at the back of the north wind-第46节

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But　he　had　no　time　to　answer　the　question；　for　there　was　North

Wind　calling　him。　　His　heart　beat　very　fast；　it　was　such　a　long

time　since　he　had　heard　that　voice。　　He　jumped　out　of　bed；

and　looked　everywhere；　but　could　not　see　her。　　〃Diamond；　come　here；〃

she　said　again　and　again；　but　where　the　here　was　he　could　not　tell。　

To　be　sure　the　room　was　all　but　quite　dark；　and　she　might　be　close

beside　him。



〃Dear　North　Wind；〃　said　Diamond；　〃I　want　so　much　to　go　to　you；

but　I　can't　tell　where。〃



〃Come　here；　Diamond；〃　was　all　her　answer。



Diamond　opened　the　door；　and　went　out　of　the　room；　and　down　the　stair

and　into　the　yard。　　His　little　heart　was　in　a　flutter；　for　he　had

long　given　up　all　thought　of　seeing　her　again。　　Neither　now　was　he

to　see　her。　　When　he　got　out；　a　great　puff　of　wind　came　against　him；

and　in　obedience　to　it　he　turned　his　back；　and　went　as　it　blew。　

It　blew　him　right　up　to　the　stable…door；　and　went　on　blowing。



〃She　wants　me　to　go　into　the　stable；〃　said　Diamond　to　himself。　

〃but　the　door　is　locked。〃



He　knew　where　the　key　was；　in　a　certain　hole　in　the　wallfar　too

high　for　him　to　get　at。　　He　ran　to　the　place；　however：　　just　as　he

reached　it　there　came　a　wild　blast；　and　down　fell　the　key　clanging

on　the　stones　at　his　feet。　　He　picked　it　up；　and　ran　back　and　opened

the　stable…door；　and　went　in。　　And　what　do　you　think　he　saw？



A　little　light　came　through　the　dusty　window　from　a　gas…lamp；

sufficient　to　show　him　Diamond　and　Ruby　with　their　two　heads　up；

looking　at　each　other　across　the　partition　of　their　stalls。　　The　light

showed　the　white　mark　on　Diamond's　forehead；　but　Ruby's　eye　shone

so　bright；　that　he　thought　more　light　came　out　of　it　than　went　in。　

This　is　what　he　saw。



But　what　do　you　think　he　heard？



He　heard　the　two　horses　talking　to　each　otherin　a　strange　language；

which　yet；　somehow　or　other；　he　could　understand；　and　turn　over　in

his　mind　in　English。　　The　first　words　he　heard　were　from　Diamond；

who　apparently　had　been　already　quarrelling　with　Ruby。



〃Look　how　fat　you　are　Ruby！〃　said　old　Diamond。　　〃You　are　so　plump

and　your　skin　shines　so；　you　ought　to　be　ashamed　of　yourself。〃



〃There's　no　harm　in　being　fat；〃　said　Ruby　in　a　deprecating　tone。　

〃No；　nor　in　being　sleek。　　I　may　as　well　shine　as　not。〃



〃No　harm？〃　retorted　Diamond。　　〃Is　it　no　harm　to　go　eating　up　all

poor　master's　oats；　and　taking　up　so　much　of　his　time　grooming　you；

when　you　only　work　six　hoursno；　not　six　hours　a　day；　and；　as　I　hear；

get　along　no　faster　than　a　big　dray…horse　with　two　tons　behind　him？

So　they　tell　me。〃



〃Your　master's　not　mine；〃　said　Ruby。　　〃I　must　attend　to　my　own

master's　interests；　and　eat　all　that　is　given　me；　and　be　sleek

and　fat　as　I　can；　and　go　no　faster　than　I　need。〃



〃Now　really　if　the　rest　of　the　horses　weren't　all　asleep；　poor　things

they　work　till　they're　tiredI　do　believe　they　would　get　up　and　kick

you　out　of　the　stable。　　You　make　me　ashamed　of　being　a　horse。　

You　dare　to　say　my　master　ain't　your　master！　　That's　your　gratitude

for　the　way　he　feeds　you　and　spares　you！　　Pray　where　would　your

carcass　be　if　it　weren't　for　him？〃



〃He　doesn't　do　it　for　my　sake。　　If　I　were　his　own　horse；　he　would

work　me　as　hard　as　he　does　you。〃



〃And　I'm　proud　to　be　so　worked。　　I　wouldn't　be　as　fat　as　you

not　for　all　you're　worth。　　You're　a　disgrace　to　the　stable。　　Look　at

the　horse　next　you。　　He's　something　like　a　horseall　skin　and　bone。　

And　his　master　ain't　over　kind　to　him　either。　　He　put　a　stinging　lash

on　his　whip　last　week。　　But　that　old　horse　knows　he's　got　the　wife

and　children　to　keepas　well　as　his　drunken　masterand　he　works

like　a　horse。　　I　daresay　he　grudges　his　master　the　beer　he　drinks；

but　I　don't　believe　he　grudges　anything　else。〃



〃Well；　I　don't　grudge　yours　what　he　gets　by　me；〃　said　Ruby。



〃Gets！〃　retorted　Diamond。　　〃What　he　gets　isn't　worth　grudging。　

It　comes　to　next　to　nothingwhat　with　your　fat　and　shine。



〃Well；　at　least　you　ought　to　be　thankful　you're　the　better　for　it。　

You　get　a　two　hours'　rest　a　day　out　of　it。〃



〃I　thank　my　master　for　thatnot　you；　you　lazy　fellow！　　You　go

along　like　a　buttock　of　beef　upon　castorsyou　do。〃



〃Ain't　you　afraid　I'll　kick；　if　you　go　on　like　that；　Diamond？〃



〃Kick！　　You　couldn't　kick　if　you　tried。　　You　might　heave　your　rump

up　half　a　foot；　but　for　lashing　outoho！　　If　you　did；　you'd　be

down　on　your　belly　before　you　could　get　your　legs　under　you　again。　

It's　my　belief；　once　out；　they'd　stick　out　for　ever。　　Talk　of　kicking！　

Why　don't　you　put　one　foot　before　the　other　now　and　then　when　you're

in　the　cab？　　The　abuse　master　gets　for　your　sake　is　quite　shameful。　

No　decent　horse　would　bring　it　on　him。　　Depend　upon　it；　Ruby；　no　cabman

likes　to　be　abused　any　more　than　his　fare。　　But　his　fares；　at　least

when　you　are　between　the　shafts；　are　very　much　to　be　excused。　

Indeed　they　are。〃



〃Well；　you　see；　Diamond；　I　don't　want　to　go　lame　again。〃



〃I　don't　believe　you　were　so　very　lame　after　allthere！〃



〃Oh；　but　I　was。〃



〃Then　I　believe　it　was　all　your　own　fault。　　I'm　not　lame。　

I　never　was　lame　in　all　my　life。　　You　don't　take　care　of　your　legs。　

You　never　lay　them　down　at　night。　　There　you　are　with　your　huge　carcass

crushing　down　your　poor　legs　all　night　long。　　You　don't　even　care

for　your　own　legsso　long　as　you　can　eat；　eat；　and　sleep；　sleep。　

You　a　horse　indeed！〃



〃But　I　tell　you　I　was　lame。〃



〃I'm　not　denying　there　was　a　puffy　look　about　your　off…pastern。

But　my　belief　is；　it　wasn't　even　greaseit　was　fat。〃



〃I　tell　you　I　put　my　foot　on　one　of　those　horrid　stones　they　make

the　roads　with；　and　it　gave　my　ankle　such　a　twist。〃



〃Ankle　indeed！　　Why　should　you　ape　your　betters？　　Horses　ain't

got　any　ankles：　　they're　only　pasterns。　　And　so　long　as　you

don't　lift　your　feet　better；　but　fall　asleep　between　every　step；

you'll　run　a　good　chance　of　laming　all　your　ankles　as　you　call　them；

one　after　another。　　It's　not　your　lively　horse　that　comes　to　grief

in　that　way。　　I　tell　you　I　believe　it　wasn't　much；　and　if　it　was；

it　was　your　own　fault。　　There！　　I've　done。　　I'm　going　to　sleep。　

I'll　try　to　think　as　well　of　you　as　I　can。　　If　you　would　but　step　out

a　bit　and　run　off　a　little　of　your　fat！〃　　Here　Diamond　began　to　double

up　his　knees；　but　Ruby　spoke　again；　and；　as　young　Diamond　thought；

in　a　rather　different　tone。



〃I　say；　Diamond；　I　can't　bear　to　have　an　honest　old　horse　like　you

think　of　me　like　that。　　I　will　tell　you　the　truth：　　it　was　my　own

fault　that　I　fell　lame。〃



〃I　told　you　so；〃　returned　the　other；　tumbling　against　the　partition

as　he　rolled　over　on　his　side　to　give　his　legs　every　possible

privilege　in　their　narrow　circumstances。



〃I　meant　to　do　it；　Diamond。〃



At　the　words；　the　old　horse　arose　with　a　scramble　like　thunder；

shot　his　angry　head　and　glaring　eye　over　into　Ruby's　stall；

and　said



〃Keep　out　of　my　way；　you　unworthy　wretch；　or　I'll　bite　you。　

You　a　horse！　　Why　did　you　do　that？〃



〃Because　I　wanted　to　grow　fat。〃



〃You　grease…tub！　Oh！　my　teeth　and　tail！　　I　thought　you　were　a　humbug！　

Why　did　you　want　to　get　fat？　　There's　no　truth　to　be　got　out　of　you

but　by　cross…questioning。　You　ain't　fit　to　be　a　horse。〃



〃Because　once　I　am　fat；　my　nature　is　to　keep　fat　for　a　long　time；

and　I　didn't　know　when　master　might　come　home　and　want　to　see　me。〃



〃You　conceited；　good…for…nothing　brute！　　You're　only　fit　for　the

knacker's　yard。　　You　wanted　to　look　handsome；　did　you？　　Hold　your　tongue；

or　I'll　break　my　halter　and　be　at　youwith　your　handsome　fat！〃



〃Never　mind；　Diamond。　　You're　a　good　horse。　　You　can't　hurt　me。〃



〃Can't　hurt　you！　　Just　let　me　once　try。〃



〃No；　you　can't。〃



〃Why　then？〃



〃Because　I'm　an　angel。〃



〃What's　that？〃



〃Of　course　you　don't　know。〃



〃Indeed　I　don't。〃



〃I　know　you　don't。　An　ignorant；　rude　old　human　horse；　like　you；

couldn't　know　it。　　But　there's　young　Diamond　listening　to　all

we're　saying；　and　he　knows　well　enough　there　are　horses　in　heaven

for　angels　to　ride　upon；　as　well　as　other　animals；　lions　and　eagles

and　bulls；　in　more　important　situations。　　The　horses　the　angels　ride；

must　be　angel…horses；　else　the　angels　couldn't　ride　upon　them。　

Well；　I'm　one　of　them。〃



〃You　ain't。〃



〃Did　you　ever　know　a　horse　tell　a　lie？〃



〃Never　before。　　But　you've　confessed　to　shamming　lame。〃



〃Nothing　of　the　sort。　　It　was　necessary　I　should　grow　fat；

and　necessary　that　good　Joseph；　your　master；　should　grow　lean。　

I　could　have　pretended　to　be　lame；　but　that　no　horse；　least　of　all　an

angel…horse　would　do。　　So　I　must　be　lame；　and　so　I　sprained　my　ankle

for　the　angel…horses　have　anklesthey　don't　talk　horse…slang　up　there

and　it　hurt　me　very　much；　I　assure　you；　Diamond；　though　you　mayn't

be　good　enough　to　be　able　to　believe　it。〃



Old　Diamond　made　no　reply。　　He　had　lain　down　again；　and　a　sleepy　snort；

very　like　a　snore；　revealed　t