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Milly sat beneath the apple tree, gazing at the rain clouds drifting over the hills. What a soggy day! She nibbled on an apple, waiting for the rain to cease. Before long, it did. The sky cleared, turning a brilliant blue, and the sun emerged, casting a warm, golden glow.
Then, she spotted the rainbow. It burst into existence as a brilliant explosion of light high in the clouds. The sky was painted with vibrant colors—blue, orange, green, and purple. Slowly, both ends of the rainbow began to descend toward the ground…
It landed right in her garden.
“Wow!” Milly whispered, stepping closer. She reached out to touch the rainbow but felt nothing—just air. Yet, the colors shimmered beneath her fingertips.
When she looked up, the rainbow seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky.
“What if I step inside it?” she wondered. Curiosity got the better of her, and she decided to find out.
She stepped into the rainbow.
It was breathtaking—and utterly silent. Milly couldn’t hear a sound.
She glanced upward. The rainbow appeared to stretch infinitely…
WHOOSH! Suddenly, Milly was pulled upward by the rainbow, as if caught in a tunnel of light. She zoomed along like a button in a vacuum cleaner, wind whistling past her ears. Tumbling over and over, she felt no pain—she was cushioned by a soft layer of air. Up and up she went, faster than she could imagine.
But rainbows rise… and rainbows fall. Soon, she was sliding down the other side of the rainbow. Below, she saw green—lush green grass rushing up to meet her, faster and faster…
BUMP! She landed hard but unharmed.
Milly stood up and found herself on the other side of the valley, standing on a steep, grassy hill. In the distance, she could see her house, tiny and white, with the rainbow still glowing in the garden. The scene was serene, peaceful, and utterly beautiful…
WHOOSH! Suddenly, she was hurtling back through the rainbow, faster than a firework. Stripes of red, blue, and yellow flashed past her.
Up, up, up she went, and then down, down, down… BUMP. She landed back in her garden.
“Oww…” Milly groaned, rubbing her side. “I’m going to be so sore tomorrow.”
Then, a thought struck her…
“Gold! There’s always gold at the end of a rainbow!”
She dropped to her knees and began digging furiously. Dirt and stones flew behind her, scattering across the grass.
“Come on, it has to be here somewhere!” she muttered.
She dug deeper and deeper until her fingers brushed against something shiny. She pulled it out.
“Gold…”
Milly stared at it, her heart racing. It was a golden coin, larger and heavier than any she’d seen before. She wiped it clean and noticed words etched into its surface:
Make a wish before the rainbow fades.
“Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “A wish! This is incredible!”
Her mind raced with possibilities—everything she could wish for. But then she noticed something. The rainbow was beginning to fade, its edges growing faint.
“No! I haven’t decided yet! Please, wait!” she pleaded.
But the rainbow didn’t wait. It continued to fade, slipping away and taking her chance to wish with it.
“No! I’ll make my wish soon, just give me a moment!” she cried.
Still, the rainbow faded. The golden coin grew warm in her hand.
“Oh no! Choose… choose… Yes! I’ve got it!”
Milly closed her eyes, made her wish, and—VOOMF! The rainbow vanished, and so did the golden coin.
Milly stood still, hardly daring to breathe. Had her wish come true?
Maybe.
She looked up. The sky was a deep peacock blue, and the sun shone warmly on her face. It was a perfect day in a beautiful world.
“Even if my wish doesn’t come true, I’m still a very lucky girl,” she said with a smile. And she meant it.
