The Nightingale and the Rose

“The Nightingale and the Rose” is a children’s story by Irish writer Oscar Wilde, included in his 1888 fairy tale collection, The Happy Prince and Other Tales. Like many of the other stories in the collection, “The Nightingale and the Rose” is a fable examining the nature of love and self-sacrifice. “The Nightingale and the Rose” conforms to the simplistic story structure of traditional fairy tales while subverting many of the genre’s norms.

This guide refers to the 2009 Puffin Classics edition of The Happy Prince and Other Stories. However, this guide will refer to the collection by its original title, The Happy Prince and Other Tales.

Content Warning: This study guide references institutionalized anti-gay sentiment—i.e., the criminalization of sexual relationships between men.

The story opens with a student (“the Student”) lamenting that his unnamed love interest will only dance with him if he can give her a red rose, which he cannot find. Despite his great learning, his life is “wretched” due to this lack. A nightingale (“the Nightingale”) overhears the Student’s laments. She reflects that she has sung about the Student “night after night […] though [she] know[s] him not” and that he is a “true lover” (58). The Student continues his lament, explaining that the Prince is hosting a ball the next night and fantasizing about dancing with his love interest. He reflects that if he does not give her a red rose, she will reject him and break his heart.

When the Student begins to weep, the Lizard, Butterfly, and Daisy call him and the source of his distress “ridiculous.” The Nightingale, however, ponders “the mystery of Love” and then approaches a rose tree to request a red rose (60). The tree refuses, replying that it only has white roses. The Nightingale requests roses from another tree but is again denied, as this tree has only yellow roses.

Finally, the Nightingale asks for roses from the red rose tree, but the tree explains that winter has killed all its buds. Seeing the Nightingale’s desperation, the tree says that there is a “terrible” way that the Nightingale could secure a rose. The Nightingale insists, and the Rose-tree replies that the Nightingale must sing all night and then pierce her heart with a thorn, as the tree needs “heart’s-blood” and music to create a rose. The Nightingale thinks of the many joys of life she would lose but is willing to die to help the Student. She flies back to the Student and tells him that she will bring him his red rose if he vows that he will always be a true lover. The Student does not understand what the Nightingale is saying, as he only understands book knowledge. The Oak-tree, who recognizes that the Nightingale is about to sacrifice herself, asks her for one last song before she dies. As the Nightingale flies away, the Student writes down in his notebook that the Nightingale has lovely style and art but no feeling or deeper meaning.

The Nightingale returns to the Rose-tree and sings of childhood love while pushing her breast against a thorn. A rose begins forming, but it is pale. She then begins to sing of love between a “man and a maid” (64). As the thorn pierces her heart, she sings of undying love. The rose then becomes crimson. Before dying, the Nightingale lets out a few final notes that cause the rose to open its petals.

The Student opens his window and celebrates his “wonderful luck” at finding a red rose. He plucks the rose and brings it to his love interest, revealed to be the Professor’s daughter. The Student shows her the rose and reminds her of her promise to dance with him. The Professor’s daughter tells him that the rose will not match her dress and that she received valuable jewels from the Chamberlain’s nephew. The Student accuses the Professor’s daughter of being “ungrateful” and throws the rose in the gutter, where a cart rolls over it. After the professor’s daughter dismisses him, the Student remarks that love is a “silly thing […] not half as useful as Logic, for it does not prove anything […] In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, […] in this age to be practical is everything” (66). He then returns to reading a book.