Jeff Hiller, age 13, of Tucson, Arizona, for his question:

How did the Painted Desert get its name?

The Painted Desert is a stunning sight. Its colors challenge the rainbow. Its eroded mesas, cliffs, tables, pinnacles and gorges reach as far as the eye can see. In the brilliant desert sunshine the landscape is a gaudy kaleidoscope right up to the distant horizon.

Now, how in the world are you going to find words to describe such a sight? Much less one or two simple words to name all that beauty. Andy does not know who solved this difficult problem. But he must have been a poet. The brilliant, gaudy landscape is as gay as the paint on an artist's palette. And the Painted Desert is as good a name for it as anyone could have found.