swooped　past　the　match…girl；　and　slipped　the　jewel　into　the　palm　of　her

hand。　〃What　a　lovely　bit　of　glass；〃　cried　the　little　girl；　and　she　ran　home；

laughing。

Then　the　Swallow　came　back　to　the　Prince。　〃You　are　blind　now；〃　he

said；　〃so　I　will　stay　with　you　always。〃

〃No；　little　Swallow；〃　said　the　poor　Prince；　〃you　must　go　away　to

Egypt。〃

〃I　will　stay　with　you　always；〃　said　the　Swallow；　and　he　slept　at　the

Prince's　feet。

All　the　next　day　he　sat　on　the　Prince's　shoulder；　and　told　him　stories　of

what　he　had　seen　in　strange　lands。　He　told　him　of　the　red　ibises；　who

stand　in　long　rows　on　the　banks　of　the　Nile；　and　catch　gold…fish　in　their

beaks；　of　the　Sphinx；　who　is　as　old　as　the　world　itself；　and　lives　in　the

8

The　Happy　Prince　and　Other　Tales

desert；　and　knows　everything；　of　the　merchants；　who　walk　slowly　by　the

side　of　their　camels；　and　carry　amber　beads　in　their　hands；　of　the　King　of

the　Mountains　of　the　Moon；　who　is　as　black　as　ebony；　and　worships　a

large　crystal；　of　the　great　green　snake　that　sleeps　in　a　palm…tree；　and　has

twenty　priests　to　feed　it　with　honey…cakes；　and　of　the　pygmies　who　sail

over　a　big　lake　on　large　flat　leaves；　and　are　always　at　war　with　the

butterflies。

〃Dear　little　Swallow；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃you　tell　me　of　marvellous

things；　but　more　marvellous　than　anything　is　the　suffering　of　men　and　of