The Wild Little House

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Digitized by the Internet Archive in

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A CRITERION

BOOK

FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

<6&-

The Wild

Little

House

by the same author •

Books for Children

THE LOST ISLAND THE SAN SEBASTIAN THE HOUSE BY THE SHORE •

Detective Stories

DEATH AT CRANE'S COURT SENT TO HIS ACCOUNT

The Wild Little House by

EILiS

DILLON

illustrated

V. H.

by

DRUMMOND

CRITERION BOOKS

NEW YORK,

N.Y.

All

rights reserved

First published in the

United States

1957 ^y Criterion Books, Inc. Library of Congress Catalog Card

Number

Printed in Great Britain

3y-gi62

**•

*1008833

The Wild Ita

really

was

street

of

a wild

tall stiff

little

on four

house.

was

it

little

was John. Through

a

boy who

sailing by,

far

when

and

would have

lived in

could get right in under

it

its

away down

there

was a

often did

the

fog,

it

go

this.

front, the

His

wild httle

the sea.

hill to

name

AU

day

watched the great ships

timbers stirred a

liked to

hill. It

high above the ground

gap between the houses in

house could look long, except

set

One

stout posts, like legs.

and the

stood in the middle of

It

houses in a town on top of a

was made of wood, and

it

House

Little

little,

restlessly,

for

it

sailing too.

The house had been built by an old sailor home from made all the rooms inside look hke ships'

the sea, and he had cabins. rails

There were swinging lamps and shelves with brass

on them, and beds

like bunks, set in the walls.

"He should have put me thought to

itself.

with gold ear-rings, and trees

right

on the

"There would be stories

lots

sea-shore," the house

of people

about islands

and monkeys. Nothing happens here." 7

there, sailors full

of palm

And right,

it

and

looked up the

down

but they just Tall

stiff

street at the tall stiff

the street at the

stared, as

tall stiff

houses on

houses on

its

its left,

they always did.

people lived in the 8

tall

stiff

houses,

and they

The Wild

Little

House

never had any fun. But in the Httle house there lived John

and

his father

who went

and mother,

fishing with

John's father

was

who were

always laughing, and

John on Saturday He had

a shoemaker.

afternoons. a httle

workshop

The Wild at the

mended

other end of the town, where he

day. Sometimes he for people

whose

made

feet

hammer

all

shoes for very particular people, or

so

feet,

when new

in the nails

shoes

were the wrong shape. All the

people had big long

stiff

House

Little

took a long time to

it

soles

tall,

were being put on

their

shoes.

Sometimes,

brought

home

tea,

he would

and

tell

John

and more and

when he had work a bundle sit

stories

faster, until

"So he and they

At

of shoes under

his

night,

arm. Then,

after

lamp

while he worked. As the story got more

would go

into the leather faster

would

give one last mighty

the shoemaker

hammer and

killed the giant all

his

shoemaker

in the kitchen under the swinging

exciting, the nails

thump with

to finish, the

say:

and married the king's daughter

hved happily ever

when

the lamps

everyone in the town was

after."

had gone out one by one and

asleep, the tall stiff

houses whis-

pered to each other. But they took no notice of the wild httle house, because

it

was

so small.

So

it

just stood there

on

four legs and thought wild thoughts about sailing the "If

I

could even walk around the town,

something," little

Like

house. little

seas.

would be

thought one night. "Perhaps there are other

houses like

Just then little

it

it

its

me

around the corner of the

two big black

cats

One of them was

slinking tigers, they

came

street."

into the garden of the

carrying a piece of

padded

10

all

raw meat.

around the garden.

The Wild when

Little

House

they were sure no one else was there, they settled

down by one of

the house's legs to share the meat.

After they had each had a few

"This

is

much

bites,

one

said to the other:

nicer than hunting rats and mice."

II

The Wild "And

if

people will leave their pantry windows open,"

must expect trouble."

said the other, "they

"Dirty "I'll

it

lifted the leg

and hoisted

itself angrily.

up

a

near which the two cats were sitting

one and then the other over the garden

first

wall into the

at

house to

the

thieves," said

little

soon deal with them."

And

set

House

Little

street.

The

about the meat. They

cats forgot

howl and dashed

off

up the

street.

The shoemaker and his wife sat up each other. The shoemaker said: "I

in

bed and looked

thought the whole house shook."

"So did

They

I," said his

wife.

listened for a while,

and then they decided

to sleep again and forget about

"We

were imagining

All night long the

happened and

it

it,"

little

to

go

it.

they said.

house thought of what had

was the most astonished

little

house in

the world.

moved my leg," it said to itself over and over again. "I really did move my leg. If I hadn't got so angry with the cats I might never have known I could do it." But it didn't dare to move it again that night, for fear "I

of awakening the shoemaker and his wife again.

The next for

night, the wild little house waited impatiently

everyone in "I

it

to

must fmd out

fall

asleep.

how much 12

At I

last all

can do,"

was it

quiet.

said to itself

The Wild And

Then

garden.

of exitement,

though

a httle stiffly.

two hind

a fool I've been,"

"All diese years

I

know

didn't even

And

its

walked

it

cats

out of the

other front leg, and then, with

tried its

it

shivers

"What

had hoisted the

the leg that

it lifted

House

Little

Each one moved,

legs.

thought the wild

httle house.

could have been moving around and

I

it."

awkwardly.

a step forward,

The shoemaker and his wife turned over in their sleep, but diey didn't wake up. The house walked another step, very carefully still, but much more easily. "I'm getting used to

it,"

it

diought, and walked

two

steps.

And

then

it

stepped over die low front garden wall into

the street.

"Now to

what

see

I'll

the rest of the

town

is

like," it said

itself.

The

tall

street!

stop

little

house was brazenly marching up the

But they had no

it.

They

they were

whispered together indignantly.

houses

stiff

That bad wild

legs, so

they could do nothing to

leaned across the street threateningly, but

afraid

to

lean

too

far,

lest

they crack

their

foundations.

Up

to die top

of the

street

ing very softly.

Then

the next until

was many

it

it

went

the

little

house, walkstreet,

and

away from home.

All

turned into the next streets

14

The Wild the time

it

was hoping

House

Little

to see another Httle house

but every house in that town was

tall

John woke up just as the house was own garden. It was moving so gently all

frightened.

When was

He

and

hke

itself;

stiff.

starting

back to

its

that he

was not

at

got out of bed and ran to the window.

he saw what was happening he nearly

out, he

fell

so surprised.

"Our house

is

walking!" he

said, "I

knew

always

it

was

a wild Htde house."

Then he into

all

"I

won't

window

leaned happily on the

the upstairs tell

"They'd say

The wild

I

my

windows of father

sill

and looked

the houses they passed.

and mother," he

said to himself

was only dreaming."

little

when

house was very uneasy

it

reaHsed

John was awake. Of course it did not want anyone know it was now able to walk.

that to

But, as if

John knew what

it

was thinking about, he

whispered: "It's all right, httle

house.

Every night for three

I

won't

nights, the

and

house

like itself.

lane,

but never did

it

anyone."

house stepped over the

garden wall and explored the town. street

tell

It

went

see another

"I'm the only one in the whole town,"

on the

third night,

and

it felt

wild

every little

said to itself

very lonely.

John had stayed awake each night 15

it

into

to see

what the house

The Wild would

do.

He

noticed that

Little it

went

House

to a different place each

time, but of course he could not understand

looking

for.

i6

what

it

was

The Wild On

House

Little

the second night they passed his father's workshop,

and John whispered loudly:

"Oh

look! There's

The house stopped

where

my

father works!"

to look, but

only saw a

it

row of

long thin shoes waiting to be mended, in the ground-floor

window of

On

a tall stiff house.

the third

evening a

John's father and mother.

captain

came

navy-blue

suit

ship's

He had

a

to

visit

with brass

buttons, and he stayed very late telling stories about ships that he

had

sailed in.

The wild

house had not heard

little

such good stories since the days of the old sea-captain that

had

built

it.

It

was true

that this sailor

was not wearing

gold ear-rings, but then he probably had them in his pocket.

At last the sailor started for home. The house watched him striding off down the hill under the moon. "That must be the road to the

must be another town down be so

far

away, or he would not

thought. "There

sea," it

by the

there

sea.

set off to

And

it

can't

walk there

so

late at night."

And night the

it

hill to

shore,

began to think

how

when everyone would be the next town. It

easy

it

would

asleep early, to

must

little

some

on the

sea-

houses like

itself

surely be

and there might even be other

be,

walk down

there.

The next night, the shoemaker and his wife began to yawn very early. John was tired too, because he had been c

17

The Wild awake and

for three nights.

fast asleep.

little

to walk down the

had

It

to

No

House

ten o'clock they

The house stepped

wall into the street.

The wild

By

Little

one

were

all

in

bed

gently over the garden

stirred,

not even John.

house went out of die town and began hill to

the sea.

go very slowly, for the

hill

was

steep.

A

stumble might have jerked John and his father and mother out of bed.

and

trees

It

was

moonlight night again, and the fences

a

looked very strange to the

house,

little

who had

never been out in the country before. For a long time

was

so

much

how

did not notice

very

it felt

new

interested in looking at

things that

It

tired.

never reach the sea

trees,

again.

and

it

tall stiff

But

how

soon from "I

But

come

it felt

it

thought.

at all!"

paused for a while, feeling very sorry for

go home

the

I'll

to be done? Having

was

it

long the road was. Then suddenly

"This must be the longest road in the world,"

"I'm sure

it

queer and lost

almost wished to see the

itself

What

did not want to

so far it

silly

among

the dark

staring faces

of

houses again. they would snigger

if it arrived

back again so

its travels!

must go on

at

any

cost,"

again the slow descent of the All night long

it

it

said to

and

it

began

hill.

Summer dawn was when it caught sight of

walked, and the

just beginning to lighten the sky,

i8

itself,

The Wild a

group of houses, with a

a httle faster then, but its

And

occupants.

town by

reached the It

had

when

It

went

to be careful not to

wake

of water beyond.

flash

it still

just

House

Little

it

was

delight.

though

For they were

their paint

was not

fat

httle

at all

house walked

It

looked through the

cheerful people chuckling

Nothing could have been more unlike the

town

it

in

their stiff

tall

left.

Halfway down the main the wild

itself,

Some of them even

sleep.

had

it

the other houses

houses, just like

all little

so spruce.

had bunks and swinging lamps.

windows and saw

morning

the sea.

was well worth the long walk. The

right through the town and looked

with

really

little

street there

was a tiny

field,

house stepped over the low fence into

the very middle of the field

stood

it

still,

planted

its

and

it.

In

four

posts squarely in the grass and said:

"Here

I

stay!"

moment it added: "Anyway I wouldn't have

After a

time to walk

home now,

before the people get up." It fell

houses

into a lovely

all

boats rising and falling

At

his usual

himself

A

dream

as it

saw the

cheerful

little

around, and at the end of the street a pier with

on the slow waves.

woke up and stretched woke up too, and he said

time the shoeqiaker

minute

later his

wife

to her:

20

^^^ "I feel

very happy

this

morning, though

I

don't quite

know why." "So do

was

a

"I

I,"

said his wife. "I

baby being rocked

dreamed

that

I

was

had

a

funny dream, that

I

in a cradle." in a boat going

the waves," said the shoemaker.

21

up and down on

Little

House

head in

at the door.

The Wild Just then

John poked

his

"Get up and look out of the window," he

said.

His father and mother rushed to the window.

"What

know where we

town by

are

Where have

we?

all

the

are," said the

is

the

shoemaker. "This

the sea!"

how

"But "I

Where

houses gone?"

tall stiff

"I

has happened?

did

know,"

we

get here?" asked his wife, bewildered.

"The house walked

said John.

here,

by

all

itself"

no time

"This

is

"But

it's

true,"

nights the house

"Last night

I

for jokes," said his

had walked

was

and

tired

must have walked

all

the

mother

and he told

said John,

all I

crossly.

how

for three

over the town on the

fell

asleep,"

way down

the

he

said,

hill until

hill.

"and it

it

came

here." "It

but

must have done

his

mother

that, right

enough," said his

father,

said:

"I don't believe it."

So they little field

all

went out of

the front door and stood in the

where the house had decided

to stay,

and John

said:

"Please,

little

house,

show

my

mother that you

really able to walk."

"I don't see

And

it

why

not," thought the house to

lifted its legs

and took a step forward. 22

itself.

are

The Wild "It's true,

House

then," said John's mother, with respect.

Suddenly she "Just

Little

said to the house:

you walk

straight

back again

this instant!"

"That's another story," said the house to

stepped back hastily to

So they were

its

in a fix.

itself,

and

it

old position.

Though

the shoemaker and his

wife implored the house to go home,

it

would not

leg for them. It just stood there, feeling pleased with

warm

and enjoying the sun and the

stir

a

itself,

salty air.

At first the shoemaker made up his mind to stay in the town by the sea, as the house would not leave it. He made the front parlour into a workshop and announced to all

mend their shoes, make them. But he soon found out that the fat people had hardly any work for him to do. The the people that he was ready to

or even

to

cheerful tall

stiff

people walked heavily, clump, clump, clump, so their shoes

wore out

quickly, but the fat cheerful people danced along

so lightly and happily that the soles of their shoes rarely

wore out before the all

had

buy

feet that

uppers.

their shoes in the

shops,

them specially made. As soon as they heard walked down the out to see

Then

the fat cheerful people

were the right shape, so they were able to

hill

and did not need to have

that a

wild httle house had

to their town,

all

the people

came

it.

"We're sorry we have no shoes 23

for

you

to

mend," they

The Wild said,

Httle

we

"but

house

And

is,

t

How

help that.

compared with

it

bright and neat your

said:

will be just like ours."

The wild proud of

House

ours!"

one of them laughed and

"Soon

sprucest

can

Little

its

little

"I suppose

little

house

felt

uneasy about

that.

It

was

shining paint, and proud, too, of being the

house in the town. But then

even

fat cheerful

it

said to

itself:

people can sometimes be

jealous."

After a few days a the house for a

man came and took

photographs of

newspaper. Then hundreds of people came

^7

2^

''':. >v^?^t_^

^^/u

24

^-^S^r ^,,

1008833

from

all

street

and looked into the

over the country to see

"Just an ordinary

little

it.

They stood

little field at it,

house on

legs.

in

and they

the said:

There's nothing

to see!

The house did not like that. "I'll show them if I'm an ordinary and

it

began to walk around the

"It's a

wild

little

house,

all

25

little

house,"

it said,

field.

right," said all the people.

The Wild Twice it

the house

went back

to the

walked around

everyone

tell

House

it

Uttle field,

its

middle and stood

The people clapped and "We'll

Little

and then

there.

cheered.

can really walk," they said before

they went home.

So the Summer passed away, and crowds of people came every day to see the house that

coming

a while they got tired of

was no one

left

who had

not seen

could walk. But so

far,

after

and then there

it.

John loved being by the sea. He spent all day in on the shore, and he soon knew all the

boats and captains

who

called there in their ships.

when he saw

not so pleased

work many

to do;

But even he was

that his father

was getting no

and though he asked the wild

times to go home,

In September the

it

first

would

the sea-

Uttle

house

not.

storm came. The wind howled

and the rain poured down. Thunder roared and lightning flickered across the sky

and any boats that had been

left in

the water banged against each other and were smashed to pieces.

Mountainous waves crashed spray rose high in the to

all

the houses.

much. The spray was drying a

When

little.

air.

The wild

Then little

bitter,

That was not

the storm

in it

on

the beach and the

was blown inshore on

house didn't

and

it

could

like that so

feel

its

paint

pleasant.

was over the sun shone 26

ac^ain,

and one

The Wild golden

long

And

day followed another.

and November.

came,

House

Little

October

then

Other storms came, more often

now. In between the storms the sun only shone for an hour or two, and soon the house of the

free

and began to peel off in looked little

little flakes.

at itself in horror. It

caked with

salt,

and

all

"If

I

it

little

house

houses.

Its

to look

roof was

timbers had begun to shrink. little

house to

itself

thought:

stay here

much

"So one night of rain

no

The wild

little

"This won't do," said the wild

And

shrivelled,

was beginning

It

the other

its

was never

was no longer the only spruce

shiny house in the town.

drab and grey, like

it

and

that

felt

bitter salt spray. Its paint dried

longer,

it

may even fall asunder!" and wind, when it could stand it

longer

I

began the long journey up the

hill

again.

woke up, and John windows and watched

This time the shoemaker and his wife too,

how

and they

all

leaned out of their

the house toiled along

"We're going home

on

to the

its

tall

wooden stiff

legs.

people

who wear

out their shoes quickly," said the shoemaker to his wife,

and they were very pleased.

But although John knew it was a good thing home, he was sorry to be leaving

to be going

for

them

the boats

and the sea-captains behind. Just before the people got up, in the the

hill,

the wild Httle house reached

27

its

town on top of

own

garden.

It

was

tired out,

but glad to be

safe

from the withering

salty

spray.

When

the townspeople got

find that the

everyone

brought

little

knew

it

their shoes to

they hoped still

house had come back.

that

workshop, just so it

was

able

to

By

this

to

time

walk, and they

all

be mended instead of going to the

as that

they could see the house. Perhaps

would dance

and didn't move

up they were amazed

at

for them; but

all.

28

it

stayed quite

The Wild

House

Little

Winter passed away and Spring came. house began to

little

"But

I

would Hke want

it,

if

the wild

feel restless again.

don't think the I

Now

went

good shoemaker and

travelling,"

it

wife

his

thought, "and

I

don't

to injure them."

One

evening

when John and

his father

and mother were

kitchen they began to talk about the whole

sitting in the

adventure.

was a lovely summer, by the

"It

"though "Yes,

sea," said his

mother,

we were so anxious to come home." I wish we could go again," said John, "when we

have summer hohdays." "I could take

for a

month. But what's the use of

maker sea,

some work with me and we could

sadly.

and

I

"We

talking," said the shoe-

couldn't afford to rent a house

think our wild httle house has

Httle house,

and

it

will

become

go walking no more."

29

stay

by a

the

tame

But

it

did.

When

and the winds blew

fme night reached

the days began to get

up the

softly

hill

warm

and long,

from the

sea,

one

the wild httle house started downhill again.

its

own

little

field

stayed for a whole month.

and

settled

down

John swam and

there,

sailed,

and

It

and his

and mother took him out fishing nearly every day. Then one morning they woke up to find themselves at

father

home

again.

30

The Wild Every year the wild Its

legs got a little

ones for

it,

Little

little

House

house took them to the

sea.

worn, and the shoemaker made new

for as well as being a

shoemaker he was

a

good

carpenter.

After that the

little

house was quite

one excursion every year, and

satisfied

with

its

of the time

for the rest

it

stayed solidly at home.

When John it

to

grew up and became

home altogether. It come home between voyages,

stayed at

stories

he had to

tell

a sea-captain himself,

waited patiently for him so that

of strange and

it

could hear the

terrible adventures

he

had had, and of queer places he had been. For in

its

heart

it

always remained a wild

31

little

house.


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