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
commissions 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 come 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 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?"