The Happy Prince Learn English through story Level 3

the happy prince

the statue of the happy prince stood

high above the city

it was covered with gold

its eyes were bright blue jewels

and a red jewel hung from its waist

everyone thought that it was very

beautiful

why aren’t you like the happy prince

mothers said to their little boys when

they cried

sad men looked at the statue and said

i am glad that someone in the world is

happy

one night a little bird flew alone over

the city

the other birds were all in egypt now

where can i stay tonight

he thought

then he saw the statue

i will stay there he thought

it is high up so there is plenty of

fresh air

he landed between the feet of the happy

prince

i have a golden bedroom he thought

but as he put his head under his wing a

large drop of water fell on him

he looked up

that is very strange he thought

there is not a cloud in the sky but it

is raining

then another drop fell

i cannot stay on a statue that does not

keep me dry

he thought

i must find another place

and he decided to fly away

but as he opened his wings a third drop

fell

he looked up and saw

ah

what did he see

the eyes of the happy prince

were full of tears

tears ran down his golden face

the face was very beautiful in the

moonlight and the bird felt sorry for

him

who are you

asked the bird

i am the happy prince

then

why are you crying

i am wet with your tears

when i was alive

said the prince

i had a heart like every other man

but i did not know what tears were

i lived in a palace where there was no

sadness

in the daytime i played with my friends

in a beautiful garden

and in the evening i danced

there was a high wall round the garden

but i did not know what lay on the other

side

so i was called the happy prince

i was pleased with my little world

now i am dead and they have put me up

here

i can see all the unhappiness of my city

my heart now is made of a cheap metal

but even that poor heart can feel

and so i cry

oh

said the bird to himself

he is not all gold

he is only gold on the outside

far away from here

said the happy prince in the low voice

there is a poor house in a little street

through an open window i can see a woman

at a table

her face is very thin

and she has rough red hands

she is making a dress for one of the

queen’s ladies for a dance in the palace

her little boy is lying on a bed in the

corner of the room

he is very ill

he is crying because she can only give

him water from the river

little bird

will you take my red jewel to her i

cannot move from here

my friends are waiting for me in egypt

said the bird

little bird

little bird

said the prince

please stay with me for one night and do

this for me

the boy is crying and his mother is so

unhappy

the happy prince looked very sad

and the little bird was sorry for him

it is very cold here

he said but i will stay with you for one

night tomorrow i will take the jewel

thank you little bird said the prince

so the bird took the great red jewel

from the prince’s waist and flew away

with it over the roofs of the town

he passed the palace and heard the sound

of dancing

a beautiful girl was at a window with

her lover

i hope my dress will be ready for the

dance next week she said

those women are so lazy

the bird passed over the river and flew

and flew

at last he came to the poor little house

and looked inside

the boy was lying on the bed

the mother was asleep she was so tired

he flew in and put the great red jewel

on the table

then he flew round the bed moving the

air around the boy’s face with his wings

oh

said the boy

my face does not feel so hot

i think i am getting better

and he fell asleep

then the bird flew back to the happy

prince

it is strange the bird said

it is very cold but i feel quite warm

that is because you have done a good

thing

said the prince

the little bird fell

asleep when day came the bird flew down

to the river for a bath

a clever man saw him

that is very unusual he said that kind

of bird here in winter i must write that

down

i will go to egypt tonight thought the

bird

when the moon came up he flew back to

the happy prince

can i do anything for you in egypt he

said

little bird little bird said the prince

please will you stay with me for one

more night

my friends are waiting for me answered

the bird

far away across the city said the prince

i can see a young writer in a little

room at the top of a house

he is sitting at a table that is covered

with papers

at his side there are some dead flowers

he is trying to finish a story

but he is very cold and he cannot write

there is no fire in the room and he is

weak and hungry

i will wait with you for one more night

said the bird kindly

what shall i take to him

take him one of my eyes

said the prince

they are made of beautiful blue stones

from india the young man can sell it and

buy wood and food

he can finish his story

take out your eye dear prince

said the bird i cannot do that

and he began to cry

do it

said the prince

so the bird took out the prince’s eye

and flew away to the young man’s room

it was easy to get in because there was

a hole in the roof

the young man was sitting with his head

in his hands

so he did not hear the birds wings

when he looked up a beautiful blue jewel

was lying on the dead flowers

someone likes my stories

he cried happily

this is a gift from someone who has read

my books

now i can finish writing this story

on the next day the bird flew down to

the river

he watched the semen working on the

ships

i am going to egypt

he cried

but no one listened to him

when the moon came up he flew back to

the happy prince

i have come to say goodbye to you

he said

little bird little bird said the prince

please will you stay with me for one

more night

it is winter answered the bird the snow

will soon come

in egypt the sun is warm and the trees

are green

dear prince i must leave you but i will

never forget you

a little girl is standing there in the

square below

she is selling eggs

her eggs have fallen on the ground and

they are broken

she has no money to take home her father

will hit her

take out my other eye and give it to her

i will stay with you for one more night

said the bird but i cannot take out your

other eye you will not be able to see

do it

said the prince

so the bird took out the prince’s other

eye and flew down with it

he flew to the girl and put the jewel in

her hand

this is a beautiful piece of glass

cried the little girl

she ran home laughing

then the bird flew back to the prince

you cannot see now he said so i will

stay with you

no said the poor prince

you must go to egypt

i will stay with you repeated the bird

and he slept at the prince’s feet

the next day he stayed with the prince

he told the prince stories about the

strange lands that he knew

dear little bird said the prince

you are telling me about strange and

wonderful things

but the suffering of men and women is

stranger than anything

fly over my city little bird

tell me what you see there

so the swallow flew over the great city

he saw the rich eating and drinking in

their beautiful houses

he saw the poor people sitting at the

gate

he flew into the dark streets and saw

the white faces of hungry children with

sad eyes

under a bridge two little boys were

lying close together to keep warm

we are so hungry

they said

you cannot lie there

shouted a guard

then the bird flew back and told the

prince

i am covered with fine gold said the

prince take it off piece by piece and

give it to my poor people

the bird pulled off the gold until the

happy prince looked gray and ugly

the bird took the gold to the poor and

the children’s faces became brighter

we have bread now they

cried then the snow came

ice followed the snow and hung down from

the roofs of the houses

everyone wore thick coats

the little bird became colder

he did not leave the prince because he

loved him too much

but he was dying

goodbye dear prince he said

can i kiss you

i am glad that you are going to egypt

said the prince you have stayed too long

kiss me because i love you

i am not going to egypt

said the bird

i am going to the house of death

he kissed the prince

and fell down dead at his feet

then there was a strange sound inside

the statue

crack

the metal heart broke into two pieces

early next morning an important man in

the city was walking below with two of

his friends

he looked up at the statue

the happy prince does not look very

bright

he said

the red stone has disappeared

his eyes are not there

and he is not golden

he looks like a

beggar yes he does

said the man’s friends

here is a dead bird at his feet

said the officer

we must make an order that birds cannot

die here

they pulled down the statue of the happy

prince and put it in the fire

a stream of bright metal ran out

this is strange

said the workman

this broken piece in the middle of the

statue has stayed hard

we must throw it away

so they threw it away with the dead bird

god said to his servants

bring me the two best things in the city

they brought him the broken heart and

the dead bird

yes

you have brought the right things god

said

this little bird will sing forever in my

garden

and the happy prince will stand in my

city of gold

you