at the back of the north wind-第41章

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very　worn　but　grown　beautiful。



He　went　up　to　her。　　She　smiled。　　He　had　heard　her　laugh；　but　had

never　seen　her　smile　before。



〃Nanny；　do　you　know　me？〃　said　Diamond。



She　only　smiled　again；　as　if　the　question　was　amusing。



She　was　not　likely　to　forget　him；　for　although　she　did　not　yet　know

it　was　he　who　had　got　her　there；　she　had　dreamed　of　him　often；

and　had　talked　much　about　him　when　delirious。　　Nor　was　it　much　wonder；

for　he　was　the　only　boy　except　Joe　who　had　ever　shown　her　kindness。



Meantime　Mr。　Raymond　was　going　from　bed　to　bed；　talking　to　the

little　people。　　Every　one　knew　him；　and　every　one　was　eager

to　have　a　look；　and　a　smile；　and　a　kind　word　from　him。



Diamond　sat　down　on　a　stool　at　the　head　of　Nanny's　bed。　　She　laid

her　hand　in　his。　　No　one　else　of　her　old　acquaintance　had　been

near　her。



Suddenly　a　little　voice　called　aloud



〃Won't　Mr。　Raymond　tell　us　a　story？〃



〃Oh；　yes；　please　do！　please　do！〃　cried　several　little　voices　which

also　were　stronger　than　the　rest。　　For　Mr。　Raymond　was　in　the　habit

of　telling　them　a　story　when　he　went　to　see　them；　and　they　enjoyed

it　far　more　than　the　other　nice　things　which　the　doctor　permitted

him　to　give　them。



〃Very　well；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond；　〃I　will。　　What　sort　of　a　story　shall

it　be？〃



〃A　true　story；〃　said　one　little　girl。



〃A　fairy　tale；〃　said　a　little　boy。



〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Raymond；　〃I　suppose；　as　there　is　a　difference；

I　may　choose。　　I　can't　think　of　any　true　story　just　at　this　moment；

so　I　will　tell　you　a　sort　of　a　fairy　one。〃



〃Oh；　jolly！〃　exclaimed　the　little　boy　who　had　called　out　for

a　fairy　tale。



〃It　came　into　my　head　this　morning　as　I　got　out　of　bed；〃

continued　Mr。　Raymond；　〃and　if　it　turns　out　pretty　well；

I　will　write　it　down；　and　get　somebody　to　print　it　for　me；

and　then　you　shall　read　it　when　you　like。〃



〃Then　nobody　ever　heard　it　before？〃　asked　one　older　child。



〃No；　nobody。〃



〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　several；　thinking　it　very　grand　to　have　the　first　telling；

and　I　daresay　there　might　be　a　peculiar　freshness　about　it；

because　everything　would　be　nearly　as　new　to　the　story…teller

himself　as　to　the　listeners。



Some　were　only　sitting　up　and　some　were　lying　down；　so　there　could

not　be　the　same　busy　gathering；　bustling；　and　shifting　to　and　fro

with　which　children　generally　prepare　themselves　to　hear　a　story；

but　their　faces；　and　the　turning　of　their　heads；　and　many　feeble

exclamations　of　expected　pleasure；　showed　that　all　such　preparations

were　making　within　them。



Mr。　Raymond　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　room；　that　he　might　turn　from

side　to　side；　and　give　each　a　share　of　seeing　him。　　Diamond　kept

his　place　by　Nanny's　side；　with　her　hand　in　his。　　I　do　not　know

how　much　of　Mr。　Raymond's　story　the　smaller　children　understood；

indeed；　I　don't　quite　know　how　much　there　was　in　it　to　be　understood；

for　in　such　a　story　every　one　has　just　to　take　what　he　can　get。　

But　they　all　listened　with　apparent　satisfaction；　and　certainly

with　great　attention。　　Mr。　Raymond　wrote　it　down　afterwards；

and　here　it　issomewhat　altered　no　doubt；　for　a　good　story…teller

tries　to　make　his　stories　better　every　time　he　tells　them。　

I　cannot　myself　help　thinking　that　he　was　somewhat　indebted　for　this

one　to　the　old　story　of　The　Sleeping　Beauty。







CHAPTER　XXVIII



LITTLE　DAYLIGHT





NO　HOUSE　of　any　pretension　to　be　called　a　palace　is　in　the　least

worthy　of　the　name；　except　it　has　a　wood　near　itvery　near　it

and　the　nearer　the　better。　　Not　all　round　itI　don't　mean　that；

for　a　palace　ought　to　be　open　to　the　sun　and　wind；　and　stand

high　and　brave；　with　weathercocks　glittering　and　flags　flying；

but　on　one　side　of　every　palace　there　must　be　a　wood。　　And　there

was　a　very　grand　wood　indeed　beside　the　palace　of　the　king　who　was

going　to　be　Daylight's　father；　such　a　grand　wood；　that　nobody　yet

had　ever　got　to　the　other　end　of　it。　　Near　the　house　it　was　kept

very　trim　and　nice；　and　it　was　free　of　brushwood　for　a　long　way　in；

but　by　degrees　it　got　wild；　and　it　grew　wilder；　and　wilder；　and　wilder；

until　some　said　wild　beasts　at　last　did　what　they　liked　in　it。　

The　king　and　his　courtiers　often　hunted；　however；　and　this　kept　the　wild

beasts　far　away　from　the　palace。



One　glorious　summer　morning；　when　the　wind　and　sun　were　out　together；

when　the　vanes　were　flashing　and　the　flags　frolicking　against

the　blue　sky；　little　Daylight　made　her　appearance　from　somewhere

nobody　could　tell　wherea　beautiful　baby；　with　such　bright　eyes

that　she　might　have　come　from　the　sun；　only　by　and　by　she　showed　such

lively　ways　that　she　might　equally　well　have　come　out　of　the　wind。　

There　was　great　jubilation　in　the　palace；　for　this　was　the　first　baby

the　queen　had　had；　and　there　is　as　much　happiness　over　a　new　baby

in　a　palace　as　in　a　cottage。



But　there　is　one　disadvantage　of　living　near　a　wood：　　you　do　not　know

quite　who　your　neighbours　may　be。　　Everybody　knew　there　were　in　it

several　fairies；　living　within　a　few　miles　of　the　palace；　who　always

had　had　something　to　do　with　each　new　baby　that　came；　for　fairies　live

so　much　longer　than　we；　that　they　can　have　business　with　a　good　many

generations　of　human　mortals。　　The　curious　houses　they　lived　in　were

well　known　also；one；　a　hollow　oak；　another；　a　birch…tree；　though

nobody　could　ever　find　how　that　fairy　made　a　house　of　it；　another；　a　hut

of　growing　trees　intertwined；　and　patched　up　with　turf　and　moss。　

But　there　was　another　fairy　who　had　lately　come　to　the　place；

and　nobody　even　knew　she　was　a　fairy　except　the　other　fairies。　

A　wicked　old　thing　she　was；　always　concealing　her　power；

and　being　as　disagreeable　as　she　could；　in　order　to　tempt　people

to　give　her　offence；　that　she　might　have　the　pleasure　of　taking

vengeance　upon　them。　　The　people　about　thought　she　was　a　witch；

and　those　who　knew　her　by　sight　were　careful　to　avoid　offending　her。　

She　lived　in　a　mud　house；　in　a　swampy　part　of　the　forest。



In　all　history　we　find　that　fairies　give　their　remarkable　gifts

to　prince　or　princess；　or　any　child　of　sufficient　importance　in

their　eyes；　always　at　the　christening。　　Now　this　we　can　understand；

because　it　is　an　ancient　custom　amongst　human　beings　as　well；

and　it　is　not　hard　to　explain　why　wicked　fairies　should　choose

the　same　time　to　do　unkind　things；　but　it　is　difficult　to　understand

how　they　should　be　able　to　do　them；　for　you　would　fancy　all　wicked

creatures　would　be　powerless　on　such　an　occasion。　　But　I　never　knew

of　any　interference　on　the　part　of　the　wicked　fairy　that　did　not

turn　out　a　good　thing　in　the　end。　　What　a　good　thing；　for　instance；

it　was　that　one　princess　should　sleep　for　a　hundred　years！　　Was　she

not　saved　from　all　the　plague　of　young　men　who　were　not　worthy　of　her？　

And　did　she　not　come　awake　exactly　at　the　right　moment　when　the

right　prince　kissed　her？　　For　my　part；　I　cannot　help　wishing　a　good

many　girls　would　sleep　till　just　the　same　fate　overtook　them。　

It　would　be　happier　for　them；　and　more　agreeable　to　their　friends。



Of　course　all　the　known　fairies　were　invited　to　the　christening。　

But　the　king　and　queen　never　thought　of　inviting　an　old　witch。



For　the　power　of　the　fairies　they　have　by　nature；　whereas　a　witch　gets

her　power　by　wickedness。　　The　other　fairies；　however；　knowing　the

danger　thus　run；　provided　as　well　as　they　could　against　accidents

from　her　quarter。　　But　they　could　neither　render　her　powerless；

nor　could　they　arrange　their　gifts　in　reference　to　hers　beforehand；

for　they　could　not　tell　what　those　might　be。



Of　course　the　old　hag　was　there　without　being　asked。　　Not　to　be

asked　was　just　what　she　wanted；　that　she　might　have　a　sort　of　reason

for　doing　what　she　wished　to　do。　　For　somehow　even　the　wickedest

of　creatures　likes　a　pretext　for　doing　the　wrong　thing。



Five　fairies　had　one　after　the　other　given　the　child　such　gifts

as　each　counted　best；　and　the　fifth　had　just　stepped　back　to　her

place　in　t