An Irish writer, poet, and prominent aesthete. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish playwright, poet, and author of numerous short stories, and one novel. Known for his biting wit, and a plentitude of aphorisms, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest. As the result of a widely covered ser...
The Happy Prince and other tales
The Happy Prince and other tales
Synopsis
This collection gathers five of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, written for children but layered with adult irony and pathos. In the title story, the gilded statue of a once-carefree prince persuades a swallow, delaying its migration south, to strip away its jewels and gold leaf piece by piece to relieve the suffering of the poor — a sacrifice that costs them both everything. "The Nightingale and the Rose" follows a bird who gives her life to create a single red rose for a student's unrequited love, only for the gift to be discarded as worthless.
The remaining stories — "The Selfish Giant," "The Devoted Friend," and "The Remarkable Rocket" — continue Wilde's blend of fable and social satire, examining generosity, vanity, and cruelty through gentle, melancholy storytelling.
First published in 1888, The Happy Prince and Other Tales established Wilde as a writer of children's literature alongside his work for adults, and its stories remain widely anthologized for their combination of simplicity and quiet sorrow.
Vibe
Genres
Characters
The Happy PrinceProtagonist
A statue of a dead prince who gives away his gold and jewels to help the poor.
The SwallowProtagonist
A bird who delays its migration to help the Happy Prince.
The NightingaleSupporting
Subjects
Places
Puffin Classics
See all →Edition
Happy Prince, and Other TalesUnknown, 2019
112 pages
Independently PublishedLanguage: EnglishISBN: 97817965586475 editions available
