The Happy Prince And Other Tales By Oscar Wilde Classic Edition

High above a city stands an ornate statue of the Happy Prince, recently deceased. He oversees the town and is pained by the suffering of his people. One night, a Swallow who had not gone to Egypt with his flock for the winter because he was pursuing a beautiful Reed arrives in the city and rests on the Happy Prince's statue. The Swallow notices the Prince is crying, and the Prince explains that during his lifetime, he had lived in a palace devoid of misery, and therefore had never experienced sorrow. Now, though, he can see the suffering of his people. He then asks the Swallow to distribute the gemstones and gold leaf from his form to various families in need. The Swallow loves the Prince and decides to stay. By the time winter arrives, though, the Happy Prince is stripped of all his beauty while the Swallow dies of the harsh cold. As a result, the Happy Prince's lead heart breaks. When the Mayor finds the statue in such a decrepit state, he decides to take it down, melt it, and make an ornate statue of himself. The lead heart and the dead swallow are discarded like they are nothing, but when God tells an Angel to bring Him the two most precious things in the city, the Angel brings him the dead bird and the lead heart.

In a town where a lot of poor people suffer and where there are a lot of miseries, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter, meets the statue of the late 'Happy Prince', who in reality has never experienced true sorrow, for he lived in a palace where sorrow isn't allowed to enter. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the Happy Prince asks the swallow to take the ruby from his hilt, the sapphires from his eyes, and the golden leaf covering his body to give to the poor. As the winter comes and the Happy Prince is stripped of all of his beauty, his lead heart breaks when the swallow dies as a result of his selfless deeds and severe cold. The statue is then brought down from the pillar and melted in a furnace leaving behind the broken heart and the dead swallow and they are thrown in a dust heap. These are taken up to heaven by an angel that has deemed them the two most precious things in the city. This is affirmed by God and they live forever in his city of gold and garden of paradise.

Abridged and retold in modern English by respected children's authors, this collection of sixteen classic stories makes them accessible to readers as young as six, while retaining all the charm, atmosphere, and sense of adventure that made the original tales world-famous. These dramatic, easy-to-follow stories, charmingly illustrated with verve and humour by specially commissioned artists, deserve to find a home on every child's bookshelf. Included in this boxed set: 1. Alice in Wonderland 2. Treasure Island 3. The Wizard of Oz 4. The Jungle Book 5. The Secret Garden 6. Robin Hood 7. Peter Pan 8. Heidi 9. Anne of Green Gables 10. Little Women 11. Black Beauty 12. The Call of the Wild 13. Robinson Crusoe 14. Wind in the Willows 15. Tom Sawyer 16. Oliver Twist

A collection of stories, including two of Wilde's most famous: 'The Canterville Ghost', in which a young American girl helps to free the tormented spirit that haunts an old English castle and 'The Happy Prince', who was not as happy as he seemed. Often whimsical and sometimes sad, they all shine with poetry and magic.

Oscar Wilde made up these very special fairy stories for children. He was telling them more than stories about princes, giants, nightingales, and roses, he was teaching them about life and the way to live it. You will find in them so much sweetness and tenderness you will never forget them.They can be read aloud to children of six, and everybody will want a copy for their own private delight when they are older. There is no age for this book - it is a brilliant and haunting treasure house for everybody.

“Wilde’s first authentic work...marked the beginning of his true creativity...Wilde’s stories are splendid.” -Jeanette Winterson “...partly for children and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy.”-Jack Zipes Oscar Wilde’s The Happy Prince and Other Stories(1888) is an inscrutable, magical fairy tale collection that has filled readers of all ages with joy and wonder. Each story explores profound truths of love, morality, and suffering; yet there is a poignant beauty that shines through each of these remarkable and timeless tales. The opening story, “The Happy Prince” is set in a town full of suffering, where a little sparrow who had been abandoned by his flock befriends a gilded statue of a prince who knew no sorrow in his life. The tenderness of their relationship and their empathy towards the ill-fortune of the townsfolk is one of the most touching evocations in all of children’s literature; It is also a powerful allegory of inner beauty and the preoccupation with superficiality. The story has been adapted into animated films, radio plays, and a number of musical compositions since its publication. Another cherished gem within this collection is “The Selfish Giant”, one of the most beloved stories in the English literature that tells the tale of a narcissistic giant, his wondrous garden, and the child who transforms his heart. Also included are the stories “The Nightingale and the Rose”, “The Devoted Friend”, and “The Remarkable Rocket”. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Happy Prince and Other Stories is both modern and readable.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first published in May 1888. It contains five stories: "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket".

.0000000000The richness of Oscar Wilde's way with words and ideas are given full range in this sparkling collection of short stories written between 1887 and 1891. There are ghost stories, moral tales, detective fiction and, above all, fairy stories here to delight and entertain. From the comically unsuccessful and unhappy spook in 'The Canterville Ghost' to the incompetent would-be murderer in 'Lord Arthur Saville's Crime' we are treated to the extravagance and dexterity of Wilde's wit. However it is particularly in the fairy stories that we see the brilliance of Wilde's vision of society and human action, with each tale having both beauty and simplicity while at the same time exploring complex moral issues. The challenge and pleasure of Wilde's short stories is the simultaneous appeal to both child and adult with their themes of Love, Truth and Sacrifice which are as relevant today as they were when they were written.Illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley, with an Afterword by David Stuart Davies.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first published in May 1888. It contains five stories: "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket".