The Happy Prince
High above the city stood
the statue of a prince. He was called the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with
gold. For eyes he had two bright sapphires and a red ruby glowed on his sword
hilt. One night a swallow came to rest at the feet of the statue. It had to set
off to Egypt the next day winter, the time for migration. The prince told the
swallow to give the ruby from his sword hilt to the woman living there as her
little boy was very ill. The woman was a
poor seamstress. The swallow reached the poor woman’s house and laid the ruby
beside her thimble and came back the prince. The prince asked the swallow to
give one of his sapphire eyes to a man who was feeling cold. The swallow did
so. Then he asked the swallow to give his other eye to a poor girl who was
hungry and had not eaten for days. He told to swallow to take off all his gold
and give it to the poor. In this way the kind prince gave away all his
gold and precious stones to the poor and needy people. The swallow was so moved
by the generosity of the prince that it decided to stay with the prince who had
become blind after giving away his two eyes.
In late winter, it got very
cold and the swallow died and soon the leaden heart of the prince broke and the
statue fell down.
When God asked His angels to bring Him the two most precious
things from the earth, they brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird. God
approved their choice and said that in His garden of Paradise that little bird
would sing for ever more and in His city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise
Him.
(Original Author: Oscar Wilde)
Story Retold by:
Kalpesh Parmar, Class 9
Session 2014-15
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