Oscar Wilde's Short Stories
Oscar Wilde's Short Stories Oscar Wilde's Short Stories Introduction Oscar Wilde was Irish. He was born in Dublin in 1854. His parents were very famous people. His father, William, was an important doctor. His mother was a poetess. She was called lane but preferred the name 'Speranza'. She thought it was more interesting and romantic than Jane. Oscar's parents invited many clever and important people to their house in Dublin. They spoke together about clever and important things. When Oscar w
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Oscar Wilde's Short Stories
Oscar Wilde's Short Stories
Introduction
Oscar Wilde was Irish. He was born in Dublin in 1854. His parents were very famous people.His father, William, was an important doctor. His mother was a poetess.She was called lane but preferred the name 'Speranza'.She thought it was more interesting and romantic than Jane.Oscar's parents invited many clever and important people to their house in Dublin.They spoke together about clever and important things.When Oscar was a young boy he loved listening to them.
He studied at Oxford University and won prizes for his poetry.Oscar Wilde was a very good writer but he preferred talking.He was also a very funny and clever man. People wanted to listen to him and to laugh at his jokes.He was very popular and everybody invited him to their dinner parties.
He wrote poems, short stories, plays for the theatre and one novel.Two of his most famous works are his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and the play The Importance of Being Earnest.
CHAPTER 1 THE YOUNG KING
PART ONE The Old King's Secret
There was once an old King. He had no son to be King when he died.His people were very worried. "Who will be the next King?" they asked.But before the King died he revealed a secret: his only daughter, the Princess, had a child.In secret, she married an ordinary man and they had a son.Some people said her husband was an artist and some people said he was a musician.But his identity was a mystery and nobody knew about their secret son.
When the baby was a week old some men took him while his mother was sleeping.The Princess died immediately. Some people said for sadness.Other people said someone gave her poison in a cup of wine.The men left the baby with a very poor family.This poor family lived in the forest and the boy became a shepherd. He looked after goats all day.
The old King made an important decision: "The boy must be the new King when I die." he said.He sent his servants into the forest. "Find the boy and bring him here."
The servants found the boy and brought him to the palace.When the boy arrived he was very happy. He immediately fell in love with all the beautiful things around him.He took off his old leather tunic and put on his fine new clothes. Then he began to explore the castle.He ran from room to room admiring all the beautiful statues, paintings and jewels in the palace.The people of the city talked about him: "The young King spends all his time admiring statues," they said."Beauty and art are the most important things for him."In fact the young King was so fascinated with beautiful objects that he wanted more of them.He sent merchants to India to buy ivory and jade.He sent men to Persia for silk carpets, and others to find amber in the north.He sent servants to look for green turquoise in the magic tombs of the Egyptian kings.
The young King thought about all these things but most of all he thought about his coronation robe.
He was sixteen and it was his coronation day the next day.He was very happy because he had a beautiful coronation robe of gold, a crown of rubies and a sceptre of pearls.He ordered men to work night and day to prepare his coronation robes."Search the whole world for the biggest rubies for my crown and the most beautiful pearl for my scepter." he said.
