at the back of the north wind- 第43部分

There　was　not　a　breath　of　the　north　wind　you　talk　about；　it　was

quite　gone。〃



〃You　didn't　want　her　any　more；　just　then。　　She　never　goes　where　she's

not　wanted；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃But　she　blew　you　into　the　moonlight；　anyhow。〃



〃Well；　we　won't　dispute　about　it；〃　said　Nanny：　　〃you've　got

a　tile　loose；　you　know。〃



〃Suppose　I　have；〃　returned　Diamond；　〃don't　you　see　it　may　let

in　the　moonlight；　or　the　sunlight　for　that　matter？〃



〃Perhaps　yes；　perhaps　no；〃　said　Nanny。



〃And　you've　got　your　dreams；　too；　Nanny。〃



〃Yes；　but　I　know　they're　dreams。〃



〃So　do　I。　But　I　know　besides　they　are　something　more　as　well。〃



〃Oh！　do　you？〃　rejoined　Nanny。　　〃I　don't。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃Perhaps　you　will　some　day。〃



〃Perhaps　I　won't；〃　said　Nanny。



Diamond　held　his　peace；　and　Nanny　resumed　her　story。



〃I　lay　a　long　time；　and　the　moonlight　got　in　at　every　tear

in　my　clothes；　and　made　me　feel　so　happy〃



〃There；　I　tell　you！〃　said　Diamond。



〃What　do　you　tell　me？〃　returned　Nanny。



〃North　Wind〃



〃It　was　the　moonlight；　I　tell　you；〃　persisted　Nanny；　and　again

Diamond　held　his　peace。



〃All　at　once　I　felt　that　the　moon　was　not　shining　so　strong。　

I　looked　up；　and　there　was　a　cloud；　all　crapey　and　fluffy；

trying　to　drown　the　beautiful　creature。　　But　the　moon　was　so　round；

just　like　a　whole　plate；　that　the　cloud　couldn't　stick　to　her。　

She　shook　it　off；　and　said　there　and　shone　out　clearer　and　brighter

than　ever。　　But　up　came　a　thicker　cloud；and　〃You　shan't；〃

said　the　moon；　and　〃I　will；〃　said　the　cloud；but　it　couldn't：　out

shone　the　moon；　quite　laughing　at　its　impudence。　　I　knew　her　ways；

for　I've　always　been　used　to　watch　her。　　She's　the　only　thing　worth

looking　at　in　our　street　at　night。〃



〃Don't　call　it　your　street；〃　said　Diamond。　　〃You're　not　going　back

to　it。　　You're　coming　to　us；　you　know。〃



〃That's　too　good　to　be　true；〃　said　Nanny。



〃There　are　very　few　things　good　enough　to　be　true；〃　said　Diamond；

〃but　I　hope　this　is。　　Too　good　to　be　true　it　can't　be。　　Isn't　true

good？　and　isn't　good　good？　　And　how；　then；　can　anything　be　too　good

to　be　true？　　That's　like　old　Salto　say　that。〃



〃Don't　abuse　Grannie；　Diamond。　　She's　a　horrid　old　thing；

she　and　her　gin　bottle；　but　she'll　repent　some　day；　and　then

you'll　be　glad　not　to　have　said　anything　against　her。〃



〃Why？〃　said　Diamond。



〃Because　you'll　be　sorry　for　her。〃



〃I　am　sorry　for　her　now。〃



〃Very　well。　　That's　right。　　She'll　be　sorry　too。　　And　there'll

be　an　end　of　it。〃



〃All　right。　　You　come　to　us；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Where　was　I？〃　said　Nanny。



〃Telling　me　how　the　moon　served　the　clouds。〃



〃Yes。　　But　it　wouldn't　do；　all　of　it。　　Up　came　the　clouds　and　the　clouds；

and　they　came　faster　and　faster；　until　the　moon　was　covered　up。　

You　couldn't　expect　her　to　throw　off　a　hundred　of　them　at　once

could　you？〃



〃Certainly　not；〃　said　Diamond。



〃So　it　grew　very　dark；　and　a　dog　began　to　yelp　in　the　house。　　I　looked

and　saw　that　the　door　to　the　garden　was　shut。　　Presently　it　was　opened

not　to　let　me　out；　but　to　let　the　dog　inyelping　and　bounding。　

I　thought　if　he　caught　sight　of　me；　I　was　in　for　a　biting　first；

and　the　police　after。　　So　I　jumped　up；　and　ran　for　a　little

summer…house　in　the　corner　of　the　garden。　　The　dog　came　after　me；

but　I　shut　the　door　in　his　face。　　It　was　well　it　had　a　door

wasn't　it？〃



〃You　dreamed　of　the　door　because　you　wanted　it；〃　said　Diamond。



〃No；　I　didn't；　it　came　of　itself。　　It　was　there；　in　the　true　dream。〃



〃ThereI've　caught　you！〃　said　Diamond。　　〃I　knew　you　believed

in　the　dream　as　much　as　I　do。〃



〃Oh；　well；　if　you　will　lay　traps　for　a　body！〃　said　Nanny。　

〃Anyhow；　I　was　safe　inside　the　summer…house。　And　what　do　you　think？

There　was　the　moon　beginning　to　shine　againbut　only　through

one　of　the　panesand　that　one　was　just　the　colour　of　the　ruby。　

Wasn't　it　funny？〃



〃No；　not　a　bit　funny；〃　said　Diamond。



〃If　you　will　be　contrary！〃　said　Nanny。



〃No；　no；〃　said　Diamond；　〃I　only　meant　that　was　the　very　pane　I

should　have　expected　her　to　shine　through。〃



〃Oh；　very　well！〃　returned　Nanny。



What　Diamond　meant；　I　do　not　pretend　to　say。　　He　had　curious　notions

about　things。



〃And　now；〃　said　Nanny；　〃I　didn't　know　what　to　do；　for　the　dog　kept

barking　at　the　door；　and　I　couldn't　get　out。　　But　the　moon　was　so

beautiful　that　I　couldn't　keep　from　looking　at　it　through　the　red　pane。　

And　as　I　looked　it　got　larger　and　larger　till　it　filled　the　whole

pane　and　outgrew　it；　so　that　I　could　see　it　through　the　other　panes；

and　it　grew　till　it　filled　them　too　and　the　whole　window；　so　that

the　summer…house　was　nearly　as　bright　as　day。



〃The　dog　stopped　barking；　and　I　heard　a　gentle　tapping　at　the　door；

like　the　wind　blowing　a　little　branch　against　it。〃



〃Just　like　her；〃　said　Diamond；　who　thought　everything　strange

and　beautiful　must　be　done　by　North　Wind。



〃So　I　turned　from　the　window　and　opened　the　door；　and　what　do　you

think　I　saw？〃



〃A　beautiful　lady；〃　said　Diamond。



〃Nothe　moon　itself；　as　big　as　a　little　house；　and　as　round

as　a　ball；　shining　like　yellow　silver。　　It　stood　on　the　grass

down　on　the　very　grass：　　I　could　see　nothing　else　for　the

brightness　of　it：　　And　as　I　stared　and　wondered；　a　door　opened

in　the　side　of　it；　near　the　ground；　and　a　curious　little　old　man；

with　a　crooked　thing　over　his　shoulder；　looked　out；　and　said：　

'Come　along；　Nanny；　my　lady　wants　you。　　We're　come　to　fetch　you。〃　

I　wasn't　a　bit　frightened。　　I　went　up　to　the　beautiful　bright　thing；

and　the　old　man　held　down　his　hand；　and　I　took　hold　of　it；

and　gave　a　jump；　and　he　gave　me　a　lift；　and　I　was　inside　the　moon。　

And　what　do　you　think　it　was　like？　　It　was　such　a　pretty　little　house；

with　blue　windows　and　white　curtains！　　At　one　of　the　windows　sat

a　beautiful　lady；　with　her　head　leaning　on　her　hand；　looking　out。　

She　seemed　rather　sad；　and　I　was　sorry　for　her；　and　stood　staring

at　her。



〃‘You　didn't　think　I　had　such　a　beautiful　mistress　as　that！'

said　the　queer　little　man。　　‘No；　indeed！'　　I　answered：　　‘who　would　have

thought　it？'　　‘Ah！　who　indeed？　　But　you　see　you　don't　know　everything。'　

The　little　man　closed　the　door；　and　began　to　pull　at　a　rope　which　hung

behind　it　with　a　weight　at　the　end。　　After　he　had　pulled　a　while；

he　said‘There；　that　will　do；　we're　all　right　now。'　　Then　he　took

me　by　the　hand　and　opened　a　little　trap　in　the　floor；　and　led　me

down　two　or　three　steps；　and　I　saw　like　a　great　hole　below　me。　

‘Don't　be　frightened；'　said　the　tittle　man。　　‘It's　not　a　hole。　

It's　only　a　window。　　Put　your　face　down　and　look　through。'　　I　did　as　he

told　me；　and　there　was　the　garden　and　the　summer…house；　far　away；

lying　at　the　bottom　of　the　moonlight。　　‘There！'　said　the　little　man；

‘we've　brought　you　off！　　Do　you　see　the　little　dog　barking　at　us

down　there　in　the　garden？'　　I　told　him　I　couldn't　see　anything

so　far。　　‘Can　you　see　anything　so　small　and　so　far　off？'　　I　said。　

‘Bless　you；　child！'　said　the　little　man；　‘I　could　pick　up　a　needle

out　of　the　grass　if　I　had　only　a　long　enough　arm。　　There's　one

lying　by　the　door　of　the　summer…house　now。'　　I　looked　at　his　eyes。　

They　were　very　small；　but　so　bright　that　I　think　he　saw　by　the　light

that　went　out　of　them。　　Then　he　took　me　up；　and　up　again　by　a　little

stair　in　a　corner　of　the　room；　and　through　another　trapdoor；

and　there　was　one　great　round　window　above　us；　and　I　saw　the　blue

sky　and　the　clouds；　and　such　lots　of　stars；　all　so　big　and　shining

as　hard　as　ever　they　could！〃



〃The　little　girl…angels　had　been　polishing　them；〃　said　Diamond。



〃What　nonsense　you　do　talk！〃　said　Nanny。



〃But　my　nonsense　is　just　as　good　as　yours；　Nanny。　　When　you　have　done；

I'll　tell　you　my　dream。　　The　stars　are　in　itnot　the　moon；　though。　

She　was　away　somewhere。　　Perhaps　she　was　gone　to　fetch　you　then。　

I　don't　think　that；　though；　for　my　dream　was　longer　ago　than　yours。　

She　might　have　been　to　fetch　some　one　else；　though；　for　we　can't

fancy　it's　only　us　that　get　such　fine　things　done　for　them。　

But　do　tell　me　what　came　next。〃



Perhaps　one　of　my　child…readers　may　remember　whether　the　moon　came

down　to　fetch　him　or　her　the　same　night　that　Diamond　had　his　dream。　

I　cannot　tell；　of　course。　　I　know　she　did　not　come　to　fetch　me；

though　I　did　think　I　could　make　her　follow　me　when　I　was　a　boy

not　a　very　tiny　one　either。



〃The　little　man　took　me　all　round　the　house；　and　made　me　look

out　of　every　window。　　Oh；　it　was　beautiful！　　There　we　were；

all　up　in　the　air；　in　such　a　nice；　clean　little　house！　　‘Your　work

will　be　to　keep　the　windows　bright；'　said　the　little　man。　

‘You　won't　find　it　very　difficult；　for　there　ain't　much　dust　up　here。　

Only；　the　frost　settles　on　them　sometimes；　and　the　drops　of　rain

leave　marks　on　them。'　　‘I　can　easily　clean　them　inside；'　I　said；

‘but　how　am　I　to　get　the　frost　and　rain　off　the　outside　of　them？'　

‘Oh！'　he　sa