did. What did I
see?"

"Only a picture of it--a sort of vision of it--and only while you seemed
to be asleep. The real country at my real back is ever so much more
beautiful than that. You shall see it one day--perhaps before very
long."

"Do they sing songs there?" asked Diamond.

"Yes," replied North Wind. "You have not forgotten the lovely river as
clear as glass that ran over and through the grass and flowers, have
you? Nor the soft sweet songs it was always singing?"

"No," said Diamond. "I remember that best of all. But I could not keep
the words of any one of its songs in mind, do what I would. And I did
try."

"That was my fault," said North Wind.

"How was that?" asked the little boy.

"Because I could not hear it plainly enough myself to teach it to you.
But you will hear the very song itself when you get to the back of----"

"My own dear North Wind," said Diamond, finishing the sentence for her,
and stroking the arm that held him leaning against her.

"And now, I will take you home again," said North Wind. "It won't do to
tire you too much."

"Oh, no, no!" pleaded Diamond. "I am not in the least tired."

"It is better, though," said North Wind.

"Very well; if you wish it," yielded Diamond, but with a sigh.

"You are a dear boy," said North Wind. "I will come for you again
to-morrow night and take you out for a longer time. We shall make a
little journey together, in fact. We shall start earlier, and as the
moon will be somewhat later, we shall have clear moonlight all the way."

She rose in air and swept over the meadow and the trees. In a few
minutes, "The Mound" appeared below them. She sank down to the house and
floated in at the window of Diamond's room. There she laid him on his
bed and covered him over. In a moment, he had sunk into a dreamless
sleep.

CHAPTER XII

NORTH WIND CARRIES DIAMOND AWAY

The next night, Diamond was tired, but was waiting eagerly for the
promised visit of North Wind. He was seated by his open window, with his
head on his hand and rather afraid he could not sleep. Suddenly, he
started and found he had already been asleep. He looked out of the
window and saw something white against his beech tree. It was North
Wind. Her hair and her garments went floating away behind her over the
tree whose top was swaying about while the other trees were quite still.

"Are you ready, Diamond?" she asked.

"Yes," answered Diamond, "quite ready."

In a moment,