The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde — cover

The Happy Prince and Other Tales

The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a collection of short stories written by Oscar Wilde and published in 1888.

This work is a collection of stories for children that includes:

  • The Happy Prince: One night, a swallow that is migrating to Egypt stops at the foot of the statue of the Happy Prince to rest and tears begin to fall from the statue.
  • The Nightingale and the Rose: The story is about a young student in love with a girl.
  • The Selfish Giant: A giant returns to his garden after spending a long time outside and discovers that there are several children playing and very happy there.
  • The Devoted Friend: The story tells about the relationship of two friends in which one of them, Hans, is constantly manipulated by the other, Hugo.
  • The Remarkable Rocket: The story is about a firework, which is one of many that are launched at the wedding of a prince and princess.

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Fairy tale Children's literature Short story Sacrifice Compassion Social inequality Human suffering Generosity

Public domain (US)·No sign-up·DRM-free·Real text, not scans

Pages
43
Reading time
1 hour 21 minutes
Pace
Intermediate
First published
1910
Language
English
Downloads
4,026

116 years later, still timely

Why Read The Happy Prince and Other Tales in 2026?

Crystal prose, radical empathy. Wilde’s fairy tales balance beauty and poverty, sacrifice and joy, in brief chapters that linger.

Today's connection

Ideal for shared reading and ethics discussions; their light holds even when the room is dark.

Luminous parables

Short, bright, memorable.

Compassion with bite

Kindness that costs.

Questions that stay

What do we owe each other?

Perfect for Children Young adults Lovers of fairy tales Fans of Oscar Wilde

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About the author

Portrait of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde · 1854–1900

Paradox with poise; style used as ethics, defense, and delight in public life.

17 books by Oscar Wilde in the library →

If this one stays with you…