《快乐王子》收录王尔德早期的五篇童话，尤以第一篇著名，描写一座王子雕像的美丽而凄楚的故事：王子生前既不知民间的疾苦，也从未享受到快乐，死后却在一只燕子的帮助下遍历人生苦难，而在一一奉献出雕像的所有珠宝的过程中才终于品尝到了快乐。《石榴之家》是王尔德的第二部童话集：其中《年轻的国王》写一位年轻的牧人原是国王的私生子；《渔夫和他的灵魂》写年轻的渔夫为了与美人鱼结为连理，宁愿放弃自己的灵魂……
王尔德是唯美主义的语言艺术大师，纪德在读了王尔德的作品之后便觉得尼采不那么动人了；而托马斯，曼则以为尼采的有些警句本可以出自王尔德之口，王尔德笔下的某些文字原可以由尼采来说，由此可见世纪之王尔德名动天下，不单单因其锦心绣口，亦由于思致深切与目光敏锐。
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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