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Diamond didn't tell his mother about his adventures with North Wind. He didn't think his mother would mind, if only she knew North Wind. Maybe she did know North Wind. At least North Wind said she knew his mother. Still, his mother might not believe him, as Nanny hadn't. He decided that North Wind would tell him if he was supposed to say anything.

Spring went by, summer came, and yet Diamond hadn't seen North Wind again. One warm evening just before, Diamond sat in the Colemans's garden watching some bees among a patch of flowers. Suddenly he heard a tiny voice from the flowers. He bent closer to look. There, sliding down a tulip stem, was a girl no bigger than a dragonfly.

"Are you the fairy that herds the bees?" stammered Diamond, staring wide-eyed at the tiny girl. "I'm not a fairy," sh epiped. "You look like one." "Fairies are much bigger than I am. Besides, a fairy can't grow big and little whenever it wants, even though the nursery tales do say so. You silly Diamond, haven't you seen me before?" As she spoke, a gust of wind bent the tulips over and then was gone. "North Wind?" Diamond said, still staring hard. "Must I always be the same size for you to recognise me?" she asked. "Diamond, I cannot stay and chatter. I must get ready. I have to sink a ship tonight."

"I don't want to see a ship sink."

"Sink a ship! What! With men on it?"

"Yes, and women, too."

"How dreadful! I wish you wouldn't talk so."

"It's dreadful," she said. "But I have my orders, and I must do it."

"I hope you won't ask me to go with you," Diamond said, his face suddenly pale.

"No, I won't ask you. But you must come, even so."

"I won't come, then."

"Won't you?" And suddenly the tiny creature became a tall lady and looked down at Diamond. He stared up into her eyes. "Please take me," he said. "I know you cannot be cruel."

"No, I couldn't be cruel if I wanted," she said softly. "I can do nothing cruel, although I often do what looks cruel to those who don't know what I really am doing. The people they say I drown I only carry away to - to - well, to the back of north wind. That's why they used to call it long ago, although I never have seen the place."

"How can you carry them there if you never saw it?"

"I know the way," said North Wind.

"But how is it that you never saw it?"

Because it is behind me."

"But you can look around."

"Not far enough to see my own back," said North Wind. "No, I always look before me. In fact, I grow quite blind and deaf when I try to see behind me. I only mind my work. It's all the same to me whether I let a bee out of a tulip or sweep the cobwebs from the sky. Anyway, you will go with me tonight?"

"I don't want to see a ship sunk," said Diamond.

"But suppose I had to take you?"

"Then of course I must go."

"There's a good Diamond! Only you must go to bed first. That's the law about children.

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