Page 559 - Child's own book

the little swallow in my name, if you should happen to see
him / ’
“ Twit, twit!’* now sounded above her head, and looking up,
she saw it was the swallow himself, who was just passing by*
As soon as he spied Maja, he was much pleased j and she then
told him how she disliked the idea of marrying tlie ugly mole,
as she most then live deep below in the earth, where the sun
never shone, She could not help crying as she spoke. “ The
cold winter is coming on,” satd the little swallow; lL I am
going to fly to wanner lands ; will you come with me ? you
can sit on my back. Bind yourself on securely with your sask,
and then we will fly away feom the ugly mole and his gloomy'
abode, fit, fair away over the mountains, till we leach the
warm climate where thp sun shines far brighter than here,
where the summer is eternal, and where grow the fairest
flowers. Only fly w ith me, you dear little Maja, who saved
my life when 1 lay frozen in that dreary cellar/ 1 “ Yes, 1
will go with you/’ said little JVlaja, and she placed herself on
the bird s back with her feet resting on his spread wings, and
fastened her sash to one of the strongest feathers, and then the
swallow flew up high into the air, over both foiest and sea,
high above the highest snow-capped mountains; and little
Maja would have frozen in the cold air, had she not crept
under the bird’s warm feathers, only leaving her little head
free to admire the beautiful landscape below.
At length they reached the warni lands; there the sun shone
far brighter than upon us : the sky seemed twice as high from
the earth t and the finest blaek and green grapes grew on the
hedges and in the ditches. In the woods hung lemons and
china-oranges; there was n sweet perfume of myrtles and balm-
mint ; and along the roads were running lovely children, playinf
with large particoloured butterflies. But the swallow fleff