1 | THE HAPPY PRINCE |
2 | High above the city , on a tall column , stood the statue of the Happy Prince . He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold , for eyes he had two bright sapphires , and a large red ruby glowed on his sword_-_hilt . He was very much admired indeed . “ He is as beautiful as a weathercock , ” remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes ; “ only not quite so useful , ” he added fearing lest people should think him unpractical , which he really was not . “ Why can 't you be like the Happy Prince ? ” asked a sensible mother of her little boy who was crying for the moon . “ The Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything . ” |
3 | “ I am glad there is some one in the world who is quite happy , ” muttered a disappointed man as he gazed at the wonderful statue . |
4 | “ He looks just like an angel , ” said the Charity Children as they came out_of the cathedral in their bright scarlet cloaks and their clean white pinafores . “ How do you know ? ” said the Mathematical Master , “ you have never seen one . ” “ Ah ! but we have , in our dreams , ” answered the children ; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe , for he did not approve of children dreaming . |
5 | One night there flew over the city a little Swallow . His friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before , but he had stayed behind , for he was in love with the most beautiful Reed . He had met her early in the spring as he was flying down the river after a big yellow moth , and had been so attracted by her slender waist that he had stopped to talk to her . “ Shall I love you ? ” said the Swallow , who liked to come to the point at_once , and the Reed made him a low bow . So he flew round_and_round her , touching the water with his wings , and making silver ripples . This was his courtship , and it lasted all through the summer . “ It is a ridiculous attachment , ” twittered the other Swallows ; “ she has no money , and far too many relations ; ” |
6 | and indeed the river was quite full of Reeds . |
7 | Then , when the autumn came they all flew away . After they had gone he felt lonely , and began to tire of his lady_-_love . “ She has no conversation , ” he said , “ and I am afraid that she is a coquette , for she is always flirting with the wind . ” And certainly , whenever the wind blew , the Reed made the most graceful curtseys . “ I admit that she is domestic , ” he continued , ” but I love travelling , and my wife , consequently , should love travelling also . ” “ Will you come away with me ? ” he said finally to her ; but the Reed shook her head , she was so attached to her home . “ You have been trifling with me , ” he cried . “ I am off to the Pyramids . Good_-_bye ! ” and he flew away . All day long he flew , and at night_-_time he arrived at the city . “ Where shall I put up ? ” he said ; “ I hope the town has made preparations . ” Then he saw the statue on the tall column . “ I will put up there , ” he cried ; “ it is a fine position , with plenty of fresh air . ” So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince . “ I have a golden bedroom , ” he said softly to himself as he looked round , and he prepared to go to sleep ; but just as he was putting his head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him . “ What a curious thing ! ” he cried ; |
8 | “ there is not a single cloud in the sky , the stars are quite clear and bright , and yet it is raining . |
9 | The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful . |
10 | The Reed used to like the rain , but that was merely her selfishness . ” |
11 | Then another drop fell . |
12 | “ What is the use of a statue if it can not keep the rain off ? ” he said ; “ I must look for a good chimney_-_pot , ” and he determined to fly away . But before he had opened his wings , a third drop fell , and he looked up , and saw — Ah ! what did he see ? |
13 | The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears , and tears were running down his golden cheeks . His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity . “ Who are you ? ” he said . “ I am the Happy Prince . ” “ Why are you weeping then ? ” asked the Swallow ; “ you have quite drenched me . ” “ When I was alive and had a human heart , ” answered the statue , “ I did not know what tears were , for I lived in the Palace of Sans_-_Souci , where sorrow is not allowed to enter . In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden , and in the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall . Round the garden ran a very lofty wall , but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it , everything about me was so beautiful . My courtiers called me the Happy Prince , and happy indeed I was , if pleasure be happiness . So I lived , and so I died . And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city , and though my heart is made of lead yet I can not choose but weep . ” “ What_! is he not solid gold ? ” said the Swallow to himself . He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud . |
14 | “ Far away , ” continued the statue in a low musical voice , “ far away in a little street there is a poor house . |
15 | One of the windows is open , and through it I can see a woman seated at a table . Her face is thin and worn , and she has coarse , red hands , all pricked by the needle , for she is a seamstress . She is embroidering passion_-_flowers on a satin gown for the loveliest of the Queen 's maids_-_of_-_honour to wear at the next Court_-_ball . In a bed in the corner of the room her little boy is lying ill . He has a fever , and is asking for oranges . His mother has nothing to give him but river water , so he is crying . Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , will you not bring her the ruby out_of my sword_-_hilt ? My feet are fastened to this pedestal and I can not move . ” “ I am waited for in Egypt , ” said the Swallow . “ My friends are flying up_and_down the Nile , and talking to the large lotus_-_flowers . Soon they will go to sleep in the tomb of the great King . The King is there himself in his painted coffin . He is wrapped in yellow linen , and embalmed with spices . Round his neck is a chain of pale green jade , and his hands are like withered leaves . ” “ Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ will you not stay with me for one night , and be my messenger ? |
16 | The boy is so thirsty , and the mother so sad . ” |
17 | “ I do n't think I like boys , ” answered the Swallow . “ Last summer , when I was staying on the river , there were two rude boys , the miller 's sons , who were always throwing stones at me . They never hit me , of_course ; we swallows fly far too well for that , and besides , I come of a family famous for its agility ; but still , it was a mark of disrespect . ” |
18 | But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallow was sorry . |
19 | “ It is very cold here , ” he said ; “ but I will stay with you for one night , and be your messenger . ” “ Thank_you , little Swallow , ” said the Prince . So the Swallow picked out the great ruby from the Prince 's sword , and flew away with it in his beak over the roofs of the town . He passed by the cathedral tower , where the white marble angels were sculptured . He passed by the palace and heard the sound of dancing . |
20 | A beautiful girl came out_on the balcony with her lover . “ How wonderful the stars are , ” he said to her , “ and how wonderful is the power of love ! ” “ I hope my dress will be ready in time for the State_-_ball , ” she answered ; “ I have ordered passion_-_flowers to be embroidered on it ; but the seamstresses are so lazy . ” |
21 | He passed over the river , and saw the lanterns hanging to the masts of the ships . He passed over the Ghetto , and saw the old Jews bargaining with each_other , and weighing out money in copper scales . At_last he came to the poor house and looked in . |
22 | The boy was tossing feverishly on his bed , and the mother had fallen asleep , she was so tired . In he hopped , and laid the great ruby on the table beside the woman 's thimble . Then he flew gently round the bed , fanning the boy 's forehead with his wings . “ How cool I feel ! ” said the boy , “ I must be getting better ; ” and he sank into a delicious slumber . Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince , and told him what he had done . “ It is curious , ” he remarked , “ but I feel quite warm now , although it is so cold . ” “ That is because you have done a good action , ” said the Prince . And the little Swallow began to think , and then he fell asleep . Thinking always made him sleepy . When day broke he flew down_to the river and had a bath . |
23 | “ What a remarkable phenomenon , ” said the Professor of Ornithology as he was passing over the bridge . |
24 | “ A swallow in winter ! ” And he wrote a long letter about it to the local newspaper . Every one quoted it , it was full of so many words that they could not understand . |
25 | “ To_-_night I go to Egypt , ” said the Swallow , and he was in high spirits at the prospect . He visited all the public monuments , and sat a long time on_top_of the church steeple . Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped , and said to each_other , “ What a distinguished stranger ! ” so he enjoyed himself very much . When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince . “ Have you any commissions for Egypt ? ” he cried ; “ I am just starting . ” “ Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ will you not stay with me one night longer ? ” “ I am waited for in Egypt , ” answered the Swallow . “ To_-_morrow my friends will fly up to the Second Cataract . |
26 | The river_-_horse couches there among the bulrushes , and on a great granite throne sits the God Memnon . All night long he watches the stars , and when the morning star shines he utters one cry of joy , and then he is silent . |
27 | At noon the yellow lions come down_to the water 's edge to drink . They have eyes like green beryls , and their roar is louder than the roar of the cataract . ” |
28 | “ Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ far away across the city I see a young man in a garret . He is leaning over a desk covered with papers , and in a tumbler by his side there is a bunch of withered violets . His hair is brown and crisp , and his lips are red as a pomegranate , and he has large and dreamy eyes . He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre , but he is too cold to write any more . There is no fire in the grate , and hunger has made him faint . ” “ I will wait with you one night longer , ” said the Swallow , who really had a good heart . “ Shall I take him another ruby ? ” “ Alas_! I have no ruby now , ” said the Prince ; “ my eyes are all that I have left . They are made of rare sapphires , which were brought out_of India a thousand years ago . Pluck out one of them and take it to him . He will sell it to the jeweller , and buy food and firewood , and finish his play . ” “ Dear Prince , ” said the Swallow , “ I can not do that ” ; and he began to weep . “ Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ do as I command you . ” |
29 | So the Swallow plucked out the Prince 's eye , and flew away to the student 's garret . |
30 | It was easy enough to get in , as there was a hole in the roof . |
31 | Through this he darted , and came into the room . |
32 | The young man had his head buried in his hands , so he did not hear the flutter of the bird 's wings , and when he looked up he found the beautiful sapphire lying on the withered violets . |
33 | “ I am beginning to be appreciated , ” he cried ; |
34 | “ this is from some great admirer . |
35 | Now I can finish my play , ” |
36 | and he looked quite happy . |
37 | The next day the Swallow flew down_to the harbour . |
38 | He sat on the mast of a large vessel and watched the sailors hauling big chests out_of the hold with ropes . |
39 | “ Heave a_-_hoy ! ” they shouted as each chest came up . |
40 | “ I am going to Egypt ! ” cried the Swallow , |
41 | but nobody minded , and when the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince . |
42 | “ I am come to bid you good_-_bye , ” he cried . |
43 | “ Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ will you not stay with me one night longer ? ” |
44 | “ It is winter , ” answered the Swallow , |
45 | “ and the chill snow will soon be here . |
46 | In Egypt the sun is warm on the green palm_-_trees , and the crocodiles lie in the mud and look lazily about them . |
47 | My companions are building a nest in the Temple of Baalbec , and the pink and white doves are watching them , and cooing to each_other . |
48 | Dear Prince , I must leave you , but I will never forget you , and next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of those you have given away . |
49 | The ruby shall be redder than a red rose , and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea . ” |
50 | “ In the square below , ” said the Happy Prince , “ there stands a little match_-_girl . She has let her matches fall in the gutter , and they are all spoiled . Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money , and she is crying . She has no shoes or stockings , and her little head is bare . Pluck out my other eye and give it to her , and her father will not beat her . ” “ I will stay with you one night longer , ” said the Swallow , “ but I can not pluck out your eye . You would be quite blind then . ” “ Swallow , Swallow , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ do as I command you . ” So he plucked out the Prince 's other eye , and darted down with it . He swooped past the match_-_girl , and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand . “ What a lovely bit of glass ! ” cried the little girl ; and she ran home , laughing . Then the Swallow came back to the Prince . “ You are blind now , ” he said , “ so I will stay with you always . ” “ No , little Swallow , ” said the poor Prince , “ you must go away to Egypt . ” |
51 | “ I will stay with you always , ” said the Swallow , |
52 | and he slept at the Prince 's feet . |
53 | All the next day he sat on the Prince 's shoulder , and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands . |
54 | He told him of the red ibises , who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile , and catch gold_-_fish in their beaks ; of the Sphinx , who is as old as the world itself , and lives in the desert , and knows everything ; of the merchants , who walk slowly by the side of their camels and carry amber beads in their hands ; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon , who is as black as ebony , and worships a large crystal ; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm tree , and has twenty priests to feed it with honey_-_cakes ; and of the pygmies who sail over a big lake on large flat leaves , and are always at war with the butterflies . |
55 | “ Dear little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ you tell me of marvellous things , but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women . |
56 | There is no Mystery so great as Misery . |
57 | Fly over my city , little Swallow , and tell me what you see there . ” So the Swallow flew over the great city , and saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses , while the beggars were sitting at the gates . He flew into dark lanes , and saw the white faces of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets . |
58 | Under the archway of a bridge two little boys were lying in one another 's arms to try and keep themselves warm . “ How hungry we are ! ” they said . “ You must not lie here , ” shouted the Watchman , and they wandered out into the rain . |
59 | Then he flew back and told the Prince what he had seen . “ I am covered with fine gold , ” said the Prince , “ you must take it off , leaf by leaf , and give it to my poor ; |
60 | the living always think that gold can make them happy . ” |
61 | Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off , till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and grey . |
62 | Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he brought to the poor , and the children 's faces grew rosier , and they laughed and played games in the street . “ We have bread now ! ” they cried . |
63 | Then the snow came , and after the snow came the frost . |
64 | The streets looked as_if they were made of silver , they were so bright and glistening ; long icicles like crystal daggers hung down from the eaves of the houses , everybody went about in furs , and the little boys wore scarlet caps and skated on the ice . |
65 | The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder , but he would not leave the Prince , he loved him too well . He picked up crumbs outside the baker 's door when the baker was not looking , and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings . But at_last he knew that he was going to die . He had just strength to fly up to the Prince 's shoulder once_more . “ Good_-_bye , dear Prince ! ” he murmured , “ will you let me kiss your hand ? ” “ I am glad that you are going to Egypt at_last , little Swallow , ” said the Prince , “ you have stayed too long here ; but you must kiss me on the lips , for I love you . ” “ It is not to Egypt that I am going , ” said the Swallow . “ I am going to the House of Death . |
66 | Death is the brother of Sleep , is he not ? ” |
67 | And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips , and fell down dead at his feet . |
68 | At that moment a curious crack sounded inside the statue , as_if something had broken . |
69 | The fact is that the leaden heart had snapped right in two . |
70 | It certainly was a dreadfully hard frost . |
71 | Early the next morning the Mayor was walking in the square below in company with the Town Councillors . As they passed the column he looked up at the statue : “ Dear_me ! how shabby the Happy Prince looks ! ” he said . “ How shabby indeed ! ” cried the Town Councillors , who always agreed with the Mayor ; and they went up to look at it . “ The ruby has fallen out_of his sword , his eyes are gone , and he is golden no longer , ” said the Mayor ; “ in_fact , he is little better than a beggar ! ” |
72 | “ Little better than a beggar , ” said the Town Councillors . |
73 | “ And here is actually a dead bird at his feet ! ” continued the Mayor . |
74 | “ We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here . ” |
75 | And the Town Clerk made a note of the suggestion . |
76 | So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince . |
77 | “ As he is no longer beautiful he is no longer useful , ” said the Art Professor at the University . |
78 | Then they melted the statue in a furnace , and the Mayor held a meeting of the Corporation to decide what was to be done with the metal . “ We must have another statue , of_course , ” he said , “ and it shall be a statue of myself . ” |
79 | “ Of myself , ” said each of the Town Councillors , |
80 | and they quarrelled . When I last heard of them they were quarrelling still . |
81 | “ What a strange thing ! ” said the overseer of the workmen at the foundry . |
82 | “ This broken lead heart will not melt in the furnace . We must throw it away . ” So they threw it on a dust_-_heap where the dead Swallow was also lying . |
83 | “ Bring me the two most precious things in the city , ” said God to one of His Angels ; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird . “ You have rightly chosen , ” said God , “ for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore , and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me . ” |