The Happy Prince

By Oscar Wilde

Contents

• The Happy Prince
• The Nightingale and the Rose
• The Selfish Giant
• The Devoted Friend
• The Remarkable Rocket

The Happy Prince

High up in the city stood a statue. It stood on a tall pillar. This was the Happy Prince.

He was covered in gold. Gold is a shiny yellow metal. His eyes were blue jewels. Blue jewels like that are called sapphires. A red jewel shined on his sword. Red jewels like that are called rubies.

People loved to look at him.

"He is so pretty," said one man. "But not very useful," he added.

"Why can't you be happy like the statue?" a mother asked her crying boy. "The Happy Prince never cries."

"I am glad someone is happy," said a sad man, looking up at the statue.

"He looks like an angel," said some children.

"How do you know?" asked their teacher. "You never saw an angel."

"We saw one in our dreams," the children said.

One night, a little Swallow flew over the city. His friends had flown to Egypt weeks before. He had stayed behind. He was in love with a Reed by the river.

He met her in spring. He liked her slim shape. He flew around her all summer. This was his way of courting her.

"She talks too little," he said. "And she flirts with the wind."

He asked her to fly away with him. But the Reed loved her home. She said no.

"Then I will go to Egypt without you!" he said. And he flew away.

He flew all day. At night, he came to the city. He looked for a place to sleep.

He saw the tall statue.

"I will sleep here," he said. "It has fresh air." He landed between the Prince's feet.

"I have a golden bedroom!" he said happily.

Then a drop of water fell on him.

"How strange," he said. "The sky is clear. But it is raining!"

Another drop fell.

"This statue is not good at keeping rain off," he said. He looked up to fly away.

Then he saw it. The Prince's eyes were full of tears! Tears ran down his golden cheeks.

"Who are you?" asked the Swallow.

"I am the Happy Prince."

"Why are you crying?" said the Swallow. "You got me all wet."

"When I was alive," said the Prince, "I lived in a beautiful palace. I never saw sadness there. I did not know what tears were. Everyone called me happy. I was happy, if fun is the same as happiness.

"Now I am dead. They put my statue up high. Now I can see all the sadness in my city. My heart is made of lead. But still, I must cry."

"Is he not made of real gold?" thought the Swallow. But he did not say it out loud.

"Far away," said the Prince, "there is a poor house. A tired woman sits sewing. Her hands are sore from her needle. She is making a beautiful dress for a rich lady.

"Her little boy is sick in bed. He has a fever. He is asking for oranges. But she has no money. She can only give him water.

"Swallow, will you take the ruby from my sword to her?" asked the Prince. "I cannot move. My feet are stuck to this pillar."

"My friends wait for me in Egypt," said the Swallow.

"Please stay one night," said the Prince. "Be my helper. The boy is so thirsty. His mother is so sad."

"I am not sure I like boys," said the Swallow. "Some boys once threw stones at me."

But the Prince looked so sad. The Swallow felt sorry for him.

"It is cold here," he said. "But I will stay one night. I will help you."

"Thank you, little Swallow," said the Prince.

The Swallow picked up the ruby with his beak. He flew over the town with it.

He flew past towers and palaces. He heard music and dancing. He flew over the river and the ships. At last, he came to the poor house.

The boy was tossing in his bed. The tired mother was asleep. The Swallow flew in. He put the ruby by her sewing basket. Then he flapped his wings over the boy to cool him down.

"I feel cooler," said the boy. "I must be getting better." Then he fell into a calm sleep.

The Swallow flew back to the Prince. He told him what he did.

"That is strange," said the Swallow. "I feel warm now, even though it is cold."

"That is because you did something kind," said the Prince.

The little Swallow thought about this. Thinking made him sleepy. So he went to sleep too.

In the morning, he took a bath in the river.

"A swallow, in winter! How strange!" said a bird scientist. A bird scientist is called an ornithologist. He wrote about it in the newspaper. It had many big words no one understood.

"Tonight, I go to Egypt," said the Swallow. He felt excited. He visited the tall buildings in the city. Other birds admired him.

When the moon rose, he flew back to the Prince.

"Do you need anything else before I go?" he asked.

"Swallow, will you stay one more night?" asked the Prince.

"My friends wait for me in Egypt," said the Swallow. He told the Prince about his warm, faraway home. He talked about lions, rivers, and an old king in a painted box.

"Swallow," said the Prince, "far away, I see a young man in a small room. He is writing a play. But he is cold and hungry. He has no money for food or fire."

"I will stay one more night," said the kind Swallow. "Shall I bring him a ruby too?"

"I have no more rubies," said the Prince. "My eyes are all I have left. They are made of rare blue jewels from India. Please take one out. Bring it to him. He can sell it for food...