at the back of the north wind-第13章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





〃What　a　dear　little　warm　mouth　you've　got！〃　said　North　Wind。　

〃It　is　a　pity　you　should　talk　nonsense　with　it。　　Don't　you　know　I

have　a　hold　of　you？〃



〃Yes；　but　I'm　walking　on　my　own　legs；　and　they　might　slip。　

I　can't　trust　myself　so　well　as　your　arms。〃



〃But　I　have　a　hold　of　you；　I　tell　you；　foolish　child。〃



〃Yes；　but　somehow　I　can't　feel　comfortable。〃



〃If　you　were　to　fall；　and　my　hold　of　you　were　to　give　way；　I　should

be　down　after　you　in　a　less　moment　than　a　lady's　watch　can　tick；

and　catch　you　long　before　you　had　reached　the　ground。〃



〃I　don't　like　it　though；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Oh！　oh！　oh！〃　he　screamed　the　next　moment；　bent　double　with　terror；

for　North　Wind　had　let　go　her　hold　of　his　hand；　and　had　vanished；

leaving　him　standing　as　if　rooted　to　the　gallery。



She　left　the　words；　〃Come　after　me；〃　sounding　in　his　ears。



But　move　he　dared　not。　　In　a　moment　more　he　would　from　very　terror

have　fallen　into　the　church；　but　suddenly　there　came　a　gentle

breath　of　cool　wind　upon　his　face；　and　it　kept　blowing　upon　him　in

little　puffs；　and　at　every　puff　Diamond　felt　his　faintness　going　away；

and　his　fear　with　it。　　Courage　was　reviving　in　his　little　heart；

and　still　the　cool　wafts　of　the　soft　wind　breathed　upon　him；

and　the　soft　wind　was　so　mighty　and　strong　within　its　gentleness；

that　in　a　minute　more　Diamond　was　marching　along　the　narrow　ledge

as　fearless　for　the　time　as　North　Wind　herself。



He　walked　on　and　on；　with　the　windows　all　in　a　row　on　one　side　of　him；

and　the　great　empty　nave　of　the　church　echoing　to　every　one　of　his

brave　strides　on　the　other；　until　at　last　he　came　to　a　little

open　door；　from　which　a　broader　stair　led　him　down　and　down　and　down；

till　at　last　all　at　once　he　found　himself　in　the　arms　of　North　Wind；

who　held　him　close　to　her；　and　kissed　him　on　the　forehead。　

Diamond　nestled　to　her；　and　murmured　into　her　bosom；〃Why　did　you

leave　me；　dear　North　Wind？〃



〃Because　I　wanted　you　to　walk　alone；〃　she　answered。



〃But　it　is　so　much　nicer　here！〃　said　Diamond。



〃I　daresay；　but　I　couldn't　hold　a　little　coward　to　my　heart。　

It　would　make　me　so　cold！〃



〃But　I　wasn't　brave　of　myself；〃　said　Diamond；　whom　my　older　readers

will　have　already　discovered　to　be　a　true　child　in　this；　that　he

was　given　to　metaphysics。　　〃It　was　the　wind　that　blew　in　my　face

that　made　me　brave。　　Wasn't　it　now；　North　Wind？〃



〃Yes：　　I　know　that。　　You　had　to　be　taught　what　courage　was。　

And　you　couldn't　know　what　it　was　without　feeling　it：　　therefore　it

was　given　you。　　But　don't　you　feel　as　if　you　would　try　to　be　brave

yourself　next　time？〃



〃Yes；　I　do。　　But　trying　is　not　much。〃



〃Yes；　it　isa　very　great　deal；　for　it　is　a　beginning。　　And　a　beginning

is　the　greatest　thing　of　all。　　To　try　to　be　brave　is　to　be　brave。　

The　coward　who　tries　to　be　brave　is　before　the　man　who　is　brave

because　he　is　made　so；　and　never　had　to　try。〃



〃How　kind　you　are；　North　Wind！〃



〃I　am　only　just。　　All　kindness　is　but　justice。　　We　owe　it。〃



〃I　don't　quite　understand　that。〃



〃Never　mind；　you　will　some　day。　　There　is　no　hurry　about　understanding

it　now。〃



〃Who　blew　the　wind　on　me　that　made　me　brave？〃



〃I　did。〃



〃I　didn't　see　you。〃



〃Therefore　you　can　believe　me。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　of　course。　　But　how　was　it　that　such　a　little　breath

could　be　so　strong？〃



〃That　I　don't　know。〃



〃But　you　made　it　strong？〃



〃No：　I　only　blew　it。　　I　knew　it　would　make　you　strong；　just　as　it

did　the　man　in　the　boat；　you　remember。　　But　how　my　breath　has

that　power　I　cannot　tell。　　It　was　put　into　it　when　I　was　made。　

That　is　all　I　know。　　But　really　I　must　be　going　about　my　work。〃



〃Ah！　the　poor　ship！　　I　wish　you　would　stop　here；　and　let　the　poor

ship　go。〃



〃That　I　dare　not　do。　　Will　you　stop　here　till　I　come　back？〃



〃Yes。　　You　won't　be　long？〃



〃Not　longer　than　I　can　help。　　Trust　me；　you　shall　get　home　before

the　morning。〃



In　a　moment　North　Wind　was　gone；　and　the　next　Diamond　heard

a　moaning　about　the　church；　which　grew　and　grew　to　a　roaring。　

The　storm　was　up　again；　and　he　knew　that　North　Wind's　hair　was　flying。



The　church　was　dark。　　Only　a　little　light　came　through　the　windows；

which　were　almost　all　of　that　precious　old　stained　glass　which

is　so　much　lovelier　than　the　new。　　But　Diamond　could　not　see

how　beautiful　they　were；　for　there　was　not　enough　of　light

in　the　stars　to　show　the　colours　of　them。　　He　could　only　just

distinguish　them　from　the　walls；　He　looked　up；　but　could　not　see

the　gallery　along　which　he　had　passed。　　He　could　only　tell　where　it

was　far　up　by　the　faint　glimmer　of　the　windows　of　the　clerestory；

whose　sills　made　part　of　it。　　The　church　grew　very　lonely　about　him；

and　he　began　to　feel　like　a　child　whose　mother　has　forsaken　it。　

Only　he　knew　that　to　be　left　alone　is　not　always　to　be　forsaken。



He　began　to　feel　his　way　about　the　place；　and　for　a　while　went

wandering　up　and　down。　　His　little　footsteps　waked　little　answering

echoes　in　the　great　house。　　It　wasn't　too　big　to　mind　him。　

It　was　as　if　the　church　knew　he　was　there；　and　meant　to　make　itself

his　house。　　So　it　went　on　giving　back　an　answer　to　every　step；

until　at　length　Diamond　thought　he　should　like　to　say　something　out　loud；

and　see　what　the　church　would　answer。　　But　he　found　he　was　afraid

to　speak。　　He　could　not　utter　a　word　for　fear　of　the　loneliness。　

Perhaps　it　was　as　well　that　he　did　not；　for　the　sound　of　a　spoken

word　would　have　made　him　feel　the　place　yet　more　deserted　and　empty。　

But　he　thought　he　could　sing。　　He　was　fond　of　singing；　and　at　home　he

used　to　sing；　to　tunes　of　his　own；　all　the　nursery　rhymes　he　knew。　

So　he　began　to　try　‘Hey　diddle　diddle'；　but　it　wouldn't　do。　

Then　he　tried　‘Little　Boy　Blue'；　but　it　was　no　better。　　Neither　would

‘Sing　a　Song　of　Sixpence'　sing　itself　at　all。　　Then　he　tried　‘Poor

old　Cockytoo'；　but　he　wouldn't　do。　　They　all　sounded　so　silly！

and　he　had　never　thought　them　silly　before。　　So　he　was　quiet；

and　listened　to　the　echoes　that　came　out　of　the　dark　corners　in　answer

to　his　footsteps。



At　last　he　gave　a　great　sigh；　and　said；　〃I'm　so　tired。〃　　But　he　did

not　hear　the　gentle　echo　that　answered　from　far　away　over　his　head；

for　at　the　same　moment　he　came　against　the　lowest　of　a　few　steps

that　stretched　across　the　church；　and　fell　down　and　hurt　his　arm。　

He　cried　a　little　first；　and　then　crawled　up　the　steps　on　his

hands　and　knees。　　At　the　top　he　came　to　a　little　bit　of　carpet；

on　which　he　lay　down；　and　there　he　lay　staring　at　the　dull　window

that　rose　nearly　a　hundred　feet　above　his　head。



Now　this　was　the　eastern　window　of　the　church；　and　the　moon　was　at

that　moment　just　on　the　edge　of　the　horizon。　　The　next；　she　was　peeping

over　it。　　And　lo！　with　the　moon；　St。　John　and　St。　Paul；　and　the　rest

of　them；　began　to　dawn　in　the　window　in　their　lovely　garments。　

Diamond　did　not　know　that　the　wonder…working　moon　was　behind；

and　he　thought　all　the　light　was　coming　out　of　the　window　itself；

and　that　the　good　old　men　were　appearing　to　help　him；　growing　out

of　the　night　and　the　darkness；　because　he　had　hurt　his　arm；

and　was　very　tired　and　lonely；　and　North　Wind　was　so　long　in　coming。　

So　he　lay　and　looked　at　them　backwards　over　his　head；　wondering　when

they　would　come　down　or　what　they　would　do　next。　　They　were　very　dim；

for　the　moonlight　was　not　strong　enough　for　the　colours；　and　he

had　enough　to　do　with　his　eyes　trying　to　make　out　their　shapes。　

So　his　eyes　grew　tired；　and　more　and　more　tired；　and　his　eyelids

grew　so　heavy　that　they　would　keep　tumbling　down　over　his　eyes。　

He　kept　lifting　them　and　lifting　them；　but　every　time　they　were

heavier　than　the　last。　　It　was　no　use：　　they　were　too　much　for　him。　

Sometimes　before　he　had　got　them　half　up；　down　they　were　again；

and　at　length　he　gave　it　up　quite；　and　the　moment　he　gave　it　up；　he　was

fast　asleep。









CHAPTER　VIII



THE　EAST　WINDOW





THAT