The Happy Prince Chapter 02

Part Two
The Sapphire
The next day the little Swallow has a bath in the river.
There is a professor walking over the bridge.
'What a strange thing.
A swallow in winter,' says the professor.
'Tonight I go to Egypt,' says the Swallow.
So he visits the public monuments of the city.
When the other winter birds see him they are surprised and say,
'What a beautiful bird!'
This makes the little Swallow very happy.
In the evening the Swallow looks at the Happy Prince and says, 'I am going to Egypt.'
'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' says the Prince,
'can you stay with me another night?'
'My friends are waiting for me in Egypt.
Tomorrow, they are flying up the river.
They are visiting the statue of the god Memnon.
At midday the yellow lions go to the water and drink.
They have big green eyes and a terrible roar.'
'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' says the Prince,
'I can see a young man in an attic. He is a writer.
He can't write because he is too cold and hungry.'
'Well, I can stay with you another night,' says the Swallow.
'Must I take him another ruby?'
'I haven't got a ruby,' says the Prince. 'I only have my eyes.
They are made of blue sapphires.
Take one of the sapphires to him.
He can sell it and buy food and firewood.
Then he can finish his book.'
'Dear Prince,' says the Swallow, 'I can't do that.'
The Swallow begins to cry.
'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' says the Prince, 'do as I say.'
So the Swallow takes out the Prince's eye and flies to the writer's attic.
When the writer sees the sapphire on his desk, he is very happy.
'Now I can finish my book!' says the young man.
The next day the little Swallow flies to the port.
He looks at all the ships.
In the evening he returns to the Happy Prince.
'I am here to say goodbye,' he says.
'I am going to Egypt!'
'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' says the Prince.
'Can you stay with me another night?'
'It is winter and it is cold here.
In Egypt the sun is warm.
My friends are making a nest.
Dear Prince, I must leave you.
Next spring I can bring you a ruby and a sapphire.'
In the street below,' says the Happy Prince,
'there is a little match girl.
Look, her matches are falling in a puddle of water!
Now she can't sell them.
She is crying.
She is poor and has no shoes.
Take my other eye and give it to her
I can stay with you another night,' says the Swallow.
'But I can't take out your other eye,
because then you can't see.'
'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' says the Prince, 'do as I say.'
So the Swallow takes out the Prince's other eye.
He flies to the little match girl and puts the sapphire in her hand.
'What a lovely piece of glass!'
says the little girl.
She laughs and runs home.
The Swallow returns to the Prince.
'You can't see now.
I want to stay with you always.'
'No, little Swallow,' says the poor Prince. 'You must go to Egypt.'
'I want to stay with you always,'
says the Swallow.