The Happy Prince and Other Tales also sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first published in May 1888. It is most famous for The Happy Prince, the short tale of a metal statue who befriends a migratory bird. Together, they bring happiness to others, in life as well as in death. The stories convey an appreciation for charity, compassion, love and beauty. The stories included in this collection are:
The Happy Prince; the Nightingale and the Rose; the Selfish Giant; the Devoted Friend; the Remarkable Rocket.
The story of the Happy Prince is summarized below in brief:
The story is an allegory. It brings out the importance of charity. We learn that love and sacrifice can endear us to God. The prince in the story is no living prince. He is the statue of a dead prince decorated with gold leaves and precious stones. He is known as the Happy Prince because there is a smile on his lips. But the smile gradually gives way to tears. The Happy Prince cannot help crying over the scenes of misery in the houses of the poor. He decides to help them with his gold leaves and costly stones. The little swallow acts as his messenger, and he gives away all his wealth. The Swallow was on his way back to his homeland when the prince had detained him to help the poor. He still wished to go back but now it was too late. The intense cold killed him. Thus the little swallow lost his life in helping the poor. His death broke the prince's heart. So the swallow and the prince perished for a noble cause. But their death was not the end. It made them immortal. That is why the angel selected the dead swallow and the lifeless heart of the prince as the noblest things on earth. The story teaches a very useful and very true lesson. We learn that God loves those who love their fellow human beings.
Below is a link to couple images where you can find many different character sketches of the Happy Prince:
www.google.co.uk/search?q=happy+prince&hl=en&rlz=1T4
The Happy Prince; the Nightingale and the Rose; the Selfish Giant; the Devoted Friend; the Remarkable Rocket.
The story of the Happy Prince is summarized below in brief:
The story is an allegory. It brings out the importance of charity. We learn that love and sacrifice can endear us to God. The prince in the story is no living prince. He is the statue of a dead prince decorated with gold leaves and precious stones. He is known as the Happy Prince because there is a smile on his lips. But the smile gradually gives way to tears. The Happy Prince cannot help crying over the scenes of misery in the houses of the poor. He decides to help them with his gold leaves and costly stones. The little swallow acts as his messenger, and he gives away all his wealth. The Swallow was on his way back to his homeland when the prince had detained him to help the poor. He still wished to go back but now it was too late. The intense cold killed him. Thus the little swallow lost his life in helping the poor. His death broke the prince's heart. So the swallow and the prince perished for a noble cause. But their death was not the end. It made them immortal. That is why the angel selected the dead swallow and the lifeless heart of the prince as the noblest things on earth. The story teaches a very useful and very true lesson. We learn that God loves those who love their fellow human beings.
Below is a link to couple images where you can find many different character sketches of the Happy Prince:
www.google.co.uk/search?q=happy+prince&hl=en&rlz=1T4
