快乐王子英文版

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TheHappyPrince

OscarWilde

Highabovethecity,onatallcolumn,stoodthestatueoftheHappyPrince.Hewasgildedalloverwiththinleavesoffinegold,foreyeshehadtwobrightsapphires,andalargeredrubyglowedonhissword-hilt.

HIGHabovethecity,onatallcolumn,stoodthestatueoftheHappyPrince.Hewasgildedalloverwiththinleavesoffinegold,foreyeshehadtwobrightsapphires,andalargeredrubyglowedonhissword-hilt.

Hewasverymuchadmiredindeed.‘Heisasbeautifulasaweathercock,’remarkedoneoftheTownCouncillorswhowishedtogainareputationforhavingartistictastes;‘onlynotquitesouseful,’headded,fearinglestpeopleshouldthinkhimunpractical,whichhereallywasnot.

‘Whycan’tyoubeliketheHappyPrince?’askedasensiblemotherofherlittleboywhowascryingforthemoon.‘TheHappyPrinceneverdreamsofcryingforanything.’

‘Iamgladthereissomeoneintheworldwhoisquitehappy,’mutteredadisappointedmanashegazedatthewonderfulstatue.

‘Helooksjustlikeanangel,’saidtheCharityChildrenastheycameoutofthecathedralintheirbrightscarletcloaks,andtheircleanwhitepinafores.

‘Howdoyouknow?’saidtheMathematicalMaster,‘youhaveneverseenone.’

‘Ah!butwehave,inourdreams,’answeredthechildren;andtheMathematicalMasterfrownedandlookedverysevere,forhedidnotapproveofchildrendreaming.

OnenightthereflewoverthecityalittleSwallow.HisfriendshadgoneawaytoEgyptsixweeksbefore,buthehadstayedbehind,forhewasinlovewiththemostbeautifulReed.Hehadmetherearlyinthespringashewasflyingdowntheriverafterabigyellowmoth,andhadbeensoattractedbyherslenderwaistthathehadstoppedtotalktoher.

‘ShallIloveyou?’saidtheSwallow,wholikedtocometothepointatonce,andtheReedmadehimalowbow.Soheflewroundandroundher,touchingthewaterwithhiswings,andmakingsilverripples.Thiswashiscourtship,anditlastedallthroughthesummer.

‘Itisaridiculousattachment,’twitteredtheotherSwallows,‘shehasnomoney,andfartoomanyrelations;’andindeedtheriverwasquitefullofReeds.Then,whentheautumncame,theyallflewaway.

Aftertheyhadgonehefeltlonely,andbegantotireofhislady-love.‘Shehasnoconversation,’hesaid,‘andIamafraidthatsheisacoquette,forsheisalwaysflirtingwiththewind.’Andcertainly,wheneverthewindblew,theReedmadethemostgracefulcurtsies.‘Iadmitthatsheisdomestic,’hecontinued,‘butIlovetravelling,andmywife,consequently,shouldlovetravellingalso.’

‘Willyoucomeawaywithme?’hesaidfinallytoher;buttheReedshookherhead,shewassoattachedtoherhome.

‘Youhavebeentriflingwithme,’hecried,‘IamofftothePyramids.Good-bye!’andheflewaway.

Alldaylongheflew,andatnight-timehearrivedatthecity.‘WhereshallIputup?’hesaid;‘Ihopethetownhasmadepreparations.’

Thenhesawthestatueonthetallcolumn.‘Iwillputupthere,’hecried;‘itisafinepositionwithplentyoffreshair.’SohealightedjustbetweenthefeetoftheHappyPrince.

‘Ihaveagoldenbedroom,’hesaidsoftlytohimselfashelookedround,andhepreparedtogotosleep;butjustashewasputtinghisheadunderhiswingalargedropofwaterfellonhim.‘Whatacuriousthing!’hecried,‘thereisnotasinglecloudinthesky,thestarsarequiteclearandbright,andyetitisraining.TheclimateinthenorthofEuropeisreallydreadful.TheReedusedtoliketherain,butthatwasmerelyherselfishness.’

Thenanotherdropfell.

‘Whatistheuseofastatueifitcannotkeeptherainoff?’hesaid;‘Imustlookforagoodchimney-pot,’andhedeterminedtoflyaway.

Butbeforehehadopenedhiswings,athirddropfell,andhelookedup,andsaw-Ah!whatdidhesee?

TheeyesoftheHappyPrincewerefilledwithtears,andtearswererunningdownhisgoldencheeks.HisfacewassobeautifulinthemoonlightthatthelittleSwallowwasfilledwithpity.

‘Whoareyou?’hesaid.

‘IamtheHappyPrince.’

‘Whyareyouweepingthen?’askedtheSwallow;‘youhavequitedrenchedme.’

‘WhenIwasaliveandhadahumanheart,’answeredthestatue,‘Ididnotknowwhattearswere,forIlivedinthepalaceofSans-Souci,wheresorrowisnotallowedtoenter.InthedaytimeIplayedwithmycompanionsinthegarden,andintheeveningIledthedanceintheGreatHall.Roundthegardenranaverylofty

HeistryingtofinishaplayfortheDirectoroftheTheatre,butheistoocoldtowriteanymore.Thereisnofireinthegrate,andhungerhasmadehimfaint.’

‘Iwillwaitwithyouonenightlonger,’saidtheSwallow,whoreallyhadagoodheart.‘ShallItakehimanotherruby?’

‘Alas!Ihavenorubynow,’saidthePrince;‘myeyesareallthatIhaveleft.Theyaremadeofraresapphires,whichwerebroughtoutofIndiaathousandyearsago.Pluckoutoneofthemandtakeittohim.Hewillsellittothejeweller,andbuyfoodandfirewood,andfinishhisplay.’

‘DearPrince,’saidtheSwallow,‘Icannotdothat;’andhebegantoweep.

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘doasIcommandyou.’

SotheSwallowpluckedoutthePrince’seye,andflewawaytothestudent’sgarret.Itwaseasyenoughtogetin,astherewasaholeintheroof.Throughthishedarted,andcameintotheroom.Theyoungmanhadhisheadburiedinhishands,sohedidnotheartheflutterofthebird’swings,andwhenhelookeduphefoundthebeautifulsapphirelyingonthewitheredviolets.

‘Iambeginningtobeappreciated,’hecried;‘thisisfromsomegreatadmirer.NowIcanfinishmyplay,’andhelookedquitehappy.

ThenextdaytheSwallowflewdowntotheharbour.Hesatonthemastofalargevesselandwatchedthesailorshaulingbigchestsoutoftheholdwithropes.‘Heavea-hoy!’theyshoutedaseachchestcameup.‘IamgoingtoEgypt!’criedtheSwallow,butnobodyminded,andwhenthemoonroseheflewbacktotheHappyPrince.

‘Iamcometobidyougood-bye,’hecried.

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘willyounotstaywithmeonenightlonger?’

‘Itiswinter,’answeredtheSwallow,‘andthechillsnowwillsoonbehere.InEgyptthesuniswarmonthegreenpalm-trees,andthecrocodileslieinthemudandlooklazilyaboutthem.MycompanionsarebuildinganestintheTempleofBaalbec,andthepinkandwhitedovesarewatchingthem,andcooingtoeachother.DearPrince,Imustleaveyou,butIwillneverforgetyou,andnextspringIwillbringyoubacktwobeautifuljewelsinplaceofthoseyouhavegivenaway.Therubyshallberedderthanaredrose,andthesapphireshallbeasblueasthegreatsea.’

‘Inthesquarebelow,’saidtheHappyPrince,‘therestandsalittlematch-girl.Shehaslethermatchesfallinthegutter,andtheyareallspoiled.Herfatherwillbeatherifshedoesnotbringhomesomemoney,andsheiscrying.Shehasnoshoesorstockings,andherlittleheadisbare.Pluckoutmyothereye,andgiveittoher,andherfatherwillnotbeather.’

‘Iwillstaywithyouonenightlonger,’saidtheSwallow,‘butIcannotpluckoutyoureye.Youwouldbequiteblindthen.’

‘Swallow,Swallow,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘doasIcommandyou.’

SohepluckedoutthePrince’sothereye,anddarteddownwithit.Heswoopedpastthematch-girl,andslippedthejewelintothepalmofherhand.‘Whatalovelybitofglass,’criedthelittlegirl;andsheranhome,laughing.

ThentheSwallowcamebacktothePrince.‘Youareblindnow,’hesaid,‘soIwillstaywithyoualways.’

‘No,littleSwallow,’saidthepoorPrince,‘youmustgoawaytoEgypt.’

‘Iwillstaywithyoualways,’saidtheSwallow,andhesleptatthePrince’sfeet.

AllthenextdayhesatonthePrince’sshoulder,andtoldhimstoriesofwhathehadseeninstrangelands.Hetoldhimoftheredibises,whostandinlongrowsonthebanksoftheNile,andcatchgoldfishintheirbeaks;oftheSphinx,whoisasoldastheworlditselfandlivesinthedesert,andknowseverything;ofthemerchants,whowalkslowlybythesideoftheircamels,andcarryamberbeadsintheirhands;oftheKingoftheMountainsoftheMoon,whoisasblackasebony,andworshipsalargecrystal;ofthegreatgreensnakethatsleepsinapalm-tree,andhastwentyprieststofeeditwithhoney-cakes;andofthepygmieswhosailoverabiglakeonlargeflatleaves,andarealwaysatwarwiththebutterflies.

‘DearlittleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘youtellmeofmarvellousthings,butmoremarvellousthananythingisthesufferingofmenandofwomen.ThereisnoMysterysogreatasMisery.Flyovermycity,littleSwallow,andtellmewhatyouseethere.’

SotheSwallowflewoverthegreatcity,andsawtherichmakingmerryintheirbeautifulhouses,whilethebeggarsweresittingatthegates.Heflewintodarklanes,andsawthewhitefacesofstarvingchildrenlookingoutlistlesslyattheblackstreets.Underthearchwayofabridgetwolittleboyswerelyinginoneanother’sarmstotryandkeepthemselveswarm.‘Howhungryweare!’theysaid.‘Youmustnotliehere,’shoutedtheWatchman,andtheywanderedoutintotherain.

ThenheflewbackandtoldthePrincewhathehadseen.

‘Iamcoveredwithfinegold,’saidthePrince,‘youmusttakeitoff,leafbyleaf,andgiveittomypoor;thelivingalwaysthinkthatgoldcanmakethemhappy.’

LeafafterleafofthefinegoldtheSwallowpickedoff,tilltheHappyPrincelookedquitedullandgrey.Leafafterleafofthefinegoldhebroughttothepoor,andthechildren’sfacesgrewrosier,andtheylaughedandplayedgamesinthestreet.‘Wehavebreadnow!’theycried.

Thenthesnowcame,andafterthesnowcamethefrost.Thestreetslookedasiftheyweremadeofsilver,theyweresobrightandglistening;longicicleslikecrystaldaggershungdownfromtheeavesofthehouses,everybodywentaboutinfurs,andthelittleboysworescarletcapsandskatedontheice.

ThepoorlittleSwallowgrewcolderandcolder,buthewouldnotleavethePrince,helovedhimtoowell.Hepickedupcrumbsoutsidethebaker’sdoorwherethebakerwasnotlooking,andtriedtokeephimselfwarmbyflappinghiswings.

Butatlastheknewthathewasgoingtodie.HehadjuststrengthtoflyuptothePrince’sshoulderoncemore.‘Good-bye,dearPrince!’hemurmured,‘willyouletmekissyourhand?’

‘IamgladthatyouaregoingtoEgyptatlast,littleSwallow,’saidthePrince,‘youhavestayedtoolonghere;butyoumustkissmeonthelips,forIloveyou.’

‘ItisnottoEgyptthatIamgoing,’saidtheSwallow.‘IamgoingtotheHouseofDeath.DeathisthebrotherofSleep,ishenot?’

AndhekissedtheHappyPrinceonthelips,andfelldowndeadathisfeet.

Atthatmomentacuriouscracksoundedinsidethestatue,asifsomethinghadbroken.Thefactisthattheleadenhearthadsnappedrightintwo.Itcertainlywasadreadfullyhardfrost.EarlythenextmorningtheMayorwaswalkinginthesquarebelowincompanywiththeTownCouncillors.Astheypassedthecolumnhelookedupatthestatue:‘Dearme!howshabbytheHappyPrincelooks!’hesaid.

‘Howshabbyindeed!’criedtheTownCouncillors,whoalwaysagreedwiththeMayor,andtheywentuptolookatit.

‘Therubyhasfallenoutofhissword,hiseyesaregone,andheisgoldennolonger,’saidtheMayor;‘infact,heislittlebetterthanabeggar