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5. The Rainbow's Daughter
Suddenlyshepausedandabandonedthedance,asifforthefirsttimeobservingthepresenceofstrangers.Asshefacedthem,shyasafrightenedfawn,poisedupononefootasiftoflythenextinstant,Dorothywasastonishedtoseetearsflowingfromhervioleteyesandtricklingdownherlovelyrose-huedcheeks.Thatthedaintymaidenshoulddanceandweepatthesametimewasindeedsurprising;soDorothyaskedinasoft,sympatheticvoice:
"Areyouunhappy,littlegirl?"
"Very!"wasthereply;"Iamlost."
"Why,soarewe,"saidDorothy,smiling;"butwedon’tcryaboutit."
"Don’tyou?Whynot?"
"’CauseI’vebeenlostbefore,andalwaysgotfoundagain,"answeredDorothysimply.
"ButI’veneverbeenlostbefore,"murmuredthedaintymaiden,"andI’mworriedandafraid."
"Youweredancing,"remarkedDorothy,inapuzzledtoneofvoice.
"Oh,thatwasjusttokeepwarm,"explainedthemaiden,quickly."ItwasnotbecauseIfelthappyorgay,Iassureyou."
Dorothylookedatherclosely.Hergauzyflowingrobesmightnotbeverywarm,yettheweatherwasn’tatallchilly,butrathermildandbalmy,likeaspringday.
"Whoareyou,dear?"sheasked,gently.
"I’mPolychrome,"wasthereply.
"Pollywhom?"
"Polychrome.I’mtheDaughteroftheRainbow."
"Oh!"saidDorothywithagasp;"Ididn’tknowtheRainbowhadchildren.ButIMIGHThaveknownit,beforeyouspoke.Youcouldn’treallybeanythingelse."
"Whynot?"inquiredPolychrome,asifsurprised.
"Becauseyou’resolovelyandsweet.
