Opening, part 1 · page 21 2101Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy’s forehead with his wings.102“How cool I feel,” said the boy, “I must be getting better”; and he sank into a delicious slumber.103Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told him what he had done.104“It is curious,” he remarked, “but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold.”105“That is because you have done a good action,” said the Prince.106And the little Swallow began to think, and then he fell asleep.107Thinking always made him sleepy.108When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath.109“What a remarkable phenomenon,” said the Professor of Ornithology as he was passing over the bridge.110“A swallow in winter!”111And he wrote a long letter about it to the local newspaper.112Every one quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand.113“To-night I go to Egypt,” said the Swallow, and he was in high spirits at the prospect.114He visited all the public monuments, and sat a long time on top of the church steeple.115Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped, and said to each other, “What a distinguished stranger!” so he enjoyed himself very much.116When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince.117“Have you any commissions for Egypt?” he cried; “I am just starting.”118“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “will you not stay with me one night longer?”119“I am waited for in Egypt,” answered the Swallow.120“To-morrow my friends will fly up to the Second Cataract.121The river-horse couches there among the bulrushes, and on a great granite throne sits the God Memnon.122All night long he watches the stars, and when the morning star shines he utters one cry of joy, and then he is silent.123At noon the yellow lions come down to the water’s edge to drink.124They have eyes like green beryls, and their roar is louder than the roar of the cataract.”125“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “far away across the city I see a young man in a garret.126He is leaning over a desk covered with papers, and in a tumbler by his side there is a bunch of withered violets.127His hair is brown and crisp, and his lips are red as a pomegranate, and he has large and dreamy eyes.128He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold to write any more.129There is no fire in the grate, and hunger has made him faint.”130“I will wait with you one night longer,” said the Swallow, who really had a good heart.131“Shall I take him another ruby?”132“Alas!133I have no ruby now,” said the Prince; “my eyes are all that I have left.134They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago.135Pluck out one of them and take it to him.136He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish his play.”137“Dear Prince,” said the Swallow, “I cannot do that”; and he began to weep.138“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “do as I command you.”139So the Swallow plucked out the Prince’s eye, and flew away to the student’s garret.140It was easy enough to get in, as there was a hole in the roof.141Through this he darted, and came into the room.142The young man had his head buried in his hands, so he did not hear the flutter of the bird’s wings, and when he looked up he found the beautiful sapphire lying on the withered violets.143“I am beginning to be appreciated,” he cried; “this is from some great admirer.144Now I can finish my play,” and he looked quite happy.145The next day the Swallow flew down to the harbour.146He sat on the mast of a large vessel and watched the sailors hauling big chests out of the hold with ropes.147“Heave a-hoy!” they shouted as each chest came up.148“I am going to Egypt”! cried the Swallow, but nobody minded, and when the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince.149“I am come to bid you good-bye,” he cried.150“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “will you not stay with me one night longer?”151“It is winter,” answered the Swallow, “and the chill snow will soon be here.152In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm-trees, and the crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them.153My companions are building a nest in the Temple of Baalbec, and the pink and white doves are watching them, and cooing to each other.154Dear Prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you, and next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of those you have given away.155The ruby shall be redder than a red rose, and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea.”156“In the square below,” said the Happy Prince, “there stands a little match-girl.157She has let her matches fall in the gutter, and they are all spoiled.158Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money, and she is crying.159She has no shoes or stockings, and her little head is bare.160Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will not beat her.”161“I will stay with you one night longer,” said the Swallow, “but I cannot pluck out your eye.162You would be quite blind then.”1 2next →Opening, part 2↑ back to The Happy Prince, and Other TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg902/1/page/2/