2. The Happy Prince

    High above the city, on a tall column stood the statue of the Happy Prince.  He was covered all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby shone in his sword.  He was very much admired indeed.

    "Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?" a mother asked her little boy, who was crying for the moon.  "The Happy Prince never cries for anything."

    "I am glad there is someone in the world who is quite happy," said a disappointed man as he looked at the wonderful statue.

    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.  All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city.  "Where shall I spend the night?" he said.  "I hope the town has made preparations."

    Then he saw the statue on the tall column.  "I will spend the night up there," he cried.  "It is a fine place with plenty of fresh air."  So he flew down between the feet of the Happy Prince.

    "I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself as he looked around, 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.  "There is not a cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining.  The climate in the North of Europe is really terrible."  Then another drop fell.

    "What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said.  "I must look for another place."  He decided 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?

    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 crying then?" asked the Swallow, "you have made me very wet."

    "When I was alive and had a human heart," answered the statue, "I did not know what tears were.  In the daytime I played with my friends in the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the palace.  Round the garden ran a very high wall, but I never asked what lay outside it, everything about me was so beautiful.  My people called me the Happy Prince.  So I lived and so I died.  And now that I can see all the ugliness and all the unhappiness of my city, and though my heart is made of lead, I cry at what I see."

    "What!  Is he not solid gold?" said the Swallow to himself.

    "Far away," continued the statue in a low musical voice, "far away in a little street there is a poor house, one of the windows is open, and through it I can see a woman seated at a table.  Her face is thin and worn.  She is making a beautiful dress for a lady to wear at the next 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 take her the ruby out of my sword?  I cannot move from this column."

    "I am waited for in Egypt," said the Swallow.  "My friends are flying up and down the Nile."

    "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not stay with me for one night and be my messenger?  The boy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad."

    "I don't think I like boys," answered the Swallow.  "Last summer when I was staying on the river, there were two boys who were always throwing stones at me.  They never struck me, of course, we swallows fly too well for that; but still I didn't like it."

    But the Happy Prince looked so sad that the little Swallow was sorry.  "It is very cold here," he said, "but I will stay with you one night and be your messenger."  "Thank you, little Swallow," said the Prince.

    So the Swallow took 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 palace and heard the sound of dancing.  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 ball," she answered, "but the dressmakers are so lazy."

    He passed over the river and saw the ships.  At last he came to the poor house and looked in .  The boy was throwing himself about in his fever, and the mother had fallen asleep, she was so tired.  He flew in and laid the great ruby on the table.  Then he flew round and round the bed.  "How cool I feel," said the boy, "I must be better." And he fell into a sweet sleep.    

     Then the Swallow flew back to the Happy Prince, and told him what he had done.  "It is curious," he said, "but I feel quite warm now, though 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.  When day broke, he flew down the river and had a bath.  "Tonight I go to Egypt," said the Swallow.

    When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince.  "Can I do anything for you in 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.  "Tomorrow my friends will fly up the Nile."

    "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "far away across the city I see a young man in a small room under the roof of a big house.  He is sitting at a desk covered with papers.  His hair is brown, and his lips are red, and he has large blue eyes.  He is trying to finish a play for the director of the theatre, but he is too cold to write any more.  He has no fire and he is weak from hunger."

    "I will stay 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 the finest sapphires that were brought from India a thousand years ago.  Take one of them and carry it to him.  He will sell it and buy food and firewood and finish his play."

    "Dear Prince," said the Swallow, "I cannot do that."  And tears filled his eyes.

    "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "do as I command you."

    So the Swallow took the Prince's eye and flew away to the young man's room.  It was easy enough to get in, as there was a hole in the roof.  He flew in through this and entered the room.  The young man had his head in his hands, so he did not hear the sound of the bird's wings and when he looked up, he found the beautiful jewel lying on the table.

    "Oh!" he cried. "This is from some great admirer.  Now I can finish my play."  And he looked quite happy.

    The next day the Swallow flew down the river where the big ships were.  He watched the sailors at work.  "I am going to Egypt," cried the Swallow, but nobody heard him, and when the moon rose, he flew back to the Happy Prince.  "I have come to say goodbye," he cried.

    "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "will you not stay with me one night longer?"

    "It is winter," answered the Swallow, "and the cold snow will soon be here.  In Egypt the sun is warm.  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.  One shall be redder than a red rose, and the other shall be as blue as the great sea."

    "In the square below," said the Happy Prince, "there stands a little match-girl.  She has let her matches fall into the water.  They are wet and she cannot sell them.  Her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money, and she is crying.  She has no shoes or stockings and nothing on her head.  Take 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 cannot take your other eye.  You would be quite blind if I did that."

    "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow," said the Prince, "do as I command you."

    So he took the Prince's other eye and flew down with it.  He flew past the match-girl and put the jewel into her hand.  "What a pretty piece 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."

    "I will stay with you always." said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince's feet.

    All the next day he sat on the Prince's shoulder and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands.

    "Dear little Swallow," said the Prince, "you tell me wonderful things.  But tell me about the suffering of men and of women.  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 eating and drinking and dancing in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at their gates.  He flew into dark narrow streets and saw the white faces of starving children.

    Under a bridge two little boys were lying in one another's arms to try to keep themselves warm.  "How hungry we are!" they said.  "You must not lie here," shouted the policeman, and they went out into the rain.

    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 people.  People always think that gold can make them happy."

    Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow took off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and gray.  Leaf after leaf of the fine gold he took to the poor, and the children's faces rosier, and they laughed and played games in the street.  "We have bread now." they cried.

    Then the snow came, and after the snow came the frost.  The streets looked as if they were made of silver, they were so bright and shining.

    The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder, but he would not leave the Prince, he loved him too well.  He ate crumbs when he could find them, 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.  "Goodbye, dear Prince!" he whispered.  "Will you let me kiss your hand?"  "I am not going to Egypt," said the Swallow.  "I am going to the house of death.  Death is the brother of sleep, is he not?"

    And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips and fell down dead at his feet.

    At that moment there was a sound inside the statue, as if something had broken.  The fact is that the statue's heart of lead had broken right in two.  It certainly was a terribly hard frost.

    Early the next morning the mayor was walking in the square below with the town councilors.  As they passed the column he looked up at the statue.  "Dear me!  How ugly the Happy Prince looks!" he said.  "How ugly indeed!" cried the town councilors, 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!"

    "Little better than a beggar." said the town councilors.  "And here is a dead bird at his feet!" continued the mayor." We must not allow birds to die here."

    So they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince.  Then the mayor held a meeting 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."

    "Of myself." said each of the town councilors, and they quarreled.  When I last heard of them, they were quarreling still.            

2. 快樂王子

    在城市上空，有一根高聳的石柱，石柱上面立有快樂王子的雕像。雕像披著用純金打造的葉片，眼睛的部分是兩顆明亮的藍寶石，而且佩劍上還鑲著一顆很大的紅寶石。看到王子雕像的人都會驚嘆不已。

    「你為什麼不能像快樂王子一樣呢？」一位母親對吵著要月亮的小男孩說：「快樂王子從不會吵著要東西！」

    一個沮喪的人望著王子令人驚嘆的雕像說：「我很高興世界上終於有個快樂的人。」

    有一天晚上，一隻小燕子飛過城市上空。小燕子的朋友在六個星期以前，就都飛到埃及去過冬了，但是小燕子卻沒有趕上牠的朋友。小燕子飛了一整天。到了晚上，牠飛到了這個城市。小燕子就說：「今晚我該在哪裡過夜呢？希望這裡的人有為遷徙的候鳥準備住所。」

    這時候，小燕子看見石柱上的雕像，牠就高興地說：「今晚我就在雕像那裡過夜！那裡是一個好地方，有充裕的新鮮空氣。」因此，小燕子就降落到快樂王子的兩腳之間。

    小燕子看了一下四周的環境，然後很細聲地自言自語：「今晚我有一張金子打造的床了！」當牠才把頭靠在翅膀上準備睡覺時，有一滴很大的水滴滴在牠身上，牠大叫：「怎麼有這麼奇怪的事？天上沒有一片雲，星星也很燦爛明亮，但是卻下雨了！北歐的氣候真是可怕。」

    小燕子才說完，又有一滴滴下來。小燕子說：「雕像若不能遮雨，那它又有什麼用！我看必須再找其他地方才行。」所以小燕子就準備飛離雕像。當牠準備張開翅膀時，第三滴又滴下來。於是小燕子就抬頭看了一下，然後牠就啊了一聲。你猜，牠看見什麼了？

    小燕子看到快樂王子的眼眶充滿了淚水！眼淚就噗漱噗漱地流到他的金臉頰。在月光下，快樂王子的臉龐顯得很俊美。這時候，小燕子起了憐憫之心。小燕子問：「你是誰？」「我是快樂王子。」小燕子又問：「那你為什麼在哭？你的眼淚把我弄濕了。」

    快樂王子說：「當我還活著的時候，有一顆像普通人的心，我從來不知道淚水是何物。白天，我就和我的朋友在花園裡玩；到了晚上，我就在皇宮裡引領跳舞。花園四周築起高高的圍牆，我從來不過問牆外的世界。對我來說，世界上的每件事似乎都是很完美的。我的人民稱呼我是快樂王子，我就這樣過了一生。我死後，他們把我豎立在這麼高的地方，我也才能看清楚這個城市的醜陋和不幸。雖然現在我的心是用鉛鑄造的，但是我一樣會觸景感傷。

    小燕子自言自語地說：「什麼！不是用整塊金子打造的？」

    「在很遙遠的地方，」雕像用很低沉悅耳的聲音說。「在很遙遠的一條小街上，有一間破舊的房子。房子的窗戶，有一扇打開著。透過這扇窗戶，我可以看見一個女人坐在桌旁，她的臉很瘦，而且很疲倦的樣子。她正在為一位小姐縫製漂亮的衣服，衣服是準備參加舞會穿的。在屋子的一角，有一張小床，上面躺著她生病的小男孩。小男孩發燒了，他吵著要吃橘子，但是他的媽媽沒有任何東西可以給他吃，只能給他一杯河裡的水，所以小男孩就哭了。燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！你願意把我劍上的紅寶石拿給那位母親嗎？我無法從這根石柱上移動。」

    燕子說：「我的朋友還在埃及等我呢！牠們此刻正在尼羅河上飛翔呢。」

    快樂王子說：「燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！你能不能陪我一個晚上，做我的使者？那個小男孩很渴，而他的媽媽很傷心哪。」

    燕子回答：「我不喜歡小孩子。去年夏天，我在河邊休息時，有兩個小孩子一直拿石頭丟我。當然，他們是丟不到我的，我們燕子飛行技術是很高超的。但是我還是不喜歡小孩子。」

    不過看到快樂王子很傷心，小燕子也心軟了。於是牠就說：「雖然這裡很冷，但是我還是答應你留下住一晚，做你的使者。」王子很高興地說：「小燕子，真謝謝你！」

    小燕子便從快樂王子的劍上拿下那顆巨大的紅寶石，用嘴銜著，飛過市區內一間間房子的屋頂。小燕子飛過皇宮，聽見大廳內的跳舞聲。牠看見一位很漂亮的女孩走出舞廳，和她的情人來到陽台。女孩的情人對她說：「天上的星星真漂亮！愛情的力量真偉大！」女孩說：「我希望我的漂亮衣服能趕上舞會開始時穿上，可是裁縫師都太懶了。」

    小燕子繼續飛，牠飛過一條河流，看見了一艘船。最後，牠來到那個可憐人的家，往裡面一看。那個小男孩發著高燒，他的媽媽睡著了，她實在太累了。小燕子飛進屋裡，把那顆大紅寶石放在桌上，然後在床邊飛來飛去。「我好涼快喔！」小男孩自言自語，「我想我一定有比較好了。」接著，小男孩就很甜美地睡著了。

    小燕子飛回快樂王子的身旁，把牠所做的一切都告訴王子。「真奇怪，天氣雖然很冷，但是我現在卻感到很暖和！」快樂王子說：「那是因為你剛才做了一件好事啊！」小燕子思考著慢慢睡著了。

    天亮後，小燕子飛到河裡洗澡。「今天晚上，我要飛往埃及了。」月亮升起的時候，小燕子飛到快樂王子的身旁，大聲地說：「我在埃及能為你做些什麼嗎？我現在就要起程了！」

    「燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！」快樂王子說：「你能不能再陪我一個晚上？」

    小燕子說：「我的朋友在埃及等我呢！明天牠們就要飛到尼羅河的上游了。」

    「燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！」快樂王子說：「在城市的另一邊，我看見了一棟大房子的屋簷下，有一間小小的屋子。屋裡有個年輕人，他正坐在桌前，桌上堆滿了紙張。那個年輕人有棕色的頭髮，紅紅的嘴唇，還有一雙大大的藍眼睛。他正在為劇院裡的導演趕寫劇本。可是他太冷了，沒有辦法再寫下去。他沒有火爐可以取暖，也沒有食物可以吃，現在他已經非常虛弱了。」

    於是小燕子就說：「好吧！我再陪你待一個晚上。」小燕子真是一隻善良的燕子。牠問快樂王子：「你要我也送一顆紅寶石給他嗎？」

    快樂王子說：「唉！我已經沒有紅寶石了，我現在只剩下眼睛了。我的眼睛是一千年前，從印度帶來的最好的藍寶石。拿下一顆送給那年輕人，他就可以拿這顆寶石去買食物和柴火了，這樣他就能繼續寫劇本了！」

    小燕子說：「我親愛的王子啊！我絕對不能這樣子做。」說完後，小燕子的眼睛裡就充滿了眼淚。「燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！」快樂王子說：「你就照我的話去做吧！」

    小燕子就取下王子的一個眼睛，飛到那個年輕人的房子。因為屋頂上有個破洞，所以小燕子能夠很輕易地飛進屋內。那個年輕人正把頭埋在雙手間，所以沒有聽見燕子振動翅膀的聲音。等他抬起頭，發現桌上放著一顆美麗的寶石。那個年輕人大聲地叫道：「哇！這一定是哪位熱情的崇拜者送來的，現在我可以寫完這齣劇本了。」那個年輕人看起來很快樂。

    第二天，小燕子飛到停了很多小船的河邊，注視著漁夫工作，然後大聲地說：「我要到埃及！」可是沒有人聽到牠的叫聲。當月亮升起的時候，小燕子回到快樂王子的身邊，大聲地對他說：「我是來向你告別的。」

    快樂王子說：「燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！你能不能再陪我多待一個晚上？」

    「可是現在已經是冬天了！」小燕子急著說：「寒冷的冰雪就要來臨了，但是埃及現在正是陽光普照。親愛的王子，我一定要離開了，但是我不會忘記你的。明年春天，我會為你帶回來兩顆美麗的寶石，代替你奉獻出來的寶石。我要帶一顆比紅玫瑰還要紅的紅寶石，另一顆比大海還要藍的藍寶石送給你。」

    快樂王子說：「在廣場上，站著一個賣火柴的小女孩。她的火柴都掉進水裡，全部都濕了，沒有辦法賣出去。如果今天她沒有拿錢回家，她的爸爸就會打她的，所以她現在哭了。她沒有鞋子可以穿，也沒有襪子，頭上也沒有戴帽子。小燕子啊！把我的另一顆眼睛也拿去送給那個小女孩吧！這樣她的爸爸就不會打她了。」

    小燕子說：「我再陪你度過一個晚上吧。但是我不能把你的另一個眼睛拿下來。如果拿下來，你就要兩眼失明了。」快樂王子說：「燕子，燕子，小燕子啊！你還是照我的話去做吧。」

    小燕子只好再取下快樂王子的另一個眼睛，帶著它飛到廣場。牠飛到賣火柴的小女孩身旁，把寶石放在她的手上。「好漂亮的玻璃喔！」小女孩很高興地拿著寶石跑回家。

    小燕子飛到快樂王子的身邊，對他說：「你現在已經完全失明了，我要一直陪著你。」

    「不行！小燕子，」快樂王子說：「你一定要飛到埃及去！」

    小燕子回答：「我要一直守著你。」說完後就躺在快樂王子的腳下。

    隔天，小燕子便整日站在快樂王子的肩膀上，把牠在異國他鄉的所見所聞告訴快樂王子。快樂王子對小燕子說：「親愛的小燕子啊，你講的經歷真是太奇妙了。但是，把人們的苦難告訴我吧。你飛到城市的上空，然後把你所見所聞都告訴我。」

    小燕子就從繁華的都市飛過。牠看見有錢人在豪華的屋子裡吃喝跳舞，而乞丐則坐在他們的門口。牠飛到幽暗狹窄的街道上，看見飢餓的小孩都是臉色蒼白。在一座橋下，有兩個小孩緊緊地抱在一起躺著互相取暖。小孩說：「我好餓啊！」但是旁邊的警察卻大聲地喊：「你們不可以躺在這裡！」於是，那兩個小孩只好走出橋下，到路上去淋雨了。

    小燕子飛回快樂王子的身邊，把牠的所見所聞都告訴快樂王子。快樂王子就說：「我身上披著漂亮的黃金，你把黃金一片一片扯下來，拿去送給窮困的人家。人們總是認為黃金能帶給他們幸福快樂。」

    小燕子就一片一片地把黃金取下來，直到快樂王子的雕像看起來變得很單調，變成了灰濛濛一片。小燕子把一片片漂亮的金子送給窮人，孩子的臉龐也就變得紅潤起來了。孩子跑到街上嬉戲，大聲地說：「我們有麵包可以吃了！」

    下雪了，天寒地凍。街道上一片銀白，晶瑩亮麗。可憐的小燕子越來越冷，可是牠不想離開快樂王子，牠太愛快樂王子了。牠吃著可以找到的麵包屑，不斷地拍打著翅膀取暖。最後，小燕子知道自己快要死了，便使盡全部的力氣飛到快樂王子的肩膀上，輕聲地說：「再見了，親愛的王子。你願意讓我親吻你的手嗎？」「我不去埃及了，我將要到死亡之屋，死亡和睡眠是兩兄弟，不是嗎？」

    小燕子親吻快樂王子的雙唇，然後就倒在他的腳下死了。

    就在這時候，雕像裡發出一聲巨響，似乎有什麼東西破裂了。事實上，這時候雕像裡的鉛心突然裂成兩半。當然，那是因為天氣太嚴寒的關係。

    隔天一早，市長和市議員正在廣場上散步。當他們經過石柱的時候，市長抬頭望著石柱上的雕像說：「唉呀！快樂王子看起來好醜喔！」那些阿諛奉承的議員，走近石柱看了一下雕像，然後也附和說：「確實是醜陋不堪。」市長接著說：「劍上的紅寶石已經掉了，眼睛也好不到那裡去。」

    他們就把快樂王子的雕像推倒了。市長召開會議，討論如何處理快樂王子身上的金屬。他說：「毫無疑問的，我們必須要立一座新雕像。當然，應該要立我的雕像。」

    但是其他的議員卻大聲地吵起來，他們都說：「不！應該是立我的雕像！」

    我最後一次聽到他們說話時，仍然為了該立誰的雕像，在那裡爭吵不休。