Statue and starling
A summary of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince should begin with a description of one city statue. It was made of gold and precious stones. It was a statue of a prince, and all the city residents admired it.
Another hero of the fairy tale is the Starling. He was in love with Trostinka, but unrequitedly. He needed to fly south with his flock, and she did not like to travel - she liked to flirt with the wind more. Because of her, the Starling did not have time to fly with his flock to warmer climes, so he went later. He decided to spend the night at the feet of the statue of the Golden Prince and head south in the morning.
Summary of Oscar Wilde's novels
- Summary
- Wilde Oscar
- Devoted friend
- Wonderful rocket
- Nightingale and rose
- The Picture of Dorian Grey
- Lady Windermere's fan
- The importance of Being Earnest
- Ideal husband
- The Canterville Ghost
- Infanta's birthday
- Salome
- Star boy
- Happy Prince
Oscar Wilde is a British writer of Irish origin, one of the classics of English literature. His work is full of philosophical thoughts and aesthetic concepts characteristic of the time in which he lived.
Wilde first tried his hand at poetry and in 1881 published his first collection of poetry, entitled “Poems,” with his own money. After marriage and the birth of two sons, the writer tries his hand at prose, writing fairy tales. His texts are permeated with sadness and disappointment in modernity. However, these tales are not particularly popular; Wilde makes his living as a journalist.
Only in 1890 did he become famous thanks to his first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray. This work absorbed many trends of that time, including aestheticism and condemnation of modernity. The novel exposes English society and its customs. Unfortunately, the work was not understood and accepted by the public; it was called immoral and subjected to harsh criticism. But the point of the novel was precisely to condemn this immorality and show that such a life position cannot be correct. Because of this misunderstanding, Wilde wrote a preface to his work, which practically became a manifesto and shaped the principles of aestheticism.
After this, the writer tries himself in such a literary genre as dramaturgy. He writes several plays, which have not yet had much success. The English public accepted Wilde as a playwright after the release of his comedies Lady Windermere's Fan, An Unworthy Woman, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. Every phrase of the heroes of these comedies is witty, the writer quickly gains fame.
Unfortunately, Wilde's fate is quite tragic. He goes to prison, where he spends two years of his life. Family and friends turned their backs on him, the writer was left alone with his thoughts and problems. In prison, Wilde wrote “The Prison Confession,” the original title of which was “Epistola: In Carcere et Vinculis,” translated from Latin as “Epistle: in Prison and Chains.” This work was then renamed "De Profundis", which translates from Latin as "From the Depths".
After leaving prison, Wilde wrote the poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol”, which he signed with the pseudonym S.3.3., and it is no coincidence. This was the writer's prison number. He died a year later, in 1900, from acute meningitis.
Oscar Wilde was an extremely talented writer who, unfortunately, was misunderstood by the society in which he was forced to live. His works are filled with interesting philosophical thoughts and judgments.
Miraculous Gifts
The summary of “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde should be continued by introducing the bird and the statue. The starling woke up because someone was crying. It was a golden statue. The prince told the bird that when he lived in the palace, he did not know how many troubles and worries poor people had. And he was sad that he could not help them.
In the summary of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince, you need to talk about the statue's gifts to poor people. Starling also had a good heart, so he decided to help the statue. The prince asked to take the ruby to a poor seamstress so that she could pay for her son’s treatment. Therefore, the bird did not fly south and remained in the city.
Then the Prince asked Starling to postpone his flight further in order to take a sapphire to a playwright. Then the bird took another sapphire to the poor girl. So the Starling did not fly to warmer lands, but stayed to spend the winter in the city and help the Prince.
The most precious thing in the city
The Starling told the Prince, who could not see because he had given away his sapphire eyes, about Egypt, where he wanted to fly. Gradually they distributed all the gold and precious stones to the poor people. And all that was left of the statue was the frame and the tin heart. The Starling froze, and the Prince's heart split into two parts.
City officials took the bird's body and tin heart to a landfill. The councilor wanted to erect his statue, but the residents did not agree with him, and everyone quarreled while they were deciding on the construction of a new statue. The fairy tale “The Happy Prince” ends with an Angel flying into the city. He found and took with him the Starling and the tin heart as the most precious thing in the city.
The moral of the fairy tale “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde is that you should always remain kind and merciful, and selflessly help other people. Then there will be a reward for all good, selfless deeds. After all, the Starling could fly to Egypt, but he understood that the Prince would not be able to help the poor people without him, and he felt sorry for both the statue and the people. And the Golden Prince didn’t care that nothing would remain of his beauty, and although he had a heart of tin, it knew how to empathize with others and was able to maintain kindness.
The plot of the collection “The Happy Prince” in brief
Fairy tales “The Happy Prince” summary
In the fairy tale “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde, you can read about the statue of the Happy Prince, which stood on a high column. Everyone admired her, both the boys and the City Councilors. The entire statue was covered with gold petals, the eyes were made of sapphires, and a ruby shone on the hilt of the sword. One day in the late autumn, when all the swallows had already flown to Egypt for seven weeks, a lone swallow sat on the statue. She was delayed by her love for the reeds, which only stood and nodded to the wind. She spent the night in the “golden bedroom”, and in the morning the tears of the Happy Prince fell on her.
It turned out that the Prince lived in a closed castle where grief did not penetrate. But now he saw a lot of trouble and his tin heart sank with pity. He asked the swallow to stay for one day and take the ruby from his sword to the seamstress, who was sewing a luxurious dress for the maid of honor. Her son is delirious, but she only has money for water. For a long time he persuaded the swallow, but she agreed. The next day, the Happy Prince asked the swallow to stay one more day for the young playwright, who was about to finish his play, but he might die of hunger. The prince is ready to sacrifice his eye to him. Again the swallow did not want to fulfill his request, but agreed.
The very next day, the prince asked to sacrifice his second eye for a girl who had dropped matches into a ditch and they had spoiled. If she returns without money, her father will kill her. The swallow resisted for a long time, but then fulfilled the prince’s request. And so that he could see someone else’s misfortune, it stayed with him for the winter. Every day she flew around the city and talked about the troubles she saw. All the golden sheets covering the prince went to help the suffering. But one day the swallow realized that it was freezing. She kissed the prince on the lips and fell at the foot of the statue. At this time the mayor passed by. The prince, without gold leaf, sapphires and diamonds, seemed wretched to him. He ordered it to be demolished and melted down. And in place of the Happy Prince, put a statue of one of the advisers. They are still fighting. And the statue was melted down. Only the tin heart did not melt in the crucible, and the Chief Foundry Man threw it onto a mountain of garbage, next to the dead swallow. But when the Lord ordered his angel to bring the most valuable things from this city, the angel took only a tin heart and a dead swallow.
Fairy tales "The Nightingale and the Rose" summary
Secondly, the second fairy tale in Wilde’s collection “The Happy Prince” can be read about a Student who is sad that the girl he loves will go to the ball tomorrow without him.
After all, she demands a red rose, but there are none in his garden. All this is heard by the Nightingale, who often composed songs about love, but did not know it himself. He decides to help the Student. He flies to the first rose bush. But he can only grow a red rose. The second one can only grow a white rose. And the third bush completely froze in winter. But under the persistent persuasion of the nightingale, he says that he can grow a red rose. But for this, the Nightingale must impale his heart on a thorn and sing the most beautiful songs all night. Rose, like in Exupery’s fairy tale “The Little Prince,” loves the Nightingale and does not wish him to die, but this is the only way. The Nightingale tells the Student about his plans, but he decides that these are just words and, having already forgotten about his love, immerses himself in his notebook. Only Oak appreciated the Nightingale’s sacrifice and asked to sing his farewell song. When the Moon rises, the Nightingale flies to the rose bush and performs the ritual. From his very last song the whole garden froze. But the Student is in no hurry to wake up. Only towards noon does he open the window and see a beautiful rose. The only thing that bothers him is its long Latin name. He easily picks the flower and, inspired, runs to the professor’s daughter. But the girl again refuses the Student. After all, she was given real precious stones, and as you know, they are more expensive than flowers. The upset protagonist of Wilde's fairy tale “The Nightingale and the Rose” throws a flower onto the pavement.
Fairy tales "Giant-Egoist" summary
In the third fairy tale of Oscar Wilde's collection “The Happy Prince” you can read about the Giant.
He was visiting for seven years, and when he returned, he found children in his garden playing in his peach trees. Velika got angry and kicked the children out. He built a fence around his garden and wrote a sign “No Trespassing”. The children did not find a new place to play and often remembered the garden. But then spring came, and only in the Giant’s garden did winter rage. Summer and autumn also passed by the Giant's garden. And then one day the Giant heard the songs of a linnet in his garden. It turned out that the children found a hole in the fence and climbed into his garden. Seeing the giant, they ran away and only one of them kept trying to climb the tree. The giant helped him, for which he received a kiss. The giant tore the fence to pieces and began to play with the children. Only the little one he had dropped off did not appear in his garden. But one day in the middle of winter, one of the trees was covered with large white flowers. Under the tree the Giant saw that same baby. But on his hands and feet there were stigmata (wounds like those of Jesus Christ). The Giant did not understand what it was and threatened to take revenge on the one who offended the child. But the kid said that there is no need to take revenge on anyone. He let him into his garden, and now the child lets him into his. When the children returned to the Giant’s garden, they found him lying under a tree and strewn with large white flowers.
Fairy tales “A Devoted Friend” summary
The fourth tale in Oscar Wilde's collection The Happy Prince is the tale of The Devoted Friend.
Her story to Linnet, the Water Rat. Once upon a time there lived a nice boy, Hans, and he had a devoted friend, Big Gyu-Miller. Hans lived from his garden, selling flowers at the market. Gyu often came to him and collected huge bouquets and filled his pockets with fruits. After all, friends should have everything in common. Hans only wrote down Hugh's advice in a notebook. In winter, when Hans was in trouble, the miller did not come to see him, because when a person is in bad weather it is better to leave him alone. And he didn’t invite me to his place, because envy can ruin any friendship. When spring came, Gyu came to Hans again. He took himself a huge bouquet of primroses, which he wanted to sell and buy back the car he had pawned in the winter. Instead, he offered to take his car. True, she was broken. Hans agreed to patch it up with his board. But the miller asked him to use this board to patch his leaky roof, and Hans of course agreed. Then there were several “small” requests from Gyu, which did not allow Hans to work in his garden at all. One day, Gyu's child fell ill at night. He asked Hans to go get the doctor, but he didn’t even give him a lantern, because it was completely new. The gardener got lost and drowned in the swamp. Everyone came to the funeral. And Gyu too. He grieved the most. After all, where should we put this broken down car now, for which no one will give a crumb? Now we need to be more careful, he thought, because generosity is always to the detriment of a person. But the Rat did not understand the moral of the story and left. And Ducky said that stories with morals are a dangerous business.
Fairy tales “The Wonderful Rocket” summary
In the last fairy tale of the collection “The Happy Prince” by Oscar Wilde, you can read about the Remarkable Rocket.
This story began when everyone was preparing for the wedding of a local prince and a beautiful Russian princess. The Princess had never seen fireworks, and so the Court Engineer decided to treat her with a great show. A Firecracker, a Cartridge, a Fire Carousel and a Roman Candle were placed nearby. They all discussed peace until Patron intervened in their conversation. He was very proud and said that the prince was lucky to schedule his wedding on the day of his launch. While the others were dreaming of not getting wet, he was crying. When evening came, everyone brought joy to the princess, but Patron was silent. The next day the janitor threw it into a ditch. But Patron decided that he was sent to recover his health. True, he didn’t really like the frog who talked only about himself. And Dragonfly and Duck quickly left, not daring to grow wiser from his speeches. The boys threw it into the fire to warm the pot, and it finally exploded. True, he never woke up the sleeping boys. But the stick to which he was tied fell straight onto the Goose. She started to run. And Patron finally said: “I knew that I would make a splash!”
