"
The prince now repaired to the vault, where his friend the bat was
hanging by the heels, and propounded the same question. The bat
wrinkled up his nose into a most snappish expression. "Why do you
disturb me in my morning's nap with such an idle question?" said he,
peevishly. "I only fly by twilight, when all birds are asleep, and
never trouble myself with their concerns. I am neither bird nor beast,
and I thank heaven for it. I have found out the villany of the whole
of them, and hate them one and all. In a word, I am a misanthrope- and
know nothing of this thing called love."
As a last resort, the prince now sought the swallow, and stopped him
just as he was circling about the summit of the tower. The swallow, as
usual, was in a prodigious hurry, and had scarce time to make a reply.
"Upon my word," said he, "I have so much public business to attend to,
and so many pursuits to follow, that I have had no time to think on
the subject. I have every day a thousand visits to pay; a thousand
affairs of importance to examine into, that leave me not a moment of
leisure for these little sing-song matters. In a word, I am a
citizen of the world- I know nothing of this thing called love." So
saying, the swallow dived into the valley, and was out of sight in a
moment.
The prince remained disappointed and perplexed, but with his
curiosity still more piqued by the difficulty of gratifying it.
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