But what it was Lion had in mind no one ever came to know; for, just at that moment, he was interrupted by a pattering shower of silvery rain! The shimmering flecks fell everywhere, round the animals, on their heads and on their backs.
“What in the world is this?” exclaimed Lion.
“Why, they’re spangles!” cried Elephant, who had picked up some of the bits with the tip of his trunk.
“Spangles, sure enough,” agreed Diggeldy Dan, “though I never saw any as bright nor have I ever known spangles to come out of the sky.”
“But they can’t have come from the sky,” reasoned Tiger; “for how could they have passed through the roof of the tent?”
Then, as if to prove Tiger wrong, there came a second and even greater shower than before. This time there were so many spangles that they fairly tinkled as they fell, while mingling with their tinkling was a rippling laugh that sounded like silver bells played all in a row. And, of all marvelous things, the voice came from the depths of the great red and golden home that belonged to Giraffe!
Instantly, all eyes were turned toward the house on the wheels. At the very same moment its doors swung apart and there, framed by the opening, stood the Pretty Lady with the Blue-Blue Eyes!
Even as the animals stared in open-mouthed wonder, their golden-haired visitor threw back her head and laughed until from her eyes came tears, as glistening as the spangles that dotted the ground. Then she stopped quite as suddenly as she had begun, and, putting her left foot behind her and the tip of one finger to the tip of her chin, made so graceful a courtesy that all the animals found themselves trying to do the very same thing, though it must be confessed that some of them made a rather awkward job of it.
As for Diggeldy Dan, he made the very grandest bow that any clown ever made, while, taking his cue from Dan, Lion put one paw to his heart and said in very solemn tones:
“Dear Lady, we one and all bid you welcome, though how you got here we are at an entire loss to know.”