High above the city a tall column stood the statue of The Happy Prince. He was covered with thin leaves of fine gold; his eyes two sapphires and a large red ruby was on his sword hilt.
One day a swallow came and decided to spend the night the feet of the statue. The swallow discovered that the Prince weeping at the sight of the poverty and misery of the poor people in city. So, the swallow was persuaded to stay long enough to help the Prince give his gold to the poor.
First, the swallow took the ruby a mother with a sick child. Then the swallow carried one sapphire to a starving writer in a cold attic. The other sapphire eye was flown to a little homeless girl.
Then, one by one, the swallow carried all the leaves of gold covered the Prince’s body to give aid to poor people.
day, in the cold of the winter, the swallow died and the Prince’s leaden heart cracked.
‘Bring me the two precious things in the city,’ said God to one of his angels; and the angel brought him the leaden heart of the Prince and the dead bird.