The Happy Prince: read-along
The Happy Prince as a read-along for the projector: 13 pages, 1781 words, level 13, grade 8.
Page 1 of 13
High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two brilliant sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed upon the hilt of his sword. He was very much admired by everyone. The town councillors, who wished to be considered artistic, remarked that he was as beautiful as a weathercock, and sensible mothers, whose children cried for impossible things, asked them why they could not be more like the Happy Prince, who never dreamed of crying for anything. Disappointed men gazed up at the shining statue and muttered that they were glad there was somebody in the world who was perfectly happy, and the children from the charity school declared that he looked exactly like an angel.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page, three questions come up to talk about.
About this book
- Level 13, Grade 8
- 13 pages, 1781 words, about 13 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About The Happy Prince
High above the city stands the golden statue of the Happy Prince, who can see every sorrow in the streets below and cannot move to help. Then a little swallow, late for Egypt, stops to rest between his feet.
Words to preview
- gilded (GIL-did)
- covered in gold
- sapphires (SAF-ires)
- blue jewels
- hilt
- sword handle
- seamstress (SEEM-stris)
- sewing worker
- garret (GAIR-it)
- attic room
- listlessly (LIST-liss-lee)
- without energy
- eaves (EEVZ)
- roof edges
- furnace (FUR-niss)
- very hot oven
Questions that fit any book
- What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
- Which page was your favorite? Why?
- How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?
Questions
How long does The Happy Prince take to read aloud?
It has 13 pages and 1781 words, so about 13 minutes at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is The Happy Prince?
Level 13, Grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 13 sits at grade 8. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Is this the original text?
No. It is a retelling in Peabody's own words at this reading level, so it may differ from the edition you know.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.