Opening, part 6 Opening, part 6 of «The Happy Prince, and Other Tales» by Oscar Wilde: the whole text, 166 sentences and 2556 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself; 5 of them are in the tales treebank and were checked by a teacher model.
1 “Nonsense!” said the Roman Candle, “Romance never dies. 2 It is like the moon, and lives for ever. 3 The bride and bridegroom, for instance, love each other very dearly. 4 I heard all about them this morning from a brown-paper cartridge, who happened to be staying in the same drawer as myself, and knew the latest Court news.” 5 But the Catherine Wheel shook her head. 6 “Romance is dead, Romance is dead, Romance is dead,” she murmured. 7 She was one of those people who think that, if you say the same thing over and over a great many times, it becomes true in the end. 8 Suddenly, a sharp, dry cough was heard, and they all looked round. 9 It came from a tall, supercilious-looking Rocket, who was tied to the end of a long stick. 10 He always coughed before he made any observation, so as to attract attention. 11 “Ahem! ahem!” he said, and everybody listened except the poor Catherine Wheel, who was still shaking her head, and murmuring, “Romance is dead.” 12 “Order! order!” cried out a Cracker. 13 He was something of a politician, and had always taken a prominent part in the local elections, so he knew the proper Parliamentary expressions to use. 14 “Quite dead,” whispered the Catherine Wheel, and she went off to sleep. 15 As soon as there was perfect silence, the Rocket coughed a third time and began. 16 He spoke with a very slow, distinct voice, as if he was dictating his memoirs, and always looked over the shoulder of the person to whom he was talking. 17 In fact, he had a most distinguished manner. 18 “How fortunate it is for the King’s son,” he remarked, “that he is to be married on the very day on which I am to be let off. 19 Really, if it had been arranged beforehand, it could not have turned out better for him; but, Princes are always lucky.” 20 “Dear me!” said the little Squib, “I thought it was quite the other way, and that we were to be let off in the Prince’s honour.” 21 “It may be so with you,” he answered; “indeed, I have no doubt that it is, but with me it is different. 22 I am a very remarkable Rocket, and come of remarkable parents. 23 My mother was the most celebrated Catherine Wheel of her day, and was renowned for her graceful dancing. 24 When she made her great public appearance she spun round nineteen times before she went out, and each time that she did so she threw into the air seven pink stars. 25 She was three feet and a half in diameter, and made of the very best gunpowder. 26 My father was a Rocket like myself, and of French extraction. 27 He flew so high that the people were afraid that he would never come down again. 28 He did, though, for he was of a kindly disposition, and he made a most brilliant descent in a shower of golden rain. checked by a teacher 29 The newspapers wrote about his performance in very flattering terms. 30 Indeed, the Court Gazette called him a triumph of Pylotechnic art.” 31 “Pyrotechnic, Pyrotechnic, you mean,” said a Bengal Light; “I know it is Pyrotechnic, for I saw it written on my own canister.” 32 “Well, I said Pylotechnic,” answered the Rocket, in a severe tone of voice, and the Bengal Light felt so crushed that he began at once to bully the little squibs, in order to show that he was still a person of some importance. 33 “I was saying,” continued the Rocket, “I was saying—What was I saying?” 34 “You were talking about yourself,” replied the Roman Candle. 35 “Of course; I knew I was discussing some interesting subject when I was so rudely interrupted. 36 I hate rudeness and bad manners of every kind, for I am extremely sensitive. 37 No one in the whole world is so sensitive as I am, I am quite sure of that.” 38 “What is a sensitive person?” said the Cracker to the Roman Candle. 39 “A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads on other people’s toes,” answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper; and the Cracker nearly exploded with laughter. 40 “Pray, what are you laughing at?” inquired the Rocket; “I am not laughing.” 41 “I am laughing because I am happy,” replied the Cracker. 42 “That is a very selfish reason,” said the Rocket angrily. 43 “What right have you to be happy? 44 You should be thinking about others. 45 In fact, you should be thinking about me. 46 I am always thinking about myself, and I expect everybody else to do the same. 47 That is what is called sympathy. 48 It is a beautiful virtue, and I possess it in a high degree. 49 Suppose, for instance, anything happened to me to-night, what a misfortune that would be for every one! 50 The Prince and Princess would never be happy again, their whole married life would be spoiled; and as for the King, I know he would not get over it. 51 Really, when I begin to reflect on the importance of my position, I am almost moved to tears.” 52 “If you want to give pleasure to others,” cried the Roman Candle, “you had better keep yourself dry.” 53 “Certainly,” exclaimed the Bengal Light, who was now in better spirits; “that is only common sense.” 54 “Common sense, indeed!” said the Rocket indignantly; “you forget that I am very uncommon, and very remarkable. 55 Why, anybody can have common sense, provided that they have no imagination. 56 But I have imagination, for I never think of things as they really are; I always think of them as being quite different. 57 As for keeping myself dry, there is evidently no one here who can at all appreciate an emotional nature. 58 Fortunately for myself, I don’t care. 59 The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense inferiority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated. checked by a teacher 60 But none of you have any hearts. 61 Here you are laughing and making merry just as if the Prince and Princess had not just been married.” 62 “Well, really,” exclaimed a small Fire-balloon, “why not? 63 It is a most joyful occasion, and when I soar up into the air I intend to tell the stars all about it. 64 You will see them twinkle when I talk to them about the pretty bride.” 65 “Ah! what a trivial view of life!” said the Rocket; “but it is only what I expected. 66 There is nothing in you; you are hollow and empty. 67 Why, perhaps the Prince and Princess may go to live in a country where there is a deep river, and perhaps they may have one only son, a little fair-haired boy with violet eyes like the Prince himself; and perhaps some day he may go out to walk with his nurse; and perhaps the nurse may go to sleep under a great elder-tree; and perhaps the little boy may fall into the deep river and be drowned. 68 What a terrible misfortune! 69 Poor people, to lose their only son! 70 It is really too dreadful! 71 I shall never get over it.” 72 “But they have not lost their only son,” said the Roman Candle; “no misfortune has happened to them at all.” 73 “I never said that they had,” replied the Rocket; “I said that they might. 74 If they had lost their only son there would be no use in saying anything more about the matter. 75 I hate people who cry over spilt milk. 76 But when I think that they might lose their only son, I certainly am very much affected.” 77 “You certainly are!” cried the Bengal Light. 78 “In fact, you are the most affected person I ever met.” 79 “You are the rudest person I ever met,” said the Rocket, “and you cannot understand my friendship for the Prince.” 80 “Why, you don’t even know him,” growled the Roman Candle. 81 “I never said I knew him,” answered the Rocket. 82 “I dare say that if I knew him I should not be his friend at all. 83 It is a very dangerous thing to know one’s friends.” 84 “You had really better keep yourself dry,” said the Fire-balloon. 85 “That is the important thing.” 86 “Very important for you, I have no doubt,” answered the Rocket, “but I shall weep if I choose”; and he actually burst into real tears, which flowed down his stick like rain-drops, and nearly drowned two little beetles, who were just thinking of setting up house together, and were looking for a nice dry spot to live in. 87 “He must have a truly romantic nature,” said the Catherine Wheel, “for he weeps when there is nothing at all to weep about”; and she heaved a deep sigh, and thought about the deal box. 88 But the Roman Candle and the Bengal Light were quite indignant, and kept saying, “Humbug! humbug!” at the top of their voices. 89 They were extremely practical, and whenever they objected to anything they called it humbug. 90 Then the moon rose like a wonderful silver shield; and the stars began to shine, and a sound of music came from the palace. 91 The Prince and Princess were leading the dance. 92 They danced so beautifully that the tall white lilies peeped in at the window and watched them, and the great red poppies nodded their heads and beat time. 93 Then ten o’clock struck, and then eleven, and then twelve, and at the last stroke of midnight every one came out on the terrace, and the King sent for the Royal Pyrotechnist. checked by a teacher 94 “Let the fireworks begin,” said the King; and the Royal Pyrotechnist made a low bow, and marched down to the end of the garden. 95 He had six attendants with him, each of whom carried a lighted torch at the end of a long pole. 96 It was certainly a magnificent display. 97 Whizz! 98 Whizz! went the Catherine Wheel, as she spun round and round. 99 Boom! 100 Boom! went the Roman Candle. checked by a teacher ← previous Opening, part 5next → Opening, part 7↑ back to The Happy Prince, and Other Tales This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg902/6/