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33 - At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald · At the Back of the North Wind

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: The next morning, Diamond's mother said to his father, I'm
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: not quite comfortable about that child again. Which child? Martha asked, Joseph,
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: you've got a choice now, well, Diamond, I mean, I'm
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: afraid he's getting into his queer ways again. He's been
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: at his old trick of walking in his sleep. I
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: saw him run up the stairs in the middle of
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: the night. Didn't you go after him, wife? Of course
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: I did, and found him fast asleep in his bed.
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: It's because he's had so little meat for the last
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: six weeks. I'm afraid it may be that. I'm very sorry,
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: But if it don't please God to send us enough,
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: what am I to do? Wife? You can't help it,
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: I know, my dear good man, returned Martha. And after all,
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't see why he shouldn't get
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: on as well as the rest of us. I'm nursing
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: baby all this time, and I get along pretty well.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: I'm sure. To hear the little man singing, you wouldn't
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: think there was much amiss with him, for at that moment,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: Diamond was singing like a lark in the clowns. He
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: had the new baby in his arms, while his mother
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: was dressing herself. Joseph was sitting at his breakfast, a
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: little weak tea dry bread, and very dubious butter, which
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: Nannie had set for him, and which he was enjoying
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: because he was hungry. He had groomed both horses and
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: had got old Diamond harnessed, ready to put two. Think
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: of a fat angel, Dulcimer, said Diamond. The baby had
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: not been christened yet, but Diamond, in reading his Bible,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: had come upon the word Dulcimer, and thought it so
• 1:50
  Speaker 1: pretty that ever after he called his sister Dulcimer, think
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: of a red fat angel. Dulcimer, he repeated, for Rubies,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: and angel of a horse Tursimur. He sprained his ankle
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: and got fat on purpose? What purpose, Diamond asked his father.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: Ah that I can't tell. I suppose to look handsome
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: when his master comes, answered Diamond, what do you think, Dulcimer,
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: It must be for some good. For Ruby's a angel.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: I wish I were rid of him, anyhow, said his father,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: for he weighs heavy on my mind. No wonder, father,
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: he's so fat, said Diamond. But you needn't be afraid,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: for everybody says he's in better condition than when you
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: had him. Yes, but he may be as thin as
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: a tin horse before his owner comes. It was too
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: bad to leave him on my hands this way. Perhaps
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: he couldn't help it, suggest said Diamond. I dare say
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: he has some good reason for it, So I should
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: have said, returned his father if he had not such
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: a hard bargain with me at first. But we don't
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: know what may come of it yet, husband, said his wife.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Mister Raymond may give a little to boot, seeing you've
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: had more of the bargain than you wanted or reckoned upon.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: I'm afraid not. He's a hard man, said Joseph, as
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: he rose and went to get his cab out. Diamond
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: resumed his singing. For some time he caroled snatches of
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: everything or anything, but at last it settled down into
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: something like what follows. I cannot tell where or how
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: he got it? Where did you come from, baby dear?
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Out of the everywhere in to here? Where did you
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: get your eyes so blue? Out of the sky as
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: I came through? What makes a light in them? Sparkle
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: and spin some of the starry spikes left in? Where
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: did you get that little tear? I found it waiting.
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: When I got here. What makes your forehead so smooth
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: and high? A soft hand stroked it as I went by?
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: What makes your cheek like a warm white rose? I
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: saw something better than any one knows. When's the three
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: cornered smile of bliss? Three angels gave me at once
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: a kiss? Where did you get this pearly ear? God
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: spoke and it came out to hear? Where did you
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: get those arms and hands? Love made itself into hooks
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: and bands feet? Whence did you come, you, darling things
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: from the same box as the cherub swings? How did
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: they all just come to be you? God thought about me,
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: and so I grew. But how did you come to us? You,
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: dear God thought about you, and so I am here.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: You never made that song, Diamond, said his mother. No, Mother,
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: I wish I had. No I don't. That would be
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: to take it from somebody else. But it's mine for
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: all that what makes it yours? I love it? So
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: does loving a thing make it yours? I think so, mother,
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: at least more than anything else can. If I didn't
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: love baby, which couldn't be you know, she wouldn't be
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: mine a bit. But I do love baby. And baby
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: is my very own Dulcimer. The baby's mine, Diamond. That
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: makes her the more mine, mother. How do you make
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: that out? Because you are mine? Mother? Is that because
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: you love me? Yes, just because love makes the only minus,
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: said Diamond. When his father came home to have his
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: dinner and change Diamond for Ruby, they saw him look
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: very sad, and he told them he had not had
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: affair worth mentioning the whole morning. We shall all have
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: to go to the workhouse wife. He said, it would
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: be better to go to the back of the north Wind,
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: said Diamond dreamily, not intending to say it aloud. So
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: it would, answered his father. But how were we to
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: get there, Diamond? We must wait till we're taken, returned Diamond.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Before his father could speak again, a knock came to
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: the door, and in walked mister Raymond, with a smile
• 6:26
  Speaker 1: on his face. Joseph got up and received him respectfully,
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: but not very cordially. Martha set a chair for him,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: but he would not sit down. You are not very
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: glad to see me, he said to Joseph. You don't
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: want to part with the old horse. Indeed, sir, you
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: are mistaken there, what with anxiety about him and bad luck.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: I've wished I were rid of him a thousand times.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: It was only to be for three months, and here
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: it's eight or nine. I'm sorry to hear such statement,
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: said mister Raymond. Hasn't he been of service to you?
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: Not much? Not with his lameness? Ah, said mister Raymond hastily.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: You've been laming him, have you that accounts for it?
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: I see, I see. It wasn't my fault, and he's
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: all right now. I don't know how it happened, but
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: he did it on purpose, said Diamond. He put his
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: foot on a stone, just a twist. His uncle. How
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: do you know that, Diamond, said his father, turning to him.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: I never said so, for I could not think how
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: it came. I heard it in the stable, answered Diamond.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: Let's have a look at him, said mister Raymond. If
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: you'll step into the yard, said Joseph, I'll bring him out.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: They went, and Joseph, having first taken off his harness,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: walked Ruby into the middle of the yard. Why, said
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: miss Raymond, you've not been using him? Well, I don't
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: know what you mean by that, sir. I didn't expect
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: to hear that from you. He's sound in wind and limp,
• 8:11
  Speaker 1: as sound as a barrel, and as big. You might aunt.
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Why he's as fat as a pig. You don't call
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: that good usage. Joseph was too angry to make any answer.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: You've not worked him enough. I say, that's not making
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: good use of him. That's not doing as you'd be
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: done by. I shouldn't be sorry if I was served
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: the same, sir. He's too fat. I say. There was
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: a whole month I couldn't work him at all, and
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: he did nothing but eat his head off. He's an
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: awful eater. I've taken the best part of six hours
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: a day out of him since, but I'm always afraid
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: of his coming to grief again, and so I couldn't
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: make the most even of that. I declare to you, sir.
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: When he's between the shafts, I sit on the box
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: as miserable as if i'd stolen him. He looks all
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: the time as if he was a bottling up of
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: complaints to make of me. The minute he set eyes
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: on you again. There look at him now, squinting round
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: at me with one eye. I declare to you, on
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: my word, I haven't laid the whip on him more
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: than three times. I'm glad to hear it. He never
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: did want the whip. I didn't say that, sir. If
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: ever a horse wanted a whip, he do. He brought
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: me to Beggary almost with his snail's pace. I'm very
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: glad you've come to rid me of him. I don't
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: know that, said mister Raymond. Suppose I were to ask
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: you to buy him off me cheap, I wouldn't have
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: him in a present, sir. I don't like him, and
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: I wouldn't drive a horse that I didn't like. No,
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: not for gold. It can't come to good where there's
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: no love between them. Just bring out your own horse
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: and let me see what sort of a pair they'd make.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: Joseph laughed rather bitterly as he went to fetch Diamond.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: When the two were placed side by side, mister Raymond
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: could hardly keep his countenance, but from a mingling of
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: feelings beside the great red round barrel, Ruby, all body
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: and no legs, Diamond looked like a clothes horse with
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: a skin thrown over it. There was hardly a spot
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: of him where you could not decry some sign of
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: a bone underneath. Gaunt and grim and weary. He stood
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: kissing his master and heeding no one else. You haven't
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: been using him well, said mister Raymond. I must say,
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: returned Joseph, throwing an arm round his horse's neck, that
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: the remark had better have been spared, sir. The horse
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: is worth three of the other. Now, I don't think so.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: I think they make a very nice pair. If one
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: is too fat, the other's too lean. So that's all right.
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: And if you won't buy my ruby, I must buy
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: your diamond. Thank you, sir, said Joseph, in a tone
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: implying anything but thanks. You don't seem to like the proposal,
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: said mister Raymond. I don't, returned Joseph. I wouldn't part
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: with my old diamond, for his skin as full of
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: nuggets as it is of bones. Who said anything about
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: parting with him? You did, now, sir, No I didn't.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: I only spoke of buying him to make a pair
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: with ruby. We could pay a ruby and patch diamond
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: a bit, and for height, they are as near a
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: match as I care about. Of course, you would be
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: the coachman, if only you would consent to be reconciled
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: to Ruby. Joseph stood bewildered, unable to answer. I've bought
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: a small place in Kent, continued mister Raymond, and I
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: must have a pair to my carriage, for the roads
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: are hilly thereabouts. I don't want to make a show
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: with a pair of high steppers. I think these will
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: just do. Suppose for a week or two you set
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: yourself to take Ruby down and bring Diamond up. If
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: we could lay a pipe from Ruby's sides into diamonds,
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: it would be the work of a moment. But I
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: fear that wouldn't answer. A strong inclination to laugh intruded
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: upon Joseph's inclination to cry, and made speech still harder
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: than before. I beg your pardon, sir, he said at length.
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: I've been so miserable and for so long that I
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: never thought you was only a chafing of me. When
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: you said I hadn't used the horses, well, I did
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: grumble at you, sir. Many's the time in my trouble,
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: But whenever I said anything, my little Diamond would look
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: at me with a smile, as much as to say
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: I know him better than you, father, And upon my word,
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: I always thought the boy must be right. Will you
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: sell me Old Diamond, then I will, sir, on one
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: condition that if ever you want to part with him
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: or me, you give me the option of buying him.
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: I could not part with him, sir. As to who
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: calls him his, that's nothing for as Diamond says, it's
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: only loving a thing that can make it yours. And
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: I do love Old Diamond, sir, dearly. Well, there's a
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: check for twenty pounds which I wrote to offer you
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: for him in case I should find you had done
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: the handsome thing by Ruby. Will that be enough? It's
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: too much, sir. His body ain't worth it, shoes and all.
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: It's only his heart, sir, that's worth millions. But his
• 13:50
  Speaker 1: heart'll be mine all the same. So it's too much, sir,
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: I don't think so it won't be at least by
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: the time we've got him fed up again. You take
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: it and welcome. Just go on with your cabin for
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: another month. Only take it out of Ruby and let
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: Diamond rest, and by that time I shall be ready
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: for you to go down into the country. Thank you, sir,
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Thank you. Diamond set you down for a friend, Sir,
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: the moment he saw you. I do believe that child
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: of mine knows more than other people. I think so too,
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: said mister Raymond as he walked away. He had meant
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: to test Joseph when he made the bargain about Ruby,
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: but had no intention of so greatly prolonging the trial.
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: He had been taken ill in Switzerland and had been
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: quite unable to return sooner. He went away. Now highly
• 14:43
  Speaker 1: gratified at finding that he had stood the test and
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: was a true man. Joseph rushed in to his wife,
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: who had been standing at the window anxiously waiting the
• 14:54
  Speaker 1: results of the long colloquy. When she heard that the
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: horses were to go together in double harness, she burst
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: forth into an immoderate fit of laughter. Diamond came up
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: with the baby in his arms, and made big anxious
• 15:07
  Speaker 1: eyes her, saying, what is the matter with you? Mother? Dear?
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: Do cry a little? It will do you good. When
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: father takes ever so small a drop of spirits, he
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: puts water to it. He's silly, darling, said his mother.
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: How could I but laugh at the notion of that
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: great fat Ruby going side by side with our poor
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: old Diamond. But why not mother? With the munth's oats
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: and nothing to do Diamond'll be nearer Ruby's size than
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: you will father's. I think it's very good for different
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: sorts to go together. Now Ruby will have a chance
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: of teaching Diamond better manners. How dare you say such
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: a thing? Diamond, said his father angrily, to compare the
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: two for manners. There's no comparison possible. Our diamonds a gentleman.
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: I don't mean to say he isn't father, For I
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: dare say some gentlemen judged their neighbors unjustly. That's all
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: I mean. Diamond shouldn't have thought such bad things. If
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: Ruby he didn't try to make the best of him.
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: How do you know that? Pray? I heard them talking
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: about it one night. Who why Diamond and Ruby? Ruby's
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: an angel? Joseph stared and said no more. For all
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: his new gladness, he was very gloomy as he reharnessed
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: the angel, for he thought his darling Diamond was going
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: out of his mind. He couldn't help thinking rather differently, however,
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: when he found the change that had come over Ruby,
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: considering his fat he exerted himself amazingly and got over
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: the ground with incredible speed, so willing even anxious was
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: he to go, now that Joseph had to hold him
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: quite tight. Then as he laughed at his own fancies,
• 16:58
  Speaker 1: a new fear came upon him, lest the horse should
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: break his wind. And mister Raymond have a good cause
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: to think he had not been using him well. He
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: might even suppose that he had taken advantage of his
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: new instructions to let out upon the horse some of
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: his bent up dislike, whereas in truth it had so
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: utterly vanished that he felt as if Ruby too had
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: been his friend all the time. End of Chapter thirty three,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: recording by maricel Que