The Happy Prince and Other Tales
Oscar Wilde, 1888
Five fairy tales, each a sitting or two.
Five fairy tales by Oscar Wilde, among them the gilded statue of a prince and the swallow who stays with him, and the giant who walls the children out of his garden. Written for children and read by everyone.
5 tales · 16,242 words · about 7 hours at 40 wpm
Start with The Happy PrinceHow it begins
High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.
He was very much admired indeed. “He is as beautiful as a weathercock,” remarked one of the Town Councillors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; “only not quite so useful,” he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.
Tales
- 1 The Happy Prince ~87 min
- 2 The Nightingale and the Rose ~58 min
- 3 The Selfish Giant ~41 min
- 4 The Devoted Friend ~2 h
- 5 The Remarkable Rocket ~2 h
Text: Project Gutenberg #902. In the public domain.