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As the days passed, Diamond began to wonder if it were all a dream. North Wind? A big, beautiful lady who entered his room as if by magic? His walk in the night? Before a week had passed, he was sure it never happened.

All that week his mother watched him closely. She went into his little loft bedroom several times each night to make sure he was safe in his bed.

The weather was getting colder. Frost covered the grass every morning now. Diamond had to stay inside for a few weeks because his shoes had worn out. His mother was saving pennies to buy him a new pair.

One day his mother brought home a new pair of shoes. When he had put them on, his mother let him go outside to play. As he played, he found himself by the little garden door, and at once he remembered his dream. Was it really a dream? Would the garden look the same to him as it did in the dream? Slowly he went through the doorway and out out into the soft grass.

"Open the window, Diamond"

Yes, it was the same, but, no, it wasn't. All the flowers were gone, killed by the frosts. Diamond looked around sadly.

There! There was one brave little flower left, a tiny primose. He ran to it and knelt down. As he watched, a little breeze began gently stirring its leaves. Curious. Diamond could feel no wind. Yet the little flower was stirring gently, as if bowing and saying, How do you do?

"Open the window, Diamond," came a voice. It was coming from the same hole in the wall. Diamond's mother had pasted the paper over it again.

And suddenly it all came back to Diamond. It wasn't a dream! Quickly, he scrambled to the hole. "But, North Wind," he said as he picked at the corner of the paper, "what's the use? You left me all alone last time."

"Yes, but that was your fault," she said. "I had work to do. And besides, a gentleman should never keep a lady waiting."

"But I"m not a gentleman," said Diamond, scratching at the paper. "I'm going to be a coachman, and a coachman is not a gentleman."

....A young girl stood before him.

"We call your father a gentleman in our house," said North Wind.

"He doesn't call himself one."

"That doesn't matter. Every man ought to be a gentleman, and your father is one."

Diamond was very pleased to hear this. Finally he got the paper off, and the next instant a young girl stood before him.

Diamond's face fell. "Oh dear!" he said. "Who are you?"

"I'm North Wind,"" said the girl.

"But you're no bigger than I am!"

"Do you think I care how big or little I am? Didn't you see me this evening? I was much smaller then."

"No. Where were you?"

"Behind the primose. Didn't you see the leaves blowing?"

"I'm big enough to show you the way anyhow. But if you won't come, then you must stay. I must hurry tonight."

Then Diamond saw a gleam of pale light vanishing down the stairs. Quickly, he dressed himself, crept down the stairs, and ran to the Colemans's garden. There was the girl. Was it really North Wind?

She held out her hand. "Come along," she said. Diamond took her hand. Though it was very cold, it was pleasant and it felt full of life.