at the back of the north wind-第3节

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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　belt　of　shrubbery；　flanking　Mr。　Coleman's　house。　

Mr。　Coleman　was　his　father's　master；　and　the　owner　of　Diamond。　

He　opened　the　door；　and　went　through　the　shrubbery；　and　out

into　the　middle　of　the　lawn；　still　hoping　to　find　North　Wind。　

The　soft　grass　was　very　pleasant　to　his　bare　feet；　and　felt　warm

after　the　stones　of　the　yard；　but　the　lady　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　

Then　he　began　to　think　that　after　all　he　must　have　done　wrong；

and　she　was　offended　with　him　for　not　following　close　after　her；

but　staying　to　talk　to　the　horse；　which　certainly　was　neither　wise

nor　polite。



There　he　stood　in　the　middle　of　the　lawn；　the　wind　blowing　his

night…gown　till　it　flapped　like　a　loose　sail。　　The　stars　were　very

shiny　over　his　head；　but　they　did　not　give　light　enough　to　show　that

the　grass　was　green；　and　Diamond　stood　alone　in　the　strange　night；

which　looked　half　solid　all　about　him。　　He　began　to　wonder　whether

he　was　in　a　dream　or　not。　　It　was　important　to　determine　this；

〃for；〃　thought　Diamond；　〃if　I　am　in　a　dream；　I　am　safe　in　my　bed；

and　I　needn't　cry。　　But　if　I'm　not　in　a　dream；　I'm　out　here；　and　perhaps

I　had　better　cry；　or；　at　least；　I'm　not　sure　whether　I　can　help　it。〃　

He　came　to　the　conclusion；　however；　that；　whether　he　was　in　a　dream

or　not；　there　could　be　no　harm　in　not　crying　for　a　little　while　longer：　

he　could　begin　whenever　he　liked。



The　back　of　Mr。　Coleman's　house　was　to　the　lawn；　and　one　of　the

drawing…room　windows　looked　out　upon　it。　　The　ladies　had　not

gone　to　bed；　for　the　light　was　still　shining　in　that　window。　

But　they　had　no　idea　that　a　little　boy　was　standing　on　the　lawn

in　his　night…gown；　or　they　would　have　run　out　in　a　moment。　　And　as

long　as　he　saw　that　light；　Diamond　could　not　feel　quite　lonely。　

He　stood　staring；　not　at　the　great　warrior　Orion　in　the　sky；

nor　yet　at　the　disconsolate；　neglected　moon　going　down　in　the　west；

but　at　the　drawing…room　window　with　the　light　shining　through　its

green　curtains。　　He　had　been　in　that　room　once　or　twice　that　he　could

remember　at　Christmas　times；　for　the　Colemans　were　kind　people；

though　they　did　not　care　much　about　children。



All　at　once　the　light　went　nearly　out：　　he　could　only　see　a　glimmer

of　the　shape　of　the　window。　　Then；　indeed；　he　felt　that　he　was

left　alone。　　It　was　so　dreadful　to　be　out　in　the　night　after

everybody　was　gone　to　bed！　　That　was　more　than　he　could　bear。　

He　burst　out　crying　in　good　earnest；　beginning　with　a　wail

like　that　of　the　wind　when　it　is　waking　up。



Perhaps　you　think　this　was　very　foolish；　for　could　he　not　go　home

to　his　own　bed　again　when　he　liked？　　Yes；　but　it　looked　dreadful

to　him　to　creep　up　that　stair　again　and　lie　down　in　his　bed　again；

and　know　that　North　Wind's　window　was　open　beside　him；　and　she　gone；

and　he　might　never　see　her　again。　　He　would　be　just　as　lonely　there

as　here。　　Nay；　it　would　be　much　worse　if　he　had　to　think　that　the

window　was　nothing　but　a　hole　in　the　wall。



At　the　very　moment　when　he　burst　out　crying；　the　o