The Happy Prince · chapter 4 of 4
The Lead Heart
铅心
In the deep cold of winter, the little swallow says his last goodbye. Then the mayor sees a shabby statue and orders it melted, but a heart that cannot melt is found.
Read what you hear
- The Happy Prince 小燕子，你太冷了。快去埃及吧，那儿有太阳。
Xiǎoyànzi, nǐ tài lěng le. Kuài qù Āijí ba, nàr yǒu tàiyang.
Little swallow, you're far too cold. Hurry to Egypt, where the sun is.
- The Little Swallow 我不去埃及。我要去一个很安静的地方，睡很久很久。
Wǒ bú qù Āijí. Wǒ yào qù yí gè hěn ānjìng de dìfang, shuì hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ.
I'm not going to Egypt. I'm going to a very quiet place, to sleep for a very long time.
- The Happy Prince 不，不，燕子！你是我最好的朋友！
Bù, bù, yànzi! Nǐ shì wǒ zuìhǎo de péngyou!
No, no, swallow! You are my best friend!
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Happy Prince is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- The Little Swallow 王子，我可以亲一下你的手吗？
Wángzǐ, wǒ kěyǐ qīn yíxià nǐ de shǒu ma?
Prince, may I kiss your hand?
- The Happy Prince 好啊，小燕子。你亲我的脸吧，我爱你。
Hǎo a, xiǎoyànzi. Nǐ qīn wǒ de liǎn ba, wǒ ài nǐ.
Of course, little swallow. Kiss my cheek instead, because I love you.
- The Little Swallow 谢谢你，王子……你是我最好的朋友。
Xièxie nǐ, wángzǐ… nǐ shì wǒ zuìhǎo de péngyou.
Thank you, prince... you are my best friend.
- Narrator 小燕子亲了王子。然后他倒在王子的脚下，睡着了。
Xiǎoyànzi qīn le wángzǐ. Ránhòu tā dào zài wángzǐ de jiǎo xià, shuìzháo le.
The little swallow kissed the prince. Then he sank down at the prince's feet and fell asleep for good.
- The Happy Prince 燕子？燕子！你起来啊！
Yànzi? Yànzi! Nǐ qǐlái a!
Swallow? Swallow! Get up!
- The Happy Prince 我的心……好疼。原来，这就是难过。
Wǒ de xīn… hǎo téng. Yuánlái, zhè jiùshì nánguò.
My heart... it hurts so much. So this is what sadness is.
- The Happy Prince 可是我很高兴。睡吧，燕子，我在这儿。
Kěshì wǒ hěn gāoxìng. Shuì ba, yànzi, wǒ zài zhèr.
But I'm glad. Sleep, swallow, I'm right here.
- Narrator 这时，雕像里响了一声。铅心断成了两半。
Zhè shí, diāoxiàng lǐ xiǎng le yì shēng. Qiānxīn duàn chéng le liǎng bàn.
Then something went crack inside the statue. The lead heart had split in two.
- The Mayor 天哪！这是快乐王子吗？他这么难看！
Tiān nǎ! Zhè shì Kuàilè Wángzǐ ma? Tā zhème nánkàn!
Good heavens! Is this the Happy Prince? He looks awful!
- The Mayor 没有金叶子，没有蓝眼睛，剑上也没有红宝石了！
Méiyǒu jīnyèzi, méiyǒu lán yǎnjing, jiàn shàng yě méiyǒu hóngbǎoshí le!
No gold leaves, no blue eyes, and no ruby on his sword!
- The Mayor 这样的雕像不能放在广场上！把它放进火里化了！
Zhèyàng de diāoxiàng bùnéng fàngzài guǎngchǎng shàng! Bǎ tā fàngjìn huǒ lǐ huà le!
A statue like this can't stay in the square! Put it in the fire and melt it!
- The Worker 市长先生，这里还有一只死鸟。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, zhèlǐ háiyǒu yì zhī sǐniǎo.
Mister Mayor, there's a dead bird here too.
- The Mayor 那就不要了！我们再做一个新雕像。
Nà jiù búyào le! Wǒmen zài zuò yí gè xīn diāoxiàng.
Then we don't need it! We'll make a new statue.
- The Mayor 做谁的雕像好呢？做我的吧！我的鼻子多漂亮！
Zuò shéi de diāoxiàng hǎo ne? Zuò wǒ de ba! Wǒ de bízi duō piàoliang!
Whose statue should it be? Mine! Look what a handsome nose I have!
- The Worker 市长先生，您的鼻子……有一点儿大。
Shìzhǎng xiānsheng, nín de bízi… yǒu yìdiǎnr dà.
Mister Mayor, your nose... is a little big.
- The Mayor 什么？你说什么？
Shénme? Nǐ shuō shénme?
What? What did you say?
- The Worker 没什么！我是说，您的鼻子很好看！
Méishénme! Wǒ shì shuō, nín de bízi hěn hǎokàn!
Nothing! I said, your nose is very handsome!
- Narrator 工人们把雕像放进大火里。别的东西都化了，只有那颗铅心，怎么也化不了。
Gōngrénmen bǎ diāoxiàng fàngjìn dà huǒ lǐ. Biéde dōngxi dōu huà le, zhǐyǒu nà kē qiānxīn, zěnme yě huà bu liǎo.
The workers put the statue into the great fire. Everything melted except the lead heart, which would not melt at all.
- The Worker 奇怪！别的都化了，这颗铅心不会化！
Qíguài! Biéde dōu huà le, zhè kē qiānxīn bú huì huà!
Strange! Everything else has melted, but this lead heart won't!
- The Mayor 不会化？那就不要了！
Bú huì huà? Nà jiù búyào le!
It won't melt? Then forget it!
- The Worker 好吧……我把它放在那只小鸟旁边。
Hǎo ba… wǒ bǎ tā fàngzài nà zhī xiǎoniǎo pángbiān.
All right... I'll put it next to that little bird.
- The Voice from Above 天使，去城市里，把最好的两样东西拿来给我。
Tiānshǐ, qù chéngshì lǐ, bǎ zuìhǎo de liǎng yàng dōngxi nálái gěi wǒ.
Angel, go into the city and bring me the two best things in it.
- Narrator 天使飞下来，带走了那颗铅心和那只小鸟。
Tiānshǐ fēi xiàlái, dàizǒu le nà kē qiānxīn hé nà zhī xiǎoniǎo.
The angel flew down and carried away the lead heart and the little bird.
- The Voice from Above 你选对了。这只小鸟会在我的花园里唱歌，王子会永远快乐。
Nǐ xuǎn duì le. Zhè zhī xiǎoniǎo huì zài wǒ de huāyuán lǐ chànggē, wángzǐ huì yǒngyuǎn kuàilè.
You chose well. This little bird will sing in my garden, and the prince will be happy forever.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the swallow ask the prince for?
“王子，我可以亲一下你的手吗？”
- What happens to the prince's lead heart when the swallow dies?
“铅心断成了两半。”
- Why does the mayor want to get rid of the statue?
“他这么难看！”……“没有金叶子，没有蓝眼睛，剑上也没有红宝石了！”
- What will not melt in the fire?
“这颗铅心不会化！”
- What does the voice above ask the angel to bring?
“把最好的两样东西拿来给我。”