His mother thought he had been walking in his sleep again, and hurried
down the ladder. She did not much like going up to the horse,
for she had not been used to horses; but she would have gone
into a lion's den, not to say a horse's stall, to help her boy.
So she went and lifted him off Diamond's back, and felt braver
all her life after. She carried him in her arms up to her room;
but, afraid of frightening him at his own sleep-walking, as she
supposed it, said nothing about last night. Before the next day
was over, Diamond had almost concluded the whole adventure a dream.

For a week his mother watched him very carefully--going into
the loft several times a night--as often, in fact, as she woke.
Every time she found him fast asleep.

All that week it was hard weather. The grass showed white in the morning
with the hoar-frost which clung like tiny comfits to every blade.
And as Diamond's shoes were not good, and his mother had not quite
saved up enough money to get him the new pair she so much wanted
for him, she would not let him run out. He played all his games
over and over indoors, especially that of driving two chairs
harnessed to the baby's cradle; and if they did not go very fast,
they went as fast as could be expected of the best chairs in the world,
although one of them had only three legs, and the other only half
a back.

At length his mother brought home his new shoes, and no sooner
did she find they fitted him than she told him he might run
out in the yard and amuse himself for an hour.

The sun was going down when he flew from the door like a bird from