Happy Prince ()

Author: Oscar Wilde
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: What you read here are some "different" fairy tales. The storytellers of these fairy tales are not ordinary fairy tale writers, but world-class literary giants. They seem to always be immersed in the emotional turmoil of creating epic works. However, one day, they suddenly calm down and focus on writing a pure story for children. These beautiful stories written exclusively for children also showcase the broad-mindedness and noble hearts of the great writers, making them gems among fairy tales.
The statue of the Happy Prince stands tall above the city, perched on a high stone pillar. It is covered in thin golden leaves, its eyes made of bright blue sapphires, and a large, shining red gemon its hilt. The people of the world are truly envious of him. "He is as beautiful as a weather vane," said a city councilor who wanted to show off his artistic taste. Then, fearing that people would see him as impractical—though he was actually quite practical—he added, "Just not as practical as a weather vane."
"Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?" asked a wise mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon. "The Happy Prince never dreamed of crying for things when he slept."
"How happy I am that there are still such joyful people in the world," murmured a discouraged man, gazing at the extraordinary statue. "He looks just like an angel," said the orphans as they came out of the church, draped in bright red cloaks and wearing clean, white aprons around their chests. "How do you know?" asked the math teacher. "You've never seen an angel."
"Oh, but we have," replied the children. "We've seen them in our dreams." The math teacher frowned and scowled, as he disapproved of children dreaming.
One night, a little swallow flew over the city. His friends had already flown to Egypt six weeks ago, but he stayed behind because he was too fond of the beautiful reed girl. He had met her in early spring while chasing a yellow butterfly along the river. He was captivated by her slender waist and stopped to talk to her.
"Can I love you?" asked the swallow, preferring to get straight to the point. The reed bent down to him, and he flew around her in circles, gently stroking the water's surface with his wings, creating layers of silver ripples. This was the swallow's way of proposing, and he continued to do so all summer long.
"This love is ridiculous," the other swallows laughed. "She has neither money nor many relatives." Indeed, there were plenty of reeds by the river. When autumn came, the swallows flew away. After they left, he felt very lonely and began to dislike his lover.
"She can't speak," he said. "And I worry she's a harlot; you see, she always flirts with the wind." That was true. Whenever the wind blew, the reed would perform an elegant bow.
"I admit she's a homemaker," the swallow continued. "But I love to travel, and of course, my wife should love to travel too."
"Will you come with me?" he asked at last. But the reed shook her head; she was too attached to her home.
"You're just playing," he roared. "I'm going to the pyramids! Goodbye!" And he flew away. He flew all day and only arrived in the city at night.
"Where will I spend the night?" he said. "I hope the city is ready." Then he saw the statue on the high pillar.
"I'll spend the night there," he called out. "It's a good place, full of fresh air." So he made a nest between the statue's legs.
"I have a golden bedroom," he whispered to himself after looking around, and prepared to sleep. But just as he placed his head under his wings, a large drop of water fell on him.
"Isn't this incredible!" he exclaimed. "There are no clouds in the sky, and the stars are clear and bright, yet it's raining. The weather in the North is terrible. The reed likes rain, but that's just selfish."
Another drop fell.
"Even a statue can't protect itself from the rain, what use is it?" he said. "I must find a good chimney for a nest." He decided to leave, but before he could spread his wings, another drop fell. He looked up and saw—Ah! What did he see? The Happy Prince's eyes were filled with tears, and the tears flowed down his golden face. His face was beautiful under the moonlight, and the little swallow felt sympathy.
"Who are you?" he asked. "I am the Happy Prince."
"Why are you crying?" the swallow asked again. "You've soaked me."
"When I had a heart and lived, I didn't know what tears were," the statue said. "I lived in a carefree palace where sorrow couldn't enter. During the day, people played with me in the garden, and at night, I led the dance in the hall. Along the garden stood a high wall, but I never thought about what was on the other side—I was too happy with what I had. My servants called me the Happy Prince, and indeed, if joy is happiness, then I was happier than anyone. I lived and died like this. Now I am dead, and they have placed me so high that I can see all the ugliness and poverty in my city. Though my heart is made of lead, I can't help but cry."
"What! Is he not a heartless golden statue?" the swallow thought to himself. He was polite and didn't want to comment on others' private matters.
"Far away," the statue said in a low, pleasant voice, "in a small street, there lives a poor family. A window is open, and through it, I can see a woman sitting at a table. Her thin face is full of fatigue, and her rough, red hands are covered with needle pricks, for she is a seamstress. She is embroidering a lily on a satin dress, which is for the queen's maids to wear at the next court dance. In the corner of the room, on a bed, lies her sick child. The child has a fever and cries for oranges. His mother has only given him some water, so he cries constantly. Swallow, little swallow, would you take the red gem from my hilt and give it to her? My feet are fixed to this pedestal and cannot move."
"My friends are waiting for me in Egypt," the swallow said. "They are flying around the Nile, talking to the big lotus flowers, and soon they will spend the night in the tombs of the great pharaohs. The pharaoh himself sleeps in his colorful coffin. His body is wrapped in yellow linen and filled with preservatives. He wears a light green jade necklace around his neck, and his hands are like withered leaves."
"Swallow, little swallow," the prince said again, "would you stay with me one more night and be my messenger? The child is so hungry, and his mother is heartbroken."
"I don't like children," the swallow replied. "Last summer, I was by a river, and two mischievous boys, the miller's sons, always threw stones at me. Of course, they never hit me—we swallows fly too fast. Besides, I come from a family known for its speed; but anyway, it was impolite of them."
However, the Happy Prince's sorrowful expression made the little swallow feel uncomfortable.
"It's too cold here," the swallow said. "But I will stay with you one more night and be your messenger."
"Thank you, little swallow," the prince said. So the swallow took the large red gem from the prince's hilt, held it in his beak, and flew over the city's rooftops toward the distance. He flew over the cathedral's tower, where he saw a white marble statue of an angel. He flew over the palace, hearing the sound of dancing. A beautiful girl and her lover walked onto the rooftop.
"How wonderful the stars are," she said. "How wonderful love is!"
"I hope my dress will be finished in time for the grand dance," she replied. "I have asked them to embroider lilies, but the seamstresses are too slow."
He flew over the river, seeing countless lanterns hanging from the masts of ships. He flew over the Jewish quarter, where old Jews were bargaining with each other, weighing money on copper scales.
Finally, he came to the poor family's house and looked inside. The feverish child was tossing and turning in bed, and his mother had fallen asleep, too tired to stay awake. He jumped inside, placed the large red gem on the woman's pincushion, and then gently flew around the bed, fanning the child's forehead with his wings.
"I feel so cool," the child said. "I must be getting better." And he fell into a sweet sleep. Then the swallow returned to the Happy Prince and told him what he had done.
"You see how strange it is," he said, "though it's cold, I feel so warm now."
"That's because you did a good deed," the prince said. So the little swallow began to think about the prince's words, but he didn't stay awake for long. He fell asleep soon after. Thinking about problems always made him sleepy.
At dawn, he flew down to the river to bathe.
"This is truly incredible," a professor of ornithology said as he walked across the bridge. "Swarms of swallows in winter!" So he wrote a long letter to the local newspaper about it. Everyone quoted his letter, though many of the words were hard to understand.
"I'm going to Egypt tonight," the swallow said. Thinking of the distance made him feel energetic. He visited all the public monuments in the city and sat on the top of the church for a long time. At every place, the sparrows chirped, "What a rare and noble guest!" So he had a lot of fun.
When the moon rose, he flew back to the Happy Prince.
"Is there anything you need to do in Egypt?" he asked loudly. "I'm leaving now."
"Swallow, little swallow," the prince said, "would you stay with me one more night?"
"My friends are waiting for me in Egypt," the swallow replied. "Tomorrow, my friends will fly to the Second Cataract, where the hippos sleep in the reeds. The god Menes of ancient Egypt sits on a huge granite throne, guarding the stars all night. Every time the stars twinkle, he lets out a joyful cry, then falls silent. At noon, yellow herds of lions come down from the mountains to drink at the river. Their eyes are like green gems, and their roars are louder than the roar of the cataracts."
"Swallow, little swallow," the prince said, "over there at the other end of the city, I see a young man living in an attic. He is studying hard at a desk covered in paper, with a bouquet of dried violets in a glass beside him. He has brown curly hair, lips like pomegranates, and big, drowsy eyes. He is trying to write a play for the theater manager, but he can't write because he's frozen. There's no fire in the fireplace, and hunger has made his head dizzy."
"I will stay with you one more night," the swallow said. He truly had a kind heart. "Shall I give him another red gem?"
"Alas! I have no red gems left," the prince said. "All that remains are my eyes. They are made of rare blue sapphires, mined over a thousand years ago in India. Take one out and give it to him. He can sell it to a jeweler for food and firewood to finish his play."
"My dear prince," the swallow said, "I cannot do that." And he cried.
"Swallow, little swallow," the prince said, "do as I say." So the swallow took out one of the prince's eyes and flew to the student's attic. Since there was a hole in the roof, it was easy for the swallow to enter. He flew through the hole and into the room. The young man, with his hands covering his face, didn't hear the swallows' wings. When he lifted his head, he saw the beautiful blue gem placed on top of the dried violets.
"I'm finally getting noticed," he exclaimed. "It must be from someone who greatly admires me. Now I can finish my play." A happy smile spread across his face.
The next day, the swallow flew to the harbor and sat on the mast of a large ship, watching the sailors dragging big boxes out of the hold. With their shouts of "Heave ho! Heave ho!" one by one, the boxes were lifted onto the deck.
"I'm going to Egypt!" the swallow whispered, but no one paid attention to him. When the moon rose again, he flew back to the Happy Prince.
"I'm here to say goodbye," he called.
"Swallow, little swallow," the prince said, "won't you stay with me one more night?"
"Winter is coming," the swallow replied. "Cold snow will arrive. In Egypt, the sun hangs in green palm trees, and it's warm there. Crocodiles lie lazily in the mud, looking around. My friends are building nests in the temples of ancient Baalbek. Those pink and silver doves watch them work and whisper sweet nothings to each other. My dear prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you. Next spring, I will bring you two beautiful gems to make up for the ones you've given away. The red gem will be redder than a rose, and the blue gem will be bluer than the sea."
"At the square below," the Happy Prince said, "there stands a little matchgirl. All her matches have fallen into the gutter and are no longer usable. If she doesn't take money home, her father will beat her, and she is crying. She has no shoes, no socks, and nothing on her head. Please take my other eye and give it to her. Then her father won't beat her."
"I will stay with you one more night," the swallow said. "But I cannot take your eyes, or you will become blind."
"Swallow, little swallow," the prince said, "do as I say." So the swallow took the prince's other eye and flew downward. He landed right in front of the little girl and quietly placed the gem in her palm.
"What beautiful glass!" the girl shouted. She smiled and ran home.
Then the swallow returned to the prince.
"You are blind now," the swallow said. "I will stay with you forever."
"No, little swallow," the poor prince said. "You must go to Egypt."
"I will stay with you," the swallow said, and fell asleep at the prince's feet.
The next day, he sat on the prince's shoulder all day, telling him about his adventures in foreign lands. He told him about the red storks, which stood in long lines on the banks of the Nile, catching goldfish with their sharp beaks. He spoke of the Sphinx, which was as old as the world, living in the desert and knowing everything in the world. He told of the merchants, who traveled slowly with their camel herds, holding prayer beads made of coral in their hands. He spoke of the king of Moon Mountain, whose skin was as black as ebony and who worshiped a huge crystal. He told of the green giant snake that slept in the palm trees, which required 20 monks to feed it with honey cakes. He also told of the little dwarfs, who rode flat leaves in the lakes and often fought with butterflies.
"My dear little swallow," the prince said, "you have told me so many wonderful things, but even more wonderful are the sufferings of men and women. Nothing is more incredible than suffering. Little swallow, fly over the city and tell me what you see up there."
So the swallow flew over the city and saw the rich people enjoying themselves in their beautiful mansions, while the beggars sat at the gates, hungry and starving. He flew into the dark alleys and saw hungry children with pale faces, listlessly looking at the dim streets, hugging each other for warmth inside a bridge arch.
"We're so hungry!" they said.
"You can't lie here," the guard shouted, and the two children shuffled away into the rain.
Then he flew back and told the prince everything he had seen.
"I am covered in fine golden leaves," the prince said. "You take them piece by piece and give them to my poor people. The living believe that gold will make them happy."
The swallow pecked off the pure gold leaves one by one until the Happy Prince was no longer golden. He gave these golden leaves to the poor people, and the children's faces flushed with joy as they played happily in the streets.
"We have bread now!" the children shouted.
Then it snowed, and after the snow came the cold. The streets looked white as silver, bright and dazzling; long icicles hung like crystal swords from the eaves. Everyone wore fur coats, and even the children wore red hats to skate outdoors.
The poor little swallow felt colder and colder, but he refused to leave the prince, for he loved him so much. He had to sneak some breadcrumbs from the baker when he wasn't looking to keep warm by flapping his wings.
But in the end, he knew he was dying. His remaining strength was only enough to fly back to the prince's shoulder one more time.
"Goodbye, dear prince!" he whispered. "Will you let me kiss your hand?"
"I'm so glad you're finally going to Egypt, little swallow," the prince said. "You've stayed here too long. But you must kiss my lips, for I love you."
"I'm not going to Egypt," the swallow said. "I'm going to the house of death. Death is the brother of sleep, isn't it?"
Then he kissed the prince's lips and fell at the prince's feet, dead.
At that moment, a strange crack came from inside the statue. Something had broken. In fact, the prince's lead heart had split in two.
It was indeed a terrible cold winter day. The next morning, the mayor, accompanied by the city councilors, took a walk down to the square below. They passed the pillar as the mayor looked up at the statue.
"My goodness! The Happy Prince looks so ugly!" he said.
"Ugly as can be!" the city councilors exclaimed in unison, just as they usually did with the mayor.
After that, they all went forward to take a closer look.
"The red gem on his hilt has fallen off, and his blue gem eyes are gone too. He's no longer golden," the mayor said. "In reality, he's not much better than a beggar!"
"Indeed, not much better than a beggar," the city councilors agreed.
"Besides, there's a dead bird lying at his feet!" the mayor continued. "We should issue a statement prohibiting birds from dying here."
So the city clerk recorded this suggestion. Later, they knocked down the statue of the Happy Prince.
"Since he is no longer beautiful, he is no longer useful," the university's art professor said. Then they put the statue in the furnace to melt it down. The mayor also called a meeting of the city council to decide what to do with the metal. Of course, they would have to cast a new statue.
"That should be my statue," the mayor said.
"My statue," each city councilor said, and they argued.
I last heard people talking about them, and their argument was still not over.
"What a strange and wonderful thing!" the foreman of the foundry said. "That broken lead heart wouldn't melt in the furnace. We had to throw it away."
They threw it into the trash heap, along with the dead swallow.
"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," God said to one of his angels. So the angel brought the lead heart and the dead bird back to God.
"Your choice was perfect," God said. "For in my heavenly garden, birds can sing forever, and in my golden castle, the Happy Prince can praise me endlessly."