and follow the river. It grew wider and wider as it went. Now the armies
of wheat and of oats would hang over its rush from the opposite banks;
now the willows would dip low branches in its still waters; and now it
would lead them through stately trees and grassy banks into a lovely
garden, where the roses and lilies were asleep, the tender flowers
quite folded up, and only a few wide-awake and sending out their life in
sweet, strong odours. Wider and wider grew the stream, until they came
upon boats lying along its banks, which rocked a little in the flutter
of North Wind's garments. Then came houses on the banks, each standing
in a lovely lawn, with grand trees; and in parts the river was so high
that some of the grass and the roots of some of the trees were under
water, and Diamond, as they glided through between the stems, could see
the grass at the bottom of the water. Then they would leave the river
and float about and over the houses, one after another--beautiful rich
houses, which, like fine trees, had taken centuries to grow. There was
scarcely a light to be seen, and not a movement to be heard: all the
people in them lay fast asleep.

"What a lot of dreams they must be dreaming!" said Diamond.

"Yes," returned North Wind. "They can't surely be all lies--can they?"

"I should think it depends a little on who dreams them," suggested
Diamond.

"Yes," said North Wind. "The people who think lies, and do lies, are
very likely to dream lies. But the people who love what is true will
surely now and then dream true things. But then something depends on
whether the dreams are home-grown, or whether the seed of them is blown
over somebody else's garden-wall. Ah! there's some one awake in this
house!"

They were floating past a window in which a light was burning. Diamond
heard a moan, and looked up anxiously in North Wind's face.

"It's a lady," said North Wind. "She can't sleep for pain."

"Couldn't you do something for her?" said Diamond.

"No, I can't. But you could."

"What could I do?"

"Sing a little song to her."

"She wouldn't hear me."

"I will take you in, and then she will hear you."

"But that would be rude, wouldn't it? You can go where you please, of
course, but I should have no business in her room."

"You may trust me, Diamond. I shall take as good care of the lady as of
you. The window is open. Come."

By a shaded lamp, a lady was seated in a white wrapper, trying to read,
but moaning