to the gate found himself in a beautiful country, not like any
country he had ever been in before. There were no trees of any size;
nothing bigger in fact than hawthorns, which were full of may-blossom.
The place in which they grew was wild and dry, mostly covered
with grass, but having patches of heath. It extended on every side
as far as he could see. But although it was so wild, yet wherever
in an ordinary heath you might have expected furze bushes, or holly,
or broom, there grew roses--wild and rare--all kinds. On every side,
far and near, roses were glowing. There too was the gum-cistus,
whose flowers fall every night and come again the next morning,
lilacs and syringas and laburnums, and many shrubs besides,
of which he did not know the names; but the roses were everywhere.
He wandered on and on, wondering when it would come to an end.
It was of no use going back, for there was no house to be seen anywhere.
But he was not frightened, for you know Diamond was used to things that
were rather out of the way. He threw himself down under a rose-bush,
and fell asleep.

He woke, not out of his dream, but into it, thinking he heard a child's
voice, calling "Diamond, Diamond!" He jumped up, but all was still
about him. The rose-bushes were pouring out their odours in clouds.
He could see the scent like mists of the same colour as the rose,
issuing like a slow fountain and spreading in the air till it
joined the thin rosy vapour which hung over all the wilderness.
But again came the voice calling him, and it seemed to come from
over his head. He looked up, but saw only the deep blue sky full
of stars--more brilliant, however, than he had seen them before;
and both sky and stars looked nearer to the earth.

While he gazed up, again he heard the cry. At the same moment he