Page:Fairy tales and stories (Andersen, Tegner).djvu/349

Rh so pleased at seeing Thumbeline, who now told him how unwilling she was to marry the ugly old mole, and that she would have to live far under the ground, where the sun never shone. She could not help crying at the thought of it.

"The cold winter is now approaching," said the swallow; "I am going to fly away to the hot countries. Will you come with me? You can sit on my back. You need only tie yourself fast with your girdle, and then we will fly away from the ugly old mole and his dark room, far away over the mountains to warmer climes, where the sun shines more brightly than here, where there is always summer and beautiful flowers. Only fly with me, sweet little Thumbeline,—you who saved my life when I lay frozen in the dark cellar under the ground."

"Yes, I will go with you," said Thumbeline, and seated herself on the bird's back with her feet on his outstretched wing, and tied her girdle fast to one of his strongest feathers, and then the swallow flew high up in the air over forests and lakes, high over the big mountains, which are always covered with snow. And Thumbeline then began to suffer from the cold, but she crept in under the bird's warm feathers and only put out her little head to look at all the splendor below her.

And so they came to the hot countries. There the sun shone much brighter than here, the sky was twice as lofty, and in the ditches and the hedges grew the most lovely green and purple grapes. In the woods hung lemons and oranges, and the air was fragrant with myrtle and mint, and on the roads pretty children ran about, playing with big, gay butterflies. But the swallow flew on still farther, and everything became more and more beautiful. Under the magnificent green trees by the blue sea stood a