　morning；

getting　upon　his　four　great　legs！　　It's　like　thunder。〃



〃You　don't　seem　to　know　what　a　diamond　is。〃



〃Oh；　don't　I　just！　　Diamond　is　a　great　and　good　horse；

and　he　sleeps　right　under　me。　　He　is　old　Diamond；　and　I　am

young　Diamond；　or；　if　you　like　it　better；　for　you're　very　particular；

Mr。　North　Wind；　he's　big　Diamond；　and　I'm　little　Diamond；

and　I　don't　know　which　of　us　my　father　likes　best。〃



A　beautiful　laugh；　large　but　very　soft　and　musical；　sounded　somewhere

beside　him；　but　Diamond　kept　his　head　under　the　clothes。



〃I'm　not　Mr。　North　Wind；〃　said　the　voice。



〃You　told　me　that　you　were　the　North　Wind；〃　insisted　Diamond。



〃I　did　not　say　Mister　North　Wind；〃　said　the　voice。



〃Well；　then；　I　do；　for　mother　tells　me　I　ought　to　be　polite。〃



〃Then　let　me　tell　you　I　don't　think　it　at　all　polite　of　you　to　say

Mister　to　me。〃



〃Well；　I　didn't　know　better。　　I'm　very　sorry。〃



〃But　you　ought　to　know　better。〃



〃I　don't　know　that。〃



〃I　do。　　You　can't　say　it's　polite　to　lie　there　talkingwith　your

head　under　the　bed…clothes；　and　never　look　up　to　see　what　kind

of　person　you　are　talking　to。I　want　you　to　come　out　with　me。〃



〃I　want　to　go　to　sleep；〃　said　Diamond；　very　nearly　crying；　for　he

did　not　like　to　be　scolded；　even　when　he　deserved　it。



〃You　shall　sleep　all　the　better　to…morrow　night。〃



〃Besides；〃　said　Diamond；　〃you　are　out　in　Mr。　Dyves's　garden；

and　I　can't　get　there。　　I　can　only　get　into　our　own　yard。〃



〃Will　you　take　your　head　out　of　the　bed…clothes？〃　said　the　voice；

just　a　little　angrily。



〃No！〃　answered　Diamond；　half　peevish；　half　frightened。



The　instant　he　said　the　word；　a　tremendous　blast　of　wind　crashed

in　a　board　of　the　wall；　and　swept　the　clothes　off　Diamond。　

He　started　up　in　terror。　　Leaning　over　him　was　the　large；　beautiful；

pale　face　of　a　woman。　　Her　dark　eyes　looked　a　little　angry；

for　they　had　just　begun　to　flash；　but　a　quivering　in　her　sweet

upper　lip　made　her　look　as　if　she　were　going　to　cry。　　What　was

the　most　strange　was　that　away　from　her　head　streamed　out　her　black

hair　in　every　direction；　so　that　the　darkness　in　the　hay…loft

looked　as　if　it　were　made　of　her；　hair　but　as　Diamond　gazed　at　her

in　speechless　amazement；　mingled　with　confidencefor　the　boy　was

entranced　with　her　mighty　beautyher　hair　began　to　gather　itself

out　of　the　darkness；　and　fell　down　all　about　her　again；　till　her

face　looked　out　of　the　midst　of　it　like　a　moon　out　of　a　cloud。　

From　her　eyes　came　all　the　light　by　which　Diamond　saw　her　face　and　her；

hair；　and　that　was　all　he　did　see　of　her　yet。　　The　wind　was　over　and　gone。



〃Will　you　go　with　me　now；　you　little　Diamond？　　I　am　sorry　I　was

forced　to　be　so　rough　with　you；〃　said　the　lady。



〃I　will；　yes；　I　will；〃　answered　Diamond；　holding　out　both　his　arms。　

〃But；〃　he　added；　dropping　them；　〃how　shall　I　get　my　clothes？　

They　are　in　mother's　room；　and　the　door　is　locked。〃



〃Oh；　never　mind　your　clothes。　　You　will　not　be　cold。　　I　shall　take

care　of　that。　　Nobody　is　cold　with　the　north　wind。〃



〃I　thought　everybody　was；〃　said　Diamond。



〃That　is　a　great　mistake。　　Most　people　make　it；　however。　　They　are

cold　because　they　are　not　with　the　north　wind；　but　without　it。〃



If　Diamond　had　been　a　little　older；　and　had　supposed　himself

a　good　deal　wiser；　he　would　have　thought　the　lady　was　joking。　

But　he　was　not　older；　and　did　not　fancy　himself　wiser；　and　therefore

understood　her　well　enough。　　Again　he　stretched　out　his　arms。　

The　lady's　face　drew　back　a　little。



〃Follow　me；　Diamond；〃　she　said。



〃Yes；〃　said　Diamond；　only　a　little　ruefully。



〃You're　not　afraid？〃　said　the　North　Wind。



〃No；　ma'am；　but　mother　never　would　let　me　go　without　shoes：　

she　never　said　anything　about　clothes；　so　I　dare　say　she　wouldn't

mind　that。〃



〃I　know　your　mother　very　well；〃　said　the　lady。　　〃She　is　a　good　woman。　

I　have　visited　her　often。　　I　was　with　her　when　you　were　born。　

I　saw　her　laugh　and　cry　both　at　once。　　I　love　your　mother；　Diamond。〃



〃How　was　it　you　did　not　know　my　name；　then；　ma'am？　Please　am　I

to　say　ma'am　to　you；　ma'am？〃



〃One　question　at　a　time；　dear　boy。　　I　knew　your　name　quite　well；

but　I　wanted　to　hear　what　you　would　say　for　it。　　Don't　you　remember

that　day　when　the　man　was　finding　fault　with　your　namehow　I　blew

the　window　in？〃



〃Yes；　yes；〃　answered　Diamond；　eagerly。　　〃Our　window　opens　like　a　door；

right　over　the　coach…house　door。　　And　the　windyou；　ma'amcame　in；

and　blew　the　Bible　out　of　the　man's　hands；　and　the　leaves　went

all　flutter；　flutter　on　the　floor；　and　my　mother　picked　it　up

and　gave　it　back　to　him　open；　and　there〃



〃Was　your　name　in　the　Biblethe　sixth　stone　in　the　high

priest's　breastplate。〃



〃Oh！a　stone；　was　it？〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　thought　it　had　been　a　horse

I　did。〃



〃Never　mind。　　A　horse　is　better　than　a　stone　any　day。　　Well；　you　see；

I　know　all　about　you　and　your　mother。〃



〃Yes。　　I　will　go　with　you。〃



〃