THE HAPPY PRINCE by Oscar Wilde

 

Long, long years ago a golden statue of the Happy Prince stood in the middle of the square in the centre of a big town. People very often passed by the statue and stopped, and thought that he was the only figure in the town to have a happy face. Sometimes they admired his smile, sometimes they were jealous of it; and they wished they were as happy as the Happy Prince was.

One late autumn night, when all birds were already flying to warmer climes, a little swallow sat beside the statute of the Happy Prince to rest. Just then it heard the sound of crying. The swallow looked at the Happy Prince and saw that the rich golden figure, ornamented with flickering brilliants, had tears in its diamond eyes. Being very sensitive, the bird's heart moved in his little breast. It was then that the statue said with a sad voice:

"Swallow, swallow, little swallow, could you do something for me? I'm standing here at the highest point in the town and I see everything people have to suffer. I've seen a house where a weaver works day and night to get money to warm her house so that her little son might recover from illness. Swallow, my friend, take my ruby from my sword and leave it in her house. She will be able to take care of her son and my tears won't flow any longer."

"But, Happy Prince, it is nearly winter and I must fly with my friends to Egypt", said the swallow sadly. "It is going to be cold here and I may freeze­"

"Swallow, please do as I ask you, and tomorrow you will fly with your friends."

So the swallow flew to the house where the poor woman and her son lived and left the ruby from the Prince's sword on the table where she had fallen asleep while weaving. When the woman awoke, she was surprised and happy, and she thought that some rich person had offered her such a precious gift. Indeed, she was happy that she could cure her child now.

But the next day, when the bird came to say good-bye to the Happy Prince, the statue cried once more and said unhappily:

"Swallow, swallow, little swallow, I have one more request to you. I have seen a small girl selling matches in the street. She does not have shoes and she is trembling with cold. If she does not earn money her father will beat her severely. Swallow, my friend, go and leave her my diamond eye. It will make the family rich and stop the tears falling down my face."

But, Happy Prince, it started to rain this morning and all my friends have already left for warmer climes. Some of them must already enjoy the hot Egyptian sun. If I stay a day longer, I will have to fly alone­"

"Swallow, my friend, please do as I ask you, and tomorrow you will be on your way to Egypt."

The swallow's heart was warm, and he thought how good and kind the Prince's heart must be. So he flew to the street in which the little girl was sitting and he dropped the Happy Prince's diamond eye beside her. She found it, cried with happiness and ran into the house laughing. She thought that some rich person had lost his finest diamond and that they would not have to suffer poverty and cold any more.

And the next day, when the swallow came to say good-bye to the Happy Prince for the second time and tell him how good his stone heart was, the Prince cried again and said painfully:

"Swallow, swallow, little swallow, there is one more thing I would like you to do. Not far away a poor student lives. He is so poor that he cannot concentrate on his work. He works all day and every day to warm his room and to gain something to eat. He writes at night to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold and exhausted to write any more, and hunger has made him faint. Swallow, my friend, I still have one diamond eye. Take it and leave it in his flat."

"But, Happy Prince, if I do not fly now, I will freeze over. My friends are in distant Egypt now and they are waiting for me. They will miss me and they will even worry about me." Saying these words the little swallow felt sad, as he thought about the poor student. He also thought about the Prince's kindness and he said:

"Happy Prince, if you give your eye you will go blind. You will not be able to see anything any more."

"Do as I ask you, my friend", was the only reply from the statue.

So the swallow plucked out the eye and took it to the student's room. When the student woke up he was happy to see the diamond.

"I can study now, can eat and can keep my flat warm", he thought.

The next day the swallow flew to the statue. The Happy Prince, who was blind now, heard the beat of the bird's heart and said silently:

"Swallow, swallow, little swallow, thank you for all you have done. It is a fine day today, I feel; you may go to warmer climes. I would like to bid you good-bye."

"No, dear Prince, I shall stay with you till the end of my life. Now I am frail and I know I will die soon. Let me stay here and die next to you."

The Happy Prince cried bitterly­

At night the little swallow told him about everything ha had seen in his life: strange lands, long rivers, hot deserts, high mountains, green snakes, flat leaves, and gay butterflies.

"My dear swallow", said the Happy Prince, "you tell me about marvellous things, but there are things which are still more important in life. I have seen rich and poor people, those enjoying their lives and those trembling with cold and fear; those spending their time on empty pursuits and those suffering from hunger; you see, I am covered with fine gold. You must take it off, leaf after leaf, and take it to my poor. Do as I desire, dear swallow."

And the little swallow gave the Prince's gold to them. The statue became grey and ugly. People stopped to look at it now. "How awful the Happy Prince is now", they said to each other. "It would be better to remove the statue altogether."

One day winter came; it was snowing and strong wind was blowing. Poor little swallow froze over. And when the Happy Prince could not hear him breathe, his heart broke in two.

Next morning people found the cracked statue, the leaden heart and a little bird near it. They removed them all from the square.

There are still precious things in the world. And you, do you know the two most precious of them all?