The Devoted
Friend
Introduction
The Devoted Friend is an interesting
short story of two friends having different temperaments and different
conceptions of devoted friendship written by Oscar Wilde. He was one of the
most eminent and elegant writers of the 19th century. The story is both tender
and profound in its treatment of the comically one-sided friendship between
poor Hans and the rich Miller.
Summary
The story is narrated by a songbird
to a water rat and a duck. There are two characters in the story little Hans
and Hugh the miller.
Little Hans was a simple, innocent,
kind-hearted and sincere fellow. He was a hard working gardener and earned his
living by selling the fruits and flowers into the market of the town. Hugh the
miller was a rich but clever and selfish man. He always claimed that he was a
devoted friend of little Hans.
In the summer season, the miller
would go to the garden of Hans and bring plenty of flowers and fruit without
making him any payment. He never gave anything to Hans. Hugh the miller
repeatedly exploited Hans. Sometimes, he sent Hans to Market with a heavy sack
of flour. Sometimes, he asked Hans to drive his flock of sheep to the mountains
for grazing. He would also ask Hans to work on his flourmill or do some work of
repair in his barn.
In return, he merely made a promise
to give his invalid and damaged wheelbarrow to Hans, free of cost. The miller
called it an act of great generosity. Unfortunately, the promise was never
materialized.
It is so happened that on a rough and
stormy night, Hugh the miller sent little Hans to bring the doctor because the
miller’s little son hand been seriously injured. As usual, little Hans showed
compliance and left for the doctor’s home as he could never think of
displeasing the miller. When poor Hans was returning with the doctor, the storm
grew fiercer and he lost his way in the dangerous rocky region. He stranded on
the moor and fell into a deep pool of water, where he was drowned. In this way,
the innocent fellow lost his life for the sake miller.
Moral
The story suggests that friendship is
a noble and respectable bond based on bilateral love and cooperation. Mutual
interest is the essence of true friendship.
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