章节正文
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 old nurse who had
grown to be one of the family, for she had not gone away when Miss
Coleman did not want any more nursing, came to the back door,
which was of glass, to close the shutters. She thought she heard
a cry, and, peering out with a hand on each side of her eyes
like Diamond's blinkers, she saw something white on the lawn.
Too old and too wise to be frightened, she opened the door,
and went straight towards the white thing to see what it was.
And when Diamond saw her coming he was not frightened either,
though Mrs. Crump was a little cross sometimes; for there is
a good kind of crossness that is only disagreeable, and there is
a bad kind of crossness that is very nasty indeed. So she came
up with her neck stretched out, and her head at the end of it,
and her eyes foremost of all, like a snail's, peering into the night
to see what it could be that went on glimmering white before her.
When she did see, she made a great exclamation, and threw up
her hands. Then without a word, for she thought Diamond was walking
in his sleep, she caught hold of him, and led him towards the house.
He made no objection, for he was just in the mood to be grateful
for notice of any sort, and Mrs. Crump led him straight into the
drawing-room.
Now, from the neglect of the new housemaid, the fire in Miss
Coleman's bedroom had gone out, and her mother had told her to brush
her hair by the drawing-room fire--a disorderly proceeding which
a mother's wish could justify. The young lady was very lovely,
though not nearly so beautiful as North Wind; and her hair was
extremely long, for it came down to her knees--though that was
nothing at all to North Wind's hair. Yet when she looked round,
with her hair all about her, as Diamond entered, he thought
for one moment that it was North Wind, and, pulling his hand from
Mrs. Crump's, he stretched out his arms and ran towards Miss Coleman.
She was so pleased that she threw down her brush, and almost knelt
on the floor to receive him in her arms. He saw the next moment
that she was not Lady North Wind, but she looked so like her he could
not help running into her arms and bursting into tears afresh.
Mrs. Crump said the poor child had walked out in his sleep, and Diamond
thought she ought to know, and did not contradict her for anything
he knew, it might be so indeed. He let them talk on about him,
and said nothing; and when, after their astonishment was over,
and Miss Coleman had given him a sponge-cake, it was decreed
that Mrs. Crump should take him to his mother, he was quite satisfied.
His mother had to get out of bed to open the door when Mrs. Crump
knocked. She was indeed surprised to see her, boy; and having
taken him in her arms and carried him to his bed, returned and
had a long confabulation with Mrs. Crump, for they were still
talking when Diamond fell fast asleep, and could hear them no longer.
CHAPTER III
OLD DIAMOND
DIAMOND woke very early in the morning, and thought what a curious
dream he had had. But the memory grew brighter and brighter
in his head, until it did not look altogether like a dream, and he
began to doubt whether he had not really been abroad in the wind
last night. He came to the conclusion that, if he had really been
brought home to his mother by Mrs. Crump, she would say something
to him about it, and that would settle the matter. Then he got
up and dressed himself, but, finding that his father and mother
were not yet stirring, he went down the ladder to the stable.
There he found that even old Diamond was not awake yet, for he,
as well as young Diamond, always got up the moment he woke, and now
he was lying as flat as a horse could lie upon his nice trim bed
of straw.
"I'll give old Diamond a surprise," thought the, boy; and creeping
up very softly, before the horse knew, he was astride of his back.
Then it was young Diamond's turn to have more of a surprise than he
had expected; for as with an earthquake, with a rumbling and a rocking
hither and thither, a sprawling of legs and heaving as of many backs,
young Diamond found himself hoisted up in the air, with both hands
twisted in the horse's mane. The next instant old Diamond lashed
out with both his hind legs, and giving one cry of terror young
Diamond found himself lying on his neck, with his arms as far round
it as they would go. But then the horse stood as still as a stone,
except that he lifted his head gently up to let the boy slip down
to his back. For when he heard young Diamond's cry he knew that
there was nothing to kick about; for young Diamond was a good boy,
and old Diamond was a good horse, and the one was all right on the
back of the other.
As soon as Diamond had got himself comfortable on the saddle place,
the horse began pulling at the hay, and the boy began thinking.
He had never mounted Diamond himself before, and he had never got
off him without being lifted down. So he sat, while the horse ate,
wondering how he was to reach the ground.
But while he meditated, his mother woke, and her first thought
was to see her boy. She had visited him twice during the night,
and found him sleeping quietly. Now his bed was empty, and she
was frightened.
"Diamond! Diamond! Where are you, Diamond?" she called out.
Diamond turned his head where he sat like a knight on his steed
in enchanted stall, and cried aloud,--
"Here, mother!"
"Where, Diamond?" she returned.
"Here, mother, on Diamond's back."
She came running to the ladder, and peeping down, saw him aloft
on the great horse.
"Come down, Diamond," she said.
"I can't," answered Diamond.
"How did you get up?" asked his mother.
"Quite easily," answered he; "but when I got up, Diamond would get
up too, and so here I am."
His mother thought he had been walking in his sleep again, and hurried
down the ladder. She did not much like going up to the horse,
for she had not been used to horses; but she would have gone
into a lion's den, not to say a horse's stall, to help her boy.
So she went and lifted him off Diamond's back, and felt braver
all her life after. She carried him in her arms up to her room;
but, afraid of frightening him at his own sleep-walking, as she
supposed it, said nothing about last night. Before the next day
was over, Diamond had almost concluded the whole adventure a dream.
For a week his mother watched him very carefully--going into
the loft several times a night--as often, in fact, as she woke.
Every time she found him fast asleep.
All that week it was hard weather. The grass showed white in the morning
with the hoar-frost which clung like tiny comfits to every blade.
And as Diamond's shoes were not good, and his mother had not quite
saved up enough money to get him the new pair she so much wanted
for him, she would not let him run out. He played all his games
over and over indoors, especially that of driving two chairs
harnessed to the baby's cradle; and if they did not go very fast,
they went as fast as could be expected of the best chairs in the world,
although one of them had only three legs, and the other only half
a back.
At length his mother brought home his new shoes, and no sooner
did she find they fitted him than she told him he might run
out in the yard and amuse himself for an hour.
The sun was going down when he flew from the door like a bird from
its cage. All the world was new to him. A great fire of sunset
burned on the top of the gate that led from the stables to the house;
above the fire in the sky lay a large lake of green light, above that
a golden cloud, and over that the blue of the wintry heavens.
And Diamond thought that, next to his own home, he had never seen
any place he would like so much to live in as that sky. For it
is not fine things that make home a nice place, but your mother
and your father.
As he was looking at the lovely colours, the gates were thrown open,
and there was old Diamond and his friend in the carriage, dancing with
impatience to get at their stalls and their oats. And in they came.
Diamond was not in the least afraid of his father driving over him,
but, careful not to spoil the grand show he made with his fine
horses and his multitudinous cape, with a red edge to every fold,
he slipped out of the way and let him dash right on to the stables.
To be quite safe he had to step into the recess of the door that led
from the yard to the shrubbery.
As he stood there he remembered how the wind had driven him
to this same spot on the night of his dream. And once more he
was almost sure that it was no dream. At all events, he would go
in and see whether things looked at all now as they did then.
He opened the door, and passed through the little belt of shrubbery.
Not a flower was to be seen in the beds on the lawn. Even the
brave old chrysanthemums and Christmas roses had passed away
before the frost. What? Yes! There was one! He ran and knelt
down to look at it.
It was a primrose--a dwarfish thing, but perfect in shape--
a baby-wonder. As he stooped his face to see it close, a little
wind began to blow, and two or three long leaves that stood up
behind the flower shook and waved and quivered, but the primrose lay
still in the green hollow, looking up at the sky, and not seeming
to know that the wind was blowing at all. It was just a one eye
that the dull black wintry earth had opened to look at the sky with.
All at once Diamond thought it was saying its prayers, and he
ought not to be staring at it so. He ran to the stable to see his
father make Diamond's bed. Then his father took him in his arms,
carried him up the ladder, and set him down at the table where they
were going to have their tea.
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 old nurse who had
grown to be one of the family, for she had not gone away when Miss
Coleman did not want any more nursing, came to the back door,
which was of glass, to close the shutters. She thought she heard
a cry, and, peering out with a hand on each side of her eyes
like Diamond's blinkers, she saw something white on the lawn.
Too old and too wise to be frightened, she opened the door,
and went straight towards the white thing to see what it was.
And when Diamond saw her coming he was not frightened either,
though Mrs. Crump was a little cross sometimes; for there is
a good kind of crossness that is only disagreeable, and there is
a bad kind of crossness that is very nasty indeed. So she came
up with her neck stretched out, and her head at the end of it,
and her eyes foremost of all, like a snail's, peering into the night
to see what it could be that went on glimmering white before her.
When she did see, she made a great exclamation, and threw up
her hands. Then without a word, for she thought Diamond was walking
in his sleep, she caught hold of him, and led him towards the house.
He made no objection, for he was just in the mood to be grateful
for notice of any sort, and Mrs. Crump led him straight into the
drawing-room.
Now, from the neglect of the new housemaid, the fire in Miss
Coleman's bedroom had gone out, and her mother had told her to brush
her hair by the drawing-room fire--a disorderly proceeding which
a mother's wish could justify. The young lady was very lovely,
though not nearly so beautiful as North Wind; and her hair was
extremely long, for it came down to her knees--though that was
nothing at all to North Wind's hair. Yet when she looked round,
with her hair all about her, as Diamond entered, he thought
for one moment that it was North Wind, and, pulling his hand from
Mrs. Crump's, he stretched out his arms and ran towards Miss Coleman.
She was so pleased that she threw down her brush, and almost knelt
on the floor to receive him in her arms. He saw the next moment
that she was not Lady North Wind, but she looked so like her he could
not help running into her arms and bursting into tears afresh.
Mrs. Crump said the poor child had walked out in his sleep, and Diamond
thought she ought to know, and did not contradict her for anything
he knew, it might be so indeed. He let them talk on about him,
and said nothing; and when, after their astonishment was over,
and Miss Coleman had given him a sponge-cake, it was decreed
that Mrs. Crump should take him to his mother, he was quite satisfied.
His mother had to get out of bed to open the door when Mrs. Crump
knocked. She was indeed surprised to see her, boy; and having
taken him in her arms and carried him to his bed, returned and
had a long confabulation with Mrs. Crump, for they were still
talking when Diamond fell fast asleep, and could hear them no longer.
CHAPTER III
OLD DIAMOND
DIAMOND woke very early in the morning, and thought what a curious
dream he had had. But the memory grew brighter and brighter
in his head, until it did not look altogether like a dream, and he
began to doubt whether he had not really been abroad in the wind
last night. He came to the conclusion that, if he had really been
brought home to his mother by Mrs. Crump, she would say something
to him about it, and that would settle the matter. Then he got
up and dressed himself, but, finding that his father and mother
were not yet stirring, he went down the ladder to the stable.
There he found that even old Diamond was not awake yet, for he,
as well as young Diamond, always got up the moment he woke, and now
he was lying as flat as a horse could lie upon his nice trim bed
of straw.
"I'll give old Diamond a surprise," thought the, boy; and creeping
up very softly, before the horse knew, he was astride of his back.
Then it was young Diamond's turn to have more of a surprise than he
had expected; for as with an earthquake, with a rumbling and a rocking
hither and thither, a sprawling of legs and heaving as of many backs,
young Diamond found himself hoisted up in the air, with both hands
twisted in the horse's mane. The next instant old Diamond lashed
out with both his hind legs, and giving one cry of terror young
Diamond found himself lying on his neck, with his arms as far round
it as they would go. But then the horse stood as still as a stone,
except that he lifted his head gently up to let the boy slip down
to his back. For when he heard young Diamond's cry he knew that
there was nothing to kick about; for young Diamond was a good boy,
and old Diamond was a good horse, and the one was all right on the
back of the other.
As soon as Diamond had got himself comfortable on the saddle place,
the horse began pulling at the hay, and the boy began thinking.
He had never mounted Diamond himself before, and he had never got
off him without being lifted down. So he sat, while the horse ate,
wondering how he was to reach the ground.
But while he meditated, his mother woke, and her first thought
was to see her boy. She had visited him twice during the night,
and found him sleeping quietly. Now his bed was empty, and she
was frightened.
"Diamond! Diamond! Where are you, Diamond?" she called out.
Diamond turned his head where he sat like a knight on his steed
in enchanted stall, and cried aloud,--
"Here, mother!"
"Where, Diamond?" she returned.
"Here, mother, on Diamond's back."
She came running to the ladder, and peeping down, saw him aloft
on the great horse.
"Come down, Diamond," she said.
"I can't," answered Diamond.
"How did you get up?" asked his mother.
"Quite easily," answered he; "but when I got up, Diamond would get
up too, and so here I am."
His mother thought he had been walking in his sleep again, and hurried
down the ladder. She did not much like going up to the horse,
for she had not been used to horses; but she would have gone
into a lion's den, not to say a horse's stall, to help her boy.
So she went and lifted him off Diamond's back, and felt braver
all her life after. She carried him in her arms up to her room;
but, afraid of frightening him at his own sleep-walking, as she
supposed it, said nothing about last night. Before the next day
was over, Diamond had almost concluded the whole adventure a dream.
For a week his mother watched him very carefully--going into
the loft several times a night--as often, in fact, as she woke.
Every time she found him fast asleep.
All that week it was hard weather. The grass showed white in the morning
with the hoar-frost which clung like tiny comfits to every blade.
And as Diamond's shoes were not good, and his mother had not quite
saved up enough money to get him the new pair she so much wanted
for him, she would not let him run out. He played all his games
over and over indoors, especially that of driving two chairs
harnessed to the baby's cradle; and if they did not go very fast,
they went as fast as could be expected of the best chairs in the world,
although one of them had only three legs, and the other only half
a back.
At length his mother brought home his new shoes, and no sooner
did she find they fitted him than she told him he might run
out in the yard and amuse himself for an hour.
The sun was going down when he flew from the door like a bird from
its cage. All the world was new to him. A great fire of sunset
burned on the top of the gate that led from the stables to the house;
above the fire in the sky lay a large lake of green light, above that
a golden cloud, and over that the blue of the wintry heavens.
And Diamond thought that, next to his own home, he had never seen
any place he would like so much to live in as that sky. For it
is not fine things that make home a nice place, but your mother
and your father.
As he was looking at the lovely colours, the gates were thrown open,
and there was old Diamond and his friend in the carriage, dancing with
impatience to get at their stalls and their oats. And in they came.
Diamond was not in the least afraid of his father driving over him,
but, careful not to spoil the grand show he made with his fine
horses and his multitudinous cape, with a red edge to every fold,
he slipped out of the way and let him dash right on to the stables.
To be quite safe he had to step into the recess of the door that led
from the yard to the shrubbery.
As he stood there he remembered how the wind had driven him
to this same spot on the night of his dream. And once more he
was almost sure that it was no dream. At all events, he would go
in and see whether things looked at all now as they did then.
He opened the door, and passed through the little belt of shrubbery.
Not a flower was to be seen in the beds on the lawn. Even the
brave old chrysanthemums and Christmas roses had passed away
before the frost. What? Yes! There was one! He ran and knelt
down to look at it.
It was a primrose--a dwarfish thing, but perfect in shape--
a baby-wonder. As he stooped his face to see it close, a little
wind began to blow, and two or three long leaves that stood up
behind the flower shook and waved and quivered, but the primrose lay
still in the green hollow, looking up at the sky, and not seeming
to know that the wind was blowing at all. It was just a one eye
that the dull black wintry earth had opened to look at the sky with.
All at once Diamond thought it was saying its prayers, and he
ought not to be staring at it so. He ran to the stable to see his
father make Diamond's bed. Then his father took him in his arms,
carried him up the ladder, and set him down at the table where they
were going to have their tea.
- conclusion [kən´klu:ʒən]
n.结束；结论；推论 (初中英语单词) - whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- warrior [´wɔriə] n.勇士，战士 (初中英语单词)
- dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)
- earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)
- beginning [bi´giniŋ] n.开始，开端；起源 (初中英语单词)
- lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
- objection [əb´dʒekʃən] n.反对；异议；缺点 (初中英语单词)
- neglect [ni´glekt] vt.&n.疏忽；忽视；忽略 (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- astonishment [ə´stɔniʃmənt] n.吃惊；惊异 (初中英语单词)
- altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)
- abroad [ə´brɔ:d] ad.海外；到处；广泛 (初中英语单词)
- softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)
- thither [´ðiðə] ad.到那里 a.那边的 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)
- gently [´dʒentli] ad.温和地；静静地 (初中英语单词)
- saddle [´sædl] n.鞍子 v.装鞍(于) (初中英语单词)
- sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)
- cradle [´kreidl] n.摇篮；发源地 (初中英语单词)
- carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)
- driven [´driv(ə)n] drive 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)
- disagreeable [,disə´gri:əbl] a.令人不悦的 (高中英语单词)
- foremost [´fɔ:məust] a.最重要的；最先的 (高中英语单词)
- proceeding [prə´si:diŋ] n.程序；进程；行动 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- ladder [´lædə] n.梯子；阶梯 (高中英语单词)
- earthquake [´ə:θkweik] n.地震；大变动 (高中英语单词)
- knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)
- indoors [,in´dɔ:z] ad.在屋里 (高中英语单词)
- recess [ri´ses] n.休息；休会 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- exclamation [,eksklə´meiʃən] n.喊(惊)叫；感叹词 (英语四级单词)
- contradict [,kɔntrə´dikt] v.反驳；否认 (英语四级单词)
- stirring [´stə:riŋ] a.活跃的；热闹的 (英语四级单词)
- primrose [´primrəuz] n.樱草(花) a.樱草的 (英语四级单词)
- wintry [´wintri] a.冬天的；荒凉的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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