'The Happy Prince' is a short story written by Oscar Wilde and published in May 1888. The overriding theme of these stories is an appreciation of love, charity and compassion.
'The Happy Prince' is a story of a metal statue who makes friends with a migratory bird to bring happiness to a city. The friendship is sparked when a swallow decides to sleep at the feet of a metal statue erected in memory of the 'Happy Prince' who had lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed. Just as the swallow was about to sleep, it was awoken by several drops of water, which turned out to be the tears of the statue. The Happy Prince was crying because he could see the misery of his own city. He asked the swallow to be his messenger and instructed him to take sapphires and jewels from his statue to give to townspeople suffering from misfortune.
The Prince insisted that the swallow pluck out the sapphires from both his eyes to help two different townspeople. As a result of this, the statue became blind and the swallow had to describe to him the things he had seen across the city.
The swallow soon realised he would die because of the cold winter. The Prince asked the swallow to kiss his lips because he loved him. The swallow did so and fell down at the Prince's feet. At that moment a crack sounded inside the statue as the Prince's heart broke. The statue was then pulled down and put into a furnace as it was no longer deemed 'beautiful', but the broken heart would not melt and was brought up to heaven along with the swallow by an angel charged by God to find 'the two most precious things in the city'.
'The Happy Prince' is a story of a metal statue who makes friends with a migratory bird to bring happiness to a city. The friendship is sparked when a swallow decides to sleep at the feet of a metal statue erected in memory of the 'Happy Prince' who had lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed. Just as the swallow was about to sleep, it was awoken by several drops of water, which turned out to be the tears of the statue. The Happy Prince was crying because he could see the misery of his own city. He asked the swallow to be his messenger and instructed him to take sapphires and jewels from his statue to give to townspeople suffering from misfortune.
The Prince insisted that the swallow pluck out the sapphires from both his eyes to help two different townspeople. As a result of this, the statue became blind and the swallow had to describe to him the things he had seen across the city.
The swallow soon realised he would die because of the cold winter. The Prince asked the swallow to kiss his lips because he loved him. The swallow did so and fell down at the Prince's feet. At that moment a crack sounded inside the statue as the Prince's heart broke. The statue was then pulled down and put into a furnace as it was no longer deemed 'beautiful', but the broken heart would not melt and was brought up to heaven along with the swallow by an angel charged by God to find 'the two most precious things in the city'.
