was what he began to say, but as he spoke his eyes came wide open,
and behold, there were neither Apostles nor vergers there--not even a
window with the effigies of holy men in it, but a dark heap of hay all
about him, and the little panes in the roof of his loft glimmering blue
in the light of the morning. Old Diamond was coming awake down below in
the stable. In a moment more he was on his feet, and shaking himself so
that young Diamond's bed trembled under him.

"He's grand at shaking himself," said Diamond. "I wish I could shake
myself like that. But then I can wash myself, and he can't. What fun
it would be to see Old Diamond washing his face with his hoofs and iron
shoes! Wouldn't it be a picture?"

So saying, he got up and dressed himself. Then he went out into the
garden. There must have been a tremendous wind in the night, for
although all was quiet now, there lay the little summer-house crushed
to the ground, and over it the great elm-tree, which the wind had broken
across, being much decayed in the middle. Diamond almost cried to see
the wilderness of green leaves, which used to be so far up in the blue
air, tossing about in the breeze, and liking it best when the wind blew
it most, now lying so near the ground, and without any hope of ever
getting up into the deep air again.

"I wonder how old the tree is!" thought Diamond. "It must take a long
time to get so near the sky as that poor tree was."

"Yes, indeed," said a voice beside him, for Diamond had spoken the last
words aloud.

Diamond started, and looking around saw a clergyman, a brother of Mrs.
Coleman, who happened to be visiting her. He was a great scholar, and
was in the habit of rising early.

"Who are you, my man?" he added.

"Little Diamond," answered the boy.

"Oh! I have heard of you. How do you come to be up so early?"

"Because the sham Apostles talked such nonsense, they waked me up."

The clergyman stared. Diamond saw that he had better have held his
tongue, for he could not explain things.

"You must have been dreaming, my little man," said he. "Dear! dear!" he
went on, looking at the tree, "there has been terrible work here. This
is the north wind's doing. What a pity! I wish we lived at the back of
it, I'm sure."

"Where is that sir?" asked Diamond.

"Away in the Hyperborean regions," answered the clergyman, smiling.

"I never heard of the place," returned Diamond.

"I daresay not," answered the clergyman; "but if this