The Happy Prince, and Other Tales

"The Happy Prince, and Other Tales" by Oscar Wilde is a collection of stories from the Victorian era that explores important ideas about kindness, giving, and what it really means to be happy. Though written for kids, the stories speak to everyone about how complicated love and life can be. One of the stories, "The Happy Prince," tells of a statue covered in gold and a kind little bird who become friends and work together to help people who are poor and suffering, showing that beautiful things can hide a lot of sadness. The bird gives up everything to take jewels and gold from the statue to people who need them. The other stories also tell of people giving up things for others, like in "The Nightingale and the Rose," where a bird loves a student, and "The Selfish Giant," where a giant is made better by the happiness of children. There is also "The Devoted Friend," which shows how friendships can sometimes be fake. All the stories are beautifully written and teach important lessons that are still true today.