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快乐王子童话集(英文版)-第2章

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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 newspaper。 Every one quoted it; it was full of 
so many words that they could not understand。 
    〃To…night 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 
himself very much。 
    When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince。 〃Have you 
any missions 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。 〃To…morrow 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 Memnon。 
All night long 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 e 
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;〃 said the Prince; 〃far away 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 

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                           The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




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 mand 
you。〃 
    So the Swallow plucked out the Prince's eye; and flew away to the 
student's garret。 It was easy enough to get in; as there was a hole in the 
roof。 Through this he darted; and came into the room。 The 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。 
    〃I am beginning to be appreciated;〃 he cried; 〃this is from some great 
admirer。 Now I can finish my play;〃 and he looked quite happy。 
    The next day the Swallow flew down to the harbour。 He sat on the 
mast of a large vessel and watched the sailors hauling big chests out of the 
hold with ropes。 〃Heave a…hoy!〃 they shouted as each chest came up。 
〃I am going to Egypt〃! cried the Swallow; but nobody minded; and when 
the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince。 
    〃I am e to bid you good…bye;〃 he cried。 
    〃Swallow; Swallow; little Swallow;〃 said the Prince; 〃will you not stay 
with me one night longer?〃 
    〃It is winter;〃 answered the Swallow; 〃and the chill snow will soon be 

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                            The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




here。    In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm…trees; and the 
crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them。 My panions are 
building a nest in the Temple of Baalbec; and the pink and white doves are 
watching them; and cooing to each other。 Dear 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。 The ruby shall 
be redder than a red rose; and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great 
sea。〃 
   〃In the square below;〃 said the Happy Prince; 〃there stands a little 
match…girl。 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 mand 
you。〃 
   So he plucked out the Prince's other eye; and darted down with it。 He 
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 
women。 There is no Mystery so great as Misery。 Fly over my city; little 
Swallow; and tell me what you see there。〃 
    So the Swallow flew over the great city; and saw the rich making 
merry in their beautiful houses; while the beggars were sitting at the gates。 
He flew into dark lanes; and saw the white faces of starving children 
looking out listlessly at the black streets。 Under the archway of a bridge 
two little boys were lying in one another's arms to try and keep themselves 
warm。 〃How hungry we are!〃 they said。 〃You must not lie here;〃 
shouted the Watchman; and they wandered out into the rain。 
    Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen。 
    〃I am covered with fine gold;〃 said the Prince; 〃you must take it off; 
leaf by leaf; and give it to my poor; the living always think that gold can 
make them happy。〃 
    Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off; till the Happy 
Prince looked quite dull and grey。 Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he 
brought to the poor; and the children's faces grew rosier; and they laughed 
and played games in the street。 〃We have bread now!〃 they cried。 
    Then the snow came; and after the snow came the frost。 The streets 
looked as if they were made of silver; they were so bright and glistening; 
long icicles like crystal daggers hung down from the eaves of the houses; 
everybody went about in furs; and the little boys wore scarlet caps and 
skated on the ice。 
    The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder; but he would not leave 

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                            The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




the Prince; he loved him too well。 He picked up crumbs outside the 
baker's door when the baker was not looking and tried to keep himself 
warm by flapping his wings。 
    But at last he knew that he was going to die。 He had just strength to 
fly up to the Prince's shoulder once more。 〃Good…bye; dear Prince!〃 he 
murmured; 〃will you let me kiss your hand?〃 
    〃I am glad that you are going to Egypt at last; little Swallow;〃 said the 
Prince; 〃you have stayed too long here; but you must kiss me on the lips; 
for I love you。〃 
    〃It is not to Egypt that I am going;〃 said the Swallow。 〃I am going to 
the House of Death。 Death is the brother of Sleep; is he not?〃 
    And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips; and fell down dead at his 
feet。 
    At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue; as if 
something had broken。 The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped 
right in two。 It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost。 
    Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in 
pany with the Town Councillors。 As they passed the column he 
looked up at the statue: 〃Dear me! how shabby the Happy Prince looks!〃 
he said。 
   
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