The Happy Prince

The Happy Prince

Bed Time Stories for Kids

Short Stories with Moral

Once upon a time, the people erected the statues of their hero, which was a prince. It was very kind towards the people. After his death, to show the respect and love for the prince, people made a very beautiful golden statue and fixed it in the town center. It was covered with gold leaf. The prince had blues eyes made of sapphire. The Happy Prince had a sword which had a big ruby on its hit top. Everyone who saw the Happy Prince fell in love with it.

At the same time in the forest near the city, a swallow asked his new bride. My love all our friends have left for Egypt for the winters. There they will see the Pharaoh's Palace and bask in the Sun in the Royal Gardens. They will enjoy many fruits and berries of different kinds. We must join them.

But his bride nodded her head to say no. We will come back after the winter. You must let go of your attachment with this home and dwelling. Bride again nodes no.

You are being foolish my new bride but I must go. My friends are waiting for me and the swallow fly away. After a whole day of flying, he was halfway through the happy princess city. The bird began to feel tired.

The little bird said to himself, “I think that I should rest tonight and will start again for Egypt tomorrow.” This golden statue is very beautiful. I will rest between his feet. Just as the swallow was about to sleep, a large drop of water fell on him.

What! “From where did this come? The sky is clear and there are no clouds.” The swallow said to himself. He tried to sleep again. Another large drop of water fell on him. He looked up and noticed that the prince was weeping.

“Who are you”? Asked the bird.

“I am the Happy Prince.”

“Why are you crying”? The bird asked.

“When I was alive and live in them, I was always happy as my people were happy. Then my people had no miseries as I missed no chance to make them happy. I loved my people, and people also loved me. When I died, they made a golden statue of me and put me here from where I can see the sadness of my people. My heart though is made of the lead. It is not happy.” Said the happy prince to the swallow.

Which thing made you unhappy and sad? Asked the bird.

For a way, I can see a seamstress, whose fingers are red bloody due to tired stitch work. Next to her, on a bed is a little boy. He is sick with fever and is crying out for oranges, but the mother doesn't have anything other than river water to give him.” Said the Happy Prince.

Oh, swallow! “Take the Ruby from my sword and give it to her.” Implored the Happy Prince.

No, no, I have to go to Egypt. I cannot say and if I go to the seamstress’s house I won't be able to reach Egypt.

Please swallow! “The child is very thirsty. Please help him. I cannot move. Only you can comfort this family.” Requested the happy prince.

Okay! I will go. So the swallow plucked up the Ruby from the prince's sword and flew to the seamstress’s house. By the time he got there, the tired seamstress had fallen asleep. On the table, the swallow kept the Ruby and flew around the sick boy's bed flapping his wings.

“I am feeling so much cooler. I think that I am getting better.” Said the little sick baby.

By the time the swallow returned, it was the next night. I will now go to Egypt, but the prince was crying again.

“What is now”? Why are weeping again? Asked the swallow.

I am seeing a hard-working man filled with despair. He is a writer. He has to finish his next play soon, but he's fainted because he has no food to eat. Would you stay another night more and help me?

Okay! “One night more. Should I take another Ruby to him?”

Alas! I have no Ruby to give him now but my eyes are made of sapphire. Take one of my eyes.

No! No! “I cannot do that. I cannot do that. It will make you blind. How will you see the world without eyes”?

“I order you to do so.” The Happy Prince instructed.

So the Swallow plucked out the prince’s eye and flew away to the writer’s house. By the time he reached there, the writer had fainted out of hunger and a cold. The kind swallow put the Sapphire on the writer’s desk, collected dry twigs and lit a fire for the writer before he flew back to the prince.

When he returned to the prince, it was the next night. The Swallow found the Happy Prince again tearful. On asking the Happy Prince told his friend that he saw match girl crying as all her matches had fallen into the gutter and got spoiled. Now no one would buy them. She was afraid as her father would be angry. The happy Prince requested the bird to pluck him another eye and give it to the poor girl. At first, the bird refused to do so as it would make the prince totally blind but ultimately he had to surrender before the Prince noble desire. The swallow plucked out the princes other eye and took it to the little girl. The girls became very happy to find a big stone. She knew that this precious stone would give her enough money. After putting the sapphire in front of the girl, the swallow returned to the prince.

“Now you are free from my side and can go to Egypt.” My friend! Said the Prince.

Now I am not going to Egypt. I will stay with you. Now I am your eyes. Said the kind bird.

So the swallow stayed by the Prince. Every day he flew over the city and told the Prince about the miseries of the people. The Prince requested the swallow to pluck out one gold leaf from his body and give it to the poor people of his city. Soon there were no leaves left on the body. The winter had started. It was getting colder as the winter had fully kept setting in and the weather was getting chillier. The swallow knew that he would not survive the season much longer.

My friend! “It is time for me to go. I cannot survive in this severe cold. I am sure that tonight, I will die. But before I go, can I kiss you?”

The Happy Prince allowed the bird. The frail swallow kissed the Prince and fell at his feet dead. Suddenly there was a loud sound like a crack. It was the sound of breaking of the prince's lead heart.

In the morning the mayor of the city crossed by the statue and said to his officials, “What an ugly statue and it has a dead bird at its feet. Break it down immediately and put up my statue instead.”

A few hours later, the mayor's men broke the statue of the Prince. They found two pieces thereof the Prince' s heart along with the bird dead body. The workers threw all these into the dustbin.

God was seeing all this. He instructed His angles to go to the earth and fetch Him the most precious two things in the world. The angels took the dead body of the swallow and the prince has broken hearts to God.

“The swallow will sing in my heaven, and the prince will praise me. Leave them into the paradise, which I have made for special people like these. Here they do not have any fear or grief will be happy forever.” God ordered his angels. Since then the Happy Prince and the Kid Swallow have been living in the Paradise. Both are very happy and enjoying the blessing of Allah.

Moral. Do for others. God will do for yourself.