all the next day he sat on the prince 's shoulder , and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands . 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 , " 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 . "
stories of what he had seen in strange lands .
what did the swallow tell the happy prince when sitting on his shoulder ?
what did the swallow tell the happy prince when sitting on his shoulder ?