A silly speech for even an "examining" little boy to make; because, as
we grow older, the more we know the more we find out there is to know.
And Prince Dolor blushed when he had said it, and hoped nobody had heard
him.

Apparently somebody had, however; for the cloak gave a sudden bound
forward, and presently he found himself high in the air, in the very
middle of that band of aerial travelers, who had mo magic cloak to
travel on--nothing except their wings. Yet there they were, making their
fearless way through the sky.

Prince Dolor looked at them as one after the other they glided past him;
and they looked at him--those pretty swallows, with their changing
necks and bright eyes--as if wondering to meet in mid-air such an
extraordinary sort of bird.

"Oh, I wish I were going with you, you lovely creatures! I'm getting so
tired of this dull plain, and the dreary and lonely tower. I do so want
to see the world! Pretty swallows, dear swallows! tell me what it looks
like--the beautiful, wonderful world!"

But the swallows flew past him--steadily, slowly pursuing their course
as if inside each little head had been a mariner's compass, to guide
them safe over land and sea, direct to the place where they wished to
go.

The boy looked after them with envy. For a long time he followed with
his eyes the faint, wavy black line as it floated away, sometimes
changing its curves a little, but never deviating from its settled
course, till it vanished entirely out of sight.