He really got the praise of ordinary people. A city councilor said that in order to show his appreciation of art, "he is as beautiful as a lighthouse." But he was afraid that others would regard him as an unrealistic person (in fact, he is not unrealistic), so he added: "It's just that he is not as useful as a weather vane."
"Why can't you be like the Happy Prince?" A clever mother said to her child crying for the moon, "The Happy Prince never dreamed that he would cry for something."
"I am really glad that there is still one person in the world who is very happy." A depressed man looked at this wonderful image and muttered something to himself.
"He looks like an angel." The children in the orphanage said. They came out of the cathedral in bright red cloaks and white bras.
"How do you know?" The math teacher said, "You have never seen an angel."
"ah! But we have seen it in our dreams. " The children replied. Mr. Math frowned and kept a straight face because he didn't approve of children dreaming.
One night, a little swallow flew over the city. His friend went to Egypt six weeks ago, but he stayed because he fell in love with the most beautiful reed. He met her in early spring, when he was flying downstream along the river, chasing a yellow moth. Her thin waist caught his attention and he stopped to talk to her.
"Can I love you?" The swallow said that he always has the temper to talk about this topic at once. The reed bowed deeply to him, and he kept flying around her, touching the water with his wings and making many silver ripples. This is his way of expressing love, and he spent the whole summer in this way.
"This kind of love is absurd," murmured the other swallows. "She has no money and too many relatives." Indeed, this river is full of reeds everywhere. Then autumn came and they all flew away.
After they left, he felt lonely and hated his lover. He said, "She doesn't talk. I'm afraid she's a slut because she always flirts with the wind." It's true. When the wind blows, reeds curtsy in the most touching way. He added: "I believe she is used to staying at home, but I like traveling, so my wife should also like traveling."
"Would you like to go with me?" He finally could not help asking her. However, Reid shook his head. She was very homesick.
"So you used to have a good time with me," he cried. "I'm going to the pyramids now.
Farewell! "He flew away.
He flew all day and arrived in the city at night. "Where shall I spend the night?" He said, "I hope this city has a place for me."
Then, he saw the statue standing on the high pillar. He said, "I'm going to spend the night here. This is a good place with fresh air. " He flew down and stopped right between the feet of the happy prince.
"I found a golden bedroom." He looked around and whispered to himself. He winds the lighthouse or translates the wind needle.
I was about to sleep, but just as he put his head under his wings, suddenly a big drop of water fell on him. "What a strange thing!" He shouted, "There is not a cloud in the sky. The stars are bright, but it's raining. The weather in northern Europe is really bad. Reed has always liked rain, but that's just her selfishness. "
Then another drop fell.
"What's the use of an image if it can't keep out the rain?" He said, "I should find a good chimney." He decided to fly away.
But before he spread his wings, the third drop of water fell again. He looked up and saw-ah! What did he see? The happy prince's eyes were full of tears, and the tears ran down his golden cheeks. His face looks so beautiful in the moonlight, and the swallow's heart is full of cold pity.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"I am the Happy Prince."
"Then why are you crying?" The swallow asked again, "Look, you've got me all wet."
"Once upon a time, when I was alive and had a heart," the prince replied slowly, "I didn't know what tears were, because at that time I lived in the carefree palace and sadness couldn't get in. I was accompanied to play in the garden during the day, and I led the dance in the hall at night. There is a high wall around the garden, so I never thought to ask people what it looks like outside the wall. Everything in front of me is beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince. Yes, if pleasure can be counted as happiness, I am really happy. I live like this and die like this. When I died, they put me here and stood so high that I could see all the ugliness and poverty in my city. Although my heart is made of lead, I still can't help crying. "
"Why, he is not pure gold?" Zheng Xiaoyan gently said to himself; He is very polite and refuses to talk loudly about other people's private affairs.
"Far away," the prince continued in a low and sweet voice, "far away, there is a house where poor people live in a small street. A window was open, and I saw a woman sitting at the table by the window. Her face is thin and sick. Her hands are thick and red, and her fingers are full of pinholes, because she is a tailor. She is embroidering a satin dress embroidered with passion fruit for the queen's most lovely maid-in-waiting to wear at the next palace dance. In the corner of this room, her child is ill in bed. He had a fever and clamored for oranges. His mother gave him nothing but river water, so he cried. Swallow, swallow, swallow, can you take the ruby off my hilt and give it to her? My feet are nailed to this base and can't move. "
"My friends are waiting for me in Egypt," said the swallow. "They fly around the Nile and talk to the big lotus. They will soon be buried in the grave of the great king. The king himself slept in his colorful coffin village. His body was tightly wrapped in Huangbury and preserved with spices. A light green jade chain is tied around his neck, and his hand is like a withered leaf. "
"Swallow, swallow, swallow," the prince demanded, "would you like to spend the night with me and be my messenger once? The child is too thirsty, and his mother is too uncomfortable. "
"I don't like children," replied the swallow. "I remember last summer when I stopped by the river, there were two rude children, the miller's son. They often throw stones at me.
Needless to say, they couldn't hit it. We swallows fly very fast, so we won't hit them. Besides, I come from a family famous for its agility, so don't be afraid. However, this is an impolite expression. "
However, the happy prince's face looked so sad that the swallow's heart softened. He said, "It's cold here, but I'd like to spend the night with you. I am very happy to be your messenger. "
"Swallow, thank you." Said the prince.
Swallows pecked a big ruby from the prince's hilt and flew it over rows of roofs, far away.
He flew over the top of the cathedral and saw the marble angel statue there. He flew over the palace and heard the dance. A beautiful girl and her lover came to the terrace hotel. "Look, how good the stars are and how good the magic of love is!" He said to her. "I hope my clothes can be delivered in time before the big dance," she replied. "I embroidered passion fruit on it; But those seamstresses are too lazy. "
He flew over the river and saw countless lanterns hanging on the mast. He flew over the Jewish village again and saw some old Jews doing business and bargaining there, weighing the money on the copper balance. Finally, he went to the poor family and looked inside. The child was tossing and turning in bed with a fever, and the mother was so tired that she slept soundly. He jumped into the window and put the ruby on the table, next to the thimble of the woman. Then it flew gently around the bed for a while, fanning the child's forehead with its wings. "I feel so cold," said the child. "I must be better." He fell into a deep sleep. He slept soundly.
The swallow went back to the happy prince and told him what he had done. He added, "This is a strange thing. Although it is so cold, I feel very warm. "
"That's because you did a good thing." Said the prince. The swallow began to remember, and then fell asleep. He has such a habit that whenever he thinks, he will doze off.
After dawn, he flew to the lower reaches of the river and took a bath. A professor of ornithology walked across the bridge, saw it and said, "This is a rare thing. There will be swallows in winter! " "He wrote a long letter and sent it to the local newspaper for publication. Everyone quotes this letter, although there are too many sentences in it to understand.
"I'm going to Egypt tonight." The swallow said that he was very happy when he thought about the future. He visited all the public monuments in the city and sat on the spire of the church for a long time. Wherever he went, sparrows squeaked and said to each other, "What an outstanding stranger this is!" " "So he had a good time.
When the moon rises, he flies back to the Happy Prince. He asked, "Is there anything you want me to do in Egypt? I'm leaving soon. "
"Swallow, swallow, swallow," said the prince, "won't you stay with me for another night?"
"My friends are waiting for me in Egypt," replied the swallow. "Tomorrow they will fly to the second waterfall in the upper reaches of the Nile, where hippos sleep in the middle of papyrus and the keeper Boshen sits on the granite throne. He looked at the stars all night. When the morning star shone, he gave a cheerful cry and then was silent. (1) Menlang: An ancient Egyptian deity, it is said that at sunrise, it makes the same sound as a harp.
At noon, groups of yellow lions drink water along the river. They have the same eyes as the green pillar jade, and their cry is louder than the roar of the waterfall. "
"Swallow, swallow, swallow," said the prince. "Far away, on the other side of the city, I saw a young man living on the top floor. He buried his head and wrote on the desk full of manuscript paper, with a bunch of withered violets in the big glass at hand. His hair is brown, unkempt, his lips are as red as pomegranate, and he has a pair of big blindfolded eyes. He is writing a play for the theater manager, but he is too cold to write a word. There is no fire in the stove, and he is dizzy with hunger. "
"I want to stay with you for another night," said the swallow, who was really kind. "Shall I send him a ruby, too?"
"alas! I have no rubies now. " The prince said, "I only have a pair of eyes." They are made of rare sapphires. This pair of sapphires was produced in India 1000 years ago. Please take out one for him. He will sell it to a jeweler and exchange money for food and firewood to complete his play. "
"My dear prince, I can't do it." The swallow said and began to cry.
"Swallow, swallow, swallow," said the prince. "Do as I say."
The swallow took out the prince's eyes and flew to the top floor of the students. There was a hole in the roof and it was easy to get in, so he flew in through that hole. The young man held his cheeks in his hands and didn't hear the swallows flapping their wings. When he looked up, he saw the beautiful sapphire on the withered violet.
"Now someone appreciates me." He cried, "This is from someone who admires me.
I can finish my script now. "He is very happy.
The next day, the swallow flew to the port again. He sat on the mast of a big ship and watched the sailors drag the big box out of the cabin with thick ropes. When every box was served, they all shouted, "Yu Hang! ……"
"I'm going to Egypt!" The swallow cried, but no one paid attention to him. When the moon rises, he returns to the happy prince.
"I came to say goodbye to you." He cried.
"Swallow, swallow, swallow," said the prince, "won't you stay with me for another night?"
"It's winter," replied the swallow. "Cold snow will come soon. At this time in Egypt, the sun shines on the dense green palm trees, which is very warm. The crocodile lay in the mud and looked around lazily. Friends are nesting in the Sun Temple in Babok, and pink and white pigeons are watching and talking about love stories. Dear prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you. Next spring, I will bring you back two beautiful gems to repay the two you gave to others. Babok: An ancient Egyptian city in the Nile Delta with temples dedicated to the sun god.
The ruby I brought will be redder than the red rose, and the sapphire will be bluer than the sea. "
"There is a little girl selling matches in the square below," said the prince. "She left all the matches in the ditch and used them up. If she doesn't bring some money home, her father will beat her and she is crying now. She has no shoes, no socks and no hat on her little head. You take my other eye off and give it to her so that her father won't hit her. "
"I would like to stay with you for another night," said the swallow, "but I can't take off your eyes. Then you will become blind. "
"Swallow, swallow, swallow," said the prince. "Do as I say."
He took off the other eye of the prince and flew down with it. He flew to the match girl and gently put the jewel in her hand. "What a lovely piece of glass this is!" The little girl cried and she ran home with a smile.
The swallow returned to the prince. He said, "You are blind now. I want to be with you forever. "
"No, little swallow," said the poor prince, "you should go to Egypt."
"I want to stay with you forever." The swallow said that he fell asleep at the prince's feet.
The next day, he sat on the prince's shoulder all day and told him all kinds of things he saw in those strange lands. He talked about red ibis, which stood in rows along the Nile and caught goldfish with their long mouths. He talked about the Sphinx, which lived as long as the world, lived in the desert and knew everything. He talked about the merchants, who were walking slowly with their camels in their hands. He is talking about Yueshan Wang. He is as black as ebony and worships a big crystal. He talked about the big green snake, which slept on a palm tree and was fed honey cakes by 20 monks. He talked about the dwarfs, who used big flat leaves as boats, carried them across the lake and often fought with butterflies. ① The Sphinx: The Sphinx in ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology. There are still stone statues of the Sphinx in Egypt.
"Dear Swallow," said the prince, "you have told me all kinds of strange things, but the strangest thing is the pain of many men and women. Nothing is more incredible than poverty. Swallow, just fly over my city and tell me what you see in this city. "
Swallows fly over the big city. He saw rich people having a good time in their beautiful houses, while beggars were sitting outside the door and catching cold. He flew into the dark alley and saw the hungry children's pale and thin faces staring listlessly at the dirty street. There are two children lying under the bridge opening of a bridge. They hugged each other tightly, trying to keep warm. "We are so hungry!" They said. "Don't lie here." The night watchman roared. They had to stand up and walk into the rain.
He went back and told the prince what he had seen.
"I am covered with pure gold," said the prince. "You pick them one by one and give them to my poor people. The living always think that gold can make them happy. "
Swallows pecked off pure gold piece by piece, and finally the Happy Prince became gray and ugly.
He gave pure gold to the poor piece by piece. The children's cheeks are red. They are playing in the street, laughing loudly. "We have bread now." They cried like this.
Then the snow came and the cold came. The street seems to be made of silver. They are so bright and brilliant. Long icicles hang in front of the eaves like crystal daggers. Everyone is wearing fur coats, and the children are skating in red hats for fun.
The poor swallow is getting colder every day, but he still refuses to leave the prince. He loves him too much. He only pecked a little bread crumbs at the bakery door when the baker was not looking, and flapped his wings to keep warm.
But in the end he knew he was going to die. He has only a little strength, which is enough for him to fly to the prince's shoulder again. "Dear prince, goodbye!" He murmured, "Will you let me kiss your hand?"
"Swallow, I'm glad you're finally going to Egypt," said the prince. "You have lived here for too long; But you should kiss my lips, because I love you. "
"I'm not going to Egypt now." The swallow said, "I went to the house of death." I heard that death is a sleeping brother, right? "
He kissed the happy prince on the lips, then fell at his feet and died.
At that time, there was a strange crack inside the statue, as if something had been broken. The fact is that the prince's lead heart has split in two. This is really a terrible cold weather.
The next morning, the city councilor accompanied the mayor for a walk in the square below. When they passed the column, the mayor looked up at the statue of the happy prince. "Oh, how ugly the Happy Prince is!" He said.
"How ugly!" The city councilors shouted in unison. On weekdays, they always agree with the mayor's opinion, and then everyone goes up and looks at it carefully.
"The ruby on his hilt fell off, his eyes disappeared, and he was no longer gold." The mayor said, "To tell the truth, he is not much better than a beggar!" " "
"Not much better than beggars!" The city senator said.
"There is a dead bird at his feet!" The mayor added, "We really should put up a notice prohibiting birds from dying in this place." The clerk immediately recorded the suggestion.
Later, they pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince. The art professor at the university said, "Since he is no longer beautiful, he is no longer useful."
They melted the statue in the furnace, and the mayor called a meeting to decide the use of the metal. "Naturally, we should make another statue," he said. "Then be mine."
"No, still vote for me." Every city councilor said so, and they quarreled. I heard about it later. It is said that they are still quarrelling.
"This is a strange thing," said the director of the foundry. "This broken lead will not melt in the furnace. We must throw it away. " They threw it into the garbage, and the dead swallow lay there.
"Bring me the two most precious things in this city." God said to one of his angels: the angel brought the lead heart and the dead bird to God.
"You made a good choice." God said, "Because I can let this bird sing in my paradise garden forever, and let the happy prince live in my Huang Jincheng to praise me."