The Happy Prince

The stories Oscar Wilde wrote for children are, like those of Hans Christian Andersen, literary fairytales and have become part of the canon of folk and fairytales. The Selfish Giant is one, as is The Happy Prince. First published in 1888 Wilde’s stories reflect their time in their sentiments, language and references. Here Harry Woodgate adapts The Happy Prince for a modern readership. They are not retelling it; this is very clearly an adaptation. Woodgate retains almost all of Wilde’s text, and Wilde was a master of prose. The result is that the story keeps its sense of a fable as well as its strong moral message. Then, without disturbing the original text, Woodgate has woven in skilful adaptations – Swallow becomes a little boy who is travelling back to what is clearly an African homeland (as in Wilde’s story). It is not quite clear whether he is a refugee or immigrant but, perhaps, this is not the point.  The behaviour of the Counsellors does not change nor does the social background. However, Woodgate freely adapts the ending of the story, discarding the Prince’s lead heart, allowing Swallow, the boy, to survive and bringing in the children to create a garden to which, referencing Wilde, they give the name Paradise where a fruit tree is planted. Perhaps Woodgate is also drawing on ending of The Selfish Giant here. The text is then accompanied throughout by Woodgate’s illustrations. These are essentially line drawings presented not in hard black and white but in a soft mauve – the text is also in this colour. This emphasises the parable like nature of the story. Woodgate’s style, both as an artist and as a writer, is eminently child friendly, the text clearly presented in a good font against a crisp white ground. While one might have reservations about adapting classic texts, here Woodgate has respected the original, drawing on themes that are as relevant today to bring new life to this story.