Shadowing Practice: The Happy Prince | Fairy Tales and Bedtime Stories for Kids in English | Storytime - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Once upon a time in a beautiful town located at the very top there was the statue of the happy prince.
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The statue was covered with gold from head to toe
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and there was a big red ruby on the handle of his sword.
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And as for the prince's eyes, they were two sparkling green emeralds.
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The statue of the happy prince could be seen by everyone in town
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and it was known to spread hope and happiness to all.
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One night a little swallow came to town.
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Her friends flew to warmer parts of the world to be protected from the cold but she was left behind.
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She saw the statue which was resting on a big column.
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Let me spend the night here.
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Tomorrow I'll continue.
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The swallow landed right between the happy prince's feet.
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Tonight I'm going to sleep on a garden bed.
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When she was getting ready to sleep, putting her wing over her head, suddenly a drop of water fell on her head.
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She looked up.
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But the sky was clear and it wasn't raining.
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Right at that moment, another drop of water landed on her beak, followed by another.
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To understand what was going on, the swallow flew up on the statue's head.
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She saw that the drops were coming from the prince's eyes.
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They were his teardrops.
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Happy Prince's tea drops were running down on his cheek and dropping on his feet.
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And his sad eyes were sparkling in the moonlight.
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The swallow felt really sad for him.
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Hello, and who are you?
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I am the Happy Prince.
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And then why are you crying?
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When I was alive and my heart was a human heart, I never shed a tear.
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Because I lived in a palace where we did not know what sadness was.
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During the day I used to play with my friends in the garden
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and at night time I would dance in the big ballroom.
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There was a big wall surrounding the garden but I never wondered what was behind the wall.
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Everything around me was so beautiful and they always called me Happy Prince and I was very happy indeed.
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However, when my life ended they put me here on top of this hill
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and now I can see all the ugliness and the poverty around me.
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Although my heart is made of lead, there is nothing I can do but cry.
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The swallow was very sad.
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There is a torn down small house in a little alley far from here.
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One of the windows is open and I can see a woman working on the sewing machine.
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Her face is weak and tired.
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On the corner of the bed her little son is lying down sick.
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He has fever but his mother has no money.
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Dear Swallow, can you take out the precious ruby on my sword's handle and take it to her?
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After a little bit of rest, I must keep flying to warmer countries.
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At least stay here tonight.
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Tomorrow you can go wherever you want.
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Although the Swallow was already cold and did not have any rest, she could not do anything but help the sad happy prince.
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Prince.
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So with the help of her beak,
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the swallow took the ruby out of the handle from the Prince's sword and flew into town over the dark midnight sky.
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Finally, she arrived to the townhouse and looked inside.
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The baby boy was in his bed, struggling with a fever, and his mother was sleeping.
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She flew inside and put the big ruby on the table right in front of her.
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Then she flew over to the boy and flapping her wings she cooled him down a little bit.
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The swallow returned next to the happy prince and told him all about what had happened.
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When she wakes up she will see the precious stone and
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so she will be able to buy medicine and food for her boy.
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Thank you very much.
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Now you can sleep easy tonight dear swallow.
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It was morning now.
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Right when she was getting ready to fly away, the happy prince stopped the swallow.
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Hey, swallow, dear swallow, can't you just stay one more night?
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I need to fly to the warmer countries as soon as possible and find my family and friends.
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Far away on the other side of the town, I see a young man in a small attic.
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He is sitting at a table full of paper and pale violets in a small glass.
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This is a young writer and he is trying to finish his new book, but he doesn't have any wood to burn or a piece of bread to eat.
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Don't you want to help him?
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The good-hearted Swallow accepted to stay one more night, just to help the young writer.
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Unfortunately I have no more rubies left, but my eyes are from a very precious stone called Emerald.
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Take one of them and bring it to the writer.
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Hearing this made the swallow very sad.
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She did not accept it at first, but when the happy prince insisted, she had no choice.
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So she took the emerald out with her beak.
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Then she started to fly towards the house the happy prince was talking about.
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When she arrived, the young man was sitting at the table, restless, with his hands covering his face.
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He did not hear the birds' wings flapping.
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When he looked up, he saw the green sparkly emerald on top of the pale violets.
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He thought that one of his fans he liked his writing left it there.
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So he took the emerald and stood up with joy.
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I came to say goodbye.
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Dear Swallow, can't you stay just one more night?
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It is almost winter.
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It's going to snow soon.
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I really have to go.
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My dear Prince, I need to fly away.
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But I will never forget you.
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Okay, but I have one last wish from you.
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Please do it for me.
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On the square down below, there's a little girl sailing matches.
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But she dropped them all into the water and they all got wet.
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Now she cannot bring home some money.
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Her dad will be very upset and they too will be hungry tonight.
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She's there crying.
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She doesn't even have shoes or socks or a hat covering her head.
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Take my other eye, give it to her so they will be okay.
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Hearing this story, the swallow decided to stay one more night.
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Okay, one last time, but I can't take your eye out, then you won't be able to see.
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It hurts me more to see the hungry and helpless people around me, so please do as I say.
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Taking out his other eye, the swallow began flying down.
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She flew slowly next to the girl and dropped the emerald in her hand.
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The girl shouted, Oh, what a beautiful piece of glass!
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And ran home with joy.
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After that, the little swallow came back next to the happy prince.
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I decided to stay next to you and be your eyes from now on.
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The prince asked the swallow to fly over the whole town and inform him about all that was happening.
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The swallow flew over the town and saw that while the rich people were sitting in their warm houses,
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the poor were trying to light a fire in the cold to get warm.
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When she went into the dark alleys she saw the weak faces of hungry kids.
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Under a bridge she saw the two little kids sleeping on each other's laps and trying to warm each other up.
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Then she went back and told all about it to the prince.
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I am covered with pure gold.
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Just peel them off and bring it to the poor.
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They think that gold makes you happy, but actually, to be healthy and content is what makes you happy.
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The swallow began to peel off all the gold from the prince's statue until the prince looked weak and miserable.
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And she gave all the gold to the poor on the streets.
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Meanwhile, it began to snow.
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The streets were full of snow.
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The swallow kept on helping the poor every night by peeling off the gold from the prince.
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until there was nothing left.
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The poor little swallow was freezing, but she did not want to leave the prince alone.
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She loved him dearly, but in the end she knew that she was going to die.
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She used the last bit of strength she had left and flew up to the prince's shoulder.
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Goodbye, dear prince!
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So you decided to fly to the warmer countries after all, my friend?
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The little swallow could not tell the prince where she was going, so she kissed him slowly on the cheek.
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and fell on the ground next to him.
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Right that moment there was a cracking noise coming from inside the Happy Prince's statue.
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It was his heart of lead breaking into pieces.
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When it was morning, everybody gathered around the statue of the Happy Prince and they were looking at him with amazement.
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Then they all saw the lifeless body of the Swallow laying down next to his feet.
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Everybody was so sad.
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But then they heard a voice amongst the crowd.
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It was the young writer.
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Now I understand why the happy prince is in this shape.
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He and this little Swallow sacrificed themselves for our happiness.
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So stay happy and don't be sad.
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The two most beautiful hearts in this town were their hearts.
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and it will forever stay that way.
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It was a cold and snowy New Year's night.
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The people were passing by with their warm coats, gloves and scarves.
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They were all in a rush to get somewhere.
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Some were late and rushing to get home, and some were going to a venue to celebrate the New Year.
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Children were running around on the streets throwing snowballs to each other.
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Of course they were the ones enjoying the snow the most.
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They were playing with each other and laughing hysterically.
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But on the streets, there was a girl different than the ones that were playing.
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This little girl was standing in the middle of the street watching the other kids play.
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She did not have a hat to protect her from the cold like others.
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Her clothes were light and ripped, and the slippers on her feet didn't fit her right.
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They were big.
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She was holding a box in her hands, shivering from the freezing cold.
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The little girl barely noticed a car coming right at her.
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Hey kids, stay on the side of the road, you're gonna get run over.
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The little girl threw herself on the sidewalk that second.
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But while she was running, the very big slippers on her feet flew off.
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When she was on the sidewalk, she turned around and looked.
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She saw a boy running with her slippers.
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My slippers!
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She yelled and ran after him, but the kid ran away fast.
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Hey, stop!
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Having no choice but to walk barefoot, she seeked for a shelter next to a wall.
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She opened the box she had been holding and she put it down.
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She was looking in the box full of matches with her eyes watery from the cold.
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This was a little match girl.
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But she could not even sell one box of matches that day.
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If she could make a sale and earn some money, she could go home and have at least a bowl of warm soup with her mother.
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So she started yelling with her thin, shivering voice from cold and sadness.
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Matches!
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Matches!
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Anyone wants matches?
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Matches!
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Nobody on the street paid any attention to her, so she sat down next to the wall.
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Her fingers started to ache from the cold.
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She could not bear the pain anymore.
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Somehow, she had to warm up.
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She opened a box and pulled out a match.
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Her fingers were numb and she could barely hold a match.
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With her shivering hands she lit the match on the wall and suddenly a warm orange light surrounded her.
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Poor girl passed the match from one hand to the other to warm her fingers.
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Her Her hands were not cold anymore.
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She found herself in front of a burning stove.
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She stared at the fire and started dreaming.
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She was sitting in front of a big stove in a beautiful room.
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She had a woolen sweater on her, furry boots on her feet and a beanie on her head.
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It was so hot she began to sweat.
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But suddenly, the match went out.
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With the match out, those sweet dreams also vanished.
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her little fingers began to freeze and ache once again.
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She lit up another match.
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At that moment, a cold wind blew.
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The little girl turned to the wall to keep the match from going out, and she covered the fire with her hands.
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Whilst she was looking at it, the wall suddenly vanished and opened up.
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There was a big room inside.
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There were all sorts of food spread on a table with a white cloth
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and the silver candlesticks on the table lit up the room like daylight.
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She stared at the table and saw
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that in the middle of the table there was a beautifully grilled big piece of meat.
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She immediately ripped a piece of it and put it in her mouth.
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Suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore.
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The little match girl wanted to take another piece of meat.
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She reached out, but the match she had in her hand went out pretty fast.
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Poor girl's hand burned and she threw the match away.
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Ow!
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Ow!
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As soon as she threw away the match, the feast on the table and the room vanished.
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The wall reappeared.
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Little match girl lit another match.
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Now she was in an even bigger dream.
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She was sitting under a tree on a summer night, looking at the stars above.
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It was still warm, even though it was night time.
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The little girl could not take her eyes off of the stars.
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She never saw the sky and the stars so clear and sparkling before.
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And suddenly, she saw a shooting star.
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She thought to herself, there goes another one of us flying into eternity.
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These were actually her grandmother's words.
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At that moment, she saw her grandmother appear.
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When you see a shooting star, know that someone will take its place, my dear.
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Her grandmother was visible for a brief moment and then when she disappeared the little match girl called after her.
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Grandmother stop don't go don't go please I really missed you.
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To see her grandmother one more time she lit up another match.
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She forgot how she was freezing from cold in the middle of the street and started dreaming once again.
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Every time she lit up a match, she felt as if she was seeing her grandmother and hearing her voice.
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The little girl lit up another match.
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Her surroundings lit up like daylight.
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She never saw her grandmother this beautiful before.
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Her loving face made her forget all the cold and bitter days she had ever been through.
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She did not want this moment to finish.
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So she lit up the final match in a hurry.
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Her grandmother appeared in front of her again.
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She reached out her arms to hold the little match girl's hand.
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They started to fly up into the sky together.
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The little girl felt a sudden relief.
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There was no cold or hunger anymore.
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At that moment, another shooting star went on by.
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In the morning, the people who passed by on the street saw the little match girl laying down by the wall.
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Her eyes closed but with a sweet smile on her face.
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She had a lot of burnt matches around her.
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The matches which, with their flames, brought her dreams alive that no one would ever dream about.
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you
Why practice speaking with this video?
This enchanting tale, "The Happy Prince," provides an excellent opportunity to practice speaking English. Storytelling is an effective way to immerse yourself in the language, as it helps you incorporate new vocabulary and phrases into your speech. Listening to the narrative and then summarizing it in your own words is a great exercise that enhances your fluency and pronunciation.
Using the shadowing technique, you can mimic the speech patterns and intonation of the narrator. This method enables you to improve your speaking skills and gain confidence in your pronunciation, crucial for IELTS speaking practice. By repeating the lines from the video, you not only learn English but also internalize the rhythm and pace of natural, conversational English.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
Throughout this video, several grammatical structures and expressions are employed effectively. Here are a few notable examples:
- Past Simple Tense: The story predominantly uses the past simple tense, as seen in phrases like "the statue was covered with gold" and "the swallow flew up." This tense is crucial for narrating events that have already occurred, making it vital for learners to master it.
- Direct Speech: The dialogue between the Happy Prince and the swallow introduces learners to conversational English. Phrases such as “Hello, and who are you?” and “Why are you crying?” are practical examples of how to ask questions and interact with others.
- Descriptive Language: Descriptive adjectives like "beautiful," "sad," and "sparkling" enrich the narrative. Understanding how to incorporate such adjectives into your speaking can make your storytelling more vivid and engaging.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While shadow speaking along with this video, you may encounter several pronunciation challenges. Here are some common traps to watch for:
- “Ruby” and “sword”: The words contain vowel sounds that might be tricky for non-native speakers. Pay close attention to articulating the “r” in “ruby” and the silent “w” in “sword.”
- “Emeralds” and “sparkling”: The complex consonant clusters in these words can lead to mispronunciations. Practice them slowly, focusing on each syllable for clarity.
- “Alley” and “sadness”: These words can trip up learners due to their vowel sounds and stressed syllables. Pronounce them multiple times, emphasizing the correct syllables to enhance your accent.
By integrating the shadow speech practice with this tale, you can significantly improve your speaking skills while enjoying a touching story. Engage with the characters and narrate your version of their journey, enhancing your confidence and capabilities in English.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.