its cage. All the world was new to him. A great fire of sunset
burned on the top of the gate that led from the stables to the house;
above the fire in the sky lay a large lake of green light, above that
a golden cloud, and over that the blue of the wintry heavens.
And Diamond thought that, next to his own home, he had never seen
any place he would like so much to live in as that sky. For it
is not fine things that make home a nice place, but your mother
and your father.

As he was looking at the lovely colours, the gates were thrown open,
and there was old Diamond and his friend in the carriage, dancing with
impatience to get at their stalls and their oats. And in they came.
Diamond was not in the least afraid of his father driving over him,
but, careful not to spoil the grand show he made with his fine
horses and his multitudinous cape, with a red edge to every fold,
he slipped out of the way and let him dash right on to the stables.
To be quite safe he had to step into the recess of the door that led
from the yard to the shrubbery.

As he stood there he remembered how the wind had driven him
to this same spot on the night of his dream. And once more he
was almost sure that it was no dream. At all events, he would go
in and see whether things looked at all now as they did then.
He opened the door, and passed through the little belt of shrubbery.
Not a flower was to be seen in the beds on the lawn. Even the
brave old chrysanthemums and Christmas roses had passed away
before the frost. What? Yes! There was one! He ran and knelt
down to look at it.

It was a primrose--a dwarfish thing, but perfect in shape--