He told him of the red ibises, who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile, and catch gold fish in their beaks; of the Sphinx, who is as old as the world itself and lives in the desert, and knows everything; of the merchants, who walk slowly by the side of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black as ebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests to feed it with honey-cakes; and of the pygmies who sail over a big lake on large flat leaves, and are always at war with the butterflies.

`Dear little Swallow (милый Ласточка; dear — дорогой, милый; little — маленький),' said the Prince, `you tell me of marvellous things (ты рассказываешь мне об удивительных вещах; marvel — чудо, диво), but more marvellous than anything (но самое удивительное: «но более удивительное, чем что-нибудь еще») is the suffering of men and of women (это страдания всех людей: «мужчин и женщин»; man (мн.ч. men) — мужчина, человек, woman (мн.ч. women) — женщина). There is no Mystery so great as Misery (нет большей Тайны, чем Страдание). Fly over my city (полети над моим городом), little Swallow, and tell me what you see there (и расскажи мне, что ты увидишь /там/).'

marvellous ['mα:v(ə)ləs] mystery ['mist(ə)ri] misery ['miz(ə)ri]

`Dear little Swallow,' said the Prince, `you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see there.'