“At that moment Prince Asgard reached her side and lifted her gently to her feet. She turned so pale as he assisted her that he held her for a moment in his arms to support her, fearing she would faint, and anxiously asked if she were ill.
“‘Alas, no,’ she replied, as she drew away from him, ‘but you have done a very terrible thing.’
“At that moment a sad and mournful cry arose from the heart of the mountain, and the seven sisters floated out slowly and surrounded the Silver Princess. She threw herself on her knees before them, but they did not touch her. It seemed as though they feared to do so. She implored them to touch her with their hands, to kiss her, but they only sang a sad refrain in answer to her prayers.
Little sister, mortal now, Alas, we cannot kiss your brow. Still for ever shall abide In your sky a rainbow guide; And the love we have for you Now and always shall be true.
Then, tenderly kissing their hands to her, they floated off and disappeared in the mist.
“‘What does it mean?’ said Asgard tenderly, lifting the Silver Princess from her knees. ‘Why are you so unhappy? I love you with all my heart, little Princess. Will you not consent to marry me? Ask your sisters to spare you, for I cannot live without you.’
“‘Alas,’ she replied, ‘my sisters have gone for ever from my sight. When you first touched me I became a mortal like you, and I cannot now return to them.’
“‘O, little Princess, do not be sad,’ replied the Prince, ‘for you have made me so happy by remaining. Surely you will not refuse now to marry me?’
“‘No,’ replied the Silver Princess, smiling through her tears. ‘I am an earth maiden now, and I love you. But though I am happy to be with you, I am sorry to lose them. Our dear mother warned them that some day I would love a mortal, and they have feared you since the night I spoke to you in the desert. That was the condition I could not tell you,’ she added shyly. ‘Your touch would make me mortal, and as you lifted me in your arms when I fell, I became an earth maiden and lost my fairy nature. But you have solved the riddle of your country, for when we enter it together, you will find that rain will follow. My sisters love me dearly, and for my sake will forgive your people. They will follow me to my new home, and though we shall never see them again, the reflection from their brilliant dresses will glow in the sky. As the rainbow, they will arch the heavens when we arrive, to show me they are near to welcome us.’ And sure enough, when Prince Asgard and the beautiful maiden of the silver dress (who was called Hyndla) entered the land of lotus flowers and acacias, they saw, arching the heavens, a magnificent rainbow.