They walked briskly on for an hour or two, for even little Button-Bright was a good walker and did not tire easily. At length as they turned a curve in the road they beheld4 just before them a curious sight.
A little girl, radiant and beautiful, shapely as a fairy and exquisitely5 dressed, was dancing gracefully6 in the middle of the lonely road, whirling slowly this way and that, her dainty feet twinkling in sprightly7 fashion. She was clad in flowing, fluffy8 robes of soft material that reminded Dorothy of woven cobwebs, only it was colored in soft tintings of violet, rose, topaz, olive, azure9, and white, mingled10 together most harmoniously11 in stripes which melted one into the other with soft blendings. Her hair was like spun12 gold and flowed around her in a cloud, no strand13 being fastened or confined by either pin or ornament14 or ribbon.
Filled with wonder and admiration15 our friends approached and stood watching this fascinating dance. The girl was no taller than Dorothy, although more slender; nor did she seem any older than our little heroine.
Suddenly she paused and abandoned the dance, as if for the first time observing the presence of strangers. As she faced them, shy as a frightened fawn16, poised17 upon one foot as if to fly the next instant, Dorothy was astonished to see tears flowing from her violet eyes and trickling18 down her lovely rose-hued cheeks. That the dainty maiden19 should dance and weep at the same time was indeed surprising; so Dorothy asked in a soft, sympathetic voice:
"Are you unhappy, little girl?"
"Very!" was the reply; "I am lost."
"Why, so are we," said Dorothy, smiling; "but we don't cry about it."
"Don't you? Why not?"
"'Cause I've been lost before, and always got found again," answered Dorothy simply.
"But I've never been lost before," murmured the dainty maiden, "and I'm worried and afraid."
"You were dancing," remarked Dorothy, in a puzzled tone of voice.
"Oh, that was just to keep warm," explained the maiden, quickly. "It was not because I felt happy or gay, I assure you."
Dorothy looked at her closely. Her gauzy flowing robes might not be very warm, yet the weather wasn't at all chilly20, but rather mild and balmy, like a spring day.
"Who are you, dear?" she asked, gently.
"I'm Polychrome," was the reply.
"Polly whom?"
"Polychrome. I'm the Daughter of the Rainbow."
"Oh!" said Dorothy with a gasp21; "I didn't know the Rainbow had children. But I MIGHT have known it, before you spoke22. You couldn't really be anything else."
"Why not?" inquired Polychrome, as if surprised.
"Because you're so lovely and sweet."
The little maiden smiled through her tears, came up to Dorothy, and placed her slender fingers in the Kansas girl's chubby23 hand.
"You'll be my friend—won't you?" she said, pleadingly.
"Of course."
"And what is your name?"
"I'm Dorothy; and this is my friend Shaggy Man, who owns the Love Magnet; and this is Button-Bright—only you don't see him as he really is because the Fox-King carelessly changed his head into a fox head. 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 enchanted24 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 entirely25 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."
"I'm so used to living nearer the sun," replied the Rainbow's Daughter, "that at first I feared I would freeze down here. But my dance has warmed me some, and now I wonder how I am ever to get home again."
"Won't your father miss you, and look for you, and let down another rainbow for you?"
"Perhaps so, but he's busy just now because it rains in so many parts of the world at this season, and he has to set his rainbow in a lot of different places. What would you advise me to do, Dorothy?"
"Come with us," was the answer. "I'm going to try to find my way to the Emerald City, which is in the fairy Land of Oz. The Emerald City is ruled by a friend of mine, the Princess Ozma, and if we can manage to get there I'm sure she will know a way to send you home to your father again."
"Do you really think so?" asked Polychrome, anxiously.
"I'm pretty sure."
"Then I'll go with you," said the little maid; "for travel will help keep me warm, and father can find me in one part of the world as well as another—if he gets time to look for me."
"Come along, then," said the shaggy man, cheerfully; and they started on once more. Polly walked beside Dorothy a while, holding her new friend's hand as if she feared to let it go; but her nature seemed as light and buoyant as her fleecy robes, for suddenly she darted ahead and whirled round in a giddy dance. Then she tripped back to them with sparkling eyes and smiling cheeks, having regained26 her usual happy mood and forgotten all her worry about being lost.
They found her a charming companion, and her dancing and laughter—for she laughed at times like the tinkling27 of a silver bell—did much to enliven their journey and keep them contented28.
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1
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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2
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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4
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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5
exquisitely
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| adv.精致地；强烈地；剧烈地；异常地 | |
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6
gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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7
sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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8
fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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10
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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harmoniously
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| 和谐地，调和地 | |
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12
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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13
strand
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| vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地） | |
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14
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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15
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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16
fawn
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| n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承 | |
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17
poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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18
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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19
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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20
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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21
gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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22
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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23
chubby
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| adj.丰满的，圆胖的 | |
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24
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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25
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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26
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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27
tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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28
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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