At the Back of the North Wind Illustrated - online book



Old Diamond			35

She came running to the ladder, and peeping down, saw him aloft on the great horse. ^" Come down, Diamond," she said. " I can't," answered Diamond. " How did you get up?" asked his mother. " Quite easily,"

answered		he;

" but when I got

up,	Diamond

would get up too, and so here I am." His mother thought he had been walking in his sleep again, and hurried down the ladder. She did not much like going up to the horse, for she had not been used to horses; but she would have gone into a lion's den, not to say a horse's stall, to help her boy. So she went and lifted him off Diamond's back, and felt braver all her life after. She carried him in her arms up to her room; but, afraid of frightening him at his own sleepwalking, as she supposed it, said nothing about last night. Before the next day was over, Diamond had almost concluded the whole adventure a dream.