《快樂(lè)王子》收錄王爾德早期的五篇童話，尤以第一篇著名，描寫一座王子雕像的美麗而凄楚的故事：王子生前既不知民間的疾苦，也從未享受到快樂(lè)，死后卻在一只燕子的幫助下遍歷人生苦難，而在一一奉獻(xiàn)出雕像的所有珠寶的過(guò)程中才終于品嘗到了快樂(lè)�！妒裰摇肥峭鯛柕碌牡诙客捈浩渲小赌贻p的國(guó)王》寫一位年輕的牧人原是國(guó)王的私生子；《漁夫和他的靈魂》寫年輕的漁夫?yàn)榱伺c美人魚結(jié)為連理，寧愿放棄自己的靈魂……
王爾德是唯美主義的語(yǔ)言藝術(shù)大師，紀(jì)德在讀了王爾德的作品之后便覺(jué)得尼采不那么動(dòng)人了；而托馬斯，曼則以為尼采的有些警句本可以出自王爾德之口，王爾德筆下的某些文字原可以由尼采來(lái)說(shuō)，由此可見(jiàn)世紀(jì)之王爾德名動(dòng)天下，不單單因其錦心繡口，亦由于思致深切與目光敏銳。
OSCAR WILDF， （1854-1900） was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the i88os， he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early i8gos， whose works including Lady Windermere's Fan， A V7oman of No Importance， and An Ideal Husband.
In 1888， Wilde publis.hed The Happy Prince and Other Tales and had been regularly writing fairy stories for magazines. In 1891 he published two more collections， Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories， and in September The House of Pomegranates was dedicated "To Constance Mary Wilde".
THE HAPPY PRINCE AND OTHERTALES
THE HAPPY PRINCE
THE NIGHTINGALE AND THE ROSE
THE SELFISH GIANT
THE DEVOTED FRIEND
THE REMARKABLE ROCKET
THE HOUSE OF POMEGRANATES
THE YOUNG KING
THE BIRTHDAY OF THE INFANTA
THE FISHERMAN AND HIS SOUL
THE STAR-CHILD
When day broke he flew down to the river and had a bath."What a remarkable phenomenon，" said the Professor of Ornithology as he was passing over the bridge. "A swallow in winter!" And he wrote a long letter about it to the local news paper. Every one quoted it， it was full of so many words that they could not understand.
"Tonight I go to Egypt，" said the Swallow， and he was in high spirits at the prospect. He visited all the public monuments， and sat a long time on top of the church steeple. Wherever he went the Sparrows chirruped， and said to each other， "What a distinguished stranger!" so he enjoyed him self very much.
When the moon rose he flew back to the Happy Prince."Have you any commissions for Egypt?" he cried; "I am just starting."
"Swallow. Swallow， little Swallow，" said the Prince， "will you not stay with me one night longer?"
"I am waited for in Egypt，" answered the Swallow."Tomorrow my friends will fly up to the Second Cataract. The river horse couches there among the bulrushes， and on a great granite throne sits the God Mammon. All nightlong he watches the stars， and when the morning star shines he utters one cry of joy， and then he is silent. At noon the yellow lions come down to the water's edge to drink. They have eyes like green beryls， and their roar is louder than the roar of the cataract.
"Swallow， Swallow， little Swallow， aid the Prince， "faraway across the city I see a young man in a garret. He is leaning over a desk covered with papers， and in a tumbler by his side there is a bunch of withered violets. His hair is brown and crisp， and his lips are red as a pomegranate， and he has large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre， but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire in the grate， and hunger has made him faint."
"I will wait with you one night longer，" said the Swallow， who really had a good heart. "Shall I take him another ruby?"
"Alas! I have no ruby now，" said the Prince; "my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires， which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller， and buy food and firewood， and finish his play"
"Dear Prince，" said the Swallow "I cannot do that"; and he began to weep.
"Swallow， Swallow， little Swallow，" said the Prince， "do as I command you."
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