At the Back of the North Wind | Page 3

without a window!" cried the voice.
"I am sure I don't know. All I say is that it will be worse for me than for you."
"No, it will not," replied the voice. "You shall not be the worse for it--I promise you that. You will be much the better for it. Just believe what I say, and do as I tell you."
"Well, I can pull the clothes over my head," said Diamond. So he felt around with his little sharp nails, got hold of one edge of the paper and tore it off. In came a long whistling stream of cold that struck his little naked chest. He scrambled and tumbled in under the bed-clothes and covered himself up. There was no paper between him and the voice now, and he felt--not frightened exactly--but a little queer.
"What a strange person this North Wind must be," thought Diamond, "to live in what they call 'Out-of-Doors,' I suppose, and make windows into people's beds."
Now the voice began again. He could hear it quite plainly, even with his head under the bed-clothes. It was still more gentle now, though it was six times as large and loud as before. And he thought it sounded a little like his mother's.
"What is your name, little boy?" it asked.
"Diamond," answered Diamond under the bed-clothes.
"What a funny name!"
"It is a very nice name," replied the boy.
"I am not so sure of that," said the voice.
"Well, I am!" returned Diamond. "I think it is a very pretty name."
"Diamond is a useless thing, rather," said the voice.
"That is not true. Diamond is very useful--and as big as two--and so quiet all night! But doesn't he make a jolly row in the morning, getting up on his four great legs! It is like thunder!"
"You do not seem to know what a diamond is!" cried the voice.
"Oh, don't I, just! Diamond is a great and good horse, and he sleeps right under me. He is old Diamond and I am young Diamond. Or, if you like it better, Mr. North Wind, if you are so particular, he is big Diamond and I am little Diamond. And I do not know which of us my father likes best!"
A beautiful laugh, soft and musical, sounded somewhere near him. But the boy kept his head under the clothes.
"I am not Mr. North Wind," said the voice.
"You told me you were the North Wind," cried Diamond.
"I did not say Mr. North Wind," said the voice.
"Well, I do say Mr. for my mother tells me always to be polite."
"Then let me tell you that I do not think it at all polite for you to say Mr. to me," answered the voice.
"Isn't it? Well, I am sorry then."
"But you ought to know better," said the voice. "You can't think it is polite to lie there with your head under the bed-clothes and never look to see what kind of a person you are talking to! I want you to come out with me."
"I want to go to sleep!" said Diamond.
"Will you take your head out of the bed-clothes?" said the voice a little angrily.
"No!" said Diamond crossly.
The moment he said the word a fierce blast of wind crashed in the wall and swept the clothes off him. He started up in a fright. Leaning over him was the large, beautiful, pale face of a woman. Her dark eyes had begun to flash a little but the rest of her face was very sweet and beautiful. What was very strange, though, was that away from her head streamed out her black hair in every direction like dark clouds. Soon it fell down about her again and then her face came out of it like the moon out of the clouds.
"Will you go with me now, little Diamond?" asked the North Wind bending over him and speaking very gently.
"Yes, yes!" cried Diamond, stretching out his arms toward her. "Yes, I will go with you, dear North Wind. I am not a bit afraid. I will go! But," he added, "how shall I get my clothes? They are in mother's room and the door is locked."
"Oh never mind your clothes. You will not be cold. Nobody is cold with the North Wind."
"I thought everybody was," said Diamond.
"That is a great mistake. People are not cold when they are with the North Wind--only when they are against it. Now will you come?"
"Yes, dear North Wind. You are so beautiful I am quite ready to go with you."
"Ah, but I may not always look beautiful. If you see me with my face all black, don't be frightened. If you see me flapping wings like bat's wings, as big as the whole sky, don't be afraid. If you hear me raging, you must believe that I am just doing my work. Nay, Diamond,