Pollyâs hair affectionately with a hair-ruffling machine set to the âaffectionateâ setting. âAre you absolutely four hundred per cent sure you want to do this?â
But before Polly could answer, the wind howled louder than ever, and up blew a great blanket of snow, turning the world completely white so she couldnât see a thing.
âFriday!â yelled Polly in the sudden emptiness. âWhatâs a-happeninâ?â
âI donât knooooooow!â came Fridayâs reply â but he sounded a very long way off and in between all that wind and snow, Polly didnât know which way was which. And now she seemed to hear peculiar noises â wolves a-howling, haunting voices from the past, doorbells ringing in outer space, the sound of a milkmaid sitting on a watermelon . . .
âMeep,â whimpered Polly in a small voice. âItâs all crazy anâ scary, like them late night films on TV what isnât for childrenâs eyes!â
But then the unsettling noises were replaced by another sound, faint at first but growing louder. It was the merry tinkle of a music box, and as it grew in strength the blanket of snow cleared clean away. With some surprise, Polly saw she was still standing at the foot of the mountain, although for some reason Friday was halfway up a fir tree.
And now the sound of the music box seemed to be everywhere as a small boy came walking towards them through the snow. And just seeing that boy filled the travellers with warmth, for it was none other than the Spirit of the Rainbow.
âChild,â he greeted Polly, though he was no older than she. âFor weeks I have lain awake thinking about your brave journey.â
âBut we only thought of settinâ off this very morninâ,â said Polly in wonder.
âI see many things,â came the boyâs amazing reply. âPast and future, it does not matter which, for I see it all.â
âSpirit of the Rainbow,â said Friday, climbing down from the fir tree. âYOU were the voice in my dream, telling me to come on this quest! You were, werenât you, you little scamp!â
âOld man, Iâve no idea what youâre on about,â answered the lad. âBut you will soon face great troubles, so I have come to help you on your way.â
And then the Spirit of the Rainbow turned his face to the sky and spoke a few strange words, words from long ago before the World began.And when he turned back a moment later, he was bearing Great Gifts in his honest hands.
âHere,â he said. And very solemnly he presented Friday with a fabulous horn. It shimmered with all the colours of the Universe, and it had a cool picture of a monkey wearing sunglasses on the side.
âBehold! The legendary Horn of Qâzaal Qâzaal, forged thousands of years ago by the High Otter Priests of Bastos,â said the boy.âWhen you blow upon it I will come to your aid. But be warned â you may use it only once. After that it is powerless forever.â
Then the boy turned to Polly and handed her his second gift. It was a fruit chew.
âBehold!â said the boy, âthe Fruit Chew of Babylon. It might not look as good as the Horn of Qâzaal Qâzaal,â he admitted. âBut a time may come when you learn of its true greatness.â
âThank you,â said Polly. âBut, please â wonât you come with us anâ help us out?â
âI wish I could,â sighed the Spirit of the Rainbow. âBut long ago before the World began, I made a deal with Robert, the Creator of All Things. And the deal is that I can only help out every now and then. Besides, I have to revise for my maths exam or my Mum will kill me.â
âSpirit!â called a voice from down the way. âYou get inside right now anâ learn yer fractions!â
âSee?â said the Spirit of the Rainbow. And off he ran.
âI