George Macdonald

At the Back of the North Wind George Macdonald

WHEN Diamond got round the corner of the hay, for a moment he hesitated. The stair by whichhe would naturally have gone down to the door was at the other side of the loft, and looked veryblack indeed; for it was full of North Wind's hair, as she descended before him. And just beside himwas the ladder going straight down into the stable, up which his father always came to fetch the hayfor Diamond's dinner. Through the opening in the floor the faint gleam of the-stable lantern wasenticing, and Diamond thought he would run down that way. The stair went close past the loose-box in which Diamond the horse lived. When Diamond theboy was half-way down, he remembered that it was of no use to go this way, for the stable-door waslocked. But at the same moment there was horse Diamond's great head poked out of his box on tothe ladder, for he knew boy Diamond although he was in his night-gown, and wanted him to pull hisears for him. This Diamond did very gently for a minute or so, and patted and stroked his neck too, and kissed the big horse, and had begun to take the bits of straw and hay out of his mane, when allat once he recollected that the Lady North Wind was waiting for him in the yard."Good night, Diamond," he said, and darted up the ladder, across the loft, and down the stair tothe door. But when he got out into the yard, there was no lady. Now it is always a dreadful thing to think there is somebody and find nobody. Children inparticular have not made up their minds to it; they generally cry at nobody, especially when theywake up at night. But it was an especial disappointment to Diamond, for his little heart had beenbeating with joy: the face of the North Wind was so grand! To have a lady like that for a friend-with such long hair, too! Why, it was longer than twenty Diamonds' tails! She was gone. And therehe stood, with his bare feet on the stones of the paved yard