Millie and the rainbow. Millie sat under the apple tree and watched the rain clouds sweep（扫） over the hills. What a wet day! She ate an apple and waited for the rain to stop. Soon it did. The sky turned blue again and the sun shone（ 发光） warm and golden（金色的）.

  Then she saw the rainbow. It began as an explosion（爆炸） of light high in the clouds. The sky filled with dazzling colors, blue, orange, green and purple. Then both ends of the rainbow began to fall to earth. The rainbow landed in the garden. Wow!

  Millie went closer（近地） and touched the rainbow. She felt nothing, just air. But the colors moved beneath（在……下面） her fingers. When she looked up, the rainbow seemed to be stretching（伸展） on and on into space. "What would happen if I stepped（走） inside it?" she wondered（想知道）. There was only one way to find out.

  She stepped inside. It was beautiful and very quiet. Millie couldn't hear anything. She looked up. The rainbow seemed to go on forever（永远）. Whoosh!

  Millie was sucked（吸） up by the rainbow. It was a tunnel（隧道） of light. She whizzed along like a button up a vacuum（真空） cleaner. Wind whistled past her ears. It tumbled（ 突然跌倒） over and over but didn't hurt herself. She was carried on a soft cushion of air.

  Up and up and up she went so fast. But rainbows go up and rainbows come down. Soon she was falling down the far（远的） side of the rainbow. She could see green below, green grass rushing（冲） up to meet her faster and faster. She landed hard but nothing was broken. Millie stood（站立） up.

  She was on the other side of the valley, standing on a steep（陡峭的） green hill. She could see her house far away. It was like a tiny（微小的） white box with a rainbow in the garden. Everything was calm（静的） and peaceful（和平的） and very lovely. Whoosh! Suddenly she was shooting back through the rainbow, faster than a firework（烟火）.

  Red, blue, yellow, stripes（斑纹） of light flashing（闪） by. Up, up, up she went and down, down, down. She landed back in her own garden. "Ow!" Millie groaned（哼）. "I'm going to be so bruised tomorrow!"

  Then she had a thought. "Gold! There is always gold at the end of a rainbow!" She dropped to her knees and started to dig（掘）. The earth flew out behind her, covering the grass with stones and soil（土壤）. "Come on! Come on!

  It must be here somewhere!" She went deeper（深刻地） and deeper（深刻地）. Then she saw something shiny（发亮的） under her fingertips. She pulled it out. "Gold!" Millie stared（ 盯着看） at it, breathless with excitement（兴奋）.

  It was a golden coin（硬币）, bigger than usual money and much heavier. She rubbed（擦） it clean. There were words written on it. "Make a wish before the rainbow fades（褪色）." "Oh, wow!" she said.

  "This is amazing! A wish!" Her head began to fill with ideas, everything she could wish for. But then she saw something. The rainbow was starting to fade. It was going thin at the edges（边缘）. "No!

  I haven't made up my mind! Please, wait!" But the rainbow didn't wait. It was fading, going away and taking her wish with it. "No! I'll make my wish soon, just a moment, please!" But still the rainbow was fading.

  The golden coin was getting hot in her hand. "Oh! Chews! Chews! Yes! Yes! I have it!"

  Millie closed her eyes and made her wish, and vroom! The rainbow disappeared, and so did the golden coin. Millie hardly（几乎不） dared（ 敢） to move. Had her wish come true? Maybe. She looked up.

  The sky was peacock（孔雀） blue. The sun was golden, warm on her face. Such a beautiful day. Such a beautiful world. "Even if the wish doesn't come true..." "I am a very lucky girl," she said.

  And she smiled.