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 some one 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 hearkened. 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 in 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. Dyves'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. Dyves'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.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account