A gilded statue overlooking a city realises, with the help of a swallow who delays his migration to assist him, that he can no longer ignore the suffering around him. One by one, the Prince gives away his ruby, his sapphire eyes and his gold leaf to the city's poor, while the loyal swallow grows weaker in the cold. The title story, along with other tales such as "The Nightingale and the Rose" and "The Selfish Giant," blends fairy-tale charm with Wilde's recurring themes of sacrifice and compassion.