Page 113 - Arrow Publications Pvt. Ltd.

When the moon rose, he flew back to the Happy Prince.

“I have come to bid you goodbye,” he cried.

“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “Will you not stay with me one night
longer?”

“In the square below, there stands a little matchgirl. She has let her matches fall in the gutter,

and they are all spoiled. Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money,
and she is crying. She has no
shoes or stockings and her

little head is bare. Pluck out
my other eye, and give it to

her, and her father will not
beat her.”

“I will stay with you one night

longer,” said the Swallow, but
I cannot pluck out your eye.
You would be quite blind

then.

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

So, the Swallow plucked out the Prince’s other eye and swooped past the matchgirl, 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.

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 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.

‘Dear little Swallow,’ said the Prince, You tell me of marvellous things but more marvellous
than anything is the suffering of men. Fly over my city. Little Swallow, and tell me what you

see there.

So, the Swallow flew over the great city, came back and told the Prince what he had seen.

Arrow - English Plus-7 112