The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde, Fiction, Literary, Classics

“The Happy Prince” In a town where a lot of poor people suffer, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter meets the statue of the late “Happy Prince”, who in reality has never experienced true happiness. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the Happy Prince asks the swallow to take the ruby from his hilt, the sapphires from his eyes, and the golden leaf covering his body to give to the poor.

Wilde is a man remembered for plays like “The Importance of Being Ernest,” works like “De Profundis” and the scandal that attended it, and of course “The Picture of Dorian Gray” — but in many respects, this book (and a couple others like it) are Wilde’s real treasures. Highly recommended.