The Happy Prince

Introduction to the Happy Prince and the Swallow

• The Statue: High above the city stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was covered in thin leaves of fine gold, had two bright sapphires for eyes, and a large red ruby on his sword hilt.
• The Swallow: A little swallow arrived in the city, having stayed behind when his friends migrated to Egypt six weeks earlier. He decided to rest between the feet of the golden statue.
• The Tears: Just as the swallow prepared to sleep, drops of water fell on him. He realized the statue was weeping. The Happy Prince explained that when he was alive, he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed, so he never knew tears. Now dead and placed high up, he could see all the ugliness and misery of his city.

The Acts of Charity

• The Seamstress: The Prince saw a poor seamstress with coarse, pricked hands embroidering a gown for the Queen’s maid. Her son lay ill with a fever, asking for oranges, but she had only river water. The Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby from his sword hilt to her. The swallow delivered the jewel and fanned the sick boy, making him feel cooler and allowing him to sleep.
• The Playwright: The Prince saw a young man in a garret trying to finish a play. He was too cold and hungry to write. The Prince directed the swallow to pluck out one of his sapphire eyes and give it to the playwright so he could buy firewood and food.
• The Matchgirl: The Prince saw a little matchgirl whose matches had fallen in the gutter and spoiled. She was crying because her father would beat her if she returned empty-handed. The Prince commanded the swallow to pluck out his other sapphire eye and give it to her.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

• Blindness and Loyalty: Since the Prince had given away both his eyes, he was now blind. The swallow, who had intended to go to Egypt, decided to stay with the Prince forever.
• Witnessing Misery: The swallow flew over the city and reported back to the Prince. He saw the rich making merry while beggars sat at the gates, and starving children huddled together under bridges for warmth.
• Giving the Gold: The Prince asked the swallow to strip off his fine gold leaves one by one and give them to the poor. The swallow did so until the statue looked dull and grey, but the children’s faces grew rosy, and they played happily because they now had bread.

The End of the Prince and the Swallow

• The Death of the Swallow: Winter arrived with snow and frost. The swallow grew colder and colder but refused to leave the Prince because he loved him. Eventually, knowing he was about to die, the swallow kissed the Prince on the lips and fell dead at his feet.
• The Broken Heart: At the moment of the bird's death, a curious crack sounded inside the statue. The Prince's leaden heart had snapped in two.
• Destruction of the Statue: The Mayor and Town Councillors noticed the statue looked shabby—without the ruby, sapphires, or gold—and declared it "little better than a beggar." They pulled the statue down and melted it in a furnace.
• The Dust Heap: The overseer at the foundry noticed that the broken lead heart would not melt. It was thrown away onto a dust heap where the dead swallow was also lying.

Divine Conclusion

God asked one of His Angels to bring Him the two most precious things in the city. The Angel brought the leaden heart and the dead bird. God praised the choice, declaring that the little bird would sing forever in His garden of Paradise, and the Happy Prince would praise Him in His city of gold.