d see almost as far as the sun.
The trunks stood like rows of red columns in the shine of the red sun,
and he could see down aisle after aisle in the vanishing distance. And
as he gazed into the forest he began to feel as if the trees were all
waiting for him, and had something they could not go on with till he
came to them. But he was hungry, and wanted his supper. So he lingered.

Suddenly, far among the trees, as far as the sun could shine, he saw a
glorious thing. It was the end of a rainbow, large and brilliant. He
could count all the seven colours, and could see shade after shade
beyond the violet; while before the red stood a colour more gorgeous
and mysterious still. It was a colour he had never seen before. Only
the spring of the rainbow-arch was visible. He could see nothing of it
above the trees.

"The golden key!" he said to himself, and darted out of the house, and
into the wood.

He had not gone far before the sun set. But the rainbow only glowed the
brighter: for the rainbow of Fairyland is not dependent upon the sun as
ours is. The trees welcomed him. The bushes made way for him. The
rainbow grew larger and brighter; and at length he found himself within
two trees of it.

It was a grand sight, burning away there in silence, with its gorgeous,
its lovely, its delicate colours, each distinct, all combining. He
could now see a great deal more of it. It rose high into the blue
heavens, but bent so little that he could not tell how high the crown
of the arch must reach. It was still only a small portion of a huge
bow.

He stood gazing at it till he forgot himself with delight--even forgot
the key which he had come to seek. And as he stood it grew more
wonderful still. For in each of the colours, which was as large as the
column of a church, he could faintly see beautiful forms slowly
ascending as if by the steps of a winding stair. The forms appeared
irregularly--now one, now many, now several, now none--men and women
and children--all different, all beautiful.

He drew nearer to the rainbow. It vanished. He started back a step in
dismay. It was there again, as beautiful as ever. So he contented
himself with standing as near it as he might, and watching the forms
that ascended the glorious colours towards the unknown height of the
arch, which did not end abruptly, but faded away in the blue air, so
gradually that he could not say where it ceased.

When the thought of the golden key returned, the boy