e 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 chilly, 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 gasp; "I didn't know the Rainbow had
children. But I MIGHT have known it, before you spoke. 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 chubby 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 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
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