At the Back of the North Wind | Page 4

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, if I
change into a serpent or a tiger, you must not let go your hold of me,
for it will be I just the same. And now, come!"
She turned away and went so swiftly that she was gone before
Diamond was more than started. When he finally got down the stairs
and out into the yard, no one did he see. And there he stood with his
bare feet on the hard stones of the paved yard.
"I dare say she is hiding somewhere to see what I will do," said
Diamond. So around the end of the stable he went to see if he could
find her. But at once, sharp as a knife, the wind came against his little
chest and bare legs. And stronger and stronger the wind seemed to blow.
It was so cold! All at once, he remembered that she had said that people
were not cold if they went with the North Wind. So he turned his back
and trotted again toward the yard and sure enough, he began to feel
almost warm once more!
On and on, North Wind blew him and, presently, she seemed to shove
him right against a small door in a wall. It opened and she blew him
through it and out into the very middle of the lawn of the house next
door. It was here that Mr. Coleman lived who was his father's master
and who owned big Diamond. So little Diamond did not feel entirely
strange, and then, too, there was a light in one window that looked
friendly. As long as he could see that, Diamond could not feel quite
alone or lonely. But all at once, the light went almost out. Then indeed,
he felt that it was dreadful to be out in the night alone, when every
body else was gone to bed! That was more than he could bear and it
was not strange that he burst out crying.

Some one in the house heard the sound of his sobbing and came out
and found him there. He was taken into the house and into a room
which had a bright light and a warm fire in it. Beside this, he found
Miss Coleman, the young lady daughter of the house, who was having
her long dark hair brushed out before going to bed. Somehow in that
state, she looked just like the beautiful North Wind that he had been
searching for. Without stopping to think, he ran right into her arms for
comfort.
After he was warmed and comforted, they took him back home and
knocked on the door to arouse his mother, to come and get him. She
was much surprised to see him, you may be sure. She carried him up to
his bed again and tucked him snugly in. And there he fell fast asleep.
CHAPTER II
DIAMOND'S FIRST TRIP WITH THE NORTH WIND
Diamond awoke very early the next morning and thought what a
curious dream he had had. But the memory of it grew brighter and
brighter until it did not look altogether like a dream. In fact he began to
doubt whether he had not really been abroad in the wind at night.
All that week it was hard weather. The grass showed white in the
morning with the hoar frost which clung to every blade. As Diamond's
shoes were not good and his mother had not saved up quite enough
money to get him the new pair she so much wanted for him, she would
not let him run out. But at length, she brought home his new shoes. No
sooner did she find that they fitted him, than she told him he might run
out into the yard and amuse himself.
The sun was going down when he flew from the door like a bird from
its cage. A great fire of sunset burned over the top of the gate that led to
the stables. Above the fire in the sky, lay a large lake of