552 LITTLE MATA.

the little swallow in my name, if you should happen to see

“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 ; and she then
told him how she disliked the idea of marrying the ugly mole,
as she must 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,” said the little swallow; “I am
going to fly to warmer lands; will you come with me? you
can sit on my back. Bind yourself on securely with your sash,
and then we will fly away from the ugly mole and his gloomy
abode, far, far away over the mountains, till we reach the
warm climate where the sun shines far brighter than here,
where the summer is eternal, and where grow the fairest
flowers. Only fly with me, you dear little Maja, who saved
my life when I lay frozen in that dreary cellar.” “Yes, I
will go with you,” said little Maja, 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 forest and ses,
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 warm lands; there the sun shone
far brighter than upon us: the sky seemed twice as high from
the earth, and the finest black and green grapes grew on the
hedges and in the ditches. In the woods hung lemons and
china-oranges; there was a sweet perfume of myrtles and balm
mint ; and along the roads were running lovely children, playing
with large particoloured butterflies. But the swallow flew