The Happy Prince Story With Pictures: a magical tale to read

Chapter 1: The Prince and the Swallow

As autumn winds began to chill the air, a lone swallow, separated from his flock, sought shelter for the night. He flew over the city until he came upon the statue of the Happy Prince. Perching between the statue’s golden feet, the swallow prepared to rest. However, as he settled down, a drop of water fell upon him. Looking up in surprise, the swallow saw that the eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears.

“Why do you cry, golden statue?” asked the swallow, puzzled by this sight.

“I weep for the misery and despair I see below,” replied the prince, his voice a sad whisper on the wind. “In life, I knew only happiness, but from here, I see the suffering of my people. But now, I am fixed here, adorned with gold and jewels, and can do nothing.”

The swallow was moved by the prince’s compassion and agreed to stay one night to help him, though he longed to join his flock in the warm south.

Chapter 2: The First Mission

The Happy Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby from his sword hilt and give it to a poor seamstress whose sick child cried out for oranges. The swallow, moved by the plight of the woman, swiftly plucked the ruby and flew to the seamstress’s window. There, he dropped the ruby onto the table where she worked by candlelight.

The next morning, the swallow told the prince of the seamstress’s joy and relief upon finding the ruby. The Happy Prince thanked him and, feeling lighter without his ruby, asked the swallow to stay another night to help more of his people.

Chapter 3: More Acts of Kindness

Each night, the swallow took a piece of the prince’s gold leaf and brought it to someone in need: an aspiring playwright too cold and hungry to write, a match girl whose matches had been soaked by the rain, and an old man who needed warmth. Each act of kindness stripped the Happy Prince of his gold, but with each act, he felt his spirit glow brighter.

The swallow, now delaying his journey south day by day, grew fond of the city and its people, feeling the warmth of doing good deeds in his heart.

Chapter 4: The Sacrifice

As winter approached, the statue was stripped of all its gold and looked dull and gray. The swallow, feeling the cold bite, knew he could not survive the winter. The prince, now blind without his sapphire eyes, sensed the end was near for them both.

“Thank you, dear swallow,” the prince whispered. “You may leave now to find your flock.”

But the swallow refused to leave the prince’s side. Instead, he circled the prince’s head, kissing his lips, and finally lay down at his feet and died.

Chapter 5: The Heart That Did Not Break

When the townspeople found the swallow and the now-dull statue, they decided to melt the statue down, for it was no longer beautiful. But the lead heart of the Happy Prince did not melt in the furnace. It was discarded where the swallow lay.

In heaven, the angel who records the good deeds of the world brought the story of the Happy Prince and the swallow before God. “Here are the two most precious things from the city,” the angel declared.

God blessed the spirit of the Happy Prince and the swallow, granting them a place in His garden of paradise, where they would be forever happy.

The End

This tale of “The Happy Prince” teaches the enduring power of compassion and the true value of sacrifices made in the name of love, showing children and adults alike that true happiness comes from giving oneself in service to others.