Happy Prince

The Happy Prince short story by Oscar Wilde - Summary
The story is an allegory. It brings out the importance of charity. We learn that love and sacrifice can endear us to God. The prince in thestory is no living prince. He is the statue of a dead prince decorated with gold leaves and precious stones. He is known as the Happy Prince because there is a smile on his lips. But the smile graduallygives way to tears. The Happy Prince cannot help crying over the scenes of misery in the houses of the poor. He decides to help them with his gold leaves and costly stones. The little swallow acts ashis messenger, and he gives away all his wealth. The Swallow was on his way back to his homeland when the prince had detained him to help the poor. He still wished to go back but now it was too late.The intense cold killed him. Thus the little swallow lost his life in helping the poor. His death broke the prince’s heart. So the swallow and the prince perished for a noble cause. But their deathwas not the end. It made them immortal. That is why the angel selected the dead swallow and the lifeless heart of the prince as the noblest things on earth. The story teaches a very useful and very truelesson. We learn that God loves those who love their fellow human beings.

The role of Happy Prince in the short story "Happy Prince"
The Happy Prince is not a living Prince. He is the statue ofa prince, mounted on a tall column in the center of the city. It is the statue of a dead prince with the soul of the prince in it. He is decorated with gold leaves and precious stones. There is asmile on his lips. People call him the Happy Prince because of this smile. He is a supernatural character, because he can see, hear and speak.

Standing on the top of the tall column, he can see thecondition of the people of the city. He is deeply moved by the misery of the poor. When he was alive he lived a life of comfort. He neither knew nor cared for the sufferings of the poor people of his...