A story by Oscar Wilde about a gold statue and a little bird who help the poor.
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These are the new words for The Happy Prince. Match each word (1–8) to its meaning (A–H). Say your answers out loud — "I think 1 is D" — then check.
1 = C (a statue) · 2 = B (gold) · 3 = F (a jewel) · 4 = A (a swallow)
5 = D (poor) · 6 = H (kind) · 7 = E (to give) · 8 = G (a heart)
Read each part. Then try the questions from memory, and talk about the last one.
High above the city, on a tall stone column, stood a statue. It was the statue of the Happy Prince. The statue was covered in gold, and it was very beautiful. It had two blue jewels for eyes, and one big red jewel on its sword. Everyone in the city looked up and said, "How beautiful he is!"
One night, a little bird — a swallow — stopped to sleep at the statue's feet. All his friends were already far away, in warm Egypt. Then a drop of water fell on the bird. He looked up. The eyes of the Happy Prince were full of tears, and the tears ran down his gold face.
"Why are you crying?" asked the swallow. The Prince said, "When I was alive, I lived in a big house. I never saw poor people, so I was always happy. But now I stand up here, and I can see all the sad and poor people in my city. I cannot stop crying." Far away, he saw a poor woman and her little boy. The boy was ill, and the woman had no money for medicine.
1. What was the statue made of, and what did it have for eyes?
2. Why was the Happy Prince crying?
1. It was covered in gold. It had two blue jewels for eyes and one big red jewel on its sword.
2. Because now he stands high above the city and can see all the poor and sad people. When he was alive, he never saw them.
"Little swallow," said the Prince, "please take the red jewel from my sword and give it to that poor woman." The swallow wanted to fly to warm Egypt, but he felt sorry for the Prince. So he took the red jewel across the city and put it next to the sleeping woman. Then he moved his wings over the sick boy, and the boy felt better and slept well.
Every night, the Prince saw more poor people. He asked the swallow to help, and the little bird stayed. The Prince gave one blue eye to a young writer who was cold and hungry. He gave the other blue eye to a poor girl in the street. Now the Prince could not see, so the swallow said, "I will stay with you always," and he did not fly away.
Then the swallow flew over the city. He saw rich people in warm houses and poor people outside in the cold. So he took the gold off the Prince, piece by piece, and gave it to the poor. The children had food now, and they laughed and played. But the statue was not beautiful any more. It was grey and old and shabby.
1. What did the Prince give to the poor woman first?
2. Why did the swallow decide to stay with the Prince?
1. He gave her the big red jewel from his sword.
2. The Prince gave away both blue eyes, so he could not see. The swallow did not want to leave a blind friend, so he stayed.
Winter came, and it was very cold. The little swallow was cold too, but he did not want to leave the Prince. He loved him now. He used his last strength to fly up and say goodbye. "Goodbye, dear Prince," he said. The Prince said, "I am glad you are going to warm Egypt at last." "No," said the swallow, "I am going far away." He kissed the Prince and fell down. At that moment, something broke inside the statue. The Prince's heart, which was made of grey metal, broke in two.
The next morning, the mayor and the town men walked below. "Look how old and ugly the statue is!" they said. "The red jewel is gone, the eyes are gone, and there is no gold." So they took the statue down. They put it in a big fire, but the broken heart did not melt. They threw it away, next to the little dead bird.
Then God spoke to one of his angels. "Bring me the two best things in this city," he said. The angel brought the broken heart and the little bird. "You have chosen well," said God. "This little bird will sing in my garden for ever, and the Happy Prince will live with me." So the two friends, who gave everything away, were the richest of all in the end.
1. What happened to the swallow on the cold night?
2. What did God say about the broken heart and the little bird?
1. The swallow was too cold and too tired. He kissed the Prince, said goodbye, and fell down. At that moment the Prince's heart broke in two.
2. He said they were the two best things in the city. The bird will sing in his garden for ever, and the Prince will live with him.
This story tells us about people and things. We can add more information with two easy words: who for people and which for things. And because the story happened in the past, we use the past simple.
Complete each sentence with who (for a person) or which (for a thing).
1. The swallow was a bird stayed with the Prince.
2. The Prince gave the red jewel was on his sword.
3. He helped a woman was very poor.
4. The statue had a heart was made of metal.
1. who (a person / a bird as a character)
2. which (a thing — the jewel)
3. who (a person — the woman)
4. which (a thing — the heart)
Put the verb in brackets into the past simple. Then read the sentence out loud.
1. The Prince (give) the gold to the poor.
2. The swallow (fly) across the city.
3. The statue (stand) high above the city.
4. The town men (take) the statue down.
1. gave (give → gave)
2. flew (fly → flew)
3. stood (stand → stood)
4. took (take → took)
Fill each gap with who or which, or with the past simple of the verb in brackets. Read it aloud when you finish.
There was a little bird stayed with the Prince. Every night the Prince (see) poor people, and he (give) them his gold and jewels. The heart, was made of metal, broke in the cold.
who (a person / the bird) · saw (see → saw) · gave (give → gave) · which (a thing — the heart)
Use who for people, which for things, and the past simple for what happened.
You know the story now. Let's think about what it means. It is a simple story, but the questions are big ones.
Do all three tasks out loud. Use the timer to keep talking.
Tell the story of The Happy Prince in your own words. Use these steps to help you: a gold statue high above the city → a little bird who stayed → the red jewel, then the two blue eyes, then the gold, all for the poor → the cold winter → the two friends at the end.
Try to use who and which, the past simple, and some of the key words (statue, gold, jewel, swallow, poor, kind, give, heart).
The Prince and the bird gave everything to help poor people. Is this a good thing to do? Do you like to help other people? How do you help — for example, family, friends, or people in need? Give one example.
Talk about kindness in your own life. Use who and which and the past simple.
Not sure what to talk about? Choose one: