Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-07-08
THE PRINCE OF RAINBOW
LAND.
JULIA NJ. POTT.

One warm summer afternoon Ethel
lay in hammock under an old apple
tree playing with prism. Suddenly
low, rumbiing sound in the far west
caused her to sit up, and look in that
direction. ''There will be a shower "
she thought, ''but as it is at a distance
| can lie here and watch it." Presently
she saw the ra falling in slanting
lines across the sky, while at times the
lightning was so vivid she was obliged
to cover her eyes.
But the storm WAS not to be n long
one, and soon the clouds began to
break, the sun shone forth again, and
a beautiful double rainbow appeared
before the delighted eyes of the little
maid.
ooh! how IoveIyr' she exclaimed
gazing at it wonderingly. ''But it is
fading slowly nowl" and she continued
to watch. till one by one the glowing
colors paled in the sky. As the last
faint streak disappeared, a small cloud
seemed to float along the heavens and
come nearer and nearer, descending
slowly, until to her great astonishment
she saw it was large bubble. clear as
crystal. which soon alighted at her feet,
little man. A thrill ran through Ethel
as this strange being arose and step
ping from his airy car approached
her.
On his head he wore red helmet,
from which waved a plume of seven
feathers, red, orange, green, yellow,
blue, indigo, and violet. His short
jacket wns of red, with yellow trim
mings; his tro sers of orange, striped
with blue, and fastened at the knees by
huge rosettes of purple and green his
shoes of pale violet leather running
into sharp point Mt the toes, and tied
at the ankles by silken strings. Court
eously his little man doffed his helmet,
and thus began the conversation.
Dear child" he said, al am the
Prince of Rainbow Land, and have
come to ask your aId; for You are what
/ have long sought, namely, a maiden
who owns prism
eyes, 1 have one said Ethel, sur
prised, and holding up the triangular
piece of crystal which had fallen from
her mammals old-fashioned candelabra.
"But how can | and this bit of glass
help prince like you ?"
II will tell YOU" replied the little
man. "AlthOugh | rule IN seven beau
tiful kingdoms of Skyland and have the
fairest queen ever seen, / am very sor-
rowful; for our cruel master, the Sun,
has snatched away from us our only
son, Crystal"
''Why was that ?" asked Ethel sym
pathizingly.
"Beoause, after giving thousands of
my choicest gems t. be blended into
old Soils sunrises and sunsets, L VEN
tured to suggest that he occasionally
give me chance to exhibit the can
ties OF my kingdom; for unless he
deigns to illuminate my lands, my bow
is never seen. His anger knew no
bounds and in his rage he carried off
my prIEcely boy and bound him in
chains. 1 begged and pleaded, but
this is the only answer he returned
Your son shall never be released until
you can find an earth-born maiden
who, with a prism in her hand, will he
brave enough TO encounter the dangers
of the heavens and gaze steadily, with
out hinching, into my burning eyes.
Then, and only then, shall Prince Crys-
Cal be free Little girl, will you dare
all this for me? First you must visit
my kingdom in order to receive the
badge Of admission to the Sun-KIng' s
palace. Then journey onward. Hor-
rible monsters will meet you on the
way, who will seek to frighten and de-
stroy you, but fear not, one wave Of
your prism will over-power them by its
brilliancy and make them cover in
blind dismay. When all is accom-
plislIed you shall return safely to earth,
provided your eyes are kept closed,
during the ascent and descent"
"Yes, of course L will CO." cried
Ethel touched by the wee creature S
grief and feeling as though she was in
tile midst of fairy-story. "At once
will 1 go. and test the powers of my lit
lie prism. If it will work such won
ders AZ You say, why need 1 fear. "