The Happy Prince Chapter 01

The Happy Prince
Part One
The Ruby
On a tall column in the city there is a statue of the Happy Prince.
He is covered with gold.
He has two blue sapphires for eyes.
On his sword there is a big red ruby.
He is very beautiful.
Everyone in the city likes the statue of the Happy Prince.
'Look at the Happy Prince'
says a mother to her little boy.
'He never cries.
He is always happy.'
One night a little Swallow flies over the city.
His friends are in Egypt and he wants to go there too.
He sees the statue on the tall column.
'Oh, what a beautiful statue!
I have a golden bedroom.
I can sleep here, near the Prince's feet,' he says to himself.
He puts his head under his wing.
Suddenly a big drop of water falls on him.
Then another drop falls.
'How strange!
There aren't any clouds in the sky.
But it's raining!'
Another drop falls and the Swallow looks up.
The Happy Prince is crying.
There are tears on his golden face.
His face is very beautiful.
The little Swallow is sad.
'Who are you?' he asks.
'I am the Happy Prince.'
'Why are you crying?' asks the Swallow.
'The people in the city call me the Happy Prince.
In the castle I was happy.
Everything there was beautiful.
But now I am on this high column
and I can see all the misery of my city.
My heart is made of metal but I cry.
'Look over there!
There is a poor house.
One of the windows is open.
I can see a woman.
She is very poor.
There is a boy in bed.
He is not well.
He wants some oranges.
His mother has nothing to give him except water.
He is crying.
Swallow, little Swallow,
can you take her the ruby from my sword?'
'I must go to Egypt,' says the Swallow. 'My friends are there.
They fly up and down the Nile river.
They talk to the flowers.
They sleep in the tomb of the great King.'
'Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,'
says the Prince, 'can you stay with me for one night and be my messenger?
The boy is very ill
and his mother is very sad.'
The Happy Prince is sad.
The little Swallow is sorry. 'It is very cold here,' he says,
'but I can stay with you for one night and be your messenger.'
'Thank you, little Swallow,' says the Prince.
The little Swallow takes out the red ruby from the Prince's sword.
Then he flies away with the ruby.
He flies over the houses of the city.
He passes by the church and sees statues of white angels.
He passes by the palace and hears lovely music.
He flies over the river and sees the ships.
At last he comes to the poor house and looks inside.
The sick boy is in bed
and his mother is sleeping.
The little Swallow puts the ruby on the table.
Then he flies back to the Happy Prince and says, 'The night is cold,
but I am warm now.'

Part Three
White Blossoms
At twelve o'clock people go to the market.
They see the Giant playing with the children in the beautiful garden.
The children play all day.
In the evening they say goodbye to the Giant.
'Where is the little boy?' asks the Giant.
'We don't know,' answer the children.
'You must tell him to come tomorrow,' says the Giant.
'We don't know where he lives,' say the children.
The Giant is very sad and says, 'He is my little friend and I want to see him.'
Every afternoon, after school, the children play with the Giant.
The Giant is very kind to the children.
But he wants to see his first little friend.
'Where is he?' he says to himself.
Many years pass and the Giant grows old.
He can't play with the children.
So he sits in an enormous armchair
and watches the children play.
He looks at his garden and says,
'I have many beautiful flowers,
but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.'
One winter morning the Giant looks out of his window.
He does not hate the Winter now.
He knows that the Spring is sleeping and that the flowers are resting.
Suddenly, he sees something marvellous.
He looks and looks.
He is very surprised.
In a corner of the garden there is a tree with lovely white blossoms.
Its branches are golden and there is silver fruit on them.
Under this tree there is a little boy.
It is the Giant's little friend.
The Giant runs to the garden.
He is very happy.
He runs across the green grass and goes to the child.
When he is near the child he becomes angry.
He says,
'What are these wounds?'
There are the marks of two nails on the child's hands and feet.
'What are these wounds?' says the Giant.
'These are the wounds of Love,' says the child.
'Who are you?' asks the Giant.
The Giant has a strange sensation.
He kneels in front of the little child.
The child smiles at the Giant and says,
'You let me play in your garden.
Today you can come with me to my garden.
It is Paradise.'
When the children come to the garden
they find the Giant dead under a tree.
He is covered with white blossoms.