The Happy Prince
High above the city,on a tall column,stood the statue of the happy prince.
He was covered all over with a thin layer of the gold.
for eyes he had two bright sapphires,and on his sword there was a large ruby.
The people in the city all admired him.
"He is as beautiful as church bell." said the Town Mayor,who wanted to impress people with his fine artistic taste.
"But he is not quite so useful,"he added,
because he was afraid that people might not think that he was practical,when in fact he was.
"Why can't you be like the happy prince?" a mother asked her little boy when he was crying.
"The happy princes never cries about anything."
"I am glad there is someone in the world who is so happy,"
a sad man said to himself as he looked at the wonderful statue.
"He looks just like an angel,"said the school children,as they walked back home from church.
One night,a little Swallow flew over the city.
At first,he didn't pay much attention to the happy Prince.
The Swallow's friends had gone away to Egypt six weeks before.
but he had stayed behind,because he was in love with a beautiful Reed.
he had met her early in the spring,while he was chasing after a big yellow butterfly down the river.
He thought she was beautiful,especially because she had a thin waist.
and so he stopped to talk to her.
"Will you let me love you?" said the Swallow,who liked to come to the point at once.
The Reed gave him a low bow,and so he flew around and around her,
touching the water gently with his wings.
This was the way he showed his love,and it lasted all through the summer.
"It is foolish to love her,",the other Swallows all said.
"She has no money,and far too large a family."
And indeed the river was quite full of Reeds.
Then,when the autumn came,the other Swallows all flew away.
After his friends had gone,the swallow felt lonely,
and began go grow tired of the Reed.
"She has nothing to say," he said,
"and I am afraid that she is flirt,for she is always dancing with the wind."
And it was ture,whenever the wind blew,the Reed would bend backward and forward.
"I know that she often stays at home,"he continued,
"but I love traveling,and so should my wife."
"Will you come away with me?" he said finally to her,
but the Reed shook her head,because she loved her home too much.
"You have only been playing games with me," he said with a broken heart.
"I am leaving for Egypt.Goodbye!" and after saying this he flew away.
网友评论