The Happy Prince And Other Tales

Above the bustling city, there stood a magnificent statue of the Happy Prince, who had recently departed from this world. From his lofty perch, he gazed upon the town's inhabitants, his heart heavy with sorrow for their suffering. One fateful night, a Swallow, forsaking the journey to Egypt with its fellow birds for the winter, landed upon the Happy Prince's statue. It noticed tears streaming down the prince's golden cheeks, and thus began a poignant conversation.
The Happy Prince revealed that in his lifetime, he had dwelled in a palace untouched by misery, shielded from the harsh realities of life. But now, in his posthumous existence, he witnessed the immense suffering of his people. He beseeched the Swallow to carry out a noble task: to distribute the precious gemstones and golden leaf adorning his form to the needy families in the city. Filled with compassion for the Happy Prince, the Swallow decided to remain by his side.
As winter's chill descended upon the city, both the Happy Prince and the devoted Swallow suffered. The prince's once resplendent exterior withered away, and the Swallow succumbed to the biting cold. In the end, the Happy Prince's leaden heart shattered, its weight no longer held by the Swallow's warmth.
When the Mayor stumbled upon the decrepit statue and decided to remove it, intending to transform it into a grand likeness of himself, the lead heart and the lifeless Swallow were cast aside as worthless. Yet, in the eyes of the divine, these two seemingly insignificant objects held immeasurable value.
When God summoned an Angel to bring Him the two most precious things in the city, the Angel returned bearing the lifeless bird and the shattered lead heart, reminding all that true worth lies not in outward appearance but in the depth of compassion and selflessness found within the hearts of individuals.