The Happy Prince

N: Happy in Service Have you ever heard someone say, 'It's better to give than
receive?' They could have been referring to any number of things: giving a gift,
helping someone at work, or volunteering for a worthy cause.

N: The main character in our short story, The Happy Prince written by Oscar
Wilde, sure thought so. He was willing to give up his greatest possessions for the
benefit of people who were hurting and less fortunate. Let's take a closer look at
this tale involving a princely statue and a friendly swallow.

N: The Statue and the Swallow When our short tale opens, we're introduced to
the Happy Prince, an ornate statue situated high on a pole overlooking the city.
He boasts a sword with a ruby on its handle, sapphires for eyes, and delicate
leaves of gold covering his entire body. The townspeople are proud of the statue
and admire the warmth and beauty that it gives off.

N: It's springtime in the prince's city, and a group of swallows has moved from
one location and are en route to Egypt, leaving behind one of their own.

Swallow: Shall I love you beautiful reed?

N: and the beautiful reed made a low bow, so he flew around her as her courtship
and it lasted all ‘till summer, but their love is short-lived, and the brokenhearted
swallow starts making plans to rejoin his friends.

N: After a solid day of flying, the swallow is exhausted and begins to look for a
place to rest. He saw a tall column and said.

Swallow: My bedroom is made out of gold for now.

N: Just as he's settling down, a drop of water falls on him. The swallow is
confused;

Swallow: Why is there a rain when the weather here is too good. The night sky is
clear, and there is not a single cloud in the sky.

N: On the third drop he looked up and saw the eye of the statue full of tears.
Swallow: Who are you?

Prince: I am the Happy Prince

Swallow: Why are you crying then? I’m soaking wet now because of your tears.

N: He told the swallow the story why he is up there.

Prince: And when I died they put me up here, and now I can see the ugliness and
the misery of the town. Even if my heart is made out of lead, I cannot choose but
to cry and weep.

Prince: far away in the little street, there is a poor house. Through the window I
can see a woman seated at a table. She is embroidering a gown for the Queen's
maid of honor. And in the bed in the corner, there's a little boy, he has fever and
asking for oranges but his mother cannot afford some.

N: Then the prince started to ask.

P: Little swallow, will you bring her the ruby in my sword hilt.

S: But my friends are waiting for me in Egypt.

P: Little Swallow, will you stay with me another night and be my messenger.

S: It’s so cold here, but I will stay one night longer and be your messenger.

N: He took the ruby and flew to the poor house , he put the ruby on the table
beside the women and fanning the boys forehead with his wings. He flew back to
the prince and told him what he did.

S: It’s weird but I feel warm now.

P: It’s because you did some good action.

N: The Swallow is very confused that thinking made him feel sleepy. Then the next
morning.

S: Do you have any request to Egypt? Tonight I will fly to Egypt.

P: Little Swallow will you stay with me a night longer? I saw a man, far away
across the city, he was seated on the desk full of papers, he is trying to finish the
play for the director in the theater, he is too cold to finish the play.

S: I will stay with you another night. Do I take another ruby to give to him?

P: I’m out of ruby, instead take my eye, they are made out of great sapphires that
they bought in India.

S: but my prince I cannot do that.

P: Little Swallow, do as what as I said.

N: So he plucked out one eye and flew across the city. It was easy for him to enter
the house because of the hole in the roof. He placed the sapphire beside the
writer and flew back to the prince.

Writer: Now I can finish my play, I can buy some firewood to make me warm.

N: The next day, the swallow flew to the prince.

S: I came to say my goodbye, I’m going to Egypt now.

P: Little Swallow, will you stay with me one night longer?

S: It is winter, and it’s going to chill soon. In Egypt the sun is warm and my friends
are already there.

P: In the square below the city, there is a little match girl, she has let the matches
fall in the drainage, if she didn’t bring some money home her father will beat her.
Take my other eye and give it to her so er father will not beat her.

S: I will stay with you another night longer. I cannot do that, if I pluck another eye
you will be blind then.

P: Little Swallow, do as what as I said.

N: So he take the eye, and flew to the match girl and placed it to her palm.

Match Girl: What a lovely tiny bit of glass.

N: The swallow flew back to the prince and said.

S: you are blind now, so I will stay with you forever.

P: No. You are awaited in Egypt.

S: I will stay with you.

N: He slept on the Prince shoulder. The next day the swallow is telling stories to
the prince about Egypt and other places.

P: Little swallow, that’s a good story. Now, fly around the city and tell me of what
happens.

N: So the little swallow flew over the city, he saw the rich praising there mansion
while the beggars was sitting on the gate. And there was a two little children who
is very hungry and the watchman shouted at them and they left. The little
swallow flew back to the prince and told him what he saw.

P: little swallow, I am covered with thin gold, take it leaf by leaf, I’m sure they will
be happy of gold.

N: leaf by leaf until the Statue looked very old and not beautiful anymore.

Beggars and two little children: We have bread now.

N: The beggars and the children’s face grew rosier and happy.

N: The Snow came, a lot of people started wearing scarfs and capes. And the little
swallow grew colder and colder. He flew back to the Prince and said.

S: Goodbye my prince, Will you let me kiss your hand.

P: at last, you are flying to Egypt, kiss me on the lips for I Love You.

S: No my prince, I’m not going to Egypt anymore, the angel of death has come and
get me.

N: then he kiss the prince in the lips and died. The Happy Prince leaden heart has
cracked in two.
Mayor: What an awful sight of the Happy Prince is.

Councilor 1: It’s not fitted to our city anymore.

Councilor 2: It looked ugly and not shiny anymore.

Mayor: We should take it down.

N: The mayor and the Councilors agreed to take down the statue. The gold on the
statue was melted to a furnace but the heart cannot be melted so they threw it
away with the dead bird.

God: Bring me the two most precious things in the world.

N: The angel took the leaden heart and the dead bird to God and gave it to him.

God: you’re right, The little swallow will sing forevermore in my county of
paradise and The Happy Prince will continue to thank me in my city of Gold.