Hikaye – The happy prince (Mutlu prens)

İngilizce hikaye “The happy prince (Mutlu prens)”

The swallows go to a hot country in the autumn. It is a long journey. One swallow is very tired. It stops to rest between the feet of a statue. It is the statue of the happy prince. The statue is in the middle of a small town. People say “What a beautiful statue. It has got gold leaves on its body. There are precious stones for his eyes and on his sword.”
– “Oh dear,” says the swallow. “I am very tired. I can sleep here.” So, the swallow sleeps near the statue. It closes his eyes and sleeps… Splash! Splash!
– “What is this?” says the swallow. “It is raining. It is very strange. The sun is shining but it is raining.” The little bird looks up. There are tears in the eyes of the prince. He is crying.
– “Hello up there.” Can you see me here?… Why are you crying?… I am all wet.”
– “Who are you?” asks the swallow.
– “I am the happy prince.”
– “I do not think you are very happy.” says the swallow.
– “I am crying because I can see the poor peolpe. They are very sad.”
– “I can see a small boy” says the Happy Prince. “He is ill in bed. His mother hasn’t got any money for a doctor. Please, little swallow, take the precious stone from my sword and give it to the mother.”
– “I am very sorry. I can’t.” says the swallow. All the swallows go to Egypt in winter. It is hot in Egypt. It is hot here. I must fly quickly. I can’t stay.”
But the swallow stays. It takes the precious stone from the sword. It flies to the boy’s house with the stone. It puts it on the bed.
– “Goodbye Prince” says the little swallow. “Now I must go.”
– “No. Stay!” says the prince. “I can see a university student. He is too cold to study. He has no money for wood for fire. Take the precious stone from one of my eye and give it to him.”
The little swallow is cold but it takes the stone and puts it near the university student.
– “Thank you! Thank you!” says the student. “Now I can have wood and I can study my lessons.”
– “Goodbye” says the swallow. “I am cold. I must go.”
– “Stay one more day” says the Prince. “I can see a small girl. She is crying. She hasn’t got a mother and a father. Take the stone from my other eye and give it to her.”
The swallow puts the stone in the girl’s hand.
– “Now you can not see.” says the swallow to the prince. “I can’t leave you.”
– “Thank you.” says the prince.
– “Please give the golden leaves from my body to the poor people.”
Now the Happy prince has no precious stones and no golden leaves. The little swallow is very very cold now.
– “You must go the Egypt.” says the Prince. The swallow kisses the prince and then dies there. This breaks the Prince’s heart.
People say “The Happy Prince is not beautiful now. We will take him and we will put him in the dustbin.”
The next day, there is not a statue and there is not a swalow. There is only a broken heart of the statue and some feathers.

by Oscar Wilde