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.