at the back of the north wind-第54部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


a　bed　of　water…lilies；　and　watch　them　swing　about；　folded　in　sleep；

as　the　water　on　which　they　leaned　swayed　in　the　presence　of　North　Wind；

and　now　they　would　watch　the　fishes　asleep　among　their　roots　below。　

Sometimes　she　would　hold　Diamond　over　a　deep　hollow　curving

into　the　bank；　that　he　might　look　far　into　the　cool　stillness。　

Sometimes　she　would　leave　the　river　and　sweep　across　a　clover…field。

The　bees　were　all　at　home；　and　the　clover　was　asleep。　　Then　she　would

return　and　follow　the　river。　　It　grew　wider　and　wider　as　it　went。　

Now　the　armies　of　wheat　and　of　oats　would　hang　over　its　rush

from　the　opposite　banks；　now　the　willows　would　dip　low　branches

in　its　still　waters；　and　now　it　would　lead　them　through　stately

trees　and　grassy　banks　into　a　lovely　garden；　where　the　roses

and　lilies　were　asleep；　the　tender　flowers　quite　folded　up；

and　only　a　few　wide…awake　and　sending　out　their　life　in　sweet；

strong　odours。　　Wider　and　wider　grew　the　stream；　until　they　came

upon　boats　lying　along　its　banks；　which　rocked　a　little　in　the

flutter　of　North　Wind's　garments。　　Then　came　houses　on　the　banks；

each　standing　in　a　lovely　lawn；　with　grand　trees；　and　in　parts

the　river　was　so　high　that　some　of　the　grass　and　the　roots　of　some

of　the　trees　were　under　water；　and　Diamond；　as　they　glided　through

between　the　stems；　could　see　the　grass　at　the　bottom　of　the　water。　

Then　they　would　leave　the　river　and　float　about　and　over　the　houses；

one　after　anotherbeautiful　rich　houses；　which；　like　fine　trees；

had　taken　centuries　to　grow。　　There　was　scarcely　a　light　to　be　seen；

and　not　a　movement　to　be　heard：　　all　the　people　in　them　lay

fast　asleep。



〃What　a　lot　of　dreams　they　must　be　dreaming！〃　said　Diamond。



〃Yes；〃　returned　North　Wind。　　〃They　can't　surely　be　all　lies

can　they？〃



〃I　should　think　it　depends　a　little　on　who　dreams　them；〃

suggested　Diamond。



〃Yes；〃　said　North　Wind。　　〃The　people　who　think　lies；　and　do　lies；

are　very　likely　to　dream　lies。　　But　the　people　who　love　what　is　true

will　surely　now　and　then　dream　true　things。　　But　then　something

depends　on　whether　the　dreams　are　home…grown；　or　whether　the　seed

of　them　is　blown　over　somebody　else's　garden…wall。　Ah！　there's

some　one　awake　in　this　house！〃



They　were　floating　past　a　window　in　which　a　light　was　burning。　

Diamond　heard　a　moan；　and　looked　up　anxiously　in　North　Wind's　face。



〃It's　a　lady；〃　said　North　Wind。　　〃She　can't　sleep　for　pain。〃



〃Couldn't　you　do　something　for　her？〃　said　Diamond。



〃No；　I　can't。　But　you　could。〃



〃What　could　I　do？〃



〃Sing　a　little　song　to　her。〃



〃She　wouldn't　hear　me。〃



〃I　will　take　you　in；　and　then　she　will　hear　you。〃



〃But　that　would　be　rude；　wouldn't　it？　　You　can　go　where　you　please；

of　course；　but　I　should　have　no　business　in　her　room。〃



〃You　may　trust　me；　Diamond。　　I　shall　take　as　good　care　of　the　lady

as　of　you。　　The　window　is　open。　　Come。〃



By　a　shaded　lamp；　a　lady　was　seated　in　a　white　wrapper；

trying　to　read；　but　moaning　every　minute。　　North　Wind　floated　behind

her　chair；　set　Diamond　down；　and　told　him　to　sing　something。　

He　was　a　little　frightened；　but　he　thought　a　while；　and　then　sang：



　　　The　sun　is　gone　down；

　　　And　the　moon's　in　the　sky；

　　　But　the　sun　will　come　up；

　　　And　the　moon　be　laid　by。



　　　The　flower　is　asleep

　　　But　it　is　not　dead；

　　　When　the　morning　shines；

　　　It　will　lift　its　head。



　　　When　winter　comes；

　　　It　will　die　　no；　no；

　　　It　will　only　hide

　　　From　the　frost　and　the　snow。



　　　Sure　is　the　summer；

　　　Sure　is　the　sun；

　　　The　night　and　the　winter

　　　Are　shadows　that　run。



The　lady　never　lifted　her　eyes　from　her　book；　or　her　head　from

her　hand。



As　soon　as　Diamond　had　finished；　North　Wind　lifted　him　and　carried

him　away。



〃Didn't　the　lady　hear　me？〃　asked　Diamond　when　they　were　once　more

floating　down　the　river。



〃Oh；　yes；　she　heard　you；〃　answered　North　Wind。



〃Was　she　frightened　then？〃



〃Oh；　no。〃



〃Why　didn't　she　look　to　see　who　it　was？〃



〃She　didn't　know　you　were　there。〃



〃How　could　she　hear　me　then？〃



〃She　didn't　hear　you　with　her　ears。〃



〃What　did　she　hear　me　with？〃



〃With　her　heart。〃



〃Where　did　she　think　the　words　came　from？〃



〃She　thought　they　came　out　of　the　book　she　was　reading。　　She　will

search　all　through　it　to…morrow　to　find　them；　and　won't　be　able

to　understand　it　at　all。〃



〃Oh；　what　fun！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃What　will　she　do？〃



〃I　can　tell　you　what　she　won't　do：　　she'll　never　forget　the　meaning

of　them；　and　she'll　never　be　able　to　remember　the　words　of　them。〃



〃If　she　sees　them　in　Mr。　Raymond's　book；　it　will　puzzle　her；

won't　it？〃



〃Yes；　that　it　will。　　She　will　never　be　able　to　understand　it。〃



〃Until　she　gets　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃　suggested　Diamond。



〃Until　she　gets　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind；〃　assented　the　lady。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Diamond；　〃I　know　now　where　we　are。　　Oh！　do　let　me　go

into　the　old　garden；　and　into　mother's　room；　and　Diamond's　stall。　

I　wonder　if　the　hole　is　at　the　back　of　my　bed　still。　　I　should　like

to　stay　there　all　the　rest　of　the　night。　　It　won't　take　you　long

to　get　home　from　here；　will　it；　North　Wind？〃



〃No；〃　she　answered；　〃you　shall　stay　as　long　as　you　like。〃



〃Oh；　how　jolly；〃　cried　Diamond；　as　North　Wind　sailed　over　the　house

with　him；　and　set　him　down　on　the　lawn　at　the　back。



Diamond　ran　about　the　lawn　for　a　little　while　in　the　moonlight。　

He　found　part　of　it　cut　up　into　flower…beds；　and　the　little

summer…house　with　the　coloured　glass　and　the　great　elm…tree　gone。　

He　did　not　like　this；　and　ran　into　the　stable。　　There　were　no

horses　there　at　all。　　He　ran　upstairs。　　The　rooms　were　empty。　

The　only　thing　left　that　he　cared　about　was　the　hole　in　the　wall

where　his　little　bed　had　stood；　and　that　was　not　enough　to　make　him

wish　to　stop。　　He　ran　down　the　stair　again；　and　out　upon　the　lawn。　

There　he　threw　himself　down　and　began　to　cry。　　It　was　all　so　dreary

and　lost！



〃I　thought　I　liked　the　place　so　much；〃　said　Diamond　to　himself；

〃but　I　find　I　don't　care　about　it。　　I　suppose　it's　only　the　people

in　it　that　make　you　like　a　place；　and　when　they're　gone；　it's　dead；

and　you　don't　care　a　bit　about　it。　　North　Wind　told　me　I　might　stop

as　long　as　I　liked；　and　I've　stopped　longer　already。　　North　Wind！〃

he　cried　aloud；　turning　his　face　towards　the　sky。



The　moon　was　under　a　cloud；　and　all　was　looking　dull　and　dismal。　

A　star　shot　from　the　sky；　and　fell　in　the　grass　beside　him。　

The　moment　it　lighted；　there　stood　North　Wind。



〃Oh！〃　cried　Diamond；　joyfully；　〃were　you　the　shooting　star？〃



〃Yes；　my　child。〃



〃Did　you　hear　me　call　you　then？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃So　high　up　as　that？〃



〃Yes；　I　heard　you　quite　well。〃



〃Do　take　me　home。〃



〃Have　you　had　enough　of　your　old　home　already？〃



〃Yes；　more　than　enough。　　It　isn't　a　home　at　all　now。〃



〃I　thought　that　would　be　it；〃　said　North　Wind。　　〃Everything；　dreaming

and　all；　has　got　a　soul　in　it；　or　else　it's　worth　nothing；　and　we

don't　care　a　bit　about　it。　　Some　of　our　thoughts　are　worth　nothing；

because　they've　got　no　soul　in　them。　　The　brain　puts　them　into

the　mind；　not　the　mind　into　the　brain。〃



〃But　how　can　you　know　about　that；　North　Wind？　　You　haven't　got

a　body。〃



〃If　I　hadn't　you　wouldn't　know　anything　about　me。　　No　creature　can

know　another　without　the　help　of　a　body。　　But　I　don't　care　to　talk

about　that。　　It　is　time　for　you　to　go　home。〃



So　saying；　North　Wind　lifted　Diamond　and　bore　him　away。







CHAPTER　XXXVIII



AT　THE　BACK　OF　THE　NORTH　WIND





I　DID　not　see　Diamond　for　a　week　or　so　after　this；　and　then　he　told　me

what　I　have　now　told　you。　　I　should　have　been　astonished　at　his　being　able

even　to　report　such　conversations　as　he　said　he　had　had　with　North　Wind；

had　I　not　known　already　that　some　children　are　profound　in　metaphysics。　

But　a　fear　crosses　me；　lest；　by　telling　so　much　about　my　friend；

I　should　lead　people　to　mistake　him　for　one　of　those　consequential；

priggish　little　monsters；　who　are　always　trying　to　say　clever　things；

and　looking　to　see　whether　people　appreciate　them。　　When　a　child

like　that　dies；　instead　of　having　a　silly　book　written　about　him；

he　should　be　stuffed　like　one　of　those　awful　big…headed　fishes　you　see

in　museums。　　But　Diamond　never　troubled　his　head　about　what　people

thought　of　him。　　He　never　set　up　for　knowing　better　than　others。　

The　wisest　things　he　said　came　out　when　he　wanted　one　to　help

him　with　some　difficulty　he　was　in。　　He　was　not　even　offended

with　Nanny　and　Jim　for　calling　him　a　silly。　　He　supposed　there

was　something　in　it；　though　he　could　not　quite　understand　what。　

I　suspect　however　that　the　other　name　they　gave　him；　God's　Baby；

had　some　share　in　reconciling　him　to　it。



Happily　for　me；　I　was　as　much　interested　in　metaphysics　as

Diamond　himself；　and　therefore；　while　he　recounted