The Happy Prince and other fairy tales
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
ca
n'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
.
"
"
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
.
"
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
.
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
;
"
and
indeed
the
river
was
quite
full
of
Reeds
.
Then
,
when
the
autumn
came
they
all
flew
away
.
