"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.

　

 came back to

 the Prince.

 "You are blind

now," he said,

"so I will stay

 with you always."

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.

"I

am

come

 to

 bid

you

good-bye,"

he cried.

"Swallow,

 Swallow,

little

Swallow,"

said the Prince,

"will

you

not
　

stay

with

me

one

 night

 longer?"

　

"I will stay

with you one

 night longer,"

 said the Swallow,

"but I cannot

 pluck out your

 eye. You would

 be quite

blind  then."

"It is winter,"

answered the Swallow,

"and the chill

snow

 will soon

 be 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

companions 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."

"I will stay

 with you always,"

 said the Swallow,

 and he slept at

the Prince's feet.

"Swallow,

Swallow,

little Swallow,"

 said the Prince,

"do as I

command you."

So he plucked

 out the Prince's other

 eye, and darted down

with it.NHe 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.

　

"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."

"No, little

Swallow,"

 said the poor Prince,

 "you must go

away to Egypt."