But the real Button-Bright is good to look at, and I hope to get him
changed back to himself, some time."
The Rainbow's Daughter nodded cheerfully, no longer afraid of
her new companions.
"But who is this?" she asked, pointing to Toto, who was sitting
before her wagging his tail in the most friendly manner and
admiring the pretty maid with his bright eyes. "Is this, also,
some enchanted person?"
"Oh no, Polly--I may call you Polly, mayn't I? Your whole name's
awful hard to say."
"Call me Polly if you wish, Dorothy."
"Well, Polly, Toto's just a dog; but he has more sense than
Button-Bright, to tell the truth; and I'm very fond of him."
"So am I," said Polychrome, bending gracefully to pat Toto's head.
"But how did the Rainbow's Daughter ever get on this lonely road,
and become lost?" asked the shaggy man, who had listened wonderingly
to all this.
"Why, my father stretched his rainbow over here this morning, so that
one end of it touched this road," was the reply; "and I was dancing
upon the pretty rays, as I love to do, and never noticed I was getting
too far over the bend in the circle. Suddenly I began to slide, and
I went faster and faster until at last I bumped on the ground, at the
very end. Just then father lifted the rainbow again, without noticing
me at all, and though I tried to seize the end of it and hold fast,
it melted away entirely and I was left alone and helpless on the cold,
hard earth!"
"It doesn't seem cold to me, Polly," said Dorothy; "but perhaps you're
not warmly dressed.
Pages:
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55