THE RAINBOW SISTERS
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
As the guide messenger told all these tales of the marsh, the Moon
Princess and her companions noticed they were gradually leaving the
southern land; for of course such wonderful beings as Moon Princesses
and messengers of Sun Princesses travel much faster than mortals, and
they were travelling rapidly. They seemed to be in the midst of a
charming forest of long, cool shadows and crystal springs.
“What place is this?” asked Prince Dorion, stopping to admire the long,
cool vista of trees ahead.
“O, this,” replied the guide carelessly,—“this forest was once the abode
of the Rainbow Sisters.”
“Who were they?” innocently inquired a dainty Moon maiden, tripping
lightly along.
“Would you like to hear about them?” asked the guide.
“O, yes,” replied all the Moon maidens in chorus, “do tell us all about
them.”
“Once upon a time, in a charming country, a delightful people lived. The
skies were clear as crystal, and the Sun shone brightly out of them.
Great palm groves grew green and beautiful, and curious flowers sprang
up in marvellous bits of color. There was a strange and fascinating
beauty about this land. Even the rocky hills edging the big broad desert
that stretched for miles away, barren of the smallest green blade of
grass to make them pretty, were not ugly. Yellow as gold they sparkled
in the bright sunshine, rich and mellow against the paler sand beyond.
The country lay near a large blue sea, and through its many cities ran a
splendid shining river. Now, every one of the clear, cool drops of this
smiling stream was precious as diamonds to the people, for, beautiful as
their land was (and it was superb with its splendid mosques and temples
and rich with jewels and carvings), it lacked one thing that the rest of
the world enjoyed,—never a drop of rain fell there.
“For more years than you could count, the trees and the flowers had
never tasted a cool sweet drink from the skies. The heavens were always
blue and clear, for the Sun shone brilliantly out of them every day.
Sometimes a cloud might form, but if it did, it floated by white as the
foam on the sea, never dark or black.
“Now, you may think that golden sunshine and blue skies are very lovely
things to possess, but the people tired of having them all the time.
They felt that a nice shower of rain occasionally, even if it came out
of an ugly black cloud, would be better than all the pink and violet and
green shades of their clear heavens. The only thing that saved their
trees and their gardens from burning up as in the dry heat of the
desert, and that gave them water, was the glorious big river flowing by.
No wonder, then, they loved and prized its drops. Broad and long, it ran
through the country, and curled in silver splashes about the banks.
Twice every year it overflowed, and then, with feasting and joy, they
caught it in pools and canals dug to hold and preserve the precious
liquid. In this way they kept the gardens green and lovely, but oh, the
work was so hard! Thousand of poor slaves labored day and night to
accomplish it. The kind-hearted king offered a big reward to any one who
would devise some way to make rain fall in his country, and many wise
men spent days and nights studying over the great question. Big trees
were planted to catch and draw the moisture, and many other means were
tried, but in spite of all these doings the clouds sailed by, as fleecy
and white as snow.
“So things went on for many years, and still no rain ever came. Now, the
king had an only son, to whom he was perfectly devoted. The child was
very beautiful, and was also wise, as a prince should be. It was a
common thing to see the handsome little fellow standing in the midst of
a grave council of men, listening to their words of wisdom. He never
seemed to tire of their long discussions, and would remain, solemn and
silent, among them, instead of playing with the children about him. Thus
he grew in wisdom and strength to manhood, but he was seldom seen at the
court balls and festivals, preferring to wander about among the
beautiful mosques of his father’s city, or to stand on one of their
daintily carved minarets and gaze across the yellow sands of the desert.
Often he would remain thus for hours, and though his eyes were looking
far out over the appalling yet wonderful beauty of the desert, his
thoughts were always only of how he might solve the riddle of his
country, and bring it the cool drops of rain it so earnestly wanted.
This one idea absorbed him utterly, he could think literally of nothing
else, for he noticed with sorrow how terribly hard his father’s slaves
toiled to carry the precious water from the river when they tilled the
ground.
“One day, shortly after he was grown, he was sitting beneath the shadow
of a great pyramid, and was planning and musing on the one question
always uppermost in his mind. The day was warm; the desert around him
shimmered in a golden haze. The yellow hills were so bright beneath the
noonday sun that his eyes fairly ached as he watched them, and it was a
relief to turn from their glittering lights toward the cool, flowing
river, and watch a fringe of feathery, waving palms. ‘Oh, for the dark
shadow of a cloud,’ he murmured, ‘to soften all this glare!’
[Illustration: “_They circled together, dressed in the vivid colors of
the rainbow._”
(Page 57)]
“He had not spoken aloud, and yet he heard a musical sound as though in
answer to his wish. He turned quickly, and saw a wonderful sight. The
desert had disappeared, and he was looking into a shadowy green forest,
with crystal springs. Clear, limpid streams of water ran through the
woods, and beautiful flowers were blooming. Farther along in the
distance he saw a big mountain, dark and gray, and yet all about its
sides grew pretty green ferns. Looking closely, he observed that there
was an opening in its side, and through this opening came the music of a
flute. As he watched more closely he saw a lovely maiden come slowly
forth. She was dressed in a brilliant gown of orange color, and her
flowing robes floated softly about her. Her hair hung in waves of gold,
and on her forehead flashed a beautiful star. In her hand she carried a
wand, but the wand was so curious that he forgot the beauty of the
maiden in noticing it. It was long and slender, and seemed to be made of
pure gold and laden with jewels; but it was not this wealth of
glistening gold that attracted him, it was a curious cloud of white mist
that curled and floated away from it each time that she waved it aloft.
He had never seen anything so peculiar before. Each white cloud that
floated away nestled among the hollow places in the hills like a thin
veil, or hovered over the babbling streams in the forest. While he was
watching the mysterious cloudlets from the magical wand, a second
maiden, more beautiful than the first, followed, dressed in a pale blue
gown, and having, like the first, a brilliant star on her forehead. She
also carried a jewel-laden wand, and it sent forth similar mysterious
white clouds. Then came a third, dressed in a brilliant red; and
another, in soft green; and still another, in charming violet; and so
on, until seven beautiful creatures stood together, dressed in the seven
vivid colors of the rainbow. They formed a ring, and slowly moved
together in a circle about an open space before the mountain. Lightly
stepping, thus they danced, always in a circle, and always gazing
intently toward the opening in the mountain through which they had come.
“Presently, as they gazed expectantly, Prince Asgard saw coming toward
them the most exquisite creature he had ever beheld. She was tall and
slender, and her graceful form seemed to dance along rather than walk.
She was dressed in some soft, clinging material of pure white, shading
to a glittering silver, and the girdle confining her waist looked like a
bit of the blue sky itself, it was so dainty. Her hair was like that of
the other maidens, and looked like spun gold, and it was so fine that it
glistened wonderfully as she moved. Her slippers were pale blue, and
embroidered with silver threads. A brilliant star on each slipper
flashed like a big diamond as she danced along. A tiny golden crown held
her hair in place, and seven glittering stars encircled her head. Her
wand was of frosted silver, and as she waved it, the soft vapor rolled
away in white clouds, as it did before the wands of the other maidens.
As she appeared, the seven other maidens broke into a song of gladness,
singing in a clear, high tone these words:—
Little Sister, fair and dear,
Born of seven colors clear,
Welcome! In our round of pleasure
You’re to us the dearest treasure;
Out into the world we’ll send
Mist and clouds of white that blend.
The silver maid replied, singing:—
Dearest sisters of my race,
I come forth to your embrace;
Faithful, tender, always true,
Shall my love be unto you.
Then they all danced a wonderful dance while singing together:—
Let the foaming clouds on high
Fall in raindrops from the sky;
Let the lightning’s fire flash,
Come, with thunder’s awful crash!
Let the cooling rains thus sink,
Giving earth her crystal drink!
“As they moved together in graceful steps and in perfect rhythm to the
music of the song, Prince Asgard saw a wonderful arch or bow form across
the cloudlets that had arisen from their wands. It was a magnificent
rainbow, and each of the seven distinct colors was matched in shade by a
dress worn by one of the maidens. Their flowing draperies blended
bewitchingly and mixed together in pretty confusion as they danced,
making thus a complete circle of rainbow colors. It was an exquisite
sight, and the Prince marvelled at it, and wondered what it all meant.
Presently the maiden who had first appeared, and who seemed to be the
eldest and the leader of the sisters, waved her wand aloft and
approached the silver maid, and taking her hand, led her into the middle
of the circle. The circle then formed again, and continued dancing
around the little white Princess. For several minutes they danced; then
each in turn, beginning with the eldest, tenderly clasped the silver
maiden in her arms and kissed her on the brow, and then ran lightly into
the opening in the side of the mountain.
“The silver maid stood one moment longer, smiling and lovingly watching
her sisters, then she, too, tripped lightly toward the mountain, as
though to follow them. But, as if a sudden thought had come to her, she
turned abruptly and glided toward Prince Asgard. His heart was beating
with excitement as he watched her, and he held his breath with
admiration, for he had never seen any one before so wondrously
beautiful.
“In a moment she was beside him, and he noticed her eyes were sparkling
and blue as the girdle she wore.
“‘O, Prince of the Southern Lands,’ she began, in musical tones, ‘you
have witnessed the dance of the Rainbow Sisters—a sight forbidden to
mortals. We live in an enchanted mountain in the heart of a great
forest. Our mother is the beautiful Sea Foam, whom you have often
watched in her white dress upon the ocean. We help our mother with her
work, but our home is in the deep recesses of these lovely woods. Never
before has a mortal eye seen these woods nor witnessed our sacred dance
in them. From our magical wands float out the mists to form the
cloud-world. Upward they travel, gathering moisture as they go, and
floating across the blue heavens, they fall again in refreshing rain
upon the earth. But our precious mist-clouds never fall in your country.
We will never send them there again unless, unless—’ and she hesitated
in the most charming and provoking manner in the world.
“‘Unless what, O beautiful Princess of the Silver Gown?’ eagerly asked
the Prince.
“‘Alas, that I may not tell you,’ replied the little Princess, growing
grave. ‘This only may I add: Once, in the long ago, your people did a
great wrong, and were very rude to my sisters. It was their custom then
to dance publicly, once a year. Always, your people gathered to watch
them, and with pleasure my sisters danced before them, and with their
magical wands they sent out the mist-clouds far and wide. Refreshing
rain fell in your midst then as elsewhere, and everything was joyous and
charming. But your people were rude and offended my sisters sorely, and
never again will they visit you or dance before mortals. All your
methods to bring rain into your country will fail, your schemes will
come to naught, and until my sisters relent and forgive, the clouds will
continue to sail across your blue skies as white as the flecks of foam
on the sea.’
“‘Never shall the rain fall in my country?’ echoed the young man sadly.
‘Never? Then, O beautiful Princess,’ he added despondently, ‘shall I
never see you again?’ For at that moment the Prince forgot his great
problem, how to bring rain to his country, and thought only (with a
heavy heart) that he would lose sight of the little Princess of the
Silver Dress.
“‘Never, O Prince,’ replied the Princess gravely, ‘unless—’ then she
smiled suddenly, showing her teeth like gleaming pearls between her red
lips,—‘never unless you find us again, and—’
“‘And what?’ the Prince demanded earnestly.
“‘Alas,’ replied the silver maid, again grave, ‘I cannot tell you. There
is one thing alone that might cause them to return to your country, but
it seems so impossible, that it will never happen, I am sure; and
beside, I cannot tell you what it is.’
“‘O,’ replied the Prince earnestly, ‘I will find it out. No obstacle on
earth will prove too hard, and you may be sure nothing will prevent my
finding you, beautiful Princess.’
“‘I wish you success,’ sweetly replied the Silver Princess, and then, as
she spoke these words, she blushed a vivid crimson.
“She was so beautiful as she stood thus before him, blushing and smiling
at the same time, that the Prince, falling on his knees, begged her to
give him a sign by which he might hope to see her again and win her
love.
“She tore off a piece of her blue girdle, and dropping it on the earth,
put her foot lightly upon it. ‘I leave you a flower,’ she said, ‘may it
comfort you. Forget me not’; and saying this, she disappeared.
“The Prince rubbed his eyes, for as she vanished he found himself again
gazing at the feathery green palms across the big river, and looking
around, found the yellow desert stretching in boundless sands to meet
the horizon. The forest, the mountain, all had gone. But as he turned
away from the great tawny hills in despair, he saw at his feet a tiny
bit of blue. Stooping, he picked up the prettiest flower he had ever
seen. It was as blue as the silver maid’s eyes, and as he held it to his
lips he repeated her words, ‘Forget me not’; and since that day the
little flower has always been called the forget-me-not.
“Now, as Prince Asgard went home he pondered deeply on what he had seen,
and gaining the consent of his father and the wise men of the country,
he gathered together a great army and started out into the world in
quest of the unknown princesses. No person believed he would succeed in
finding the Rainbow Sisters or in bringing rain into the country. The
story of the Rainbow Maidens was well known to the wise men, but they
counted it a myth, a fairy tale, and they smiled among themselves when
they heard that Prince Asgard believed it firmly. But they did not
object to his trying: it would do no harm; and in the meanwhile they
would still study and devise other methods.
“Prince Asgard said good-bye to his father and the people, and at the
head of a great army sparkling in gold and silver helmets and shields,
he started on his journey. He was going to look for the Rainbow Sisters
because his country needed rain, yet in his heart he knew it was because
of love for the youngest and prettiest of those sisters that he was so
eagerly searching.
“The army travelled everywhere throughout the world. By sea and by land
they went, and they had many wonderful adventures. Tigers and wolves,
bears and panthers, attacked them, and strange people told them they
were on a foolish quest, but they did not heed such remarks, and
continued on their way. But after several years had passed, and they
seemed no nearer the Rainbow Mountain, the soldiers became discontented,
and said it was a foolish trip after all, and begged to be allowed to
return to their own homes. The strange countries through which they
passed taught them much, and they often saw rain and splendid storms;
yet when some of their fine ships were wrecked and lost at sea, many of
them felt that perhaps it was pleasanter after all to be in a country
where only sand-storms of the desert were known. One by one the soldiers
were released by Prince Asgard from their promises; they returned to
their homes, and at last the Prince was entirely alone. But he was not
discouraged. Determined and brave, he vowed he would never give up the
search, and he started out again with renewed courage to find the
beautiful Princess of the Silver Dress.
“He wandered many months, but without success. At last one night he
stood, almost despairing, on the edge of a dark forest. He had just made
up his mind that he would live and die in a foreign country, because he
would never go back to his own home until he found the Silver Princess.
‘O beautiful Princess,’ he said aloud, ‘some way I shall find you and
prevail upon you to marry me, for I can never be happy without you’; and
yet as he said it, it seemed to him almost an impossibility.
“He entered the forest and sat down within its gloomy depths to rest a
while. The Moon was just rising, and in a little while her bright rays
penetrated the black density of the trees. Little patches of silver lay
along the ground, and a light wind stirring the trees made the silver
rays dance along, until the earth seemed sprinkled with millions of
shining jewels. He was watching the pretty sight intently, for it made
him think of the dress of silver that the little Princess wore. He was
so absorbed that he was considerably startled when he heard a musical
sound such as he had heard on the edge of the desert.
“Looking up quickly, he beheld, to his amazement and joy, the same big
mountain, and heard the rippling waters of the crystal streams flowing
over the rocks. He could hardly breathe, he was so excited, and so
fearful lest it should prove a dream.
“But again the beautiful sister emerged as before. Her magical wand sent
forth its cloud-vapors as she danced forward; again the other lovely
maidens followed, and again they formed a ring of rainbow brilliancy.
The Prince sat expectant and trembling. Would the Silver Princess
appear? A moment more and the little Princess tripped out, more
beautiful than ever. Her silver dress gleamed and sparkled in shining
light as she floated forward. Her eyes were tender and blue, and her
dainty girdle, with its touch of color, bound her slender waist. Her
lovely arms shone white and firm through the thin gauze of her dress.
Butterflies floated about her, airy, exquisite things, marvellous in
color, and lighting on her hair and shoulders, gave a curiously
beautiful touch to the picture.
“Her sisters greeted her lovingly and tenderly, as before, and they then
began their graceful and mysterious dance. Clouds of vapor rolled about
them as they moved, until the forest was enveloped in a misty veil; but
through it all the dazzling dresses and graceful forms could be plainly
seen. Then, as the dancing drew to a close, the rainbow circle shining
lovely through the mist, the seven dancers, each in turn, stooped, and
clasping the Silver Princess in their arms, kissed her caressingly.
“Prince Asgard remembered with an aching heart that this parting kiss
was a signal for their disappearance, and fearing he might lose the
beauteous maid again, he darted forward impulsively. He hardly knew what
he intended to do; he had formed no idea beyond the fact that he would
speak to her, appeal to her to remain by his side. At the moment he
sprang forward there was a fearful cry from the seven sisters, and
turning, they fled to the mountain side, urging the Silver Princess to
follow. She stood dismayed, and trembling in every limb, and then, with
a little low cry of terror, she followed swiftly. But whether she was
confused or frightened, she stumbled as she ran, and fell upon the
earth.
“At that moment Prince Asgard reached her side and lifted her gently to
her feet. She turned so pale as he assisted her that he held her for a
moment in his arms to support her, fearing she would faint, and
anxiously asked if she were ill.
“‘Alas, no,’ she replied, as she drew away from him, ‘but you have done
a very terrible thing.’
“At that moment a sad and mournful cry arose from the heart of the
mountain, and the seven sisters floated out slowly and surrounded the
Silver Princess. She threw herself on her knees before them, but they
did not touch her. It seemed as though they feared to do so. She
implored them to touch her with their hands, to kiss her, but they only
sang a sad refrain in answer to her prayers.
Little sister, mortal now,
Alas, we cannot kiss your brow.
Still for ever shall abide
In your sky a rainbow guide;
And the love we have for you
Now and always shall be true.
Then, tenderly kissing their hands to her, they floated off and
disappeared in the mist.
“‘What does it mean?’ said Asgard tenderly, lifting the Silver Princess
from her knees. ‘Why are you so unhappy? I love you with all my heart,
little Princess. Will you not consent to marry me? Ask your sisters to
spare you, for I cannot live without you.’
“‘Alas,’ she replied, ‘my sisters have gone for ever from my sight. When
you first touched me I became a mortal like you, and I cannot now return
to them.’
“‘O, little Princess, do not be sad,’ replied the Prince, ‘for you have
made me so happy by remaining. Surely you will not refuse now to marry
me?’
“‘No,’ replied the Silver Princess, smiling through her tears. ‘I am an
earth maiden now, and I love you. But though I am happy to be with you,
I am sorry to lose them. Our dear mother warned them that some day I
would love a mortal, and they have feared you since the night I spoke to
you in the desert. That was the condition I could not tell you,’ she
added shyly. ‘Your touch would make me mortal, and as you lifted me in
your arms when I fell, I became an earth maiden and lost my fairy
nature. But you have solved the riddle of your country, for when we
enter it together, you will find that rain will follow. My sisters love
me dearly, and for my sake will forgive your people. They will follow me
to my new home, and though we shall never see them again, the reflection
from their brilliant dresses will glow in the sky. As the rainbow, they
will arch the heavens when we arrive, to show me they are near to
welcome us.’ And sure enough, when Prince Asgard and the beautiful
maiden of the silver dress (who was called Hyndla) entered the land of
lotus flowers and acacias, they saw, arching the heavens, a magnificent
rainbow.
“The people greeted them with cries of joy, and gave them a magnificent
wedding, for they were grateful to Princess Hyndla and her seven
sisters, and they had learned all about her in messages from Prince
Asgard. On the day he and the Princess Hyndla appeared, a great white
cloud hovering over the city suddenly turned black, and fell in millions
of sparkling drops upon their fields, and the splendid rainbow soon
afterward arched the skies.
“The Princess Hyndla grew more beautiful each day, and as she was wise
as she was charming, you may be sure her husband loved her dearly.
Together they planted row after row of handsome trees to remind them of
Hyndla’s forest home; those green trees brought cool shadows, and when
the clouds floated low to kiss them, the broad branches caught and held
the moisture. Ever after, rain frequently fell in the land.
“Years later, when the children of Hyndla and Asgard were old enough,
they played in the palace gardens, and romped merrily beneath those same
shade trees, and sometimes they whispered lovingly to each other the
romantic story of their beautiful mother and her rainbow sisters.”