THE HAPPY PRINCE

There was a big statue called the Happy Prince, high above the city, made of gold and sapphires and a red ruby on the sword.

All the people in the city admired it.

One night, a swallow flew near the statue. She had left her companions because she had fallen in love with a beautiful rush in the river, but finally, she decided fly again and go to Egypt to see her friends. She was very tired and decided to rest under the statue. While she was sleeping, she felt a water drop falling in her head. She looked at the clouds but the sky was clear. Another drop fell on her head and she realized that the statue of the Happy Prince was crying.

The swallow asked the prince why was he crying and he told her:

-When I was a man I never felt allowed sadness. I was living at the Unconcern Palace, where pain wasn’t permitted. I never knew what was behind the walls of my palace. Now I’m dead I can see all sad thing here in the city, on the highest column. Look there! There’s a seamstress making a dress. Her son is ill and she has nothing to give him. Please, take her my ruby.

And the swallow said:

-I can’t. My friends are waiting for me in Egypt.

-Little swallow –said the prince- please, stay here with me and be my messenger. I have to help this mother and her son

-I don’t like children- said the swallow- They throw stones at me and they don’t respect me.-

The prince was so sad that the swallow decided to stay there and help him. She extracted the ruby and flew over the city to give it to the sad mother. She saw all the sad things that the prince told him: poverty, illness…

The swallow put the ruby on the table and the little boy recovered from his illness. The swallow returned to the statue and went to sleep.

An ornithologist was surprised when he saw the swallow, because in winter they go to hot countries.

The swallow decided to return to Egypt with her friends. She saw some parrots saying that she was beautiful and she asked him: -Do you have any commissions for Egypt? And the prince said- Won’t you stay here with me? I have seen a man, here in that window, very sad because he can’t finish his play for the theatre director.

-All right- said the swallow-I’ll stay here for one more night.

The prince told the swallow to take a sapphire from his eyes and take it to the sad man so that he could buy some food and finish the play.

The swallow went there and did what the prince told him. The man was able to finish his play and felt very happy but she wanted to return to Egypt and the Happy Prince told her:

-Please, little swallow, stay with me another night.

And the swallow said him:

-I can’t. Winter is coming and I have to go. My dear, I will never forget you and next spring I will bring you a new ruby for your sword and a sapphire for your eye.

-Little swallow-said the prince- there is a little girl selling matches. Go there and help her please. She is very poor. Take my other eye and give her.

-Right-say the swallow- I’ll stay with you one more night but what are you going to do without your eyes?

And the Happy Prince told him not to worry and do what he had told her. The swallow did it and the little girl felt very happy.

The swallow returned to the statue and told the prince she would stay with him, because he had lost his eyes, but the prince said her that she must return to Egypt. But she wanted to stay. She explain him all the things she had seen when she was in Egypt. The Happy Prince said:

-This is marvelous, but what is really incredible is what people have to last: misery.

The swallow flew over the city and saw all the misery. There were two little brothers under a bridge, they were very cold, and told this to the Happy Prince. The swallow took all the gold from the statue and brought it to the children.

The winter came and the swallow couldn’t stand it. She died under the statue. Because of the cold, the statue broke and the mayor saw the dead bird at its feet and ordered to knock it down and to melt it down.

The council decided to make a new statue but all the rich people wanted to make a statue of their faces. There was a fight.

The foundry men saw that the heart could not be melted and threw away next to the dead bird.

God said to one of his angels:

-Please, give the two most beautiful things in the city.

The angel brought Him the heart of the Happy Prince and the dead bird, and God said:


-You have chosen the two most precious things. I’ll put them in my Paradise garden. This bird will sing forever and the Happy Prince will sing my praises.

Here you've got the audio I made about the Happy Prince tale. Hope you like it!

There's a cartoon film about The Happy Prince. It would be interesting to watch it compare it with the text.