Iš vaikystės buvo labai įstrigusi pasaka "Laimingas princas" (berods, žiūrėjau animacinį filmą), sudaužiusi man širdį. Dabar skaitant originalo kalba praėjus ~20 metų įspūdis dar stipresnis, nes gali matyti daugiau niuansų, poteksčių, paradoksų, ir senoviška anglų kalba prideda žavesio. Labai norisi lyginti su Anderseno pasakomis, atrodo, kad Wilde'as daug iš jo perėmė, išmoko, tik Wilde'o pasaulio vizija niūresnė ir pasakos negailestingesnės nei Anderseno (jose dažniausiai išlieka viltis, nes Andersenas tikėjo Dievu). Wilde'o pasakose pasaulis neteisingas, gėris ir grožis pasitaiko, bet personažai už tai nėra apdovanojami (kaip būtų tradicinėse pasakose), dažnai net paniekinami, nepastebimi ir pan. Labai nustebino pasakų modernumas (pavyzdžiui, pasaka apie toksinius santykius "Atsidavęs draugas"). Tiesa, kartais pabosdavo skaityti ilgus prabangos aprašymus - jaučiau, kad jie man nedaro tokio įspūdžio, kokį neva turėtų daryti, ta prasme, kad turtai man apskritai nekelia susižavėjimo ar jaudulio, vaikystėj tie auksai ir perlai būtų labiau jaudinę. Kita vertus, kai bandai viską įsivaizduoti, pasidaro įdomiau, nes pradedi matyti tą grožį, žodžiu, prieš skaitant būtų pravartu pasidomėti, kaip atrodo oniksas, berilas, jaspis, safyras, opalas ir t.t. :D (plius skirtingos gėlių rūšys). Tai va, nors kai kurios pasakos silpnesnės, visuma labai stipri.

সত্যি বলতে রূপকথার গল্প বলে খুব বেশি এক্সপেক্টেশন ছিল না। আর আমার ধারণা ছিল অস্কার ওয়াইল্ড শুধুমাত্র গল্পগুলোর সংগ্রাহক! যেমন ঠাকুমার ঝুলির দক্ষিণারঞ্জন মহাশয়। কিন্তু সবগুলো পড়ার পর খটকা লাগে; কেমন যেন গভীর মিল আছে গল্পগুলোতে। পরে ঘাঁটাঘাঁটি করে জানলাম রূপকথার অনুকরণে তৈরি গল্পগুলো আসলে তাঁর মৌলিক সৃষ্টি! আর গল্পগুলো শুধু ছোটরা পড়ে মজা পাবে এমন নয়, এর মোরাল দিকটা যেন বড়দের পড়ার জন্যই লেখা। শিশুসাহিত্য সুকুমার রায়ের পর আরেকজন এতটা ইম্প্রেস করল আমাকে! (তাই বলে ভাববেন না এই গল্পগুলো সুকুমার রায়ের মতো ননসেন্স লিটারেচার নয়)।

The Happy Prince and Other Tales‬ = The Happy Prince and Other Stories‭, Oscar Wilde
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (also called "The Happy Prince and Other Stories") is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first published in May 1888. It contains five stories: "The Happy Prince", "The Nightingale and the Rose", "The Selfish Giant", "The Devoted Friend", and "The Remarkable Rocket".
The Happy Prince: In a town where a lot of poor people suffer and where there are a lot of miseries, a swallow who was left behind after his flock flew off to Egypt for the winter, meets the statue of the late "Happy Prince," who in reality has never experienced true sorrow, for he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. Viewing various scenes of people suffering in poverty from his tall monument, the Happy Prince asks the swallow to take the ruby from his hilt, the sapphires from his eyes, and the golden leaf covering his body to give to the poor. As the winter comes and the Happy Prince is stripped of all of his beauty, his lead heart breaks when the swallow dies as a result of his selfless deeds and severe cold. The statue is then brought down from the pillar and melted in a furnace leaving behind the broken heart and the dead swallow and they are thrown in a dust heap. These are taken up to heaven by an angel that has deemed them the two most precious things in the city. This is affirmed by God and they live forever in his city of gold and garden of paradise....
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز یازدهم ماه مارس سال 1972 میلادی
عنوان: شاهزاده خوشبخت؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: حمید حقیقت جو؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، سازمان کتابهای پرنده آبی، 1344، در 169 ص، اندازه 16 در 11/5 س.م، موضوع: افسانه های پریان از نویسندگان انگلیسی - سده 19 م
پنج داستان کوتاه، و شش قطعه ی ادبی منثور، نوشته اسکار وایلد، شاعر و نویسنده ی ایرلندی، که برای گروه سنی نوجوانان، و جوانان ترجمه شده، زندگی‌نامه ی وایلد نیز، در ابتدای کتاب آمده است. «شاهزاده خوشبخت»، یکی از قصه‌ های کتاب، درباره ی مجسمه ی طلایی زیبای شاهزاده‌ ای ست، که بر فراز شهر ایستاده، پرستوی عاشقی که به خاطر علاقه به یک نی، از کوچ به سرزمین مصر، برای گذران زمستان، جا مانده، به سراغ مجسمه ی شاهزاده می‌آید. شاهزاده که از بالا، فقر و فلاکت مردمان شهر را می‌بیند، به یاری پرستو؛ نخست، سه یاقوت (شمشیر و دوچشم خویش)، و سپس ورقه‌ هایی از طلای مجسمه‌ ی خویش را، به دست نیازمندان شهر می‌رساند. با تمام شدن طلاهای مجسمه، نخستین برف می‌بارد، و پرستو که دیگر رمقی و فرصتی برای کوچ به مصر ندارد، در پای مجسمه شاهزاده، جان می‌بازد، و با این کار ... الی آخر، داستان‌های دیگر: ماهیگیر و روح او، دوست صمیمی، بلبل و گل سرخ، و غول خودخواه، هستند. باقی شادمانیهای خوانش همین کتاب. ا. شربیانی

This book contains six short stories and my favorites were the remarkable rocket , the devoted friend and the happy price.


The happy Prince
The young king
The selfish giant
The remarkable rocket
The nightingale and the rose
The devoted friend

Very nice collection of short stories that fulfills entertainment and wise message to the young folks.

I always read children's books and I can distinguish the good ones from the ordinary. And this one is absolutely one of my favorite.

I will start translating it to Arabic as soon as possible.

I highly recommend it.

5 sao

Cuốn này gồm 5 câu chuyện, trong đó có 2 truyện chỉ ở mức bình thường thôi nhưng mình vẫn đánh giá 5 sao vì những truyện còn lại phải gọi là quá hay, quá xuất sắc.

Hơi khác với tập truyện cổ tích trước đó mình đọc của Oscar Wilde là Ngôi nhà thạch lựu, với không khí u tối hướng về đối tượng là người lớn, thì những truyện trong đây rõ là dành cho thiếu nhi, với nội dung chủ yếu ca ngợi tình yêu, răn dạy cách làm người. Nhưng nếu chỉ như vậy thì sẽ không có gì đặc biệt, trong lúc đọc mình mới nhận ra những thứ đẹp đẽ, trân trọng đó được Oscar Wilde đặt giữa một bụi gai nhọn, mà ta chỉ có thể cảm nhận được, thấu hiểu được sau khi đã chịu đau đớn, rướm máu ít nhiều. Vẫn gợi cho mình sự liên tưởng tới truyện cổ Andersen, những câu chuyện của Oscar Wilde sẽ khiến bạn dễ dàng rút ra cho bọn trẻ một bài học nào đấy sau khi đọc, nhưng rồi lại làm khó chính mình khi phải tìm cách trả lời những câu hỏi của chúng như: tại sao Nàng tiên cá không cưới hoàng tử, tại sao cô bé bán diêm lại chết?

Truyện đầu tiên, Hoàng tử hạnh phúc, có lẽ đã quá quen thuộc với nhiều người rồi, nhưng khi đọc câu chuyện gốc này ta sẽ nhận ra được rõ ràng hơn thông điệp Oscar Wilde gửi gắm trong đó: về tình yêu, về cái đẹp. Bên cạnh Hoàng tử hạnh phúc, mình nhận ra một nhân vật khác quan trọng không kém mà trước giờ đọc các phiên bản khác ít khai thác, đó là chú chim én. Từ sự làm quen ban đầu, cũng như bao người khác, có ấn tượng với Hoàng tử bởi vẻ ngoài, sau khi cảm nhận được tấm lòng của Hoàng tử, chim én từ từ thay đổi cách nhìn của mình với cậu và quyết định bên cạnh cậu cho đến những phút cuối cùng. Những diễn biến trong suy nghĩ và hành động của chim én khiến cho ta thật sự thấm thía được tình yêu là như thế nào, được chứng kiến đâu mới là thứ thật sự đẹp đẽ, quý giá nhất trên thế gian này.

Chim sơn ca và bông hồng đỏ cũng là một câu chuyện ca ngợi cái đẹp của tình yêu, cái đẹp rực rỡ khiến chú sơn ca tôn sùng và sẵn sàng hy sinh vì nó. Oscar Wilde có thể viết nên những điều tuyệt diệu như thế về tình yêu, nhưng cũng chính ông là người có thể nhẫn tâm vùi dập nó theo cách đau xót nhất, ê chề nhất. Đọc xong câu chuyện làm gợi lên trong mình nhiều cảm xúc, và mình nhận ra rằng tình yêu vốn dĩ luôn đẹp đẽ như thế, luôn xứng đáng được tôn sùng, được hy sinh như thế, chỉ có con người tầm thường là không xứng đáng với tình yêu đó thôi.

Truyện Người bạn tận tình là một câu chuyện ngụ ngôn hết sức thâm thúy và sâu cay, khéo léo dạy một bài học về "tình bạn" đầy thấm thía mà không cần đưa ra một lời bình luận nào cả. Không như những câu chuyện cho trẻ con cũ rích khác khi bàn đến chủ đề này, Oscar Wilde có thể đặt vấn đề ở một góc độ khác biệt, phải nói là rất khó diễn đạt mà đồng thời cũng không hề phá hỏng đi những thứ tốt đẹp được khuyên dạy trước giờ.

Đó là về mặt nội dung, còn về hình thức thì bản của Nhã Nam làm có kèm rất nhiều hình minh họa, nhiều đến mức mình cảm thấy hơi bị "thừa mứa". Thật sự minh họa của sách rất đẹp nhưng việc phóng to khung hình ra để chiếm một phần lớn trang giấy đã khiến nhiều hình bị nhòe, vỡ nét, nhìn không được chuyên nghiệp cho lắm. Một số hình lại không mấy cần thiết khi chỉ minh họa cho một ý rất nhỏ của câu chuyện. Và các trang ảnh màu được sử dụng khá hào phóng cũng có vấn đề tương tự. Đây cũng chỉ là những lỗi nhỏ, lúc đọc mình cũng không khó chịu cho lắm, nhưng nếu được chú ý một chút sẽ làm cho cuốn sách hoàn hảo hơn.

Nói chung thì đây là một cuốn truyện mang tính ngụ ngôn kể về tình bạn, tình yêu. Nhưng khi một câu chuyện được kể bởi Oscar Wilde thì bạn hãy nhớ chuẩn bị tinh thần trước khi đọc truyện.

This book is real gem. A collection of five short stories.Each story beautifully woven around a moral. The stories are simple but evoke strong emotions. Every story may make you happy or make you sad (mostly) but each one will surely touch your heart.Oscar Wilde is a true genius. Highly Recommended !!!

El Principe Feliz, el mejor. Me encantó ese cuento: es tan desgarrador, hermoso, con una moraleja preciosa. El Ruiseñor y la Rosa y El Joven Rey son excelentes, también.

Con frecuencia converso conmigo mismo, y digo cosas tan inteligentes, que a veces no entiendo ni una palabra de lo que digo.

Amo los trabajos de Oscar Wilde; su prosa explota en lírica.

So naturally I only read this as it was written by Wilde, and that is possibly the only reason why it is still in publication because the stories are quite different to contemporary children's tales. Drowning in religion and with very heavy and obvious moral themes, I think readers today prefer a bit more subtlety.

And so I add another volume of the Everyman Children's classic series this time from Oscar Wilde. Now for the record I have heard a lot about the author - more often than not from the news stories and biographies but never have I read any of his work - something I realise I should now rectify as soon as possible.

This book contains a number of short stories - not really fairy tales more cautionary tales and fables but as the afterwards says they are aimed at the eight to eighty year old with some very profounds and subtle messages to share.

I have to admit though after reading the stories I recognise them more than I realised at the time - either from modern day re-telling or a re-imaging of them that I had not known about (or the authors were willing to admit). However these stories are incredibly poignant made all the more so with the artwork of Charles Robinson (the brother of one of my favourite artists William Heath Robinson).

A great read for a Sunday afternoon.

Æsops Fabeln mit Oscar Wildes Humor. Fünf kurze Geschichten (The Happy Prince, The Nightingale And The Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, The Remarkable Rocket) mit Moral und Zeigefinger.

Ich mag Oscar Wilde immer, der Sprachwitz ist unübertroffen, umso mehr, weil man das Gefühl hat, der Wilde, der nimmt dich immer etwas auf den Arm, der lacht auf auf den Stockzähnen, wenn man das zu ernst nehmen wollte.

”Why, anybody can have common sense, provided that they have no imagination.”

n  A Beautiful Collection for All Agesn

Each little story is a beautifully told allegory touching to the heart. You will never be too old or too young to appreciate the marvellous moral in each story.

The stories in this collection are: The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, and The Remarkable Rocket.

Many of my favourite epigrams come from this collection. Here are a few gems (of many):

"Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold."

"Everyone quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand."

"I like hearing myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that I sometimes don't understand a single word of what I am saying."

Wilde shows his softer side, yet retaining his ironic humour, exploring themes such as compassion, friendship, altruism, selfishness, love, self-awareness, and kindness. The fairy tales are simple yet engaging, with some very likeable characters, and also some very detestable characters we can all relate to.

The characters, often animals or inanimate objects feel so real and natural with clear personalities exactly like people in society. We have probably met a real-life version of the boastful, pretentious, and arrogant Remarkable Rocket (the type of person I want to punch in the face!); and of the very kind and innocent little Hans. This is true for the minor characters as well as the major ones: such as the yes-men Town Councillors, the ignorant Water-rat, and the extremely materialistic girl.

It is this realness of the characters which really captivated me. Wilde's subtle yet cynical satire of society is still perfectly relevant today. With such short stories, it is a wonder how Wilde managed to integrate such accurate and distinguished characters.

The short stories evoke great emotion too. I felt happy, sad, annoyed and disappointed at times, sharing the characters' experiences. The stories may not leave you with a happy feeling, but that is precisely why they make such good reading: a story that can make you feel very sad or very annoyed is a good story, since it evokes a strong emotional response. These tales certainly do that.

Precious few writers can do this, let alone in simple fairy tales. For me, no one writes as charismatically as Oscar Wilde. He makes great writing look so simple and easy. This work is elegantly written with fine little details and plenty to be admired again and again. My personal favourite in this collection is The Happy Prince, although it was extremely difficult to choose amongst these lovely little stories.

If you do yourself one favour today, have a read of one these fairy tales. They are such a joy to read. If you love these stories as much as I do we can be best friends. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

After having read Oscar Wilde's "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" (1890) and I was looking forward to reading his children stories in "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (1888). So I then put them on my list to read this year and having just finished these stories, I wanted to comment on both these books before I talk of the short stories.

If you heard or read "The Portrait of Dorian Gray", you would know how dark a book it is and seeing the movie long before reading the book which is a picnic compared to the book's darkness, IMO; I was quite impressed by reading these children stories which are on the opposite side of the spectrum, quite bright. You say, well they are children's stories written in the late 1800's, so it would be that way. Well what impressed me was that even many of these stories are quite sad, the moral is there in all its glory. I knew Oscar Wilde was a great writer having read his novel but having not read anything else yet, though on my "to read" list, but I see his wide range of ability as a writer is quite wonderful. I had no idea about his religious convictions but they shine through in these stories, two of them bring heaven and the Christ child into the story. One of my most favorite subject to come across in a story is the morality and religious precepts, that make the reader feel an uplifting feeling, even when things don't always work out. Wilde's stories had this all down with the sadness and showing us humans to live our lives in a positive light. If you have no religious beliefs, these stories are still wonderfully wholesome to read. Sometimes after reading a book, your whole feeling towards an author changes and Wilde made me love his works even more than before.

One more thing I will touch on because it was brought up in the Delphi collection of his works which seeing it I had to comment here.

"Later critics have identified an underlying homosexual relationship between the two protagonists, while others argue that these are simply tales told by Wilde for his own children."

I saw nothing of this in the least and what I saw was friendship. I noticed before in reading some commentaries of classic works were the "modern view" is projected to mean something, that the author did not intend. Unless, evidence in memoirs tell of certain ideas, I don't look for what is not there. Is modern society, so bitter to think that true friendship, wanting to die for another, has to have a romantic element. Can't people love people for friendship sake alone? IMO, so I leave it there for you to read and decide yourself.

The stories;
1) The Happy Prince- a sparrow helps his friend who sees misery from where he stands help alleviate some grief, he witnesses.

2) The Nightingale and the Rose- the nightingale gives everything for love. (My favorite)

3) The Selfish Giant- a giant comes back home to see his garden invaded.

4) The Devoted Friend- a Miller thinks his friendship is just wonderful. (This and the next story deal with self centeredness)

5) The Remarkable Rocket- the rocket thinks he is just wonderful and looks down on everything else.

These stories are great for children and adults too, we all need a refresher course on being good human beings.