Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Tilly. She had just come in from playing in the rain, and as she sat looking out of the window, she said, “I do wish I could see a rainbow. I have never seen one in all my life.”
Just then the rain stopped and the wind blew away all the dark clouds that were hiding the bright blue sky. Tilly jumped up and ran out into the meadow, which was covered with flowers of every colour. Thousands of bright butterflies—yellow, green, and blue—flickered here and there amid the flowers, dancing merrily up and down in the warm sunshine. Tilly ran around like a butterfly herself, for she was very glad to see the flowers again after the rain.
But still there was no rainbow. So Tilly threw herself down on the ground, and putting her arms round a big yellow flower, began to cry. “Oh, dear,” she sobbed, “may I never, never see a rainbow!”
And just then a big raindrop fell on her cheek which made her look up.
“What is that bright thing in the sky?” she said in great surprise. “I do believe it is a rainbow after all. Oh, how lovely it is!”
And as it grew bigger and bigger, she was certain that she had never seen anything so beautiful. Then she quickly got up, and skipping to a flower that she thought was the colour of the rainbow, folded her little hands and said:
“Dear Rainbow, I promise you, whichever flower grows in my garden, I will always, whenever I want anything, repeat in this way after its name, out loud, but quietly, so that no one may hear me.”
Tilly had scarcely spoken before her wish was granted, for a beautiful flower grew up by her side in place of the one she thought of. So Tilly kissed the Rainbow good-bye, and then went home as happy as a child could be.
After that Tilly was never sorry when it rained; for, as soon as the clouds had cried a little while, the Rainbow came dancing along like a big swing, and Tilly hopped on its back to visit the flowers in the meadow. And thus she told them all her wishes very quickly, out loud to herself, but without speaking to anyone else. And one by one every flower grew up and blossomed away in her garden.
Good-night.