Oscar Wilde

The Happy Prince, suivi de, A House of Pomegranates Oscar Wilde

summary One autumn night, a flight of martinets1 in migration comes over a city in which is a statue of a deceased prince. This prince, nicknamed the "Happy Prince," was loved by all. Its statue is covered with thin golden leaves, has for its eyes two superb sapphires, and a large ruby is encrusted on the pommel of his sword. One of the swallows is standing at his side, admiring before so much grace and wealth. As she rests at her feet, she feels fine drops of water falling on her wings. The prince, who was happy during his lifetime in his sumptuous palace, now wept for his people. From his gilded pedestal, he witnesses all their misery. The good prince then asks the martinet to take the sapphire which serves him as an eye, and to take it to a young girl who suffers from hunger. The next day, he offers his second eye for the care of a sick grandfather. Now blind, the prince asks the martinet a little of his time to help him relieve the misfortunes of the world. Each day after, the swift takes flight, with in its beak one of the golden leaves covering the prince, to offer it to people in need. As the statue degrades, the prince's people regain a smile. Soon, the statue became a vulgar stone statue. The martinet then addresses the statue "My prince, I will have to leave you now." "Are you going with your brothers, in the southern countries?" "Alas my prince, I no longer have the strength, and winter is already here, I am going to die." As the hammer collapses on the frozen ground, a dry crack is heard. The stone heart of the statue of the prince, broke. The next morning, the inhabitants declared that this statue without ornaments can not worthily represent the Happy Prince. The prince's stone body bursts into a thousand fragments when it is shot down. But neither the prince nor the martinet cares. An angel came from heaven, touched by their goodness, and picked up the body of the bird and the broken heart of the prince. They are, forever, happy in paradise.