‘Dear little Swallow,’ said the Prince, ‘you tell me of marvelous things, but more marvelous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no mystery so great as misery. Fly over my city, little Swallow, and tell me what you see there.’ So the Swallow flew over the great city, and saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the gates... (excerpt from "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde)
"The Happy Prince" is one of the first stories that I remember falling in love with. My mom had a lovingly-tattered illustrated copy of Oscar Wilde short stories. I used to ask for them as bedtime stories until I could read them on my own. The story of the sparrow, the statue of a prince and his endless concern for others is the story that stays with me the most. It is a story of friendship, sacrifice and selflessness that I still can't read without getting a lump in my throat. The Literature Network has the whole story right here
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