at the back of the north wind-第20节

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shallows　dumb　in　the　hollows　sleeping　so　deep　and　all　the　swallows

that　dip　their　feathers　in　the　hollows　or　in　the　shallows　are　the

merriest　swallows　of　all　for　the　nests　they　bake　with　the　clay　they

cake　with　the　water　they　shake　from　their　wings　that　rake　the　water

out　of　the　shallows　or　the　hollows　will　hold　together　in　any　weather

and　so　the　swallows　are　the　merriest　fellows　and　have　the　merriest

children　and　are　built　so　narrow　like　the　head　of　an　arrow　to　cut

the　air　and　go　just　where　the　nicest　water　is　flowing　and　the　nicest

dust　is　blowing　for　each　so　narrow　like　head　of　an　arrow　is　only

a　barrow　to　carry　the　mud　he　makes　from　the　nicest　water　flowing

and　the　nicest　dust　that　is　blowing　to　build　his　nest　for　her　he

loves　best　with　the　nicest　cakes　which　the　sunshine　bakes　all　for

their　merry　children　all　so　callow　with　beaks　that　follow　gaping

and　hollow　wider　and　wider　after　their　father　or　after　their　mother

the　food…provider　who　brings　them　a　spider　or　a　worm　the　poor　hider

down　in　the　earth　so　there's　no　dearth　for　their　beaks　as　yellow

as　the　buttercups　growing　beside　the　flowing　of　the　singing　river

always　and　ever　growing　and　blowing　for　fast　as　the　sheep　awake

or　asleep　crop　them　and　crop　them　they　cannot　stop　them　but　up　they

creep　and　on　they　go　blowing　and　so　with　the　daisies　the　little

white　praises　they　grow　and　they　blow　and　they　spread　out　their

crown　and　they　praise　the　sun　and　when　he　goes　down　their　praising

is　done　and　they　fold　up　their　crown　and　they　sleep　every　one　till

over　the　plain　he's　shining　amain　and　they're　at　it　again　praising

and　praising　such　low　songs　raising　that　no　one　hears　them　but　the　sun

who　rears　them　and　the　sheep　that　bite　them　are　the　quietest　sheep

awake　or　asleep　with　the　merriest　bleat　and　the　little　lambs　are

the　merriest　lambs　they　forget　to　eat　for　the　frolic　in　their　feet

and　the　lambs　and　their　dams　are　the　whitest　sheep　with　the　woolliest

wool　and　the　longest　wool　and　the　trailingest　tails　and　they　shine

like　snow　in　the　grasses　that　grow　by　the　singing　river　that　sings

for　ever　and　the　sheep　and　the　lambs　are　merry　for　ever　because　the

river　sings　and　they　drink　it　and　the　lambs　and　their　dams　are　quiet

and　white　because　of　their　diet　for　what　they　bite　is　buttercups

yellow　and　daisies　white　and　grass　as　green　as　the　river　can　make

it　with　wind　as　mellow　to　kiss　it　and　shake　it　as　never　was　seen

but　here　in　the　hollows　beside　the　river　where　all　the　swallows

are　merriest　of　fellows　for　the　nests　they　make　with　the　clay　they

cake　in　the　sunshine　bake　till　they　are　like　bone　as　dry　in　the　wind

as　a　marble　stone　so　firm　they　bind　the　grass　in　the　clay　that　dries

in　the　wind　the　sweetest　wind　that　blows　by　the　river　flowing

for　ever　but　never　you　find　whence　comes　the　wind　that　blows　on

the　hollows　and　over　the　shallows　where　dip　the　swallows　alive　it

blows　the　life　as　it　goes　awake　or　asleep　into　the　river　that　sings

as　it　flows　and　the　life　it　blows　into　the　sheep　awake　or　asleep

with　the　woolliest　wool　and　the　trailingest　tails　and　it　never　fails

gentle　and　cool　to　wave　the　wool　and　to　toss　the　grass　as　the　lambs

and　the　sheep　over　it　pass　and　tug　and　bite　with　their　teeth

so　white　and　then　with　the　sweep　of　their　trailing　tails　smooth

it　again　and　it　grows　amain　and　amain　it　grows　and　the　wind　as　it

blows　tosses　the　swallows　over　the　hollows　and　down　on　the　shallows

till　every　feather　doth　shake　and　quiver　and　all　their　feathers　go

all　together　blowing　the　life　and　the　joy　so　rife　into　the　swallows

that　skim　the　shallows　and　have　the　yellowest　children　for　the　wind

that　blows　is　the　life　of　the　river　flowing　for　ever　that　washes

the　grasses　still　as　it　passes　and　feeds　the　daisies　the　little

white　praises　and　buttercups　bonny　so　golden　and　sunny　with　butter

and　honey　that　whiten　the　sheep　awake　or　asleep　that　nibble　and　bite

and　grow　whiter　than　white　and　merry　and　quiet　on　the　sweet　diet　fed

by　the　river　and　tossed　for　ever　by　the　wind　that　tosses　the　swallow

that　crosses　over　the　shallows　dipping　his　wings　to　gather　the　water

and　bake　the　cake　that　the　wind　shall　make　as　hard　as　a　bone　as　dry

as　a　stone　it's　all　in　the　wind　that　blows　from　behind　and　all　in

the　river　that　flows　for　ever　and　all　in　the　grasses　and　the　white

daisies　and　the　merry　sheep　awake　or　asleep　and　the　happy　swallows

skimming　the　shallows　and　it's　all　in　the　wind　that　blows　from　behind





Here　Diamond　became　aware　that　his　mother　had　stopped　reading。



〃Why　don't　you　go　on；　mother　dear？〃　he　asked。



〃It's　such　nonsense！〃　said　his　mother。　　〃I　believe　it　would　go

on　for　ever。〃



〃That's　just　what　it　did；〃　said　Diamond。



〃What　did？〃　she　asked。



〃Why；　the　river。　　That's　almost　the　very　tune　it　used　to　sing。〃



His　mother　was　frightened；　for　she　thought　the　fever　was　coming

on　again。　　So　she　did　not　contradict　him。



〃Who　made　that　poem？〃　asked　Diamond。



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered。　　〃Some　silly　woman　for　her　children；

I　supposeand　then　thought　it　good　enough　to　print。〃



〃She　must　have　been　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind　some　time

or　other；　anyhow；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃She　couldn't　have　got　a　hold　of　it

anywhere　else。　　That's　just　how　it　went。〃　　And　he　began　to　chant

bits　of　it　here　and　there；　but　his　mother　said　nothing　for　fear

of　making　him；　worse；　and　she　was　very　glad　indeed　when　she　saw

her　brother…in…law　jogging　along　in　his　little　cart。　　They　lifted

Diamond　in；　and　got　up　themselves；　and　away　they　went；　〃home　again；

home　again；　home　again；〃　as　Diamond　sang。　　But　he　soon　grew　quiet；

and　before　they　reached　Sandwich　he　was　fast　asleep　and　dreaming

of　the　country　at　the　back　of　the　north　wind。







CHAPTER　XIV



OLD　DIAMOND





AFTER　this　Diamond　recovered　so　fast；　that　in　a　few　days　he　was　quite

able　to　go　home　as　soon　as　his　father　had　a　place　for　them　to　go。　

Now　his　father　having　saved　a　little　money；　and　finding　that　no

situation　offered　itself；　had　been　thinking　over　a　new　plan。　

A　strange　occurrence　it　was　which　turned　his　thoughts　in　that　direction。　

He　had　a　friend　in　the　Bloomsbury　region；　who　lived　by　letting

out　cabs　and　horses　to　the　cabmen。　　This　man；　happening　to　meet

him　one　day　as　he　was　returning　from　an　unsuccessful　application；

said　to　him：



〃Why　don't　you　set　up　for　yourself　nowin　the　cab　line；　I　mean？〃



〃I　haven't　enough　for　that；〃　answered　Diamond's　father。



〃You　must　have　saved　a　goodish　bit；　I　should　think。　　Just　come　home

with　me　now　and　look　at　a　horse　I　can　let　you　have　cheap。　　I　bought　him

only　a　few　weeks　ago；　thinking　he'd　do　for　a　Hansom；　but　I　was　wrong。　

He's　got　bone　enough　for　a　waggon；　but　a　waggon　ain't　a　Hansom。　

He　ain't　got　go　enough　for　a　Hansom。　　You　see　parties　as　takes

Hansoms　wants　to　go　like　the　wind；　and　he　ain't　got　wind　enough；

for　he　ain't　so　young　as　he　once　was。　　But　for　a　four…wheeler

as　takes　families　and　their　luggages；　he's　the　very　horse。　

He'd　carry　a　small　house　any　day。　　I　bought　him　cheap；　and　I'll　sell

him　cheap。〃



〃Oh；　I　don't　want　him；〃　said　Diamond's　father。　　〃A　body　must　have

time　to　think　over　an　affair　of　so　much　importance。　　And　there's

the　cab　too。　　That　would　come　to　a　deal　of　money。〃



〃I　could　fit　you　there；　I　daresay；〃　said　his　friend。　　〃But　come

and　look　at　the　animal；　anyhow。〃



〃Since　I　lost　my　own　old　pair；　as　was　Mr。　Coleman's；〃

said　Diamond's　father；　turning　to　accompany　the　cab…master；

〃I　ain't　almost　got　the　heart　to　look　a　horse　in　the　face。　

It's　a　thousand　pities　to　part　man　and　horse。〃



〃So　it　is；〃　returned　his　friend　sympathetically。



But　what　was　the　ex…coachman's　delight；　when；　on　going　into　the

stable　where　his　friend　led　him；　he　found　the　horse　he　wanted　him

to　buy　was　no　other　than　his　own　old　Diamond；　grown　very　thin

and　bony　and　long…legged；　as　if　they；　had　been　doing　what　they

could　to　fit　him　for　Hansom　work！



〃He　ain't　a　Hansom　horse；〃　said　Diamond's　father　indignantly。



〃Well；　you're　right。　　He　ain't　handsome；　but　he's　a　good　un〃

said　his　owner。



〃Who　says　he　ain't　handsome？　　He's　one　of　the　handsomest　horses

a　gentleman's　coachman　ever　druv；〃　said　Diamond's　father；

remarking　to　himself　under　his　breath〃though　I　says　it　as　shouldn't〃

for　he　did　not　feel　inclined　all　at　once　to　confess　that　his　own

old　horse　could　have　sunk　so　low。



〃Well；〃　said　his　friend；　〃all　I　say　isThere's　a　animal　for　you；

as　strong　as　a　church；　an'll　go　like　a　train；　leastways　a　parly；〃

he　added；　correcting　himself。



But　the　coachman　had　a　lump　in　his　throat　and　tears　in　his　eyes。　

For　the　old　horse；　hearing　his　voice；　had　turned　his　long　neck；

and　when　his　old　friend　went　up　to　him　and　laid　his　hand　on　his　side；

he　whinnied　for　joy；　and　laid　his　big　head　on　his　master's　breast。　

This　settled　the　matter。　　The　coachman's　arms　were　round　the

horse's　neck　in　a　moment；　and　he　fairly　broke　down　and　cried。　

The　cab…master　had　never　been　so　fond