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One night there flew over the city a little Swallow. His friends had gone away to Egypt six

weeks before, but he had stayed behind. After they had gone, he felt lonely. He flew all day
long and arrived in the city at night.

When he saw the statue on the tall column, he said, “I will put up there.”

So, he alighted just between the feet of the
Happy Prince. But just as he was putting his
head under his wing, a large drop of water fell on

him. ‘What a curious thing!’ he cried, ‘there is
not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite

clear and bright, and yet it is raining.’
Then another drop fell.

“What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the

rain off?” he said and he decided to fly away. But
before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell,
and he looked up, and saw-Ah! What did he see?

The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden

cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity.
“Who are you” he said.

“I am the Happy Prince.”

“Why are you weeping then?” asked the Swallow.

“When I was alive and had a human heart,” answered the statue, I did not know what tears
were, for I lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. Everything about me was

so beautiful.
So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up so high that I can see

all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.

“Far away,” continued the statue in a musical voice, “through the window, I can see a little
boy lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for oranges. Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will
you give her the ruby in my sword-hilt?” The boy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad because
she has no money to buy oranges.

“Okay,” said the Swallow.

“Thank you, little Swallow,” said the Prince.

So the Swallow picked out the great ruby from the Prince’s sword, and flew away with it in

his beak over the roofs of the town. At last, he came to the poor boy’s house and looked in.

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