`Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, `do as I command you (сделай, как я приказываю тебе).'


square [skweə] bare [beə] blind [blaind]


`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.'

`I will stay with you one night longer,' said the Swallow, `but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then.'

`Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,' said the Prince, `do as I command you.'


So he plucked out the Prince's other eye (тогда он вытащил другой глаз Принца), and darted down with it (и помчался с ним /сапфиром/ стрелой вниз). He swooped past the match-girl (он устремился/пролетел мимо девочки со спичками; to swoop — устремляться, падать вниз), and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand (и всунул = уронил драгоценный камень в ладошку /ее руки/; to slip — скользить, to slip smth. into smth. — незаметно всунуть что-либо куда-либо).

`What a lovely bit of glass (какой красивый кусочек стекла),' cried the little girl (воскликнула маленькая девочка); and she ran home, laughing (и она побежала домой, смеясь; to run (ran, run)).

Then the Swallow came back to the Prince (затем Ласточка вернулся к Принцу). `You are blind now (теперь ты слепой),' he said, `so I will stay with you always (поэтому я навсегда останусь с тобой).'



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