When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath."What a remarkable phenomenon，" said the Professor of Ornithology as he was passing over the bridge. "A swallow in winter!" And he wrote a long letter about it to the local news paper. Every one quoted it， it was full of so many words that they could not understand.

　　"Tonight I go to Egypt，" said the Swallow， and he was in high spirits at the prospect. He visited all the public monuments， and sat a long time on top of the church steeple. Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped， and said to each other， "What a distinguished stranger!" so he enjoyed him self very much.

　　When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince."Have you any commissions for Egypt?" he cried; "I am just starting."

　　"Swallow. Swallow， little Swallow，" said the Prince， "will you not stay with me one night longer?"

　　"I am waited for in Egypt，" answered the Swallow."Tomorrow my friends will fly up to the Second Cataract. The river horse couches there among the bulrushes， and on a great granite throne sits the God Mammon. All nightlong he watches the stars， and when the morning star shines he utters one cry of joy， and then he is silent. At noon the yellow lions come down to the water's edge to drink. They have eyes like green beryls， and their roar is louder than the roar of the cataract.

　　"Swallow， Swallow， little Swallow， aid the Prince， "faraway across the city I see a young man in a garret. He is leaning over a desk covered with papers， and in a tumbler by his side there is a bunch of withered violets. His hair is brown and crisp， and his lips are red as a pomegranate， and he has large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre， but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire in the grate， and hunger has made him faint."

　　"I will wait with you one night longer，" said the Swallow， who really had a good heart. "Shall I take him another ruby?"

　　"Alas! I have no ruby now，" said the Prince; "my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires， which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller， and buy food and firewood， and finish his play"

　　"Dear Prince，" said the Swallow "I cannot do that"; and he began to weep.

　　"Swallow， Swallow， little Swallow，" said the Prince， "do as I command you."

　　……