In the shade of the trees, Tat was playing with his favorite rabbit, Dawnfur. When Tat poked him in the stomach with his rabbit's paw, Dawnfur retaliated by closing his paws over Tat's. Tat knew he could escape Dawnfur's grip any time he chose, but he pretended to struggle for a while so that his little friend would have the satisfaction of thinking he could compete with Tat. Dawnfur's eyes flashed with delight as Tat pulled several times but failed to pry his paw loose. Then Tat nicked Dawnfur on the ear. The maneuver distracted the rabbit just long enough for Tat to whisk his paw away from Dawnfur. Then, with his hand, Tat rubbed Dawnfur on the stomach to console him for losing the wrestling match. Tat knew that Dawnfur appreciated clever strategy even when it was used effectively against him.

Dawnfur's light-brown fur almost matched the color of Tat's paw. The only difference was that Dawnfur had specks of white mixed with the brown which inspired Tat to give the rabbit his name. When he played with rabbits, especially Dawnfur, Tat enjoyed the oddity of possessing a rabbit's paw where his left hand should have been. But it was often inconvenient and occasionally painful. He had had to spend the past year of his life re-learning everything he did with his hands. At the time the magician turned his hand into a rabbit's paw, Tat had been working on a three-legged stool for himself. After that adventure, his work went more slowly. The Hermit, as always, was sympathetic, but he left Tat to devise his own means of coping with his handicap. Even such a simple act as washing his hands had become strange to him since he could not get used to plunging a furry paw in the water. He had come to understand why most animals did not like being soaked in the rain. But every time he became despondent over his paw, the Hermit said something that almost made him grateful for his misfortune.

Tat poked Dawnfur again, but this time the rabbit did not snatch his paw. Instead, the rabbit directed his attention towards the sky. He rolled over, sat up on his hind legs, and sniffed the air. Tat sniffed as well.

"I don't smell it, Dawnfur," said Tat.

Dawnfur cast a sidelong glance at Tat to show him what he thought of a boy's ability to smell anything worthwhile. He sniffed again, louder this time, and Tat knew there was something in the air.

Suddenly the whole Enchanted Forest was aroused. The leaves, rustled not because of the wind, but out of anticipation. A group of sparrows gathered on a treetop above him and perched themselves expectantly.

"What is it, Dawnfur, what is it?" Tat asked his friend.

Dawnfur turned his head, shook of Tat's caresses, looked the boy squarely in the eyes and twitched his whiskers excitedly. Then he turned his head back to the sky. Tat looked up as well, but whatever Dawnfur was waiting for hadn't come yet.

"Should I lift you up on my shoulder so you can see better?" Tat asked Dawnfur.

Dawnfur stamped on the ground with a hind leg to dismiss the question. His eyes remained riveted to the sky.

The birds broke off their chirping. Several more rabbits gathered and assumed the same pose as Dawnfur. A few foxes appeared but they showed no interest in the rabbits, and the rabbits knew they had nothing to fear from them. A mole poked its head out of the ground, sniffed the air, then lumbered out of its hole. Tat giggled as the little creature strain to see in the sunlight until Dawnfur slapped him on the knee with his paw.

"I get the point," Tat said to him. "I guess moles have their own way of seeing. I should laugh at other funny creatures."

The wind held its breath. It was happening! Tat strained his eyes when he first saw a speck in the sky. Dawnfur had become as solemn as the Hermit when he was meditating on the depths of life. As the speck in the sky grew larger, Tat saw that it was a large bird flying with a polished grace. It combined the size and strength of a giant eagle with the gentleness of a dove. When Tat first saw colors flashing from the bird's feathers, he thought his eyes had gone funny from looking up so long. He looked down at Dawnfur, and saw the same colors reflected in the rabbit's eyes. Tat looked up again. It was true! The bird was a flying rainbow! Pastel shades of red, yellow, blue, violet, and green shimmered through the feathers. Sparks of colors fell from its wings to shower the Enchanted Forest with their beauty.

When the bird flew directly overhead, Tat was breathless. The swirling colors captured his gaze so fully that he wanted to look at them forever. As the yearning to keep the vision with him grew, the shadow of fear crept upon Tat, reminding him that the bird would soon pass over him and be gone. Slowly, Tat lifted his hand in hopes that an act of will or some magic he could command from the Forest would arrest the bird's flight.

The bird slowed down, then it stopped. The spell was working! Tat was more of a magician than he thought! But Dawnfur hopped into Tat's lap, every muscle in his body tight with fear.

"What's the matter?" Tat asked the rabbit. "Can't you see the bird is going to stay here forever?"

The wind swept back the treetops. The mole darted back into its hole. Foxes, rabbits and deer fled. The flock of sparrows scattered in all directions. But the bird remained suspended in mid-air, where Tat wanted it. Then one of its wings contracted and the other struggled to keep itself in flight. Now Tat knew he was not getting what he wanted after all. A spot of red under the wing clashed with the surrounding colors. Large drops of blood fell onto the ferns and leaves around Tat and Dawnfur.

"It's all right, Dawnfur, it's all right" said Tat as he anxiously stroked Dawnfur's fur.

But both of them knew that it wasn't all right. Tat's vision blurred with tears as the strength in the bird's good wing faltered. A painful movement with its wounded wing only made the blood flow faster. It plummeted to the ground, landing a few feet in front of Tat and Dawnfur. The swirling colors of the Bird at such close quarters enthralled Tat so deeply that he lost his concern for what had happened. Dawnfur tapped his friend on the chest with his paw to make Tat see the gaping wound under the bird's wing. Imbedded in the feathers was an arrow.

Dawnfur hopped off Tat's lap, ran up to the bird, pawed fretfully at the arrow, and looked appealingly at Tat. Still daunted by the bird's majesty, Tat still hesitated to approach it. Although the bird had to be suffering from its wound and fall, none of that showed in its fathomless dark eyes. The bird had the air that it was doing the boy a favor by needing his help. Tat's mind filled with fantasies of the bird living in the cottage with the Hermit and himself while the Hermit healed it. To think he would have all those weeks and months with the bird! Not only that, but surely it would stay in the Enchanted Forest, for where else would such a bird belong?

Dawnfur nudged Tat to move closer to the bird. It still intimidated him the closer he came to it. Without touching its feathers, Tat examined the wound and tried to think of the best way of removing the arrow. He tried laying his rabbit's paw against the bird's thigh and carefully pulling the arrow straight out. He failed. His paw had not given him enough leverage. With a flash of anger, Tat struck the ground with his paw. The magician had done more harm than he knew. The bird looked sharply at Tat, rebuking him for his anger. Dawnfur approached and placed both of his paws around the wound. Then Tat pulled again, cautiously watching for barbs. There were none. The bird remained impassive over what had to be a painful operation. Finally the blood-soaked arrow came out and Tat could breathe more easily. Dawnfur snatched the arrow with his teeth and carried it to a distant bush where he hid it.

"Why did you do that?" asked Tat.

For an answer, Dawnfur sniffed as if he were expecting someone. Tat shook his head and attended to the bird's wound. It was deep enough to be serious. Tat's gratitude for what the Hermit had taught him about treating animals deepened. The bird was in no condition to be moved to the cottage and it would be awkward to send for the Hermit. Besides, Tat was excited about performing his first treatment without any help. Once he had done the job, he could then move the bird to his home where its presence would grace the cottage.

"Dawnfur and I will be right back," Tat assured the bird. "We just have to gather a few herbs to make you feel better."

The bird nodded slightly to show that it understood.

The best herbs were too far away for Tat to gather them, but he knew where to find some that would be good in the emergency. Although he did not have to spend much time looking for them, he felt that every second away from the bleeding bird was too much. He flung bushes and ferns aside one after another, ignoring the sting of occasional thorns, until he found what he wanted. As soon as Tat picked a few of the plants, Dawnfur smelled them, and then went off to find more of them. When Tat and Dawnfur had as many herbs as Tat could hold but not as many as he wanted, he cursed his paw for not being a hand, and ran back to the wounded bird.

As soon as he returned, Tat knelt beside the bird and placed the herbs into the wound to resist infection and facilitate the bird's natural powers for healing. The work was slow and clumsy because Tat kept forgetting about the paw and he was in a rush to finish. Dawnfur returned with more plants in his mouth. Tat chided himself for not thinking of that technique himself while he gratefully accepted Dawnfur's offering.

Dawnfur waited patiently until Tat was ready for the next step. Tat gave Dawnfur a piece of his ragged shirt to put between his teeth and pull away. The bird appeared slightly amused when it heard the loud rip. Tat took the resulting rag and wrapped the cloth around the wounded wing with Dawnfur's fussy help, until he had made a moderately effective tourniquet.

With a sigh, Tat sat back to relax in the sight of the birds colors as they continued to dance before him, unaffected by the wound. But not for long. The wind picked up again. The leaves began to chatter with nervous energy. The bird strained its neck and looked about sharply. Its colors ceased their movement. Dawnfur pricked his ears and pawed at Tat frantically.

"What's the matter now?" asked Tat.

Both the bird and Dawnfur were bursting with an urgent warning Tat still could not grasp. He paced back and forth, trying to figure it out. Dawnfur, beside himself, ran around in circles, scattering leaves in all directions.

Then, before he knew it, Tat stopped moving. The bird had stopped him with its august eyes fixed on him. With its look, the bird gently calmed Tat so that he could understand what was in the bird's mind. Tat took a deep breath. Then an image flickered through his mind. It was enough. He should have guessed it. A youth was tromping through the Forest with a dog at his side. Over the youth's shoulder was a long bow.

Dawnfur's eyes brightened with relief when he saw that Tat understood the problem. He dashed off to a thick berry bush several hundred paces away from Tat and the bird. It was a well-chosen hiding place for the brightly-colored berries would help camouflage the bird's colors.

The problem was how to transport the bird to the hiding place. It was far too big for Tat to put his arms around it and carry it. Still, the bird could not be effectively hidden right where it was. But before Tat's frantic thoughts could get out of control, the bird's piercing eyes cut them off. A new feeling of peace and confidence came over Tat as he walked over to the bird.

Without questioning the wisdom of what the bird was planting in his mind, Tat slipped his arms under the bird's belly and lifted it off the ground. At its touch, Tat was charged with the thrill of the bird's colors swirling inside of him. The bird was surprisingly light; it almost floated in Tat's arms. Tat reached the hiding place. Meanwhile, Dawnfur had dug a bit of a hole there with his hind legs. Quickly, Tat and Dawnfur collected leaves and twigs to sprinkle over the bird's body. Tat's scruples over putting so much dirt on the beautiful feathers were stilled by the placid twinkle in the bird's eyes.

A dog's bark rang through the forest. It was too late to do anything more. Dawnfur ran off, disappearing in the underbrush.

"Dawnfur! Where are you?" Tat called, but softly so as not to be heard by the hunter. For an answer, Tat heard some scuffling in the foliage where the bird had first landed. Dawnfur was tearing up the ground where the drops of blood had fallen. Wondering why a rabbit was so much smarter than he, Tat waited for Dawnfur to finish the job, then scooped his friend into his arms just as a dark brown dog tore through the underbrush. It circled Tat while letting loose a torrent of barks at the boy and his rabbit.

"Did you find it, Duke?" cried out the excited voice of a youth.

The dog continued barking until a swarthy youth appeared. Tat instinctively hid his rabbit's paw in what was left of his shirt.

"Oh," he said, his face sullen with disappointment, when he saw Tat.

The youth was dressed in a light-brown tunic and breeches of the finest leather. A pair of black boots reached half-way up to his knees. A long bow was slung over his shoulder, and a quiver of arrows was strapped to his back. His black hair was meticulously combed. In spite of his arrogant pose, there was no sign of malice in the youth's dark eyes, but his tightly closed mouth betrayed a well cultivated pride.

"Did you see the Rainbow Bird?" the youth asked.

"What bird?" Tat replied.

"The Rainbow Bird. You could hardly have missed it if you were anywhere in this forest this morning. I'm talking about a large bird who looks like a flying rainbow. It's rather conspicuous."

"How can a bird look like a rainbow?" asked Tat. "I've never heard of such a thing."

The youth laughed contemptuously while keeping his anger under control.

"You can't be as dumb as you pretend to be. You have eyes. You could not have failed to see the Rainbow Bird fly over. It should have fallen about where you are right now. You must know where it is."

Duke was sniffing the ground all around him with interest. The youth looked at him, then looked back at Tat.

"So it did land here."

"Why do you want this Rainbow Bird?" asked Tat.

"Because I shot it, that's why. I shot it and it's mine."

"It is not!" Tat retorted.

The youth narrowed his eyes on Tat.

"So you think it's yours?"

"I wouldn't steal a bird with all the colors of the rainbow in a million years! What do you want it for? You wouldn't--eat--a bird like that, would you?"

"Nobody in his right mind would eat the Rainbow Bird," the youth replied. "so there's no reason for you to protect it. It will be perfectly safe with me. You might as well show me where it is."

"How do you know you didn't kill it?" Tat yelled.

"I just happen to know some things about the Rainbow Bird. One of them is that you can't kill it. Another thing is that you can't even hurt it."

"You can so! You should see the wound you made with that evil-as-a- wicked-magician arrow of yours!"

The youth chuckled as Tat turned cold with the realization that his rash tongue had betrayed everything.

"Yes, I should see the wound," said the youth. "I would like to see it. It is useful for me to know that, in fact, the Rainbow Bird was wounded. Obviously you don't know that the Rainbow Bird can quickly heal its wounds, though not so quickly as to escape me. You didn't have to use your excuse for a shirt to make a tourniquet for it, but it likely didn't hurt anything--except your useless shirt. Now where did you hide it?"

With a menacing look, the youth took a step in Tat's direction. Tat stood his ground and folded his arms. A tree root tripped up the youth, sending him sprawling. Tat wanted very badly to laugh at the youth's wounded dignity, but the angry look in his eyes as he brought himself back to his feet made him too frightening. Besides, the Hermit had told him often that one should not laugh at the misfortunes of an enemy. Tat offered a hand, but the youth contemptuously refused it. Tat also remembered that the Hermit had said that when you meet a stranger, you should seek to know him so that he is no longer a stranger.

"I guess we're going to be talking to each other for a while," said Tat. "So could you please tell me who you are?"

The youth cocked his head to emphasize his importance.

"My name is Roddell, son of Rodaland, son of Roddell. I am a crown prince, expecting to inherit the kingdom from my aunt. Now who are you? Not much to judge by the looks of you."

"I'm Tat."

"Is that all?"

"What do I need a longer name for? It would just take me longer to tell you who I am."

"Don't you even have a patronymic?"

"What's that?"

"You aren't impressing me with your knowledge and intelligence."

"Then don't be impressed. Just answer my question."

"Of course. A patronymic is simply your father's name. My father's name was Rodaland and his father's name was Roddell, same as mine. Only he was Roddell son of Rodamandarus. So who is your father?"

"I don't know."

"You don't?"

"No. I live with the Hermit. He takes care of me and I take care of him. He does what a father should do. But I don't know who my father was when I was born."

"Then you really are nobody."

"No, I'm Tat. Isn't that somebody?"

"Not to speak of. Now, will you kindly show me where the Rainbow Bird is?"

"What do you want it for?" asked Tat.

Roddell narrowed his eyes at Tat.

"What business is it of yours? You act as if you own the Rainbow Bird."

"Nobody owns a bird like that," Tat replied. "I'm just making sure you don't act like you own it and hurt it again."

A loud yelp from Roddell's dog interrupted the conversation. The dog bounded back to is master, its eyes alive with the excitement of having found its quarry.

"Hey, Duke! You found it!" exclaimed Roddell. The, with a gloating look, he added, "You didn't really think you could hide the Rainbow Bird from my dog, did you?"

Tat shrugged. Duke hopped off in the direction where he had found the bird and waited for Roddell to catch up with his. Dawnfur fidgeted on Tat's shoulder. Just as fear for his rabbit began to dawn on him, Dawnfur jumped off and sprinted right in front of the dog. Too horrified to cry out, Tat watched helplessly with a sinking heart as Dawnfur caught Duke's full attention and then dashed off with the dog after him.

"Duke! Come back here!" yelled Roddell.

But Duke was too absorbed in his new chase to heed his master. Before long, both rabbit and dog were out of earshot. Roddell turned in Tat's direction, his face dark with anger.

"You made me lose my dog!" Roddell charged.

"You made me lose my rabbit!" Tat charged in turn.

"What's a little bunny rabbit to you compared to a pure bred dog to me?" Roddell asked. There are hundreds of rabbits where that one came from."

"Dawnfur's my friend!" Tat sobbed, "and there's only one of him! I wouldn't ask him to get chased by your dirty dog in a million years for anything!"

Roddell grabbed a hold of Tat and shook him violently.

"Don't insult my dog you forest ragpicker. My dog is civilized and that's more than I can say for any rabbit. Now get me my dog back and show me where you hid the Rainbow Bird!"

"I don't have to do what you tell me, and I won't!"

Roddell sent Tat reeling with a stinging slap. Tat barely kept his balance, but he needed his left arm to do it. Too late, Tat realized what he had done, but before he could blush with shame over his deformity, Roddell staggered back in fear. With a surge of new confidence, Tat realized that his rabbit's paw had an unforseen use for him."

"Who are you?" Roddell gasped. "Were you born both human and rabbit?"

"Looks like it, doesn't it?"

"But what is the reality behind the appearance?"

"What you see is what is before your eyes," said Tat, quoting a saying the Hermit was always repeating.

"How did you get that paw?" asked Roddell. "Were you born with it?"

"It was a gift," Tat replied.

"From the Hermit?"

"No, from another magician."

"Who?"

"I got it from the wizard behind the lost moving wall whose house is smaller than space."

The youth was visibly impressed by the reply, the more so because he could not understand it.

"I think I do not know which wizard you are speaking of. I do know of the Hermit. He is well known. Poor man! He doesn't know what is happening in the world. All he does is try to keep the power of this Forest for himself. I suppose he teaches the same to you. Why else would he have you capture the Rainbow Bird?"

"The Hermit only teaches me how to help animals!" Tat yelled, his eyes filling with angry tears.

"Is that all he does? My aunt can teach you more than that. The poor Hermit just doesn't know how much power she has. It would be to your advantage to join with us. I might even learn to tolerate you after a while."

"I love the Hermit very much," said Tat. "He is the only human who has ever treated me with love. As for you, I do not like you and I don't want to live in any place where you would live"

Roddell shrugged his shoulders.

"All right, have it your way. But it will be to your advantage to show me where the Rainbow Bird is. It will be better for your health."

Roddell pointed to his knife although he left it in its sheath. Tat raised his rabbit's paw threateningly.

"Would you like to find out what spells I can cast with this?" he asked Roddell.

Roddell backed off a step or two, then thought of something. He charged Tat and grabbed a hold of his left arm.

"Ow!" cried Tat as Roddell pulled at his rabbit's paw.

Roddell backed away, somewhat chastened.

"I see it is real. What can you do with it?"

"Would you want like to find out the hard way?" Tat asked. "What I can do depends on how angry I get and right now I am very angry over what you have said about the Hermit, about what you have said about me, and I am especially angry at you for shooting down the Rainbow Bird, and I am angry at your dog for chasing my friend, Dawnfur!"

"Don't get hysterical," Roddell cautioned Tat. "I can understand your liking the Hermit for taking care of you. It's not your fault he doesn't understand the world, let alone what the Rainbow Bird is for. You see, things aren't always what they seem. You thought I was trying to kill the Rainbow Bird, but I wasn't. If I thought there was the smallest chance in the world that my arrow would have killed the bird, I would not have shot it in a million years."

"You injured the bird!" Tat yelled. "You shed the Bird's blood! Does that make you happy?"

"Actually, no," said Roddell. "I'm not happy about hurting the Rainbow Bird. If I thought that Bird would sustain any injury, I would not have shot it. As I told you already, I was assured that the Rainbow Bird cannot be killed, neither can it be injured. If its blood is shed, the wound heals of itself in a short time. You need not worry about the Bird. I am sure that it is perfectly healed already."

"No thanks to you!"

Roddell shook his head and put on the air of a long-suffering person.

"It isn't easy to make friends with you, but I will try one more time," said Roddell. "Please let me explain and please try to listen to me."

"The Hermit says that we should always listen with our ears in our hearts," said Tat.

"That's a nice way of saying it," said Roddell. "I guess the Hermit isn't half-bad. It might be nice to meet him some day. My aunt, however, is wise a woman. It would be good for you to meet her. She knows what is happening in the world while, I fear, the Hermit does not. How could he if he is all alone in the forest except for an ignorant child like you? But if you should come with me and meet my aunt, you will become quite knowledgeable yourself. Now, my aunt explained to me that as long as the Rainbow Bird is wild, its beauty is wasted. That is why she sent me here to bring the Rainbow Bird back to our palace. As I said, she assured me that no wound would really harm the Bird. A wound would only facilitate my bringing it back to her. Then, at my aunt's palace, we can pluck the Rainbow Bird's feathers."

"WHAT?!" Tat cried.

"Please listen before you yell," Roddell admonished Tat. "Please do n't worry. The feathers of the Rainbow Bird will grow back as quickly as we pluck them. We can then use the beauty of these feathers to make everybody happy. We will have the whole world at our feet!"

Tat did not look impressed.

"If you were to take one good look at the Rainbow Bird," Tat rejoined, "you would know that your ideas are all wrong."

"I would, would I? Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Then why don't you give me the chance?"

"And let you capture it?"

"But you said I wouldn't want to capture it and pluck its feathers if I saw it. So why don't you show it to me? Afraid the Rainbow Bird won't convince me the way it convinces a ragged boy of the forest like you?"

"It's because I don't like you and I don't trust you!"

Roddell looked surprisingly hurt for a few seconds over Tat's hard words, but then he quickly recovered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Very well, the Rainbow Bird can't be very far off. I could have found it myself in less time than I have wasted talking with you."

"Take one step without my permission and I will use the power of my rabbit's paw," Tat warned.

Roddell stood still.

"May I take a step now?" he asked sarcastically.

"No."

"You mean I should stand here like a statue for the rest of my life?"

"If it suits me."

"Hmm. Maybe I should tell you who my aunt is. She is the West-Witch. I think you will find that while your Hermit has been sitting here in this Forest doing nothing, the West-Witch has been busy building up the Three Kingdoms."

Roddell sank into a state of deep concentration, leaving Tat to wait impatiently for the next move from him and his aunt. When Roddell opened his eyes, all apprehensiveness in his face was gone.

"Now I know what magic you've got in that stupid rabbit's paw of yours. I was a fool to listen to you."

Roddell walked away from Tat in the direction where the Rainbow Bird was hiding. Desperately, Tat looked about him, willing the Forest to help him out. He almost got more than he bargained for. Tat felt a surge of energy that he traced to a nearby gnarled oak tree. His left arm and rabbit's paw began to feel as if it were a branch of the tree. Tat then willed the branch to wrap itself around Roddell's waist. He himself felt the strain in his own arm as the oak's branch maintained its grip on a struggling Roddell.

"My aunt, the West Witch, will curse you to the marrow of your bones!" Roddell warned as he continued to struggle.

Tat's paw and arm ached so badly that he felt cursed already.

"I'll be cursed by the Enchanted Forest if I let you steal the Rainbow Bird who doesn't belong to anybody but itself!"

"I'll be cursed by my aunt, the West Witch if I let you steal the Rainbow Bird and keep it from benefitting anybody else besides yourself."

Tat weakened a moment at feeling that his own fantasies about the Rainbow Bird had been exposed and Roddell almost broke free, but Tat reclaimed the tree's hold on him once more.

"I thought you had designs on the Rainbow Bird," Roddell charged.

"Not any more I don't," Tat replied, "which is more than I can say for you."

Roddell stopped struggling and he sank his face into a state of concentration. The wind turned suddenly colder. Dark clouds appeared out of nowhere and cut off the sun.

"My aunt may be far away," said Roddell with a gleam of triumph on his face, "but that does not prevent her from sending this storm for my benefit. Needless to say, I shall be protected and you won't. You will not have time to run far enough to escape the bolts of lightning that will torture you rather than kill you."

"If this is the kind of person you are and the kind of person the West Witch is," said Tat as he looked up at the sky, "it's a good thing I didn't take your invitation seriously."

"You spurned my friendship!" Roddell replied with so much bitterness Tat wondered if he should feel sorry for his enemy.

Thunder crashed overhead as a streak of lightning flashed across the sky. Tat folded his arms, ready to endure anything rather than betray his trust. A bolt of lightning struck the lowest branch of the tree just above him, and ripped it out of the trunk. Roddell laughed insolently at Tat's discomfort. Tat could feel the tree seething with rage. The neighboring trees were picking up its anger. Another streak of lightning struck the shrubbery next to Tat and the foliage burst into flames. Roddell smirked, but when the flames advanced on him instead of on Tat, his smile faded. He struggled to free himself but the grip of oak's branch remained unshakable. The fire leaped to the nearest tree.

"Look what you're doing to the Forest!" Tat yelled.

"It's your stubbornness that caused this," Roddell charged in return. "See if you can save the Rainbow Bird now."

Two more trees caught fire. Tat realized that the Rainbow Bird would be helpless in its injured state if the fire spread. Tat extricated himself from the oak, freeing Roddell in the process and ran off to save the Rainbow Bird. Roddell ran after him. Before either had gotten anywhere, the clouds let loose a deluge of rain. In a matter of seconds, rivulets were flowing through the Forest. The rain extinguished the fire almost instantly. Roddell was soaked to the bone. Only then did Tat realize that he was perfectly dry except for his feet standing in the oozing mud. Out of nowhere, there came a bolt of lightning. Tat staggered, but it was Roddell who was knocked senseless.

Tat forgot all his anger once the arrogance was drained from Roddell's pale face. He ran over to Roddell, ripped open his tunic with the help of his rabbit's paw, and listened for a heartbeat. He heard nothing. He tapped the chest with his paw and listened again. This time Tat could hear a faint thump of the heart. A crash of thunder split Tat's ears. He jumped before he realized that there was nothing to worry about. Now that they were together, both were protected from the storm. Tat put his mouth over Roddell's and breathed into it. With each breath, his wish for Roddell's recovery deepened. He realized he had not given Roddell the chance to understand the Rainbow Bird that living with the Hermit had given him and now he wanted to give Roddell that chance. Finally, the Roddell's own breath returned and his cheeks regained a little of their color. Tat massaged Roddell's chest with all the healing power the Enchanted Forest was granting him. At last, Roddell's eyes fluttered, then opened. He looked at Tat with disbelief Muddy streams all around him were soaking Roddell with dirt.

"What--game--are you playing now?" Roddell asked, his voice weak.

"Protecting you," Tat replied.

"How did you--do this?"

"The Forest knows," said Tat. "I sure don't."

"Why not--just leave me? You've won."

Tat thought for a moment, not being used to explaining his actions to anybody.

"I guess for the same reason I wouldn't betray the Rainbow Bird."

Roddell stared blankly for a moment. Then he frowned as a strange new thought came into his mind.

"You said that if I saw the Rainbow Bird, I wouldn't want to take it to my aunt and pluck its feathers and use them."

"I did say that," said Tat.

"Do you still believe that?"

"I think I should have given you the chance before."

"Will you please let me see it?"

A sense of longing had replaced the self-assurance in Roddell's eyes. Tat was satisfied with what he saw.

"Of course I'll let you see it. But first, don't you think it's time your aunt stopped this storm?"

Roddell smiled wanly.

"I suppose it is."

But as soon as he withdrew into his effort of concentration, the rain doubled its intensity and the wind shook the Forest. But that was the last thrust of the storm. The rain stopped and the clouds dispersed. The waterlogged trees and foliage glistened in the sun. Roddell's face was clouded with anxiety.

"What's the matter now?" Tat asked him.

"My aunt understood that I was not going to bring her the Rainbow Bird after all. You may have to protect me again. It is the Forest that stopped the storm, and it is the Forest that is blocking her spells now. I won't be able to go back to her."

"Then don't," said Tat. "You can stay with me and the Hermit. Are you ready to get up?"

"Yes."

This time, Roddell accepted Tat's offer of a hand to help his new friend to his feet.

"I'm a little shaky on my legs," Roddell admitted. "Or I'm just shaky."

"You'll be all right," Tat assured him. "Let's go see the Rainbow Bird."

But before they moved away, there was a rustling in the undergrowth. Tat's heart sank when he saw Duke appear with Dawnfur between his teeth. Duke dropped the rabbit at his stunned master's feet. Tat scooped his friend into his arms and looked for signs of life. There were none. He dropped Dawnfur's body and struck the dog across the nose. Duke yelped and rubbed itself against Roddell, wagging his tail anxiously. Roddell patted his dog to console him while he remained lost in thought.

"I didn't know what I was doing," said Roddell. "No more than my dog did."

"Do you know now?" asked Tat.

Roddell nodded and returned his attention to Duke. In spite of his grief, Tat realized that he had never before hurt an animal in his life. He sloshed through the mud until he reached the dog. Duke shrank back, but when Tat gently caressed his neck, the dog relaxed and let his tongue hang out. Then he jumped up on Tat's chest and licked the tears off his face.

"He likes you!" Roddell exclaimed. "You have a new-"

Roddell's jaw dropped. He flushed with a joy new to him as an array of colors, familiar to Tat, reflected off his face. It made Tat wonder how he could have failed to perceive Roddell's true nature. Duke whined and then drew back, awed by what he saw. Even before he looked, Tat knew that the Rainbow Bird had come to them. With one mighty shake of its body, the Bird rid itself of the twigs Dawnfur and Tat had piled on him. The rain had washed away all the dirt. Like an emperor in procession, the Rainbow Bird approached Roddell and looked into his face with its searching eyes. A look of relief stole across Roddell's face. He placed a hand on the Bird's back. Tat could see Roddell's strength returning in full. In a moment, he had all of his usual energy.

"I wish I had obeyed my hands when they shook as I notched my arrow," the youth said to the bird. "I wish I had looked instead of just aiming."

The Rainbow Bird silently interrupted the youth. He stood there, listening to what it had to say. Once he understood, he gasped for joy.

"What it is?" Tat asked.

"He wants me to go with him!"

"How lucky for you!" cried Tat. "Now I wish I could come with you, but--of course I can't leave the Enchanted Forest."

"There's still one problem," said Roddell. "My younger brother still lives with West-Witch."

"Then why doesn't the Rainbow Bird fly you over to her castle and let you to rescue him?" Tat suggested.

"No," said Roddell as he listened further to the Bird. "It is for you to wait for him. Just be ready to meet him."

"I can hardly wait!"

"It will be a trial for you, but then you seem to like having trials come your way."

"I suppose I do."

Then Tat noticed that the tourniquet he had made was dangling uselessly from the wounded wing. Only now, there was no trace of the wound. With a shrug, the Bird shook the rag off of him.

"You silly Bird!" Tat exclaimed. "You didn't need me after all!"

The Rainbow Bird fixed its steady gaze on Tat until the boy understood in an inarticulate way that his efforts had not been wasted after all.

Then Roddell gingerly climbed on the Rainbow Bird's back as Tat looked on enviously. When Duke began to catch on to what was happening, he barked sharply.

"Oh Duke," said Roddell. "I--don't know what to say. You can't come with me."

"He can stay with me and the Hermit," Tat offered.

"After what he did to your friend?"

"Oh. Well. Yes, even after that. He's--my friend too now. And I'm sure he'll never hurt another animal in the Enchanted Forest now that he's learned his lesson."

"You stay here!" Roddell commanded his dog and pointed to Tat.

Duke wagged his tail in anticipation, then slobbered all over his new master's face.

"Well, friend," said Roddell, "Much as I hate to leave you so soon, the Rainbow Bird wants to be off."

"Can't it stay a day or two with you?"

"No. It seems to be concerned with many things and being healed is no longer one of them. Don't worry, I'll be back if I find I can be any help to you or the Forest."

Tat embraced his new friend warmly before Roddell settled himself on the Rainbow Bird.

Duke barked at Roddell, still not understanding why he couldn't keep both of his friends.

"Sorry Duke," said Roddell. "We can't have everything that's good all the time."

Still not able to comprehend with his best efforts, Duke watched disconsolately as the Rainbow Bird rose into the air with Roddell on its back. Tat choked back the tears of longing as he saw his friend fly off on the most beautiful bird in the world. Tat and Roddell waved at each other for as long as they could see one another, and then Roddell and the Bird were gone.

Tat ruefully picked up the body of Dawnfur to give it a decent burial. Duke smelled the body, and then started digging a hole with his hind legs. Tat cried, but some of his tears were joyful.