 This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Meredith Hughes Cambridge, Massachusetts at the back of the North Wind by George McDonald Chapter 1 The Hay Loft. I have been asked to tell you about the back of the North Wind An old Greek writer mentions a people who lived there and were so comfortable that they could not bear it any longer and drowned themselves My story is not the same as his. I do not think Herodotus had got the right account of the place. I am going to tell you how it fared with a boy who went there He lived in a low room over a coach house And that was not by any means at the back of the North Wind as his mother very well knew For one side of the room was built only of boards and the boards were so old that you might run a penknife through into the North Wind And then let them settle between them, which was the sharper. I know that when you pulled it out again the wind would be after it like a cat after a mouse And you would know soon enough that you were not at the back of the North Wind Still this room was not very cold except when the North Wind blew stronger than usual The room I have to do with now was always cold except in summer when the Sun took the matter into his own hands Indeed I'm not sure whether I ought to call it a room at all for it was just a loft where they kept hay and straw and oats for the horses And when little Diamond but stop I must tell you that his father who was a coachman had named him after a favorite horse And his mother had had no objection When little Diamond then lay there in bed he could hear the horses under him munching away in the dark or moving sleepily in their dreams For Diamond's father had built him a bed in the loft with boards all around it because they had so little room in their own end over the coach house And Diamond's father put old Diamond in the stall under the bed Because he was a quiet horse and did not go to sleep standing but lay down like a reasonable creature But although he was a surprisingly reasonable creature Yet when young Diamond woke in the middle of the night and felt the bed shaking in the blasts of the North Wind He could not help wondering whether if the wind should blow the house down and he were to fall through into the manger Old Diamond mightn't eat him up before he knew him in his nightgown And although old Diamond was very quiet all night long Yet when he woke he got up like an earthquake and then young Diamond knew what a clock it was Or at least what was to be done next which was to go to sleep again as fast as he could There was hay at his feet and hay at his head piled up in great tresses to the very roof Indeed it was sometimes only through a little lane with several turnings Which looked as if it had been sawn out for him that he could reach his bed at all For the stock of hay was of course always in a state of slow ebb or of sudden flow Sometimes the whole space of the loft with the little panes in the roof for the stars to look in Would lie open before his eyes as he lay in bed Sometimes a yellow wall of sweet smelling fibers closed up his view at the distance of half a yard Sometimes when his mother had undressed him in her room and told him to trot away to bed by himself He would creep into the heart of the hay and lie there thinking how cold it was outside in the wind and How warm it was inside there in his bed and how he could go to it when he pleased Only he wouldn't just yet. He would get a little colder first And ever as he grew colder his bed would grow warmer till at last he would scramble out of the hay Shoot like an arrow into his bed cover himself up and snuggle down thinking what a happy boy he was He had not the least idea that the wind got in at a chink in the wall and blew about him all night For the back of his bed was only of boards and inch thick and on the other side of them was the north wind Now as I have already said these boards were soft and crumbly To be sure they were tarred on the outside yet in many places. They were more like tinder than timber Hence it happened that the soft part having worn away from about it little diamond found one night After he lay down that a knot had come out of one of them and That the wind was blowing in upon him in a cold and rather imperious fashion Now he had no fancy for leaving things wrong that might be set right So he jumped out of bed again got a little strike of hay Twisted it up folded it in the middle and Having thus made it into a cork Stuck it into the hole in the wall But the wind began to blow loudly and angrily and as diamond was falling asleep Out blew his cork and hit him on the nose Just hard enough to wake him up quite and let him hear the wind whistling shrill in the hole He searched for his hay cork Found it stuck it in harder and was just dropping off once more when pop With an angry whistle behind it the cork struck him again this time on the cheek Up he rose once more made a fresh stoppul of hay and corked the hole severely But he was hardly down again before pop it came out on his forehead He gave it up drew the clothes above his head and was soon fast asleep Although the next day was very stormy Diamond forgot all about the hole for he was busy making a cave by the side of his mother's fire With a broken chair a three-legged stool and a blanket and then sitting in it His mother however Discovered it and pasted a bit of brown paper over it so that when diamond had snuggled down the next night He had no occasion to think of it Presently however he lifted his head and listened Who could that be talking to him? The wind was rising again and getting very loud and full of rushes and whistles He was sure someone was talking and very near him too. It was But he was not frightened for he had not yet learned how to be So he sat up and harkened At last the voice which though quite gentle sounded a little angry Appeared to come from the back of the bed He crept nearer to it and laid his ear against the wall Then he heard nothing but the wind which sounded very loud indeed The moment however that he moved his head from the wall he heard the voice again close to his ear He felt about with his hand and came upon the piece of paper his mother had pasted over the hole Against this he laid his ear and then he heard the voice quite distinctly There was in fact a little corner of the paper loose and through that as from a mouth and the wall the voice came What do you mean little boy closing up my window? What window asked diamond you stuffed hay into it three times last night. I had to blow it out again three times You can't mean this little hole. It isn't a window. It's a hole in my bed. I Did not say it was a window. I said it was my window But it can't be a window because windows are holes to see out of Well, that's just what I made this window for But you are outside you can't want a window You are quite mistaken windows are to see out of you say well I'm in my house, and I want windows to see out of it But you've made a window into my bed Well your mother has got three windows into my dancing room and you have three into my garret But I heard father say when my mother wanted him to make a window through the wall That it was against the law for it would look into mr. Dives's garden The voice laughed The law would have some trouble to catch me it said But if it's not right, you know said diamond that's no matter you shouldn't do it I Am so tall I am above that law said the voice You must have a tall house then said diamond Yes, a tall house the clouds are inside it Dear me said diamond and thought a minute I Think then you can hardly expect me to keep a window in my bed for you Why don't you make a window into mr. Dives's bed? Nobody makes a window into an ash pit said the voice rather sadly I like to see nice things out of my windows But he must have a nicer bed than I have though mine is very nice. So nice that I couldn't wish a better It's not the bed that I care about it's what's in it, but you just open that window Well mother says I shouldn't be disabliging, but it's rather hard. You see the north wind will blow right in my face if I do I Am the north wind Said diamond thoughtfully Then you promise not to blow on my face if I open your window. I Can't promise that But you'll give me the toothache mother's got it already But what's to become of me without a window I'm sure I don't know all I say is it will be worse for me than for you No, it will not you shall not be the worst for it. I promise you that You will be much the better for it Just you believe what I say and do as I tell you Well, I can pull the clothes over my head said diamond and Feeling with his little sharp nails. He got hold of the open edge of the paper and tore it off at once In came a long whistling spear of cold and struck his little naked chest He scrambled and tumbled in under the bed clothes and covered himself up There was no paper now between him and the voice and he felt a little Not frightened exactly. I told you he had not learned that yet But rather queer for what a strange person this north wind must be that lived in the great house Called out of doors. I suppose thought diamond and made windows into people's beds But the voice began again and he could hear it quite plainly even with his head under the bed clothes It was a still more gentle voice now Although six times as large and loud as it had been and he thought it sounded a little like his mother's What is your name little boy it asked Diamond answered diamond under the bed clothes What a funny name It's a very nice name returned its owner. I Don't know that said the voice Well, I do retorted diamond a little rudely Do you know to whom you are speaking? No said diamond and Indeed he did not For to know a person's name is not always to know the person's self Then I must not be angry with you. You had better look and see you though Diamond is a very pretty name persisted the boy vex that it should not give satisfaction Diamond is a useless thing rather said the voice That's not true. Diamond is very nice as big as two and so quiet all night And doesn't he make a jolly row in the morning getting up on his four great legs. It's like thunder You don't seem to know what a diamond is oh Don't I just diamond is a great and good horse and he sleeps right under me He is old diamond, and I am young diamond or if you like it better for your very particular mr. North wind He's big diamond, and I'm little diamond, and I don't know which of us my father likes best a Beautiful laugh large, but very soft and musical Sounded somewhere beside him, but diamond kept his head under the clothes I'm not mr. North wind said the voice You told me that you were the north wind insisted diamond I Did not say mr. North wind said the voice Well, then I do for mother tells me I ought to be polite Then let me tell you I don't think it at all polite of you to say mr. To me Well, I didn't know better. I'm very sorry But you ought to know better. I don't know that I Do you can't say it's polite to lie there talking with your head under the bed clothes and never look up to see what kind of person You are talking to I want you to come out with me. I Want to go to sleep said diamond very nearly crying for he did not like to be scolded even when he deserved it You shall sleep all the better tomorrow night Besides said diamond you are out in mr. Dives's garden, and I can't get there I can only get into our own yard Will you take your head out of the bed clothes said the voice just a little angrily No answered diamond half peevish half frightened The instant he said the word a tremendous blast of wind crashed in a board of the wall and swept the clothes off diamond He stared up in terror Leaning over him was the large beautiful pale face of a woman Her dark eyes looked a little angry for they had just begun to flash But a quivering in her sweet upper lip made her look as if she were going to cry What was most strange was that away from her head streamed out her black hair in every direction So that the darkness in the hayloft looked as if it were made of her hair But as diamond gazed at her and speechless amazement mingled with confidence for the boy was entranced with her mighty beauty Her hair began to gather itself out of the darkness and fell down all about her again Till her face looked out of the midst of it like a moon out of a cloud From her eyes came all the light by which diamond saw her face and her hair and that was all he did see of her yet The wind was over and gone Will you go with me now you little diamond? I am sorry. I was forced to be so rough with you said the lady I Will yes, I will answer diamond holding out both his arms But he added dropping them. How shall I get my clothes they're in mother's room and the door is locked. Oh Never mind your clothes. You will not be cold. I shall take care of that Nobody is cold with the north wind. I thought everybody was said diamond That is a great mistake. Most people make it. However They are cold because they are not with the north wind, but without it If diamond had been a little older and had supposed himself a good deal wiser He would have thought that the lady was joking But he was not older and did not fancy himself wiser and therefore understood her well enough Again he stretched out his arms The ladies face drew back a little Follow me diamond. She said Yes said diamond only a little roofily You're not afraid said the north wind No, ma'am But mother never would let me go without shoes She never said anything about clothes. So I dare say she wouldn't mind that I know your mother very well said the lady She is a good woman. I have visited her often. I Was with her when you were born. I Saw her laugh and cry both at once. I Love your mother diamond. How was it? You did not know my name then ma'am Please am I to say ma'am to you ma'am? One question at a time dear boy. I knew your name quite well, but I wanted to hear what you would say for it Don't you remember that day when the man was finding fault with your name how I blew the window in Yes, yes answered diamond eagerly our window opens like a door right over the coach house door and The wind you ma'am came in and blew the Bible out of the man's hands and the leaves went all flutter flutter on the floor And my mother picked it up and gave it back to him open and there Was your name in the Bible the sixth stone in the High Priest's breastplate. Oh A stone was it said diamond. I thought it had been a horse. I did Never mind a horse is better than a stone any day Well, you see I know all about you and your mother. Yes, I will go with you Now for the next question, you're not to call me ma'am you must call me just my own name Respectfully, you know Just north wind Well, please north wind you are so beautiful. I am quite ready to go with you You must not be ready to go with everything beautiful all at once diamond But what's beautiful can't be bad you're not bad north wind No, I'm not bad But sometimes beautiful things grow bad by doing bad and it takes some time for their badness to spoil their beauty So little boys may be mistaken if they go after things because they are beautiful Well, I will go with you because you are beautiful and good too. Ah But there's another thing diamond What if I should look ugly without being bad Look ugly myself because I am making ugly things beautiful What then I don't quite understand you north wind you tell me what then Well, I will tell you if you see me with my face all black don't be frightened If you see me flapping wings like a bats as big as the whole sky Don't be frightened If you hear me raging ten times worse than mrs. Bill the blacksmith's wife Even if you see me looking in at people's windows like mrs. Eve dropper the gardener's wife You must believe that I am doing my work Nay diamond if I change into a serpent or a tiger you must not let go your hold of me For my hand will never change in yours if you keep a good hold If you keep hold you will know who I am all the time Even when you look at me and can't see me the least like the north wind. I may look something very awful Do you understand? Quite well said little diamond Come along then said north wind and disappeared behind the mountain of hay Diamond crept out of bed and followed her end of chapter one This is a Libra Vox recording All Libra Vox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libra Vox.org Recording by Meredith Hughes Cambridge, Massachusetts At the back of the north wind by George McDonald Chapter two the lawn When diamond got round the corner of the hay for a moment he hesitated The stair by which he would naturally have gone down to the door was at the other side of the loft and looked very black indeed For it was full of north wind's hair as she descended before him and Just beside him was the ladder going straight down into the stable up Which his father always came to fetch the hay for diamonds dinner Through the opening in the floor the faint gleam of the stable lantern was enticing and Diamond thought he would run down that way The stair went close past the loose box in which diamond the horse lived When diamond the boy was halfway down He remembered that it was of no use to go this way for the stable door was locked But at the same moment there was horse diamonds great head poked out of his box onto the ladder For he knew boy diamond although he was in his nightgown and wanted him to pull his ears for him This diamond did very gently for a minute or so and patted and stroked his neck to and kissed the big horse and Had begun to take the bits of straw and hay out of his mane When all at once he recollected that the lady north wind was waiting for him in the yard Good night diamond he said and darted up the ladder across the loft and down the stair to the door But when he got out into the yard, there was no lady Now it is always a dreadful thing to think there is somebody and find nobody Children in particular have not made up their minds to it. They generally cry at nobody especially when they wake up at night But it wasn't a special disappointment to diamond for his little heart had been beating with joy The face of the north wind was so grand To have a lady like that for a friend with such long hair too Why it was longer than 20 diamonds tails She was gone and there he stood with his bare feet on the stones of the paved yard It was a clear night overhead and the stars were shining Orion in particular was making the most of his bright belt and golden sword But the moon was only a poor thin crescent There was just one great jagged black and gray cloud in the sky with a steep side to it like a precipice and the moon was against this side and Looked as if she had tumbled off the top of the cloud hill and broken herself and rolling down the precipice She did not seem comfortable for she was looking down into the deep pit waiting for her At least that was what diamond thought as he stood for a moment staring at her But he was quite wrong for the moon was not afraid and there was no pit She was going down into for there were no sides to it and a pit without sides is not a pit at all Diamond however had not been out so late before in all his life and things looked so strange about him Just as if he had got into fairyland of which he knew quite as much as anybody For his mother had no money to buy books to set him wrong on the subject. I Have seen this world only sometimes just now and then you know Look as strange as ever. I saw fairyland But I confess that I have not yet seen fairyland at its best. I Am always going to see it so some time But if you had been out in the face and not at the back of the north wind on a cold rather frosty night And in your nightgown You would have felt it all quite as strange as diamond did He cried a little just a little he was so disappointed to lose the lady Of course you little man wouldn't have done that But for my part, I don't mind people crying so much as I mind what they cry about and how they cry Whether they cry quietly like ladies and gentlemen or go shrieking like vulgar emperors or ill-natured cooks For all emperors are not gentlemen and all cooks are not ladies nor all queens and princesses for that matter either But it can't be denied that a little gentle crying does one good It did diamond good for as soon as it was over. He was a brave boy again She shan't say it was my fault anyhow said diamond. I dare say she is hiding somewhere to see what I will do I will look for her So he went round the end of the stable towards the kitchen garden But the moment he was clear of the shelter of the stable sharp as a knife came the wind against his little chest and his bare legs Still he would look into the kitchen garden and went on But when he got round the weeping ash that stood in the corner The wind blew much stronger and it grew stronger and stronger till he could hardly fight against it And it was so cold All the flashy spikes of the stars seemed to have got somehow into the wind Then he thought of what the lady had said about people being cold because they were not with the north wind How it was that he should have guessed what she meant at that very moment I cannot tell but I have observed that the most wonderful thing in the world is how people come to understand anything He turned his back to the wind and trotted again towards the yard Whereupon strange to say it blew so much more gently against his calves than it had blown against his shins That he began to feel almost worn by contrast You must not think it was cowardly of diamond to turn his back to the wind He did so only because he thought Lady North Wind had said something like telling him to do so If she had said to him that he must hold his face to it Diamond would have held his face to it But the most foolish thing is to fight for no good and to please nobody Well, it was just as if the wind was pushing diamond along If he turned round it grew very sharp on his legs especially and so he thought the wind might really be Lady North Wind Though he could not see her and he had better let her blow him wherever she pleased So she blew and blew and he went and went until he found himself standing at a door in a wall Which door led from the yard into a little belt of shrubbery flanking. Mr. Coleman's house Mr. Coleman was his father's master and the owner of diamond He opened the door and went through the shrubbery and out into the middle of the lawn still hoping to find North Wind The soft grass was very pleasant to his bare feet and felt warm after the stones of the yard But the lady was nowhere to be seen Then he began to think that after all he must have done wrong and she was offended with him for not falling close after her 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 nightgown 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 Diamonds 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 didn'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 nightgown 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 Coleman's 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 whale 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 Northwinds 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 diamonds blinkers She saw something white on the lawn Too old and 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 for most of all Like a snails 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 end of chapter 2 This is a Libra Vox recording All Libra Vox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libra Vox.org Recording by Meredith Hughes Cambridge, Massachusetts At the back of the North Wind by George McDonald Chapter 3 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 to the ladder to the stable There he found that even Old Diamond was not yet awake 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 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 far rounded as they would go But then the horse stood as still as 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 answer 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 sleepwalking 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 at 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 whore 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 in doors Especially that of driving two chairs Harness 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 As in that sky For it is not fine things that make home a nice place But your mother and your father As he was yet 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 Into 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 diamonds 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 Miss is very poorly Said diamonds father Mrs has been to the doctor with her today And she looked very glum When she came out again I was a watching of them to see what The doctor had said And didn't Miss look glum too Asked his mother Not half as glum as Mrs Returned the coachman You see But he lowered his voice And diamond could not make out more than a word Here and there For diamonds father was not only one of the And one of the best of drivers But one of the most discreet of servants As well Therefore he did not talk about family affairs To anyone but his wife Whom he had proved better than himself long ago And was careful that even Diamond should hear nothing that he could repeat again Concerning master and his family It was bedtime soon And diamond went to bed and fell fast asleep He awoke all at once In the dark Open the window diamond Said a voice Now diamonds mother Had once more pasted up north wind's window Are you north wind said diamond I don't hear you blowing No but you hear me talking Open the window for I haven't over much time Yes return diamond But please north wind Where's the use You left me all alone last time He had got up on his knees And was busy with his nails once more At the paper over the hole in the wall For now that north wind spoke again He remembered all that had taken place before As distinctly as if it had happened only last night Yes but that was your fault To return north wind I had work to do And besides a gentleman should never keep a lady waiting But I'm not a gentleman Said diamond scratching away at the paper I hope you won't say so ten years after this I'm going to be a coachman And a coachman is not a gentleman Persisted diamond We call your father a gentleman in our house Said north wind He doesn't call himself one Said diamond That's of no consequence Every man ought to be a gentleman And your father is one Diamond was so pleased to hear this That he scratched at the paper like ten mice And getting hold of the edge of it Tore it off The next instant a young girl glided across the bed And stood upon the floor Oh dear! said diamond Quite dismayed I didn't know Who are you please I'm north wind Are you really Make haste But you are no bigger than me Do you think I care About how big or how little I am Didn't you see me this evening I was less than No Where was you Behind the leaves of the primrose Didn't you see them blowing Yes Make haste then if you want to go with me But you are not big enough To take care of me I think you are only miss north wind I am big enough to show you the way anyhow But if you won't come Why you must stay I must dress myself I didn't mind with a grown lady But I couldn't go out with a little girl In my night gown Very well I'm not in such a hurry as I was the other night Dress as fast as you can And I'll go and shake the primrose leaves till you come Don't hurt it said Diamond North wind broke out in a little laugh Like the breaking of silver bubbles And was gone in a moment Diamond saw For it was a starlit night And the mass of hay was at a low ebb now The gleam of something vanishing down the stair And springing out of bed Dressed himself as fast as ever he could Then he crept out into the yard Through the door in the wall And away to the primrose Behind it stood a little girl Dressed Behind it stood North wind Leaning over it and looking at the flowers If she had been its mother Come along she said jumping up And holding out her hand Diamond took her hand It was cold but so pleasant And full of life it was better than warm She led him across the garden With one bound she was On the top of the wall Diamond was left at the foot Stop, stop She cried Please I can't jump like that You don't try said North wind Who from the top looked down A foot taller than before Give me your hand again And I will try said Diamond She reached down Diamond laid hold of her hand Gave a spring and stood beside her This is nice he said Another bound and they stood In the road by the river It was full tide and the stars Were shining clear in its depths For it lay still waiting for the turn To run down again to the sea They walked along its side But they had not walked far Before its surface was covered with ripples And the stars had vanished from its bosom And North wind was now tall As a full grown girl Her hair was flying about her head And the wind was blowing a breeze down the river But she turned aside She went up a narrow lane And as she went her hair fell down around her I have some rather disagreeable work to do tonight She said Before I get out to sea And I must set about it at once The disagreeable work Must be looked after first So saying She laid hold of Diamond And began to run gliding along Faster and faster Diamond kept up with her as well as he could She made many turnings and windings Apparently because it was not quite easy To get him over walls and houses Once they ran through a hall Where they found back and front doors open At the foot of the stair North wind stood still And Diamond, hearing a great growl Started in terror And there, instead of North wind Was a huge wolf by his side He let go his hold in dismay And the wolf bounded up the stair The windows of the house rattled And shook as if guns were firing And the sound of a great fall came from above Diamond stood with white face staring up At the landing Surely he thought North wind can't be Eating one of the children Coming to himself all at once He rushed after her with his little Fists clenched There were ladies in long trains going up And down the stairs And gentlemen in white neckties attending on them Who stared at him But none of them were of the people of the house And they said nothing Before he reached the head of the stair however North wind met him Took him by the hand And hurried down and out of the house I hope you haven't eaten a baby, North wind Said Diamond very solemnly North wind laughed merrily And went tripping on faster Her grassy robe swept and swirled about her steps And wherever it passed Over withered leaves And whirling in spirals And running on their edges like wheels all about her feet No, she said at last I did not eat a baby You would not have had to ask that foolish question If you had not let go your hold of me You would have seen how I served a nurse That was calling a child bad names And telling her she was wicked She had been drinking I saw an ugly gin bottle in a cupboard And you frightened her, said Diamond I believe so, answered North wind Laughing merrily I flew at her throat And she tumbled over on the floor With such a crash that they ran in She'll be turned away tomorrow And quite time if they knew as much as I do But didn't you frighten the little one She never saw me The woman would not have seen me either If she had not been wicked Oh, said Diamond dubiously How should you see things returned North wind That you wouldn't understand Or know what to do with Good people see good things Bad people bad things Then are you a bad thing? No For you see me, Diamond dear, said the girl And she looked down at him And Diamond saw the loving eyes of the great lady Beaming from the depths of her falling hair I had to make myself look like a bad thing Before she could see me If I had put on any other shape than a wolf's She would not have seen me For that is what is growing to be her own shape Inside of her I don't know what you mean, said Diamond But I suppose it's all right They were now climbing the slope of a grassy ascent It was Primrose Hill, in fact Although Diamond had never heard of it The moment they reached the top North wind stood and turned her face Towards London The stars were still shining Clear and cold overhead There was not a cloud to be seen The air was sharp But Diamond did not find it cold Now, said the lady Whatever you do Do not let my hand go I might have lost you the last time Only I was not in a hurry then Now I am in a hurry Yet she stood still For a moment End of Chapter 3 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings Are in the public domain For more information Or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Meredith Hughes Cambridge, Massachusetts At the back of the North Wind By George McDonald Chapter 4 North Wind And as she stood looking towards London Diamond saw that she was trembling Are you cold, North Wind? He asked No Diamond, she answered Looking down upon him with a smile I am only getting ready to sweep one of my rooms Those careless, greedy, untidy children Make it such a mess As she spoke He could have told by her voice If he had not seen with his eyes She was growing larger and larger Her head went up and up Towards the stars And as she grew, still trembling Through all her body, her hair also grew Longer and longer And lifted itself from her head And went out in black waves The next moment, however It fell back around her And she grew less and less Till she was only a tall woman Then she put her hands behind her head And gathered some of her hair And weaving and knotting it together When she had done She bent down her beautiful face close to his And said Diamond, I am afraid you would not Keep hold of me And if I were to drop you, I don't know What might happen So I have been making a place for you in my hair Come Diamond held out his arms For with that grand face looking at him He believed like a baby She took him in her hands And said Get in, Diamond And Diamond parted her hair with his hands Crept between And feeling about soon found the woven nest It was just like a pocket Or like the shawl in which gypsy women Carry their children North Wind put her hands to her back Felt all about the nest And finding it safe said Are you comfortable, Diamond? Yes, indeed Answered Diamond The next moment He was rising in the air North Wind grew towering Up to the place of the clouds Her hair went streaming out from her Till it spread like a mist over the stars She flung herself Abroad in space Diamond held on By two of the twisted ropes Which parted and interwoven Formed his shelter For he could not help being a little afraid As soon as he had come to himself He peeped through the woven meshes For he did not dare look over the top of the nest The earth was rushing past like a river Or a sea below him Trees and water and green grass Hurried away beneath A great roar of wild animals rose As they rushed over the zoological gardens Mixed with a chattering of monkeys And a screaming of birds But it died away in a moment behind them And now there was nothing but the roofs of houses Sweeping along like a great torrent Of stones and rocks Chimney pots fell And tiles flew from the roofs But it looked to him as if they were left behind By the roofs and the chimneys as they scutted away There was a great roaring For the wind was dashing against London like a sea But at North Wind's back Diamond of course felt nothing of it all He was in a perfect calm He could hear the sound of it By and by he raised himself And looked over the edge of his nest There were the houses rushing up And shooting away below him Like a fierce torrent of rocks instead of water Then he looked up to the sky But could see no stars They were hidden by the blinding masses Of the lady's hair which swept between He began to wonder Whether she would hear him if he spoke He would try Please North Wind He said What is that noise? From high over his head Came the voice of North Wind Answering him gently The noise of my bison I am the old woman that sweeps The cobwebs from the sky Only I'm busy with the floor now What makes the houses look As if they were running away? I am sweeping so fast over them But please North Wind I knew London was very big But I didn't know it was so big as this It seems as if We should never get away from it We are going round and round Else we should have left it long ago Is this the way you sweep North Wind? Yes I go round and round with my great bison Please Would you mind going a little slower For I want to see the streets You won't see much now Why? Because I had nearly swept all the people home Oh I forgot said Diamond And was quiet after that For he did not want to be troublesome But she dropped a little Towards the roofs of the houses And Diamond could see down into the streets There were very few people About though The lamps flickered and flared again But nobody seemed to want them Suddenly Diamond Despite a little girl coming along a street She was dreadfully blown by the wind And a broom she was trailing behind her Was very troublesome It seemed as if the wind Had a spite at her It kept worrying her like a wild beast And tearing at her rags She was so lonely there Oh please North Wind He cried won't you help that little girl No Diamond I mustn't leave my work But why shouldn't you be kind to her I am kind to her I am sweeping the wicked smells away But you're kinder to me Dear North Wind Why shouldn't you be as kind to her As you are to me There are reasons Diamond Everybody can't be done to all the same Everybody is not ready for the same thing But I don't see why I should be kinder Used than she Do you think nothing's to be done But what you can see Diamond you silly It's all right Of course you can help her if you like You've got nothing particular to do at this moment I have Oh do let me help her then But you won't be able to wait perhaps No I can't wait You must do it yourself And mind the wind will get a hold of you too Don't you want me to help her North Wind Not without having some idea what will happen If you break down and cry There won't be much of a help to her And it will make a goose of little Diamond I want to go said Diamond Only there's just one thing How am I to get home If you're anxious about that Perhaps you had better go with me I am bound to take you home again If you do There cried Diamond Who was still looking after the little girl I'm sure the wind will blow her over And perhaps kill her So They had been sweeping more slowly along the line Of the street There was a lull in the roaring Well though I cannot promise to take you home Said North Wind as she sank nearer And nearer to the tops of the houses I can promise you It will be all right in the end You will get home somehow Have you made up your mind what to do Yes to help the little girl Said Diamond firmly The same moment North Wind dropped into the street And stood, only a tall lady But with her hair flying up over the housetops She put her hands to her back, took Diamond And set him down in the street The same moment he was caught In the fierce coils of the blast And all but blown away North Wind stepped back a pace And at once towered in stature To the height of the houses A chimney pot clashed at Diamond's feet He turned in terror But it was to look for the little girl And when he turned again the lady had vanished And the wind was roaring along the street As if it had been the bed of an invisible torrent The little girl was scutting before the blast Her hair flying too And behind she dragged her broom Her little legs were going as fast as ever they could To keep her from falling Diamond crept into the shelter of a doorway Thinking to stop her But she passed him like a bird Crying gently and pitifully Stop! Stop! Little girl shouted Diamond starting in pursuit I can't wail the little girl The wind won't leave go of me Diamond could run faster than she And he had no broom In a few minutes he had caught her by the frock But it tore in his hand And away went the little girl So he had to run again And this time he ran so fast that he got before her And turning round caught her in his arms When down they went both together Which made the little girl laugh in the midst of her crying Where are you going? asked Diamond Rubbing the elbow that had stuck farthest out The arm it belonged to was twined round the lamp post As he stood between the little girl and the wind Home, she said, gasping for breath Then I will go with you, said Diamond And then they were silent for a while For the wind blew worse than ever And they had both to hold on to the lamp post Where is your crossing? asked the little girl at length I don't sweep, answered Diamond What do you do then? asked she You ain't big enough for most things I don't know what I do, answered he Feeling rather ashamed Nothing, I suppose My father's Mr. Coleman's coachman Have you a father? she said Staring at him as if a boy with a father Was a natural curiosity Yes, haven't you, returned Diamond? No, nor mother, neither Old Sal's all I've got And she began to cry again I wouldn't go to her if she wasn't good to me, said Diamond But you must go somewhere Move on, said the voice of a policeman behind them I told you so, said the girl You must go somewhere's They're always at it But Old Sal doesn't beat you, does she? I wish she would What do you mean, asked Diamond, quite bewildered If she would if she was my mother But she wouldn't lie a bit A cuddling of her ugly old bones And laugh to hear me crying at the door You don't mean she won't let you in tonight It'll be a good chance if she does Why are you out so late then, asked Diamond My crossing's a long way off at the west end And I had been indulgent in doorsteps and muses We'd better have a try anyhow, said Diamond Come along As he spoke, Diamond thought he caught a glimpse Of North Wind turning a corner in front of them And when they turned the corner too They found it quite quiet there But he saw nothing of the lady Now, you lead me, he said, taking her hand And I'll take care of you The girl withdrew her hand But only to dry her eyes with her frock For the other hand had enough to do with her broom She put it in his again and led him Turning after turning until they stopped At a cellar door in a very dirty lane There she knocked I shouldn't like to live here, said Diamond Oh, yes you would If you had nowhere else to go to, answered the girl I only wish we may get in I don't want to go in, said Diamond Where do you mean to go then? Home to my home Where's that? I don't know exactly Then you're worse off than I am Oh no, for North Wind Began Diamond and stopped He hardly knew why What, said the girl As she held her ear to the door listening But Diamond did not reply Neither did old Sal I told you so, said the girl She is wide awake, harkening But we don't get in What will you do then, asked Diamond Move on, she answered Where? Oh, anywheres Bless you, I'm used to it Hadn't you better come home with me then That's a good joke when you don't know where it is Come on But where? Oh, no where's in particular Come on Diamond obeyed The wind had now fallen considerably They wandered on and on Turning in this direction and that Without any reason for one way more than another Until they had got out of the thick of the houses Into a waste kind of place By this time they were both very tired Diamond felt a good deal and climbed to cry And thought he had been very silly to get down From the back of the North Wind Not that he would have minded it if he had done The girl any good, but he thought he had been Of no use to her He was mistaken there, for she was far Happier for having Diamond with her than If she had been wandering about alone She did not seem so tired as he was Do let us rest a bit, said Diamond Let's see, she answered There's something like a railway there Perhaps there's an open arch They went towards it They went towards it They went towards it They went towards it And found one, and better still There was an empty barrel lying under the arch Hello Here we are, said the girl A barrel's the jolliest bed going On the tramp, I mean We'll have forty winks and then go on again She crept in And Diamond crept in beside her They put their arms round each other And when he began to grow warm Diamond's courage began to come This is jolly, he said I'm so glad I don't think much of it, said the girl I'm used to it, I suppose But I can't think how a kid like you Comes to be out all alone in this time of the night She called him a kid, but she was not Really a month older than he was Only she had to work for her bread And that so soon makes people older But I shouldn't have been out so late If I hadn't got down to help you, said Diamond North Wind has gone home long ago I think you must have got out Of one of them Hidget Asylum, said the girl You said something about this North Wind Of four that I couldn't get the rights of So now, for the sake of his character Diamond had to tell her the whole story She did not believe a word of it She said she wasn't such a flat As to believe all that bosh But as she spoke there came a great Blast of wind through the arch And set the barrel rolling So they made haste to get out of it For they had no notion of being rolled over And over as if they had been packed tight And wouldn't hurt like a barrel of herrings I thought we should have had a sleep, said Diamond But I can't say I'm very sleepy after all Come, let's go on again They wandered on and on Sometimes sitting on a doorstep But always turning into lanes or fields When they had the chance They found themselves at last On a rising ground that sloped Rather steeply on the other side It was a waste kind of spot below Bounded by an irregular wall With a few doors in it Outside lay broken things in general From garden rollers to flower pots And wine bottles But the moment they reached the brow Of the rising ground A gust of wind seized them And blew them down hill as fast as they could run Nor could Diamond stop Before he went bang against one of the doors In the wall To his dismay it burst open When they came to themselves they peeped in It was the back door of a garden Ah! cried Diamond After staring for a few moments I thought so North wind takes nobody in Here I am in master's garden I tell you what, little girl You just bore a hole in old Sal's wall And put your mouth to it and say Please, North Wind, man'd I go out with you And then you'll see what'll come I daresay I shall But I'm out in the wind too often already To want more of it I said with the North Wind Not in it It's all one It's not all one It is all one But I know best And I know better I'll box your ears, said the girl Diamond got very angry But he remembered that even if she did box his ears He mustn't box hers again For she was a girl, and all that boys must do If girls are rude They must stay and leave them So he went in at the door Good-bye, mister, said the girl This brought Diamond to his senses I'm sorry I was cross, he said Come in, and my mother will give you some breakfast No, thank you I must be off to my crossing It's morning now I'm very sorry for you, said Diamond Well, it is a life to be tired of What with old Sal And so many holes in my shoes What with old Sal And so many holes in my shoes I wonder you're so good I should kill myself Oh, no you wouldn't When I think of it, I always want to see what's coming next And so I always wait till next is over Well, I suppose there's somebody happy somewhere But it ain't in them carriages Oh my, how they do look sometimes Fit to bite your head off Good-bye She ran up the hill and disappeared behind it Then Diamond shut the door as best he could And ran through the kitchen garden to the stable And wasn't he glad to get into his own Blessed bed again End of chapter 4 Chapter 5 The Summer House Diamond said nothing to his mother about his adventures He had half a notion that North Wind was a friend of his mother And that if she did not know all about it At least she did not mind his going anywhere With the lady of the wind At the same time He doubted whether he might not appear To be telling stories if he told all Especially as he could hardly believe it himself When he thought about it in the middle of the day Although when the twilight was once halfway on tonight He had no doubt about it At least for the first few days after he had been with her The girl that swept the crossing had certainly refused to believe him Besides, he felt sure that North Wind would tell him if he ought to speak It was some time before he saw the lady of the wind again Indeed, nothing remarkable took place in Diamond's history Until the following week This was what happened then Diamond the horse wanted new shoes And Diamond's father took him out of the stable And was just getting on his back to ride him to the forge When he saw his little boy standing by the pump And looking at him wistfully Then the coachman took his foot out of the stirrup Left his hold of the mane and bridle Came across to his boy Lifted him up and setting him on the horse's back Told him to sit up like a man He then led away both Diamonds together The boy atop felt not a little tremulous As the great muscles that lifted the legs of the horse Knotted and relaxed against his legs And he cowered towards the withers Grasping with his hands the bit of mane Worn short by the collar But when his father looked back at him Thinking once more Sit up Diamond He let the mane go and sat up Notwithstanding that the horse Thinking I suppose that his master had said to him Come up Diamond Step out faster For both the Diamonds were just grandly obedient And Diamond soon found that As he was obedient to his father So the horse was obedient to him For he had not ridden far before he found courage To reach forward and catch hold of the bridle And when his father whose hand was upon it Felt the boy pull it towards him He looked up and smiled And well pleased let go his hold And left Diamond to guide Diamond And the boy soon found that he could do so perfectly It was a grand thing to be able to guide A great beast like that And another discovery he made was that In order to guide the horse He had in a measure to obey the horse first If he did not yield his body To the motions of the horse's body He could not guide him He must fall off The blacksmith lived at some distance Deeper into London As they crossed the angle of a square Diamond who was now quite comfortable On his living throne Was glancing this way and that In a gentle pride When he saw a girl sweeping a crossing Scuttlingly before a lady The lady was his father's mistress, Mrs. Coleman And the little girl was she For whose sake he had got off Northwind's back He drew Diamond's bridle in eager anxiety To see whether her outstretched hand Would gather a penny from Mrs. Coleman But she had given one at the last crossing And the hand returned only to grasp its broom Diamond could not bear it He had a penny in his pocket A gift of the same lady the day before And he tumbled off his horse to give it to the girl He tumbled off, I say For he did tumble when he reached the ground But he got up in an instant and ran Surging his pocket as he ran She made him a pretty curtsy when he offered his treasure But with a bewildered stare She thought first Then he was on the back of the Northwind after all But looking up at the sound of the horse's feet On the paved crossing She changed her idea, saying to herself Northwind is his father's horse That's the secret of it Why couldn't he say so? And she had a mind to refuse the penny But his smile put it all right And she not only took his penny But put it in her mouth with a Thank you, mister Did they wallop you then? Oh, no, answered Diamond They never wallops me Lore, said the little girl, and was speechless Meantime his father, looking up And seeing the horse's back bare Suffered a pang of awful dread But the next moment, catching sight of him Took him up and put him on, saying Don't get off again, Diamond The horse might have put his foot on you No father, answered the boy And rode on in majestic safety The summer drew near, warm and splendid Miss Coleman was a little better in health And sat a good deal in the garden One day she saw Diamond peeping through The shrubbery and called him He talked to her so frankly That she often sent for him after that And by degrees it came about That he had leave to run in the garden As he pleased He never touched any of the flowers or blossoms For he was not like some boys who cannot Enjoy a thing without pulling it to pieces And so preventing everyone from enjoying It after them A week even makes such a long time In a child's life That Diamond had begun once more to feel As if North Wind were a dream Of some far off year One hot evening He had been sitting with the young mistress As they called her In a little summer house at the bottom of the lawn A wonderful thing for beauty The boy thought For a little window in the side of it Was made of colored glass It grew dusky and the lady began to feel Dressed in, leaving the boy in the summer house He sat there gazing out At a bed of tulips which, although They had closed for the night Could not go quite asleep for the wind That kept waving them about All at once he saw a great bumblebee fly Out of one of the tulips There, that is something done Said a voice A gentle married childish voice But so tiny At last it was I thought he would have had to stay Here all night, poor fellow I did Diamond could not tell whether the voice Was near or far away It was so small and yet so clear He had never seen a fairy But he had heard of such And he began to look all about for one And there was the tiniest creature Sliding down the stem of the tulip Are you the fairy that heard the bees? He asked, going out of the summer house And down on his knees on the green shore Of the tulip bed I am not a fairy Answered the little creature How do you know that? It would become you better To ask how you are to know it You've just told me Yes, but what's the use Of knowing a thing only because you're told it? Well, how am I to know You are not a fairy You do look very like one In the first place Fairies are much bigger than you see me I am not a fairy Fairies are much bigger than you see me Oh, said Diamond reflectively I thought they were very little But they might be tremendously bigger than I am And yet not very big Why, I could be six times the size I am And not be very huge Besides, a fairy can't grow big and little at will Though the nursery tales do say so They don't know better You stupid Diamond Have you never seen me before? And as she spoke A moan of wind bent the tulips Almost in the ground And the creature laid her hand on Diamond's shoulder In a moment He knew that it was north wind I am very stupid He said But I never saw you so small before Not even when you were nursing the primrose Must you see me every size That can be measured before you know me, Diamond But how could I think It was you taking care of a great stupid Bumblebee The more stupid he was The more he need had to be taken care of What with sucking honey and trying to open the door He was nearly dated And when it opened in the morning To let the sun see the tulips heart What would the sun have thought To find such a stupid thing lying there With wings too But how do you have time to look after bees I don't look after bees I had this one to look after Hard work though Hard work Why you could blow a chimney down Or a boy's cap off Said Diamond Both are easier than to blow a tulip open But I scarcely know the difference Between hard and easy I am always able for what I have to do When I see my work I just rush at it And it is done But I mustn't chatter I have got to sink a ship tonight Sink a ship What with men in it Yes and women too How dreadful I wish you wouldn't talk so It is rather dreadful But it is my work I must do it I hope you won't ask me to go with you No I won't ask you But you must come for all that I won't then Won't you And North Wind grew a tall lady And looked him in the eyes And Diamond said Please take me You cannot be cruel No I could not be cruel if I would I can do nothing cruel Although I often do what looks like cruel To those who do not know what I really am doing The people they say I drown I only carry away to To To Well the back of the North Wind That is what they used to call it long ago Only I never saw the place How can you carry them there If you never saw it I know the way But how is it You never saw it Because it is behind me But you can look round Not far enough to see my own back No I always look before me In fact I grow quite blind And deaf when I try to see my back I only mind my work But how does it be your work Ah that I can't tell you I only know it is Because when I do it I feel alright And when I don't I feel all wrong East Wind says Only one does not exactly know how much to believe Of what she says For she is very naughty sometimes She says it is all managed by a baby But whether she is good or naughty When she says that I don't know I just stick to my work It is all one to me To let a bee out of a tulip Or to sweep the cobwebs from the sky You would like to go with me tonight I don't want to see a ship sunk But suppose I had to take you Why then Of course I must go There's a good diamond I think I had better be growing a bit Only you must go to bed first I can't take you till you're in bed That's the law about the children Let's do something else first Very well North Wind said Diamond What are you going to do first if you please I think I may tell you Jump up on top of the wall There I can't Ah, I can't help you You haven't been to bed yet, you see Come out to the road with me Just in front of the coach house And I will show you North Wind grew very small indeed They could not have blown the dust off a dusty miller As the Scotch children call a yellow auricula Diamond could not even see the blades of grass Move as she flitted along by his foot They left the lawn, went out by the wicket In the coach house gates And then crossed the road to the low wall That separated it from the river You can get up on this wall Diamond Said North Wind Yes, but my mother has forbidden me But then don't Said North Wind But I can see over Said Diamond Ah, to be sure, I can't So saying North Wind gave a little bound And stood on the top of the wall She was just about the height of a dragonfly would be If it stood on end Cute, darling Said Diamond Seeing what a lovely little toy woman she was Don't be impertinent, Master Diamond Said North Wind If there's one thing Makes me more angry than another It's the way you humans judge things by their size I am quite as respectable now As I shall be six hours after this When I take an East India man By the Royals, twist her round And push her under You have no right to address me in such a fashion But as she spoke The tiny face were the smile of a great Grand woman She was only having her own beautiful fun And true woman's fun never hurts But look there She resumed Do you see a boat with one man in it A green and white boat Yes, quite well That's a poet I thought you said it was a poet Stupid pet Don't you know what a poet is Why a thing to sail on the Water in Well, perhaps you're not so far wrong Some poets do carry people Over the sea But I have no business to talk so much The man is a poet The boat is a boat Said Diamond Can't you spell, ask North Wind Not very well So I see A poet is not a poet As you call it A poet is a man who is glad of something And tries to make other people glad of it too Ah Now I know In the Sweetie Shop Not very But I see it is no use I wasn't sent to tell you And so I can't tell you I must be off, only first Just look at the man He's not much of a rower, said Diamond Paddling first with one fin And then with the other Now look here, said North Wind And she flashed Like a dragonfly across the water Whose surface rippled As she passed The next moment the man in the boat glanced About him and bent to his oars The boat flew over the rippling water Man and boat and river were awake The same instant almost North Wind perched again upon the river wall How did you do that? Asked Diamond I blew in his face Answered North Wind I don't see how that could do it Said Diamond I dare say not and therefore You will say you don't believe it could No, no dear North Wind I know you too well Not to believe you Well, I blew in his face And that woke him up But what was the good of it? Why? Don't you see? Look at him How he is pulling I blew the mist out of him How was that? That is just what I cannot tell you But you did it Yes I have to do ten thousand things Without being able to tell how I don't like that Said Diamond He was staring after the boat Hearing no answer He looked down to the wall North Wind was gone Away across the river went a long ripple What sailors call a cat's paw The man in the boat Was putting up a sail The moon was coming to herself On the edge of a great cloud And the sail began to shine white Diamond rubbed his eyes And wondered what it was all about Things seemed going on around him And all to understand each other But he could make nothing of it So he put his hands in his pockets And went in to have his tea The night was very hot For the wind had fallen again You don't seem very well tonight Diamond, said his mother I am quite well, mother Returned Diamond who was only puzzled I think you had better go to bed She added Very well, mother He answered He stopped for one moment To look out of the window Above the moon the clouds Were going different ways Somehow or other this troubled him But not withstanding He was soon fast asleep He woke in the middle of the night And the darkness A terrible noise was rumbling overhead Like the rolling beat of great drums Echoing through a brazen vault The roof of the loft in which he lay Had no ceiling Only the tiles were between him and the sky For a while he could not come quite awake For the noise kept beating him down So that his heart was troubled And fluttered painfully A second peel of thunder Burst over his head And almost choked him with fear Did he recover until the great blast that followed Having torn some tiles off the roof Sent a spout of wind down into his bed And over his face Which brought him wide awake And gave him back his courage The same moment he heard a mighty Yet musical voice calling him Come up Diamond It said It's all ready I am waiting for you He looked out of the bed And saw a gigantic powerful Most lovely arm With a hand whose fingers were nothing the less Ladylike that they could have strangled a boa constrictor Or choked a Tigress off its prey Stretched down Through a big hole in the roof Without a moment's hesitation He reached out his tiny one And laid it in the grand palm Before him End of Chapter 5 This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information Or to volunteer Please visit LibriVox.org This recording is by Mark Smith Of Simpsonville, South Carolina At the back of the north wind By George McDonald Chapter 6 Out in the storm The hand fell its way up his arm And grasping it gently and strongly Above the elbow Lifted Diamond from the bed The moment he was through the hole in the roof All the winds of heaven seemed to lay hold upon him And buffet him hither and thither His hair blew one way His nightgown another His legs threatened to float from under him And his head to grow dizzy With the swiftness of the invisible assailant Cowering he clung with the other hand Of the huge hand which held his arm And fear invaded his heart Oh, north wind, he murmured But the words vanished from his lips As he had seen the soap Bubbles that burst too soon Vanished from the mouth of his pipe The wind caught them, and they were nowhere They couldn't get out at all But were torn away and strangled And yet north wind heard them And in her answer it seemed to Diamond That just because she was so big And could not help it And just because her ear and her mouth Must seem to him so dreadfully far away She spoke to him more tenderly And graciously than ever She spoke to him more tenderly And graciously than ever before Her voice was like the base Of a deep organ Without the groan in it Like the most delicate of violin tones Without the wail in it Like the most glorious Of trumpet ejaculations Without the defiance in it Like the sound of falling water Without the clattering clash in it It was like all of them And neither of them All of them without their faults Each of them without its peculiarity After all, it was more Like his mother's voice Than anything else in the world Diamond, dear, she said Be a man What is fearful to you Is not the least fearful to me But it can't hurt you, murmured Diamond For your it Then if I'm it And have you in my arms How can it hurt you? Oh Yes, I see Whispered Diamond But it looks so dreadful And it pushes me about so Yes, it does, my dear That is what it was sent for At the same moment A peel of thunder which shook Diamond's heart against the sides of his bosom Hurdled out of the heavens I cannot say out of the sky For there was no sky Diamond had not seen the lightning For he had been intent on finding The face of North Wind Every moment the folds of her garment Would sweep across his eyes And blind him But between he could just persuade Himself that he saw great glories Of women's eyes looking down Through rifts in the mountain's clouds Over his head He trembled so at the thunder That his knees failed him And he sunk down at North Wind's feet And clasped her around the column Of her ankle She instantly stooped Lifted him up from the roof Up, up into her bosom And held him there Saying as if to an inconsolable child Diamond, dear This will never, too Oh yes, it will Answered Diamond I am all right now Quite comfortable I assure you, dear North Wind If you will only let me stay here I shall be all right, indeed But you will feel the wind here, Diamond I don't mind that a bit So long as I feel your arms through it Answered Diamond's Nestling closer to her grand bosom Brave boy Returned North Wind Pressing him closer No, said Diamond I don't see that It's not courage at all So long as I feel you there But hadn't you Better get into my hair Than you would not feel the wind You will hear Ah, but, dear North Wind You don't know how nice it is To feel your arms around me It is a thousand times better To have them and the wind together Than to have only your hair In the back of your neck And no wind at all But it is surely more comfortable there Well, perhaps But I begin to think That there are better things Than being comfortable Yes, indeed there are Well, I will keep you in front of me You will feel the wind But not too much I shall only want one arm To take care of you The other will be quite enough To sink the ship Oh, dear North Wind How can you talk so? My dear boy, I never talk I always mean what I say Than you mean to sink the ship With the other hand? Yes It's not like you How do you know that? Quite easily Here you are taking care of a poor little boy With one arm And there you are, sinking a ship with the other It can't be like you Ah, but which is me? I can't be too meese, you know No, nobody can be too meese Well, which me is me? Now I must think There looks to be two Yes That's the very point You can't be knowing the thing You don't know, can you? No Which me do you know? The kindest, goodest Best me in the world Answered Diamond, clinging to North Wind Why am I good to you? I don't know Have you ever done anything for me? No Then I must be good to you Because I choose To be good to you Yes Why should I choose? Because Because Because you like Why should I like to be good to you? I don't know Except it Be because it's good to be good to me That's just it I'm good to you Because I like to be good Then why shouldn't you be good to some other people As well as to me? That's just what I don't know Why shouldn't I? I don't know either Why shouldn't you? Because I am There it is again Said Diamond I don't think that you are It looks quite the other thing Ah, but listen to me Diamond You know the one me You say And that is good Yes Do you know the other me as well? No, but I can't I shouldn't like to There it is You don't know the other me You are sure of one of them? Yes And you are sure there can't be two me's? Yes Then the me you don't know Must be the same as the Me you do know Else there would be two me's? Yes Then the other me you don't know Must be as kind as the Me you do know Yes Besides, I tell you That it is so Only it doesn't look like it That I confess freely Have you anything more to object? No No, dear North Wind I'm quite satisfied Then I will tell you something You might object You might say that the me you know Is like the other me And that I am cruel all through I know that can't be Because you are so kind But that kindness Might be only a pretense For the sake of being more cruel Afterwards Diamond clung to her tighter than ever Cry, no, no, dear North Wind You can't believe that I don't believe it I won't believe it That would kill me I love you and you must love me Else how did I come to love you? How could you know how to Put on such a beautiful face If you did not love me and the rest? No You may sink as many ships As you like And I won't say another word I can't say I shall like to see it, you know That's quite another thing Said North Wind And as she spoke She gave one spring from the roof Of the hayloft and rushed up Into the clouds With Diamond on her left arm close to her heart And as if the clouds knew She had come They burst into a fresh jubilation Of thunderous light For a few moments Diamond seemed to be born up Through the depths of an ocean of dazzling flame The next The winds were writhing around him Like a storm of serpents For they were in the midst Of the clouds and mist And they of course took the shapes Of the wind, eddying and wreathing And whirling and shooting and dashing And gray and black water So that it was as if the wind itself Had taken shape And he saw the gray and black wind Tossing and raving most madly All about him Now it blinded him By smiting him upon the eyes Now it deafened him By bellowing in his ears But even when the thunder came He knew now That it was the bellows of the great ocean Of the air dashing against each other In their haste to fill the hollow Scooped out by the lightning Now it took his breath quite away By sucking it from his body With the speed of its rush But he did not mind it He only gasped first And then laughed For the arm of North Wind was about him And he was leaning against her bosom It is quite impossible for me To describe what he saw Did you ever watch a great wave Shoot into a whirling passage Amongst rocks? If you ever did You would see that the water rushed Every way at once Some of it even turning back And opposing the rest Greater confusion you might see Nowhere except in a crowd of frightened people Well, the wind was like that Except that it went much faster And therefore was much wilder And twisted and shot And curled and dodged And clashed and raved Ten times more madly Than anything else in creation Except human passions Diamonds saw the threads Of the lady's hair streaking it all In parts indeed He could not tell which was hair And which was black storm and vapor It seemed sometimes That all the great billows Of Miss Muddy Wind Were woven out of the crossing Lines of North Wind's infinite hair Sweeping in endless intertwistings And Diamond felt As the wind seized on his hair Which his mother kept rather long As if he too were a part of the storm And some of its life went out from him But so sheltered was he By North Wind's arm and bosom That only at times In the fiercer onslaught Of some curl-billowed eddy Did he recognize for a moment How wild was the storm In which he was carried Nestling in its very core And formative center It seemed to Diamond likewise That they were motionless in the center And that all the confusion And fighting went on around them Flash after flash Illuminated the fierce chaos Revealing in varied yellow And blue and gray And dusky red The vapor's contention Peel after peel of thunder Tore the infinite waste But it seemed to Diamond That North Wind and he were motionless All but the hair It was not so They were sweeping with the speed Of the wind itself towards the sea End of chapter