Sunday story # 3 - Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince

Everyone knows who Oscar Wilde was, I hope, but his little tale of The Happy Prince always made me feel somehow uncomfortable. The simple moral of the story is that human beings should do good and always try to help those who are in need. The principle characters in the story, the Prince and the Swallow, help others who are suffering, and they do die in the process. Some actually think that the Swallow represents Wilde's own thoughts about passion, aestheticism and hedonism. In short, the little bird decided to stay with the Prince and be his guide till his own death during the long and hard winter months. The friendship between the Prince and the Swallow is one that's based on love and mutual respect. Although the swallow needs to migrate to Egypt for the winter, he's so drawn to the kindness of the prince. On realizing that he was going to die, the swallow gathered his remaining strength and flew up to the prince's shoulder. He bid him goodbye and sought permission to kiss his hand. The Prince thinks that the swallow is going to leave for Egypt. At this point of the story I often start crying. In the end the little bird dies at the feet of the statue. The statue cracks open the heart which no one had never seen before from the outside. It's a beautiful moment in which the Prince expressed his feelings for the loss of the Swallow, and this is also the most beautiful part of the story. As winter comes and the Prince is stripped of all of his beauty, his lead heart breaks when the Swallow dies. This little tale should indeed teach us to be more empathetic and generous towards those who are in a less fortunate situation than ourselves. The little bird was the Happy Prince's guardian angel, while he was frozen in the form of a statue. The Prince's redemption would not have been possible without his friend the Swallow because it guided his soul, throughout the story and at the end they were carried both to Paradise. God rewarded the Prince and the Swallow by giving them both a place in heaven with Him. The little bird will sing forever in the garden of Paradise and the Happy Prince will live there in the city of gold. Both being themselves for ever and ever

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