ot 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 green light,
above that a golden cloud, and over that the blue of the wintry heavens.
Diamond thought that next to his own home, he had never seen any place
he would like so much to live in as that sky.

As he wandered about, he came to stand by the little door which opened
upon the lawn of the house next door. That made him remember how the
wind had driven him to this same spot on the night of his dream. So he
thought he would just go in and see if things looked at all as they did
then. But not a flower was to be seen in the beds on the lawn! Even the
brave old chrysanthemums and Christmas roses had passed away before the
frost. What? Yes! There was _one_. He ran and knelt down to look at it.

It was a primrose--a tiny, tiny thing, but perfect in shape--a baby
wonder. As he stooped his face to see it close, a little wind began to
blow. Two or three long leaves that stood up behind the flower shook and
wavered and quivered. But the primrose lay still in the green hollow,
looking up at the sky and not seeming to know at all that the wind was
blowing. It looked like a golden eye that the black wintry earth had
opened to look at the sky with.

That very same night, after Diamond had been asleep for a little, he
awoke all at once in the dark.

"Open the window, Diamond," said a voice.

Now Diamond's mother had once more pasted up North Wind's window.

"Are you North Wind?" said Diamond. "I do not hear you blowing."

"No, but you hear me talking. Open the window for I haven't over much
time."

"Yes," said Diamond. "But please, North Wind, where's the use? You left
me all alone last time."

"That was your fault," returned North Wind. "I had work to do and you
kept me waiting."

Diamond was already scratching at the paper like ten mice and, getting
hold of the edge of it, tore it off. The next instant a young girl
glided across the bed and stood on the floor.

"Oh, dear!" said Diamond quite dismayed. "I didn't know--who are you,
please?"

"