understood what this boy would be like and that his fox and his crow
and his squirrels and his lamb were so near to him and his friendliness
that they seemed almost to be part of himself. Colin had never talked
to a boy in his life and he was so overwhelmed by his own pleasure and
curiosity that he did not even think of speaking.
But Dickon did not feel the least shy or awkward. He had not felt
embarrassed because the crow had not known his language and had only
stared and had not spoken to him the first time they met. Creatures
were always like that until they found out about you. He walked over to
Colin s sofa and put the new-born lamb quietly on his lap, and
immediately the little creature turned to the warm velvet dressing-gown
and began to nuzzle and nuzzle into its folds and butt its tight-curled
head with soft impatience against his side. Of course no boy could have
helped speaking then.
What is it doing? cried Colin. What does it want?
It wants its mother, said Dickon, smiling more and more. I brought
it to thee a bit hungry because I knowed tha d like to see it feed.
He knelt down by the sofa and took a feeding-bottle from his pocket.
Come on, little un, he said, turning the small woolly white head
with a gentle brown hand. This is what tha s after. Tha ll get more
out o this than tha will out o silk velvet coats. There now, and he
pushed the rubber tip of the bottle into the nuzzling mouth and the
lamb began to suck it with ravenous ecstasy.
After that there was no wondering what to say. By the time the lamb
fell asleep questions poured forth and Dickon answered them all. He
told them how he had found the lamb just as the sun was rising three
mornings ago. He had been standing on the moor listening to a skylark
and watching him swing higher and higher into the sky until he was only
a speck in the heights of blue.
I d almost lost him but for his song an I was wonderin how a chap
could hear it when it seemed as if he d get out o th world in a
minute an just then I heard somethin else far off among th gorse
bushes. It was a weak bleatin an I knowed it was a new lamb as was
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