at the back of the north wind-第13章

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craft　to　go　with　the　current；　for　there　was　twice　as　much　of　it

below　water　as　above。　　But　a　light　south　wind　was　blowing　too；

and　so　it　went　fast。



After　a　little　while　Diamond　went　out　and　sat　on　the　edge　of　his

floating　island；　and　looked　down　into　the　ocean　beneath　him。　

The　white　sides　of　the　berg　reflected　so　much　light　below　the　water；

that　he　could　see　far　down　into　the　green　abyss。　　Sometimes　he

fancied　he　saw　the　eyes　of　North　Wind　looking　up　at　him　from　below；

but　the　fancy　never　lasted　beyond　the　moment　of　its　birth。　　And　the　time

passed　he　did　not　know　how；　for　he　felt　as　if　he　were　in　a　dream。　

When　he　got　tired　of　the　green　water；　he　went　into　the　blue　cave；

and　when　he　got　tired　of　the　blue　cave　he　went　out　and　gazed　all

about　him　on　the　blue　sea；　ever　sparkling　in　the　sun；　which　kept

wheeling　about　the　sky；　never　going　below　the　horizon。　　But　he

chiefly　gazed　northwards；　to　see　whether　any　land　were　appearing。　

All　this　time　he　never　wanted　to　eat。　　He　broke　off　little　bits

of　the　berg　now　and　then　and　sucked　them；　and　he　thought　them

very　nice。



At　length；　one　time　he　came　out　of　his　cave；　he　spied　far　off　on

the　horizon；　a　shining　peak　that　rose　into　the　sky　like　the　top

of　some　tremendous　iceberg；　and　his　vessel　was　bearing　him　straight

towards　it。　　As　it　went　on　the　peak　rose　and　rose　higher　and　higher

above　the　horizon；　and　other　peaks　rose　after　it；　with　sharp　edges

and　jagged　ridges　connecting　them。　　Diamond　thought　this　must　be

the　place　he　was　going　to；　and　he　was　right；　for　the　mountains　rose

and　rose；　till　he　saw　the　line　of　the　coast　at　their　feet　and　at

length　the　iceberg　drove　into　a　little　bay；　all　around　which　were

lofty　precipices　with　snow　on　their　tops；　and　streaks　of　ice　down

their　sides。　　The　berg　floated　slowly　up　to　a　projecting　rock。　

Diamond　stepped　on　shore；　and　without　looking　behind　him　began　to　follow

a　natural　path　which　led　windingly　towards　the　top　of　the　precipice。



When　he　reached　it；　he　found　himself　on　a　broad　table　of　ice；

along　which　he　could　walk　without　much　difficulty。　　Before　him；

at　a　considerable　distance；　rose　a　lofty　ridge　of　ice；　which　shot　up

into　fantastic　pinnacles　and　towers　and　battlements。　　The　air　was

very　cold；　and　seemed　somehow　dead；　for　there　was　not　the　slightest

breath　of　wind。



In　the　centre　of　the　ridge　before　him　appeared　a　gap　like　the　opening

of　a　valley。　　But　as　he　walked　towards　it；　gazing；　and　wondering

whether　that　could　be　the　way　he　had　to　take；　he　saw　that　what　had

appeared　a　gap　was　the　form　of　a　woman　seated　against　the　ice

front　of　the　ridge；　leaning　forwards　with　her　hands　in　her　lap；

and　her　hair　hanging　down　to　the　ground。



〃It　is　North　Wind　on　her　doorstep；〃　said　Diamond　joyfully；

and　hurried　on。



He　soon　came　up　to　the　place；　and　there　the　form　sat；　like　one　of

the　great　figures　at　the　door　of　an　Egyptian　temple；　motionless；

with　drooping　arms　and　head。　　Then　Diamond　grew　frightened；

because　she　did　not　move　nor　speak。　　He　was　sure　it　was　North　Wind；

but　he　thought　she　must　be　dead　at　last。　　Her　face　was　white　as

the　snow；　her　eyes　were　blue　as　the　air　in　the　ice…cave；　and　her

hair　hung　down　straight；　like　icicles。　　She　had　on　a　greenish　robe；

like　the　colour　in　the　hollows　of　a　glacier　seen　from　far　off。



He　stood　up　before　her；　and　gazed　fearfully　into　her　face　for　a　few

minutes　before　he　ventured　to　speak。　　At　length；　with　a　great　effort

and　a　trembling　voice；　he　faltered　out



〃North　Wind！〃



〃Well；　child？〃　said　the　form；　without　lifting　its　head。



〃Are　you　ill；　dear　North　Wind？〃



〃No。　I　am　waiting。〃



〃What　for？〃



〃Till　I'm　wanted。〃




〃You　don't　care　for　me　any　more；〃　said　Diamond；　almost　crying　now。



〃Yes　I　do。　　Only　I　can't　show　it。　　All　my　love　is　down　at　the　bottom

of　my　heart。　　But　I　feel　it　bubbling　there。〃



〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do　next；　dear　North　Wind？〃　said　Diamond；

wishing　to　show　his　love　by　being　obedient。



〃What　do　you　want　to　do　yourself？〃



〃I　want　to　go　into　the　country　at　your　back。〃



〃Then　you　must　go　through　me。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　you　mean。〃



〃I　mean　just　what　I　say。　　You　must　walk　on　as　if　I　were　an　open　door；

and　go　right　through　me。〃



〃But　that　will　hurt　you。〃



〃Not　in　the　least。　　It　will　hurt　you；　though。〃



〃I　don't　mind　that；　if　you　tell　me　to　do　it。〃



〃Do　it；〃　said　North　Wind。



Diamond　walked　towards　her　instantly。　　When　he　reached　her　knees；

he　put　out　his　hand　to　lay　it　on　her；　but　nothing　was　there　save

an　intense　cold。　　He　walked　on。　　Then　all　grew　white　about　him；

and　the　cold　stung　him　like　fire。　　He　walked　on　still；　groping　through

the　whiteness。　　It　thickened　about　him。　　At　last；　it　got　into　his　heart；

and　he　lost　all　sense。　　I　would　say　that　he　faintedonly　whereas

in　common　faints　all　grows　black　about　you；　he　felt　swallowed　up

in　whiteness。　　It　was　when　he　reached　North　Wind's　heart　that　he

fainted　and　fell。　　But　as　he　fell；　he　rolled　over　the　threshold；

and　it　was　thus　that　Diamond　got　to　the　back　of　the　north　wind。







CHAPTER　X



AT　THE　BACK　OF　THE　NORTH　WIND





I　HAVE　now　come　to　the　most　difficult　part　of　my　story。　　And　why？　

Because　I　do　not　know　enough　about　it。　　And　why　should　I　not　know

as　much　about　this　part　as　about　any　other　part？　　For　of　course

I　could　know　nothing　about　the　story　except　Diamond　had　told　it；

and　why　should　not　Diamond　tell　about　the　country　at　the　back　of

the　north　wind；　as　well　as　about　his　adventures　in　getting　there？　

Because；　when　he　came　back；　he　had　forgotten　a　great　deal；

and　what　he　did　remember　was　very　hard　to　tell。　　Things　there

are　so　different　from　things　here！　　The　people　there　do　not　speak

the　same　language　for　one　thing。　　Indeed；　Diamond　insisted　that

there　they　do　not　speak　at　all。　　I　do　not　think　he　was　right；

but　it　may　well　have　appeared　so　to　Diamond。　　The　fact　is；　we　have

different　reports　of　the　place　from　the　most　trustworthy　people。　

Therefore　we　are　bound　to　believe　that　it　appears　somewhat　different

to　different　people。　　All；　however；　agree　in　a　general　way　about　it。



I　will　tell　you　something　of　what　two　very　different　people　have　reported；

both　of　whom　knew　more　about　it；　I　believe；　than　Herodotus。　

One　of　them　speaks　from　his　own　experience；　for　he　visited　the　country；

the　other　from　the　testimony　of　a　young　peasant　girl　who　came　back

from　it　for　a　month's　visit　to　her　friends。　　The　former　was　a　great

Italian　of　noble　family；　who　died　more　than　five　hundred　years　ago；

the　latter　a　Scotch　shepherd　who　died　not　forty　years　ago。



The　Italian；　then；　informs　us　that　he　had　to　enter　that　country

through　a　fire　so　hot　that　he　would　have　thrown　himself　into

boiling　glass　to　cool　himself。　　This　was　not　Diamond's　experience；

but　then　Durantethat　was　the　name　of　the　Italian；　and　it　means　Lasting；

for　his　books　will　last　as　long　as　there　are　enough　men　in　the　world

worthy　of　having　themDurante　was　an　elderly　man；　and　Diamond　was

a　little　boy；　and　so　their　experience　must　be　a　little　different。　

The　peasant　girl；　on　the　other　hand；　fell　fast　asleep　in　a　wood；

and　woke　in　the　same　country。



In　describing　it；　Durante　says　that　the　ground　everywhere　smelt　sweetly；

and　that　a　gentle；　even…tempered　wind；　which　never　blew　faster

or　slower；　breathed　in　his　face　as　he　went；　making　all　the　leaves

point　one　way；　not　so　as　to　disturb　the　birds　in　the　tops　of

the　trees；　but；　on　the　contrary；　sounding　a　bass　to　their　song。　

He　describes　also　a　little　river　which　was　so　full　that　its　little　waves；

as　it　hurried　along；　bent　the　grass；　full　of　red　and　yellow　flowers；

through　which　it　flowed。　　He　says　that　the　purest　stream　in　the　world

beside　this　one　would　look　as　if　it　were　mixed　with　something　that　did

not　belong　to　it；　even　although　it　was　flowing　ever　in　the　brown

shadow　of　the　trees；　and　neither　sun　nor　moon　could　shine　upon　it。　

He　seems　to　imply　that　it　is　always　the　month　of　May　in　that　country。　

It　would　be　out　of　place　to　describe　here　the　wonderful　sights　he　saw；

for　the　music　of　them　is　in　another　key　from　that　of　this　story；

and　I　shall　therefore　only　add　from　the　account　of　this　traveller；

that　the　people　there　are　so　free　and　so　just　and　so　healthy；

that　every　one　of　them　has　a　crown　like　a　king　and　a　mitre　like

a　priest。



The　peasant　girlKilmeny　was　her　namecould　not　report　such　grand

things　as　Durante；　for；　as　the　shepherd　says；　telling　her　story

as　I　tell　Diamond's



　　　〃Kilmeny　had　been　she　knew　not　where；

　　　And　Kilmeny　had　seen　what　she　could　not　declare；

　　　Kilmeny　had　been　where　the　cock　never　crew；

　　　Where　the　rain　never　fell；　and　the　wind　never　blew。

　　　But　it　seemed　as　the　harp　of　the　sky　had　rung；

　　　And　the　airs　of　heaven　played　round　her　tongue；

　　　When　she　spoke　of　the　lovely　forms　she　had　seen；

　　　And　a　land　where　sin　had　never　been；

　　　A　land　of　love　and　a　land　of　light；

　　　Withouten　sun；　or　moon；　or　night；

　　　Where　the　river　swayed　a　living　stream；

　　　And　the　light　a　pure　and　cloudless　beam：

　　　The　land　of　vision　it　would　seem；

　　　And　still　an　everlasting　dream。〃





The　last　two　lines　are　the　shepherd's　own　remark；　and　a　matter

of　opinion。　　But　it　is　clear；　I　think；　that　Kilmeny　must　have　described

the　same　country　as　Durante　saw；　though；　not　having　his　experience；

she　could　neither　understand　nor　describe　it　so　well。



Now　I　must　give　you　such　fragments　of　recollection　as　Diamond

was　able　to　bring　back　with　him。



When　he　came　to　himself　after　he　fell；　he　found　himself　at　the　back

of　the　north　wind。　　North　Wind　herself　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　

Neither　was　there　a　vestige　of　snow　or　of　ice　within　sight。　

The　sun　too　had　vanished；　but　that　was　no　matter；　for　there　was

plenty　of　a　certain　still　rayless　light。　　Where　it　came　from　he

never　found　out；　but　he　thought　it　belonged　to　the　country　itself。　

Sometimes　he　thought　it　came　out　of　the　flowers；　which　were　very　bright；

but　had　no　strong　colour。　　He　said　the　riverfor　all　agree　that　there

is　a　river　thereflowed　not　only　through；　but　over　grass：　　its　channel；

instead　of　being　rock；　stones；　pebbles；　sand；　or　anything　else；

was　of　pure　meadow　grass；　not　over　long。　　He　insisted　that　if　it

did　not　sing　tunes　in　people's　ears；　it　sung　tunes　in　their　heads；

in　proof　of　which　I　may　mention　that；　in　the　troubles　which　followed；

Diamond　was　often　heard　singing；　and　when　asked　what　he　was　singing；

would　answer；　〃One　of　the　tunes　the　river　at　the　back　of　the　north

wind　sung。〃　　And　I　may　as　well　say　at　once　that　Diamond　never　told

these　things　to　any　one　butno；　I　had　better　not　say　who　it　was；

but　whoever　it　was　told　me；　and　I　thought　it　would　be　well　to　write　them

for　my　child…readers。



He　could　not　say　he　was　very　happy　there；　for　he　had　neither

his　father　nor　mother　with　him；　but　he　felt　so　still　and　quiet

and　patient　and　contented；　that；　as　far　as　the