The Happy Prince, and Other Tales

A charming collection of children's stories by Oscar Wilde The Happy Prince This is the tale of an unhappy prince and how he teaches generosity and love to a small sparrow who becomes his friend. The Nightingale and the Rose A nightingale overhears a student complaining that his professor's daughter will not dance with him, as he is unable to give her a red rose. The nightingale visits all the rose-trees in the garden, and one of the roses tells her there is a way to produce a red rose, but only if the nightingale is prepared to make a sacrifice. The Selfish Giant There once was a giant who had the most beautiful garden, but he refused to share it with the children in his village. When springtime refuses to visit the garden, the giant becomes sad and angry—until he meets a little boy who teaches him how to love others. The Devoted Friend A young lad is befriended by a prosperous farmer, who takes advantage of the boy's generosity and only gives him broken promises in return. But the young lad continues to be generous, even though his last act of kindness costs him dearly. Only then does the farmer changes his tune. The Remarkable Rocket The king's son was to be married, and there was to be a superb fireworks display for the event. All the rockets and different kinds of fireworks were excited about their big moment. But the Rocket was very arrogant and self-important, causing problems for all of the fireworks.