It was some time before he saw North Wind again. He saw the little girl before that but it was only for a moment. It happened in this way. His father was taking the horse, Diamond, to have new shoes put on him, and knowing that little Diamond, like all small boys, liked a ride, he set him on the horse and taking the bridle led the two Diamonds away.

The blacksmith’s shop was some distance away, deeper in London. As they crossed the angle of a square, Diamond, who was looking about to see if any one noticed him riding upon the big horse like a man, saw a little girl sweeping a crossing before a lady and holding out her hand for a penny. The lady had no penny and the little girl was disappointed.

Diamond could not stand that. He knew the little girl and he knew that he had a penny in his pocket. He slid off the horse in a sort of tumble and ran to her, holding out the penny. She did not know him at first, but when he smiled at her, she did. He stuffed the penny into her hand and ran back, for he knew his father would not care to wait. After that, he did not see little Nanny for a long time.

He played often now on the lawn of the house next door — Mr. Coleman’s lawn — as the summer drew near, warm and splendid. One evening, he was sitting in a little summer-house at the foot of the lawn, before which was a bed of tulips. They were closed for the night but the wind was waving them slightly. All at once, out of one of them, there flew a big buzzing bumblebee.

“There! That’s something done!” said a voice — a gentle, merry, childish voice but so tiny! “I was afraid he would have to stay there all night.”

Diamond looked all about and then he saw the tiniest creature, sliding down the stem of the tulip.

“Are you the fairy that herds the bees?” he asked kneeling down beside the tulip bed.

“I am not a fairy,” answered the little creature. “You stupid Diamond, have you never seen me before?”

As she spoke, a moan of wind bent the tulips almost to the ground and then he recognized North Wind.

“But there!” added the little creature, “I must not stay to chatter. I have to go and sink a ship to-night.”

“Sink a ship!” cried Diamond. “And drown the men and women in it? How dreadful! Still I cannot believe you are cruel, North Wind!”

“No, I could not be cruel, and yet I must often do what looks cruel to those who do not know. But the people they say I drown, I only carry away to the back of the north wind — only I never saw the place.”

“But how can you carry them there if you never saw the place? And how is it that you never saw it?”

“Because it is behind me. You cannot see your own back, you know. But run along now if you want to go with me to-night. I cannot take you till you have been to bed and gone to sleep. I’ll look about and do something till you are ready. Do you see that man over there on the river in the boat who is just floating about? Now watch!”