s the rose, issuing like
a slow fountain and spreading in the air till it joined the thin rosy
vapour which hung over all the wilderness. But again came the voice
calling him, and it seemed to come from over his head. He looked up, but
saw only the deep blue sky full of stars--more brilliant, however, than
he had seen them before; and both sky and stars looked nearer to the
earth.

While he gazed up, again he heard the cry. At the same moment he saw one
of the biggest stars over his head give a kind of twinkle and jump,
as if it went out and came in again. He threw himself on his back,
and fixed his eyes upon it. Nor had he gazed long before it went out,
leaving something like a scar in the blue. But as he went on gazing he
saw a face where the star had been--a merry face, with bright eyes.
The eyes appeared not only to see Diamond, but to know that Diamond had
caught sight of them, for the face withdrew the same moment. Again came
the voice, calling "Diamond, Diamond;" and in jumped the star to its
place.

Diamond called as loud as he could, right up into the sky:

"Here's Diamond, down below you. What do you want him to do?"

The next instant many of the stars round about that one went out, and
many voices shouted from the sky,--

"Come up; come up. We're so jolly! Diamond! Diamond!"

This was followed by a peal of the merriest, kindliest laughter, and all
the stars jumped into their places again.

"How am I to come up?" shouted Diamond.

"Go round the rose-bush. It's got its foot in it," said the first voice.

Diamond got up at once, and walked to the other side of the rose-bush.

There he found what seemed the very opposite of what he wanted--a stair
down into the earth. It was of turf and moss. It did not seem to promise
well for getting into the sky, but Diamond had learned to look through
the look of things. The voice must have meant that he was to go down
this stair; and down this stair Diamond went, without waiting to think
more about it.

It was such a nice stair, so cool and soft--all the sides as well as the
steps grown with moss and grass and ferns! Down and down Diamond went--a
long way, until at last he heard the gurgling and splashing of a little
stream; nor had he gone much farther before he met it--yes, met it
coming up the stairs to meet him, running up just as naturally as if
it had been doing the other thing. Neither was Diamond in the least
surprised to see it pitching itself from one