Nor did he recover until the great blast that followed, having torn some tiles off the roof, sent a spout of wind down into his bed and over his face, which brought him wide awake, and gave him back his courage.

The same moment he heard a mighty yet musical voice calling him.
"Come up, Diamond," it said.

"It's all ready.

I'm waiting for you." He looked out of the bed, and saw a gigantic, powerful, but most lovely arm--with a hand whose fingers were nothing the less ladylike that they could have strangled a boa-constrictor, or choked a tigress off its prey--stretched down through a big hole in the roof.

Without a moment's hesitation he reached out his tiny one, and laid it in the grand palm before him..