The Wind Boy - Chapter 18 Comrades

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter eighteen, the last chapter of The wind Boy by
Ethel Cook Eliot. This librivot recording is in the public domain.
Chapter eighteen comrades. The artist was true to his word.
While the family in the little Brown cottage slept, the

(00:22):
telegraph wires and the radio waves, and even the great
cables under the oceans were busied with the news. Our
greatest living artist has discovered a genius, a new and
entirely unknown sculptress. He has bought a statuette from her

(00:43):
and paid a fabulous sum for it. She is a
refugee living with her children at his very door, and
has lived there for a year without his knowing about
her work. Then came her full name and her story.
By morning, all the papers in the country had the story,

(01:04):
and many printed it in headlines on their front pages.
The people living in the artist's village could hardly believe
their eyes when they read. Their surprise and excitement were unbounded.
Why they had seen Debthra every morning, going to work
in her dark cape and returning like any working woman

(01:29):
tired at evening. There'd been no sign about her of this,
or if there had been a sign, they had failed
to see it. Their curiosity led some of them, even
so early in the morning to go out and walk
down the street to take a good look at the
little brown cottage that now housed so much fame. There

(01:52):
was even pride in their gaze, for after all, Debthra
was one of them, one of their village. And when
Kay and Gentian with Rosemarie ran by on their way
to school, the villagers looked after them thoughtfully. Well things
will be different for those children after this, they said, wisely,

(02:16):
nodding their heads at one another. And I am not sorry.
For better manner or brighter children you would go far
to find. As for Detra, she went to work that
morning as usual, for she meant to tell her employer
about her good fortune and give him a fair chance

(02:38):
to replace her. But her feet to day sped lightly
toward her task, and she walked like a princess. Not
as a proud princess, you must know, but as a
happy one, for she had a strong hope that somehow,
somewhere Huzzah, the children's father would read the news and

(03:03):
so find her at last. And it did happen just
as she hoped. In a city not far away that
very morning, a man with copper colored hair and eyes
blue as the sea. Stopped at a corner to read
the headlines of the newspapers displayed there on a stand,

(03:26):
and immediately the name Datra shot out for him in
rainbow lettering. It was his joy that made the lettering rainbow,
of course, for it was just in printer's ink for
ordinary eyes. From that minute, the copper hair's young man
moved as in a cloud, for that young man was Hazah,

(03:51):
the children's father. He had traced his wife and his
children to this country directly after the war, and since
then he had been wandering from city to city seeking them.
He had no money to advertise with any more than
had Deettera. The war had left him penniless and without work,

(04:13):
so he had only tramped from city to city, doing
odd jobs wherever he could get them. But he thought
little about the jobs, for his real work was his searching.
His eyes were always searching, searching among crowds in all
the poorer sections of the cities, and he would stand

(04:34):
outside of stores and factories at the close of the
working day, hoping that Detra might come out of some
dark door and see him waiting there. And then at
the noon hour, he would wait in the same way
at the doors of school buildings. His blue eyes had
grown haggard, watching at school doors for two little coppery heads.

(05:01):
But now that was ended. He was a young god,
striding away out of the city toward the road that
led to the artist's village. People who had never given
him a glance before, in his shabby workman's clothes and
with his haggard seeking eyes now turned a stare at

(05:23):
him as he passed. But though it would not have
taken him long by train, it was long to walk,
and Hzar was a day and a night coming to
the village. That day, Nan had spent in making the
little brown house spick and span from top to bottom.
For although she had not yet told Dettra, she knew

(05:46):
that her work here was finished. The mountains were calling
her back. Kay and Gentien in school at the desks
and playing at recess time, and all the afternoon as
they played with Rosemarie in her grandfather's gardens, often lifted
their heads to listen, for they thought they heard their

(06:09):
father calling their names. When bedtime came again, Datra and
the children and even Nan slept, but fitfully. They were
so alive with their expectation, and all during breakfast, the
children talked of nothing but their father. Will he come

(06:30):
to day? Do you think he might come to day?
But Dettra, whose heart was beating even faster than her children's,
said no, no, hush, we must not expect him so soon.
Why he may be across the ocean, across the world
from us. But in spite of those sensible words, at

(06:52):
every step that Datra heard, she turned her head to listen.
Would it turn in at the little winging gait? And
the children listened with her. Dettra's employer had found some
one at once to take Detra's place, and so she
was to be at home to day, all day and

(07:14):
every day. That was glorious for the children, but the
glory faded vanished for a little while when Nan, after
she had done the dishes and put the house in order,
went up to her room and came down with her
knotted purple bundle. Dettra looked at her in surprise. Why Nan,

(07:39):
you're not going to go away from us? Not now?
Nan nodded. There is nothing left here for me to do,
she said, I cannot stay where there is no work.
Detra got up from the bench under the window where
she had been sitting arranging fresh tulips in the bowl.

(08:00):
She looked at Nan earnestly and steadily. She did not say,
but there is work Nan, the house to keep clean,
meals to cook, dishes to wash. Please stay on to
do these things for us. No, it did not enter
Detra's head to utter such foolishness. For Detra now for

(08:25):
the first time, began to understand about Nan and what
she might be. That had not been the work she
had left her mountains to do. She had come to
help Deetra toward happiness. And now Dettra was happy and
all was well with her and the children. So Dattra

(08:49):
said not a word, but stood looking at Nan steadily.
But the children were dismayed. They cried, oh, please, please, Nan,
don't go away and leave us. You must never do that.
Nan turned to them, smiling. Why unless I go back

(09:12):
to the mountains, then how can you come to visit
me there? And that is what I want you to do.
Soon their hearts were eased. Deetra at last said, are
you a good fairy? Nan? Is that what you are? No,
I'm not a fairy, but she answered gravely, as though

(09:36):
in reply to a sensible question, as though she might
very well have been a fairy. Only it happened that
she was not. I'm just a girl from the mountains.
Dettra asked no more, and Nan moved toward the door.
Kay and Gentian heard the music that she walked to.

(09:59):
Then there could be no doubt about it. This time,
though it was faint and far, Gentian ran after her. Oh,
may I have one last peep at the starry brightness,
she begged. Nan held the purple bundle to her. Gentian

(10:19):
parted the sides a little and looked in. Yes, there
was the blue shining with its stars. Gentian bent above
the purple bundle, looking into the sky. If she had
not remembered her own bit of sky folded away upstairs

(10:39):
in her drawer, she could never have had done. But
looking now, when she lifted her face, her eyes had
caught the reflection of the stars. Nan tied her bundle
a little tighter then, so that no one as she
passed along the street might catch glimpse of the stars

(11:02):
or suspect what wonderful thing was tied away there. Then
she said good bye. The children clung to her as
far as the gate, and stood watching there while she
went away down the street. But they could not be
unhappy over her going, for this thing was true about Nan.

(11:26):
No one could ever be unhappy because of her. But
they stayed swinging at the gate, silent and thoughtful, after
she had gone around the corner. A little way around
the corner, as Nan walked to the sound of that
music faint and far, she met a young man. He

(11:48):
was striding along with the morning sun in his eyes.
His hair was a flame of copper. Nan could not
help knowing at once that it was the children father Azar,
nearing the end of his search. She spoke to him,
coming to a stand before him on the sidewalk, But

(12:11):
his eyes were full of the morning sun, rather blinded,
and to him it seemed it was only a voice
in the street speaking to him out of the sunlight.
He could never remember afterwards having seen Nan, but he
remembered her words, if you were looking for Detra's little

(12:32):
brown cottage, it is just around that corner, and Gentean
and Cay are out in front swinging on the gate.
The young man did not even thank her for you see,
he never realized until afterwards. The children told him, so
that a young girl must have stopped to give him

(12:53):
the direction. He truly thought it was only a voice
out of the sunshine in the morning sunshine that was
full in his eyes. But he heard the words well enough,
and suddenly he started running. He ran around the corner
as fast as his long legs would take him, and

(13:16):
the next minute both the children on the gate had
uttered shrill, glad cries that brought Datra to the door.
When she got there, she saw Huzzar with Gentian and
Kay tight in his arms, as though he would never
let them go. Then Dtra cried out too and ran

(13:39):
down the walk, But Huzzar was quicker than she. He
let the children go and met her half way from
the door. The artist at that minute was coming through
the hole in the hedge. He had made it larger
for convenience the day before. He was coming from call.

(14:01):
But he stopped short now, and the morning sunshine got
into his eyes, or something did, for he saw no more,
but turned away and waited until later for his visit
to the little brown house. It was a marvelous day
for Kay and Gentian. They held to their father's hands,

(14:25):
leaned against him whenever he stood still and followed him
about like shadows. Most of the morning they wandered over
the meadows at the back of the house while their
father and Detta talked about the young tree nurseries that
he was to grow there. The children were so happy

(14:46):
they were almost silent. As for Dettra, they looked at
her wonderingly again and again, for she did not seem
like their mother at all. Now she was like a
wide eyed young girl listening to a fairy tale. They'd
all forgotten about school, of course, but no one ever

(15:08):
blamed them for that. In the afternoon, father and mother
took a bench out under the cherry tree. The children
sat at their feet in the grass. It was then
that they noticed the policeman walking back and forth past
the gate, pausing irresolutely each time, as though he would

(15:30):
like to come in. About the twentieth time this happened,
Huzzar called to him, do you want anything, policemen. At
that the policeman took courage and pushed open the gate.
It's a welcome you are to this village, he said
to Huszar, for he knew very well who he was

(15:51):
and meant his welcome heartily. But then he turned to
Datra and asked, in a hesitating voice, has your go
all left you? I saw her on the street with
a bundle this morning, and though I have passed the house, offered,
since I have caught no sig of her about Nan, Yes,

(16:13):
she has gone back to the mountains. Came a pause,
while the children could see that this was very sorry
news for the big policeman. Then he said shortly, well,
with a man in the house on all, I suppose
the work might very well be too hard for a
slip of a girl like that. No, indeed, Dettter answered, laughing,

(16:38):
she had not noticed his sorriness. It was just that
the work was too easy that she left us. She
thought she could no longer find enough to do. The
policeman shook his head. He could not understand that at all.
He asked, then, will you kindly let me have her address?

(16:59):
I'd be taking a trip to the mountains some day.
Her address. Detta and the children looked to one another
in sudden bewilderment. How could they ever have neglected to
ask Nan for that? Why? Just Nan? The mountains would

(17:20):
never be enough. Of course, no one could find her
that way. Dettra looked at the policeman, almost ashamedly. I
never thought to ask her for it, she owned, the
policeman stared, never thought to ask. Don't you know at

(17:41):
all as she's gone to? Just that, she's gone back
to the mountains. Which mountains? Why I see now that
I don't know that. But I always supposed the purple mountains,
the ones we see off there beyond the meadows and
the woods. Yes, that's what I thought too, the policeman answered.

(18:05):
But that isn't enough to find her by, And there
was something in particular I had to say to her.
No one could overlook the trouble in his face. Now,
Gentian suddenly stood up and took his hand. Yes, Gentian
took the policeman's hand, the big hand that had gripped

(18:27):
Kay by the shoulder so roughly. She said, softly but surely,
her blue eyes looking confidently up into his. She promised
that Kay and I were to go to the mountains
to visit her soon. That means she will let us
know where she lives. When that time comes. Perhaps she

(18:48):
will let you know too. The policeman, in some strange,
deep way, was comforted. It was as though Nan herself
had promised him through Gentian's voice, and so he turned
back to his trampings of the peaceful village streets, with
his trouble changed into thoughtfulness. When the policemen had gone,

(19:12):
the artists came through the hole in the hedge. Then
he and Hussar and Detterra put their heads together in
a very grown up way to make plans for the
future of Dettra's art and Hussar's tree nurseries. The children
lost interest in that, and they were glad to hear
rose Marie calling to them, although they had heard her

(19:35):
many times before. That afternoon without answering. She was playing
with some of their schoolmates over the Lilac hedge on
the artist's lawn. The lawn was a sea and the
Sundial was a pirate ship. Rose Marie was the captain.

(19:56):
Come along, Ky and Gentian, She called, we are on
track of hidden treasure. So Kay left his father's side
and ran away to be a pirate. But Gentian got
no farther than the door. There, she suddenly had no
heart for play and sat down on the door stone.

(20:18):
Aren't you coming? Kay called back to her in surprise
from over the hedge. By and by, I'll come perhaps
not now, So the pirates went dashing off after hidden
treasure without her. Now she could think the thought that
had been knocking at the door of her mind through

(20:38):
the day, under all the happiness of her father's return.
It was it isn't fair that the wind boy should
stay away. So I wouldn't give him up for Kay
and all those others. But he gave me up the
minute he got his clear comrades back again. After a time,

(21:00):
the Artist came out of the door to go home.
All plans for Hussar's nurseries settled, but he stopped a
minute by Gentian to say, why aren't you off with
Caine Rosemary, little wind girl? Or are you waiting here
for your wind boy? No, I'm not waiting for him,

(21:22):
Gentian answered, looking up rather mournfully at the artist. He
doesn't come to play any more. The Artist's face grew rueful.
Is that because I have taken him away for a while?
But soon he will be back, you know, all done
in bronze life size and out in the tulip garden.

(21:44):
He will play with you, then, won't he. No, I
don't mean the statue, I mean the real wind boy
up in the clear village. The one mother copied, it's
him I've lost. I'm sorry. The artist said to that,
but perhaps his wings will bring him back down to you. Yet,

(22:08):
who knows. The artist was so fond of his little
wind girl already that it troubled him to see her sad.
When he had gone, Gentean suddenly thought, well, anyway, I
have my starry brightness. I can run up and see that.
And she did get up and go softly into the

(22:30):
house through the open sitting room door. She saw her
mother and father sitting on the bench under the window.
They were looking each other over the bowl of tulips,
which was still there, saying nothing but smiling. Gentian went
past on tiptoe. They are glad to be alone, she thought.

(22:54):
When she got up to her mother's room and opened
her own bedroom raw she out before it on the floor,
looking deep, deep into the starry blue depths. And as
she looked, her thoughts cleared. They cleared until they were

(23:14):
crystal clear. And this is what came of their clearness.
How foolish I am. Of course, the wind boy will
come back. He is my comrade. He wouldn't forget me
just because he is happy. He would remember all the
more she was herself again. Lightheartedly, she closed the drawer

(23:39):
and jumped up. I'll just go and play pirate after all,
she thought. Perhaps while we're playing, the wind boy will
come some time anyway. But now that she was standing,
she saw that she was through into the clear land.
The light was not sunlight anymore, but the crystal, clearer

(24:02):
light of the higher village. And again she was alone
in a room of the house belonging to the Twilight Girl.
She looked towards the window. There were the cherry tree boughs,
all aflow with pink and white cherry blossoms. Not the
boughs of the cherry tree that stood at the door

(24:23):
of their mother's little brown house, but the boughs of
the other cherry tree above it, in the clear air.
The cherry blossom down there was still in bud, but
these up here were full blown. And there among the
cherry blossoms on a swaying bow waited the wind boy.

(24:48):
She knew he was waiting by the droop of his
wings and the expression on his face. But it was
not the wind bowyer she had seen him first. Now
the light across his brow was clear. He was wearing
silver sandals like her own. He did not see her
standing at the window. He was looking down through the

(25:10):
blossoming branches, as though he expected her to come up
that way. Oh, wind boy, she called, here, I am,
I have come. He started up, looking about laughing. She
jumped over the window sill and went running to him
through the blue air. The wind boy made room for her,

(25:33):
balancing on the trembling bow. It took you long enough,
he said, holding her hands. It's been two whole days. Oh,
but I was looking for you all that time down
in our village. You see, I didn't know how to
get up here. My coming just has to happen. I

(25:55):
can do nothing about it. But you could come down
to me any time. Oh. I did go down, of course,
many many times. But I couldn't get you to see me,
not see you. I was looking for you every minute,
even to day with father there. Yes, you were looking

(26:18):
for me. But were you believing in me? Believing in you?
Of course? Why. I've always known you were real as real,
no matter how much anyone calls you a dream. Oh
that kind of real. Yes, that is nothing. You couldn't
help knowing that, could you. I mean, were you believing

(26:41):
in the real myself, the comrading part of me. Genten
dropped her head. No, that is what I had stopped
believing in, she owned. I had stopped believing that you
were my comrade. I thought you wanted only your clear
children and playmates. Now, the wind boy smiled, Well, that

(27:05):
tells us, then, why you had to come up here
to find me. I could never have got to you
there with such silly thoughts in your head. But you've
come at last, and it's all right. We are comrades.
He stepped towards her on the bough. His purple eyes
were close above hers early morning purple. They kissed each

(27:30):
other on the cheeks. That sealed their comradeship past any
more befogging. Where are the clear children? Gentian asked, then,
why are you alone? I was only waiting for you.
They were over in the woods by the spring somewhere
looking for flowers. We'll go find them. But you've never

(27:53):
been to the spring, have you. There are little gray
stones in the bottom. They are great to your first glance.
But after a while, yes, I know then they are
all colors. Oh, you have been there, the wind boy cried,
disappointed that he was not the first to show her. No,

(28:16):
I do not think I was there, but I saw you. There.
You were with my mother. She was working on the
statuette all the time. She was talking to you. She
was trying to make you smile. Yes, she was telling
me stories, stories you had told her, she said, But

(28:36):
where were you? Why didn't we know you were near?
I was only looking through the spring, the one below.
Neither you nor mother could see me nor hear me
when I called, And I could not hear your words either,
though I saw your lips moving. The wind Boy shuddered.

(28:58):
That must have been horrid, strange and horrid. Yes it was. Well,
it's nothing like that this time. You're here, now, safe
and sound in the clear land, as yell will be
waiting by the spring to see if you came. She
thought you would surely find the way as yel. Oh,

(29:21):
I'm glad, come, let's go. Gentian and the wind Boy
ran away fleetily, then out paths the blue air towards
the clear spring in the clear woods, and the wind
Boy spread his wings so wide as they went that

(29:41):
I lost sight of Gentian behind their purple. The end
end of Chapter eighteen and end of The Wind Boy
by Ethel cook eliot read by Adrian Pratzellis in Santa Rosa, California,

(30:02):
December twenty twenty three,