But long before his father got well, his mother’s savings were all but gone. She did not say a word about it in the hearing of her husband, lest she should distress him; and one night, when she could not help crying, she came into Diamond’s room that his father might not hear her. She thought Diamond was asleep, but he was not. When he heard her sobbing, he was frightened, and said—
“Is father worse, mother?”
“No, Diamond,” she answered, as well as she could; “he’s a good bit better.”
“Then what are you crying for, mother?”
“Because my money is almost all gone,” she replied.
“O mammy, you make me think of a little poem baby and I learned out of North Wind’s book today. Don’t you remember how I bothered you about some of the words?”
“Yes, child,” said his mother heedlessly, thinking only of what she should do after tomorrow.
Diamond began and repeated the poem, for he had a wonderful memory.
A little bird sat on the edge of her nest;
Her yellow-beaks slept as sound as tops;
That day she had done her very best,
And had filled every one of their little crops.
She had filled her own just overfull,
And hence she was feeling a little dull.“Oh, dear!” she sighed, as she sat with her head
Sunk in her chest, and no neck at all,
While her crop stuck out like a feather bed
Turned inside out, and rather small;
“What shall I do if things don’t reform?
I don’t know where there’s a single worm.“I’ve had twenty today, and the children five each,
Besides a few flies, and some very fat spiders:
No one will say I don’t do as I preach—
I’m one of the best of bird-providers;
But where’s the use? We want a storm—
I don’t know where there’s a single worm.”“There’s five in my crop,” said a wee, wee bird,
Which woke at the voice of his mother’s pain;
“I know where there’s five.” And with the word
He tucked in his head, and went off again.
“The folly of childhood,” sighed his mother,
“Has always been my especial bother.”The yellow-beaks they slept on and on—
They never had heard of the bogy Tomorrow;
But the mother sat outside, making her moan—
She’ll soon have to beg, or steal, or borrow.
For she never can tell the night before,
Where she shall find one red worm more.The fact, as I say, was, she’d had too many;
She couldn’t sleep, and she called it virtue,
Motherly foresight, affection, any
Name you may call it that will not hurt you,
So it was late ere she tucked her head in,
And she slept so late it was almost a sin.But the little fellow who knew of five
Nor troubled his head about any more,
Woke very early, felt quite alive,
And wanted a sixth to add to his store:
He pushed his mother, the greedy elf,
Then thought he had better try for himself.When his mother awoke and had rubbed her eyes,
Feeling less like a bird, and more like a mole,
She saw him—fancy with what surprise—
Dragging a huge worm out of a hole!
’Twas of this same hero the proverb took form:
’Tis the early bird that catches the worm.
“There, mother!” said Diamond, as he finished; “ain’t it funny?”
“I wish you were like that little bird, Diamond, and could catch worms for yourself,” said his mother, as she rose to go and look after her husband.
Diamond lay awake for a few minutes, thinking what he could do to catch worms. It was very little trouble to make up his mind, however, and still less to go to sleep after it.
XXIV
Another Early Bird
He got up in the morning as soon as he heard the men moving in the yard. He tucked in his little brother so that he could not tumble out of bed, and then went out, leaving the door open, so that if he should cry his mother might hear him at once. When he got into the yard he found the stable-door just opened.
“I’m the early bird, I think,” he said to himself. “I hope I shall catch the worm.”
He would not ask anyone to help him, fearing his project might meet with disapproval and opposition. With great difficulty, but with the help of a broken chair he brought down from his bedroom, he managed to put the harness on Diamond. If the old horse had had the least objection to the proceeding, of course he could not have done it; but even when it came to the bridle, he opened his mouth for the bit, just as if he had been taking the apple which Diamond sometimes gave him. He fastened the cheek-strap very carefully, just in the usual hole, for fear of choking his friend, or else letting the bit get amongst his teeth. It was a job to get the saddle on; but with the chair he managed it. If old Diamond had had an education in physics to equal that of the camel, he would have knelt down to let him put it on his back, but that was more than could be expected of him, and then Diamond had to creep quite under him to get hold of the girth. The collar was almost the worst part of the business; but there Diamond could help Diamond. He held his head very low till his little master had got it over and turned it round, and then he lifted his head, and shook it on to his shoulders. The yoke was rather difficult; but when he had laid the traces over the horse’s neck, the weight was not too much for him. He got him right at last, and led him out of the stable.
By this time there were several of the men watching him, but they would not interfere, they were so anxious
