Showing results for "The Devoted Friend" in Anthologies & Short Stories

The Devoted Friend by Oscar Wilde was first published in 1888 in the anthology The Happy Prince and Other Tales. Hans was a little man who owned a beautiful garden, where he grew flowers of all kinds and colours which were sold in the market to make some money. He enjoyed the company of another man called Hugh, a miller who used to visit Hans very often during the summer time and with whom he shared thoughts about friendship and loyalty.

A moral fable on true and fake friendship. Hugh the Miller is little Hans's best friend...or is he? First published in 1888 in The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

Little Hans spends most of his time gardening and makes a living from sales of his beautiful flowers. Little Hans always treats his neighbours well and even allows the neighbouring rich miller to pick flowers from his garden. But the miller rarely invites Hans into his house or responds in kind. The miller instead has his own philosophy of friendship: 'Lots of people act well, but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also'.

How far are you willing to go to secure your friend's good opinion? Little Hans gives freely of all he possesses, in order that the miller will esteem him as a true friend. The miller even promises to give little Hans his wheelbarrow. Hans' gratitude is never-ending, and he learns too late what it sometimes means to be a devoted friend.

¿Qué es la amistad?, ¿hace falta entenderla para ser un buen amigo? Un pinzón está dialogando con una rata acerca de qué significa ser un amigo fiel; de pronto, decide contarle un cuento, rebosante de ironía y sátira, que narra la historia de dos supuestos amigos, Hans, un jardinero, y Hugh, un molinero.

Oscar Wilde's collection of fairy stories are among the greatest and most poignant classics for children and adults alike. Humour, pathos, delightful little characters abound in the stories of The Happy Prince and the Swallow who agrees to keep him company despite approaching winter; The Selfish Giant, who doesn't want children playing in his garden, and The Remarkable Rocket.

This is a story from the The Happy Prince and Other Stories collection.