At the Back of the North Wind

headache, she was sure of it. Now there was an aunt of his living at Sandwich and his mother decided to send

hot day when he had been walking about more than he ought and was tired, he went into the toy-shop to re

histle that had a wind-mill at the end which turned when you blew the whistle. No one

Diamond out loud after wa

ered the tiniest voi

, please?” a

cried the voice. “You are as bad as a baby t

Wind,” said Diamond. “And I am so gl

es

own eve

t got away with six

f,” said Diamond to himself. Aloud he said, “Please, North Wind, I

as silent so long that he thought she must h

ut we shall see. We shall see. You must go hom

feel his forehead and to give him a drink of lemonade. Then he went off to sleep, but was awake again soon, for a burst of wind blew open his la

he said. “I have fo

ot well,” s

you will be b

Sure enough, the moment he felt her arms fold about him, he began to feel better. I

ut,” said North Wind. And soon, Diamond looking down

north is where I come from — it is my home though I never get nearer to it than the outer door. I can only sit on the door-step and hear the voices in there, behind me. Since I cannot blow in that direction to get there, I have just

,” said

n I know well. I have often helped him t

that,” said Diamond who had bee

nd had blown that ship straight north, the captain would just have smoked his pipe all day and got stupider and stupider. But now I am going to put you aboard his ship. Do you see that round thing on the deck like

ld hear the straining of the masts, the creaking of the boom, and the singing of the ropes with the roaring of the wi

up and bore him aloft into the clouds. Down below, he saw the little vessel, he had been in, tossing on th

gly in amongst some flags. And now on and on, they sped toward the north. How long it was,

ue sea. Some of the icebergs were drifting northward, one passing very near the ship. North Wind seized Diamond and with a single bound, lighted on it. The same

deep, dazzling, lovely blue that was always in motion, boiling a

dissolving away. He could see the side of the blue cave through her very heart. She me

Of course, as we go northward,

into the green ocean. When he got tired of that, he went back into the blue cave. He fe

on, and at last his berg floated up to a projecting rock. Diamond stepped ashore and a little way before him saw a lofty ridge of ice with a gap in it

door-step!” said Diamon

Wind but he thought she must be dead at last. Her face was white as the snow, her eyes blue

All grew white about him. He groped on further. The white thickened about him and he felt himself stumbling and

his face but he was not quite sure he did not miss the wind. A river as clear as crystal ran not only through the grass but over it too. It murmured a low, sweet song as it ran. There was no sun nor moon but a pure cl

oved who had not yet got there. But if one at the back of the north wind wanted to know how things were go

North Wind. He could not go home without her and therefore he must find her. He went all about searching and searching. One day as he was looking and looking, he thought he caught a glimpse of the ice ridge and the misty form of North Wind seated as he had left her. He ran as hard as he c

hange like that of one waking from sleep. He clambered up upon her breast. She gave a great

went through you, dear North Wind? It has

ys,” said North Wind smili

ind had vanished. But something like a cockchafer flew

d in his ear. “It is time we

ll Diamond discovered that it was not a spider but a weasel. Away glided the weasel and away went Diamond after it. The weasel grew and grew and grew till he saw it was not a weasel

ger whatever she did or grew to be. The tiger flew over the snow in a straight line for the south, growing l

precipices that bounded the sea. So he slowed up his pace to a walk and said to himself, “North Wind will come back for me,

y,” said North Wind

liked best to see her, standing b

tiger. It puzzles me a little. I saw it such a long way off

to me than to see you eat bre

nd butter!” cried Diamond. “I am afraid to sa

soon. I am glad to

nd went flying southward. The sea slid away from under them like a great web of shot silk, blue shot with gray, and green shot with purple. The stars appeared