Счастливый принц и другие сказки

           Atthatmomentacuriouscracksoundedinsidethestatue,asifsomethinghadbroken.Thefactisthattheleadenhearthadsnappedrightintwo.Itcertainlywasadreadfullyhardfrost.

           EarlythenextmorningtheMayorwaswalkinginthesquarebelowincompanywiththeTownCouncillors.Astheypassedthecolumnhelookedupatthestatue:"Dearme!howshabbytheHappyPrincelooks!"hesaid.

           "Howshabby,indeed!"criedtheTownCouncillors,whoalwaysagreedwiththeMayor;andtheywentuptolookatit.

           "Therubyhasfallenoutofhissword,hiseyesaregone,andheisgoldennolonger,"saidtheMayor;"infact,heislittlebetterthanabeggar!"

           "Littlebetterthanabeggar,"saidtheTownCouncillors.

           "Andhereisactuallyadeadbirdathisfeet!"continuedtheMayor."Wemustreallyissueaproclamationthatbirdsarenottobeallowedtodiehere."AndtheTownClerkmadeanoteofthesuggestion.

           SotheypulleddownthestatueoftheHappyPrince."Asheisnolongerbeautifulheisnolongeruseful,"saidtheArtProfessorattheUniversity.

           Thentheymeltedthestatueinafurnace,andtheMayorheldameetingoftheCorporationtodecidewhatwastobedonewiththemetal."Wemusthaveanotherstatue,ofcourse,"hesaid,"anditshallbeastatueofmyself."

           "Ofmyself,"saideachoftheTownCouncillors,andtheyquarrelled.WhenIlastheardofthemtheywerequarrellingstill.

           "Whatastrangething!"saidtheoverseeroftheworkmenatthefoundry