at the back of the north wind-第3章

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I　know　all　about　you　and　your　mother。〃



〃Yes。　　I　will　go　with　you。〃



〃Now　for　the　next　question：　　you're　not　to　call　me　ma'am。　You　must

call　me　just　my　own　namerespectfully；　you　knowjust　North　Wind。〃



〃Well；　please；　North　Wind；　you　are　so　beautiful；　I　am　quite　ready

to　go　with　you。〃



〃You　must　not　be　ready　to　go　with　everything　beautiful　all

at　once；　Diamond。〃



〃But　what's　beautiful　can't　be　bad。　　You're　not　bad；　North　Wind？〃



〃No；　I'm　not　bad。　　But　sometimes　beautiful　things　grow　bad　by　doing　bad；

and　it　takes　some　time　for　their　badness　to　spoil　their　beauty。　

So　little　boys　may　be　mistaken　if　they　go　after　things　because　they

are　beautiful。〃



〃Well；　I　will　go　with　you　because　you　are　beautiful　and　good；　too。〃



〃Ah；　but　there's　another　thing；　Diamond：What　if　I　should　look

ugly　without　being　badlook　ugly　myself　because　I　am　making　ugly

things　beautiful？What　then？〃



〃I　don't　quite　understand　you；　North　Wind。　　You　tell　me　what　then。〃



〃Well；　I　will　tell　you。　　If　you　see　me　with　my　face　all　black；

don't　be　frightened。　　If　you　see　me　flapping　wings　like　a　bat's；　as　big

as　the　whole　sky；　don't　be　frightened。　　If　you　hear　me　raging　ten　times

worse　than　Mrs。　Bill；　the　blacksmith's　wifeeven　if　you　see　me　looking

in　at　people's　windows　like　Mrs。　Eve　Dropper；　the　gardener's　wife

you　must　believe　that　I　am　doing　my　work。　　Nay；　Diamond；　if　I　change

into　a　serpent　or　a　tiger；　you　must　not　let　go　your　hold　of　me；

for　my　hand　will　never　change　in　yours　if　you　keep　a　good　hold。　

If　you　keep　a　hold；　you　will　know　who　I　am　all　the　time；　even　when

you　look　at　me　and　can't　see　me　the　least　like　the　North　Wind。　

I　may　look　something　very　awful。　　Do　you　understand？〃



〃Quite　well；〃　said　little　Diamond。



〃Come　along；　then；〃　said　North　Wind；　and　disappeared　behind

the　mountain　of　hay。



Diamond　crept　out　of　bed　and　followed　her。







CHAPTER　II



THE　LAWN





WHEN　Diamond　got　round　the　corner　of　the　hay；　for　a　moment　he　hesitated。　

The　stair　by　which　he　would　naturally　have　gone　down　to　the　door

was　at　the　other　side　of　the　loft；　and　looked　very　black　indeed；

for　it　was　full　of　North　Wind's　hair；　as　she　descended　before　him。　

And　just　beside　him　was　the　ladder　going　straight　down　into　the　stable；

up　which　his　father　always　came　to　fetch　the　hay　for　Diamond's　dinner。　

Through　the　opening　in　the　floor　the　faint　gleam　of　the…stable　lantern

was　enticing；　and　Diamond　thought　he　would　run　down　that　way。



The　stair　went　close　past　the　loose…box　in　which　Diamond　the　horse　lived。　

When　Diamond　the　boy　was　half…way　down；　he　remembered　that　it

was　of　no　use　to　go　this　way；　for　the　stable…door　was　locked。　

But　at　the　same　moment　there　was　horse　Diamond's　great　head

poked　out　of　his　box　on　to　the　ladder；　for　he　knew　boy　Diamond

although　he　was　in　his　night…gown；　and　wanted　him　to　pull　his

ears　for　him。　　This　Diamond　did　very　gently　for　a　minute　or　so；

and　patted　and　stroked　his　neck　too；　and　kissed　the　big　horse；

and　had　begun　to　take　the　bits　of　straw　and　hay　out　of　his　mane；

when　all　at　once　he　recollected　that　the　Lady　North　Wind　was　waiting

for　him　in　the　yard。



〃Good　night；　Diamond；〃　he　said；　and　darted　up　the　ladder；

across　the　loft；　and　down　the　stair　to　the　door。　　But　when　he

got　out　into　the　yard；　there　was　no　lady。



Now　it　is　always　a　dreadful　thing　to　think　there　is　somebody　and

find　nobody。　　Children　in　particular　have　not　made　up　their　minds　to　it；

they　generally　cry　at　nobody；　especially　when　they　wake　up　at　night。　

But　it　was　an　especial　disappointment　to　Diamond；　for　his　little　heart

had　been　beating　with　joy：　　the　face　of　the　North　Wind　was　so　grand！　

To　have　a　lady　like　that　for　a　friendwith　such　long　hair；　too！　

Why；　it　was　longer　than　twenty　Diamonds'　tails！　　She　was　gone。　

And　there　he　stood；　with　his　bare　feet　on　the　stones　of　the　paved　yard。



It　was　a　clear　night　overhead；　and　the　stars　were　shining。　

Orion　in　particular　was　making　the　most　of　his　bright　belt

and　golden　sword。　　But　the　moon　was　only　a　poor　thin　crescent。　

There　was　just　one　great；　jagged；　black　and　gray　cloud　in　the　sky；

with　a　steep　side　to　it　like　a　precipice；　and　the　moon　was　against

this　side；　and　looked　as　if　she　had　tumbled　off　the　top　of　the

cloud…hill；　and　broken　herself　in　rolling　down　the　precipice。　

She　did　not　seem　comfortable；　for　she　was　looking　down　into　the

deep　pit　waiting　for　her。　　At　least　that　was　what　Diamond　thought

as　he　stood　for　a　moment　staring　at　her。　　But　he　was　quite　wrong；

for　the　moon　was　not　afraid；　and　there　was　no　pit　she　was　going

down　into；　for　there　were　no　sides　to　it；　and　a　pit　without　sides

to　it　is　not　a　pit　at　all。　　Diamond；　however；　had　not　been　out　so　late

before　in　all　his　life；　and　things　looked　so　strange　about　him！

just　as　if　he　had　got　into　Fairyland；　of　which　he　knew　quite　as　much

as　anybody；　for　his　mother　had　no　money　to　buy　books　to　set　him

wrong　on　the　subject。　　I　have　seen　this　worldonly　sometimes；

just　now　and　then；　you　knowlook　as　strange　as　ever　I　saw　Fairyland。　

But　I　confess　that　I　have　not　yet　seen　Fairyland　at　its　best。　

I　am　always　going　to　see　it　so　some　time。　　But　if　you　had　been　out

in　the　face　and　not　at　the　back　of　the　North　Wind；　on　a　cold　rather


frosty　night；　and　in　your　night…gown；　you　would　have　felt　it　all

quite　as　strange　as　Diamond　did。　　He　cried　a　little；　just　a　little；

he　was　so　disappointed　to　lose　the　lady：　　of　course；　you；　little　man；

wouldn't　have　done　that！　　But　for　my　part；　I　don't　mind　people

crying　so　much　as　I　mind　what　they　cry　about；　and　how　they　cry

whether　they　cry　quietly　like　ladies　and　gentlemen；　or　go　shrieking

like　vulgar　emperors；　or　ill…natured　cooks；　for　all　emperors　are

not　gentlemen；　and　all　cooks　are　not　ladiesnor　all　queens　and

princesses　for　that　matter；　either。



But　it　can't　be　denied　that　a　little　gentle　crying　does　one　good。　

It　did　Diamond　good；　for　as　soon　as　it　was　over　he　was　a　brave

boy　again。



〃She　shan't　say　it　was　my　fault；　anyhow！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　daresay

she　is　hiding　somewhere　to　see　what　I　will　do。　　I　will　look　for　her。〃



So　he　went　round　the　end　of　the　stable　towards　the　kitchen…garden。

But　the　moment　he　was　clear　of　the　shelter　of　the　stable；　sharp　as

a　knife　came　the　wind　against　his　little　chest　and　his　bare　legs。　

Still　he　would　look　in　the　kitchen…garden；　and　went　on。　

But　when　he　got　round　the　weeping…ash　that　stood　in　the　corner；

the　wind　blew　much　stronger；　and　it　grew　stronger　and　stronger

till　he　could　hardly　fight　against　it。　　And　it　was　so　cold！　

All　the　flashy　spikes　of　the　stars　seemed　to　have　got　somehow

into　the　wind。　　Then　he　thought　of　what　the　lady　had　said　about

people　being　cold　because　they　were　not　with　the　North　Wind。　

How　it　was　that　he　should　have　guessed　what　she　meant　at　that　very

moment　I　cannot　tell；　but　I　have　observed　that　the　most　wonderful

thing　in　the　world　is　how　people　come　to　understand　anything。　

He　turned　his　back　to　the　wind；　and　trotted　again　towards　the　yard；

whereupon；　strange　to　say；　it　blew　so　much　more　gently　against　his

calves　than　it　had　blown　against　his　shins　that　he　began　to　feel

almost　warm　by　contrast。



You　must　not　think　it　was　cowardly　of　Diamond　to　turn　his　back

to　the　wind：　　he　did　so　only　because　he　thought　Lady　North　Wind

had　said　something　like　telling　him　to　do　so。　　If　she　had　said

to　him　that　he　must　hold　his　face　to　it；　Diamond　would　have　held

his　face　to　it。　　But　the　most　foolish　thing　is　to　fight　for　no　good；

and　to　please　nobody。



Well；　it　was　just　as　if　the　wind　was　pushing　Diamond　along。　

If　he　turned　round；　it　grew　very　sharp　on　his　legs　especially；

and　so　he　thought　the　wind　might　really　be　Lady　North　Wind；　though　he

could　not　see　her；　and　he　had　better　let　her　blow　him　wherever

she　pleased。　　So　she　blew　and　blew；　and　he　went　and　went；　until　he

found　himself　standing　at　a　door　in　a　wall；　which　door　led　from　the

yard　into　a　little　bel