STUDENT HANDOUTS

By Oscar Wilde

Literary Classics Workbook Series

1888/2012

Student Handouts (Order #3768628)

 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

THE HAPPY PRINCE

By Oscar Wilde

High above the city, on a tall “I am glad there is some one in the
column, stood the statue of the Happy world who is quite happy,” muttered a
Prince. He was gilded all over with thin disappointed man as he gazed at the
leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two wonderful statue.
bright sapphires, and a large red ruby “He looks just like an angel,” said
glowed on his sword-hilt. the Charity Children as they came out of
He was very much admired indeed. the cathedral in their bright scarlet cloaks
“He is as beautiful as a weathercock,” and their clean white pinafores.
remarked one of the Town Councillors “How do you know?” said the
who wished to gain a reputation for Mathematical Master, “you have never
having artistic tastes; “only not quite so seen one.”
useful,” he added, fearing lest people “Ah! but we have, in our dreams,”
should think him unpractical, which he answered the children; and the
really was not. Mathematical Master frowned and looked
very severe, for he did not approve of
1. The Happy Prince is gilded with children dreaming.
_____.
a. bronze 2. Where do the Charity Children
b. copper claim to have seen an angel?
c. gold _____________________________________________
d. silver _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
“Why can’t you be like the Happy
Prince?” asked a sensible mother of her One night there flew over the city a
little boy who was crying for the moon. little Swallow. His friends had gone away
“The Happy Prince never dreams of to Egypt six weeks before, but he had
crying for anything.” stayed behind, for he was in love with the
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most beautiful Reed. He had met her

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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

early in the spring as he was flying down After they had gone he felt lonely,
the river after a big yellow moth, and had and began to tire of his lady-love. “She
been so attracted by her slender waist has no conversation,” he said, “and I am
that he had stopped to talk to her. afraid that she is a coquette, for she is
always flirting with the wind.” And
3. Identify the country to which the certainly, whenever the wind blew, the
Swallow’s friends have flown by Reed made the most graceful curtseys. “I
coloring it blue. admit that she is domestic,” he continued,
“but I love travelling, and my wife,
consequently, should love travelling also.”

5. coquette:
a. angel
b. eyesore
c. flirter
d. puritan

“Will you come away with me?” he

said finally to her; but the Reed shook her
head, she was so attached to her home.
“You have been trifling with me,”
“Shall I love you?” said the Swallow,
he cried. “I am off to the Pyramids. Good-
who liked to come to the point at once, bye!” and he flew away.
and the Reed made him a low bow. So he
flew round and round her, touching the 6. trifling:
water with his wings, and making silver a. frivolous
ripples. This was his courtship, and it b. important
lasted all through the summer. c. significant
“It is a ridiculous attachment,”
d. worthwhile
twittered the other Swallows; “she has no
money, and far too many relations”; and
All day long he flew, and at night-
indeed the river was quite full of Reeds.
time he arrived at the city. “Where shall I
Then, when the autumn came they all put up?” he said; “I hope the town has
flew away.
made preparations.”
Then he saw the statue on the tall
4. ridiculous:
column.
a. preposterous
“I will put up there,” he cried; “it is
b. reasonable a fine position, with plenty of fresh air.”
c. sensible
So he alighted just between the feet of the
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d. sober
Happy Prince.
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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

“I have a golden bedroom,” he said c. laughing

softly to himself as he looked round, and d. sighing
he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he
was putting his head under his wing a “When I was alive and had a human
large drop of water fell on him. “What a heart,” answered the statue, “I did not
curious thing!” he cried; “there is not a know what tears were, for I lived in the
single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite Palace of Sans-Souci, where sorrow is not
clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The allowed to enter. In the daytime I played
climate in the north of Europe is really with my companions in the garden, and in
dreadful. The Reed used to like the rain, the evening I led the dance in the Great
but that was merely her selfishness.” Hall. Round the garden ran a very lofty
wall, but I never cared to ask what lay
7. Where does the Swallow make his beyond it, everything about me was so
bedroom? beautiful. My courtiers called me the
_____________________________________________ Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if
_____________________________________________ pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I
_____________________________________________ died. And now that I am dead they have
set me up here so high that I can see all
Then another drop fell. the ugliness and all the misery of my city,
“What is the use of a statue if it and though my heart is made of lead yet I
cannot keep the rain off?” he said; “I must cannot chose but weep.”
look for a good chimney-pot,” and he
determined to fly away. 9. Why was the Happy Prince unaware
But before he had opened his of misery during his natural life?
wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, _____________________________________________
and saw—Ah! what did he see? _____________________________________________
The eyes of the Happy Prince were _____________________________________________
filled with tears, and tears were running
down his golden cheeks. His face was so “What! is he not solid gold?” said
beautiful in the moonlight that the little the Swallow to himself. He was too polite
Swallow was filled with pity. to make any personal remarks out loud.
“Who are you?” he said. “Far away,” continued the statue in
“I am the Happy Prince.” a low musical voice, “far away in a little
“Why are you weeping then?” street there is a poor house. One of the
asked the Swallow; “you have quite windows is open, and through it I can see
drenched me.” a woman seated at a table. Her face is
thin and worn, and she has coarse, red
8. weeping: hands, all pricked by the needle, for she is
a. admonishing a seamstress. She is embroidering
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b. crying passion-flowers on a satin gown for the

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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

loveliest of the Queen’s maids-of-honour “I don’t think I like boys,” answered

to wear at the next Court-ball. In a bed in the Swallow. “Last summer, when I was
the corner of the room her little boy is staying on the river, there were two rude
lying ill. He has a fever, and is asking for boys, the miller’s sons, who were always
oranges. His mother has nothing to give throwing stones at me. They never hit
him but river water, so he is crying. me, of course; we swallows fly far too well
Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow, will you for that, and besides, I come of a family
not bring her the ruby out of my sword- famous for its agility; but still, it was a
hilt? My feet are fastened to this pedestal mark of disrespect.”
and I cannot move.” But the Happy Prince looked so sad
that the little Swallow was sorry. “It is
10. The little boy is asking his very cold here,” he said; “but I will stay
mother for _____. with you for one night, and be your
a. apples messenger.”
b. dates “Thank you, little Swallow,” said
c. figs the Prince.
d. oranges So the Swallow picked out the great
ruby from the Prince’s sword, and flew
“I am waited for in Egypt,” said the away with it in his beak over the roofs of
Swallow. “My friends are flying up and the town.
down the Nile, and talking to the large He passed by the cathedral tower,
lotus-flowers. Soon they will go to sleep where the white marble angels were
in the tomb of the great King. The King is sculptured. He passed by the palace and
there himself in his painted coffin. He is heard the sound of dancing. A beautiful
wrapped in yellow linen, and embalmed girl came out on the balcony with her
with spices. Round his neck is a chain of lover. “How wonderful the stars are,” he
pale green jade, and his hands are like said to her, “and how wonderful is the
withered leaves.” power of love!”
“I hope my dress will be ready in
11. What large river flows through time for the State-ball,” she answered; “I
Egypt? have ordered passion-flowers to be
a. Hudson embroidered on it; but the seamstresses
b. Mississippi are so lazy.”
c. Nile He passed over the river, and saw
d. Rhine the lanterns hanging to the masts of the
ships. He passed over the Ghetto, and
“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” saw the old Jews bargaining with each
said the Prince, “will you not stay with me other, and weighing out money in copper
for one night, and be my messenger? The scales. At last he came to the poor house
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boy is so thirsty, and the mother so sad.” and looked in. The boy was tossing
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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

feverishly on his bed, and the mother had Sparrows chirruped, and said to each
fallen asleep, she was so tired. In he other, “What a distinguished stranger!” so
hopped, and laid the great ruby on the he enjoyed himself very much.
table beside the woman’s thimble. Then
he flew gently round the bed, fanning the 13. phenomenon:
boy’s forehead with his wings. “How cool a. anomaly
I feel,” said the boy, “I must be getting b. normality
better”; and he sank into a delicious c. particle
slumber. d. regularity

12. What does the Swallow bring to When the moon rose he flew back
the seamstress? to the Happy Prince. “Have you any
_____________________________________________ commissions for Egypt?” he cried; “I am
_____________________________________________ just starting.”
_____________________________________________ “Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,”
said the Prince, “will you not stay with me
Then the Swallow flew back to the one night longer?”
Happy Prince, and told him what he had “I am waited for in Egypt,”
done. “It is curious,” he remarked, “but I answered the Swallow. “To-morrow my
feel quite warm now, although it is so friends will fly up to the Second Cataract.
cold.” The river-horse couches there among the
“That is because you have done a bulrushes, and on a great granite throne
good action,” said the Prince. And the sits the God Memnon. All night long he
little Swallow began to think, and then he watches the stars, and when the morning
fell asleep. Thinking always made him star shines he utters one cry of joy, and
sleepy. then he is silent. At noon the yellow lions
When day broke he flew down to come down to the water’s edge to drink.
the river and had a bath. “What a They have eyes like green beryls, and
remarkable phenomenon,” said the their roar is louder than the roar of the
Professor of Ornithology as he was cataract.
passing over the bridge. “A swallow in “Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,”
winter!” And he wrote a long letter about said the Prince, “far away across the city I
it to the local newspaper. Every one see a young man in a garret. He is leaning
quoted it, it was full of so many words over a desk covered with papers, and in a
that they could not understand. tumbler by his side there is a bunch of
“To-night I go to Egypt,” said the withered violets. His hair is brown and
Swallow, and he was in high spirits at the crisp, and his lips are red as a
prospect. He visited all the public pomegranate, and he has large and
monuments, and sat a long time on top of dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play
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the church steeple. Wherever he went the for the Director of the Theatre, but he is
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Student Handouts (Order #3768628)
 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

too cold to write any more. There is no The next day the Swallow flew
fire in the grate, and hunger has made down to the harbour. He sat on the mast
him faint.” of a large vessel and watched the sailors
“I will wait with you one night hauling big chests out of the hold with
longer,” said the Swallow, who really had ropes. “Heave a-hoy!” they shouted as
a good heart. “Shall I take him another each chest came up. “I am going to
ruby?” Egypt”! cried the Swallow, but nobody
“Alas! I have no ruby now,” said minded, and when the moon rose he flew
the Prince; “my eyes are all that I have back to the Happy Prince.
left. They are made of rare sapphires, “I am come to bid you good-bye,”
which were brought out of India a he cried.
thousand years ago. Pluck out one of “Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,”
them and take it to him. He will sell it to said the Prince, “will you not stay with me
the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, one night longer?”
and finish his play.” “It is winter,” answered the
“Dear Prince,” said the Swallow, “I Swallow, “and the chill snow will soon be
cannot do that”; and he began to weep. here. In Egypt the sun is warm on the
“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” green palm-trees, and the crocodiles lie in
said the Prince, “do as I command you.” the mud and look lazily about them. My
So the Swallow plucked out the companions are building a nest in the
Prince’s eye, and flew away to the Temple of Baalbec, and the pink and
student’s garret. It was easy enough to white doves are watching them, and
get in, as there was a hole in the roof. cooing to each other. Dear Prince, I must
Through this he darted, and came into the leave you, but I will never forget you, and
room. The young man had his head next spring I will bring you back two
buried in his hands, so he did not hear the beautiful jewels in place of those you have
flutter of the bird’s wings, and when he given away. The ruby shall be redder
looked up he found the beautiful sapphire than a red rose, and the sapphire shall be
lying on the withered violets. as blue as the great sea.”
“I am beginning to be appreciated,” “In the square below,” said the
he cried; “this is from some great admirer. Happy Prince, “there stands a little match-
Now I can finish my play,” and he looked girl. She has let her matches fall in the
quite happy. gutter, and they are all spoiled. Her father
will beat her if she does not bring home
14. What does the Swallow bring to some money, and she is crying. She has
the playwright? no shoes or stockings, and her little head
_____________________________________________ is bare. Pluck out my other eye, and give
_____________________________________________ it to her, and her father will not beat her.”
_____________________________________________ “I will stay with you one night
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_____________________________________________ longer,” said the Swallow, “but I cannot

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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

pluck out your eye. You would be quite crystal; of the great green snake that
blind then.” sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty
“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” priests to feed it with honey-cakes; and of
said the Prince, “do as I command you.” the pygmies who sail over a big lake on
So he plucked out the Prince’s large flat leaves, and are always at war
other eye, and darted down with it. He with the butterflies.
swooped past the match-girl, and slipped “Dear little Swallow,” said the
the jewel into the palm of her hand. Prince, “you tell me of marvellous things,
“What a lovely bit of glass,” cried the little but more marvellous than anything is the
girl; and she ran home, laughing. suffering of men and of women. There is
Then the Swallow came back to the no Mystery so great as Misery. Fly over
Prince. “You are blind now,” he said, “so I my city, little Swallow, and tell me what
will stay with you always.” you see there.”
So the Swallow flew over the great
15. What does the Swallow give to city, and saw the rich making merry in
the little match-girl? their beautiful houses, while the beggars
_____________________________________________ were sitting at the gates. He flew into
_____________________________________________ dark lanes, and saw the white faces of
_____________________________________________ starving children looking out listlessly at
_____________________________________________ the black streets. Under the archway of a
_____________________________________________ bridge two little boys were lying in one
another’s arms to try and keep
“No, little Swallow,” said the poor themselves warm. “How hungry we are!”
Prince, “you must go away to Egypt.” they said. “You must not lie here,”
“I will stay with you always,” said shouted the Watchman, and they
the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince’s wandered out into the rain.
feet. Then he flew back and told the
All the next day he sat on the Prince what he had seen.
Prince’s shoulder, and told him stories of “I am covered with fine gold,” said
what he had seen in strange lands. He the Prince, “you must take it off, leaf by
told him of the red ibises, who stand in leaf, and give it to my poor; the living
long rows on the banks of the Nile, and always think that gold can make them
catch gold-fish in their beaks; of the happy.”
Sphinx, who is as old as the world itself, Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the
and lives in the desert, and knows Swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince
everything; of the merchants, who walk looked quite dull and grey. Leaf after leaf
slowly by the side of their camels, and of the fine gold he brought to the poor,
carry amber beads in their hands; of the and the children’s faces grew rosier, and
King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is they laughed and played games in the
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as black as ebony, and worships a large street. “We have bread now!” they cried.
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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

16. What does the Swallow strip heart had snapped right in two. It
from the Happy Prince and give to certainly was a dreadfully hard frost.
the poor?
_____________________________________________ 17. What snaps in two?
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Then the snow came, and after the
snow came the frost. The streets looked Early the next morning the Mayor
as if they were made of silver, they were was walking in the square below in
so bright and glistening; long icicles like company with the Town Councillors. As
crystal daggers hung down from the eaves they passed the column he looked up at
of the houses, everybody went about in the statue: “Dear me! how shabby the
furs, and the little boys wore scarlet caps Happy Prince looks!” he said.
and skated on the ice. “How shabby indeed!” cried the
The poor little Swallow grew colder Town Councillors, who always agreed
and colder, but he would not leave the with the Mayor; and they went up to look
Prince, he loved him too well. He picked at it.
up crumbs outside the baker’s door when “The ruby has fallen out of his
the baker was not looking and tried to sword, his eyes are gone, and he is golden
keep himself warm by flapping his wings. no longer,” said the Mayor in fact, “he is
But at last he knew that he was little better than a beggar!”
going to die. He had just strength to fly up “Little better than a beggar,” said
to the Prince’s shoulder once more. the Town Councillors.
“Good-bye, dear Prince!” he murmured, “And here is actually a dead bird at
“will you let me kiss your hand?” his feet!” continued the Mayor. “We must
“I am glad that you are going to really issue a proclamation that birds are
Egypt at last, little Swallow,” said the not to be allowed to die here.” And the
Prince, “you have stayed too long here; Town Clerk made a note of the
but you must kiss me on the lips, for I love suggestion.
you.” So they pulled down the statue of
“It is not to Egypt that I am going,” the Happy Prince. “As he is no longer
said the Swallow. “I am going to the beautiful he is no longer useful,” said the
House of Death. Death is the brother of Art Professor at the University.
Sleep, is he not?” Then they melted the statue in a
And he kissed the Happy Prince on furnace, and the Mayor held a meeting of
the lips, and fell down dead at his feet. the Corporation to decide what was to be
At that moment a curious crack done with the metal. “We must have
sounded inside the statue, as if something another statue, of course,” he said, “and it
8

had broken. The fact is that the leaden shall be a statue of myself.”
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 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

“Of myself,” said each of the Town _____________________________________________

Councillors, and they quarrelled. When I _____________________________________________
last heard of them they were quarrelling _____________________________________________
still. _____________________________________________
“What a strange thing!” said the _____________________________________________
overseer of the workmen at the foundry. _____________________________________________
“This broken lead heart will not melt in _____________________________________________
the furnace. We must throw it away.” So _____________________________________________
they threw it on a dust-heap where the _____________________________________________
dead Swallow was also lying. _____________________________________________
“Bring me the two most precious _____________________________________________
things in the city,” said God to one of His _____________________________________________
Angels; and the Angel brought Him the _____________________________________________
leaden heart and the dead bird. _____________________________________________
“You have rightly chosen,” said _____________________________________________
God, “for in my garden of Paradise this _____________________________________________
little bird shall sing for evermore, and in _____________________________________________
my city of gold the Happy Prince shall _____________________________________________
praise me.” _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
18. What are the two most precious _____________________________________________
things in the city? _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
20. Oscar Wilde, the author of this
19. The Happy Prince claims that he short story, was a native of Ireland.
was unaware of poverty and misery Indicate Ireland on the map by
during his natural life because he coloring it green.
was insulated within the palace
walls. Do you believe that, like the
Happy Prince, people are eager and
willing to help the poor once they
are made aware of the horrors of
poverty? Why or why not?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
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_____________________________________________
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Student Handouts (Order #3768628)
 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

Vocabulary Review: Synonyms

Match each term with the term closest in meaning.

21. _____ coquette

(A) anomaly
22. _____ phenomenon (B) crying
23. _____ ridiculous (C) flirter
24. _____ trifling (D) frivolous
(E) preposterous
25. _____ weeping

Artistic Expression

Illustrate a scene from “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde.

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Student Handouts (Order #3768628)
 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

Handwriting Practice

Practice your handwriting by tracing each word, then writing it twice.

coquette coquette
___________________
phenomenon phenomenon
___________________
ridiculous ridiculous
___________________
trifling trifling
___________________
weeping weeping
___________________
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Student Handouts (Order #3768628)
 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

coquette coquette
___________________
phenomenon phenomenon
___________________
ridiculous ridiculous
___________________
trifling trifling
___________________
weeping weeping
___________________
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Student Handouts (Order #3768628)
 The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

Word Search Puzzle

coquette Oscar Wilde seamstress

Egypt phenomenon statue
embroider playwright Swallow
gold leaf ridiculous trifling
Happy Prince ruby weeping
misery sapphire

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