THE HAPPY PRINCE

In-text Question

1. Why did he want to part with all the gold that he had, and his precious stones?

Answer: The Happy Prince wanted to part with his gold and precious stones because, after his death, he could see the ugliness and misery of his city. He could see poor and suffering people who needed help. Therefore, he gave away his precious things to help them.

Think About It

1. Why do the courtiers call the prince ‘the Happy Prince’? Is he really happy? What does he see all around him?

Answer: The courtiers called the prince the ‘Happy Prince’ because, when he was alive, he lived in the Palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. He lived happily and knew nothing of tears.

He is not really happy after his death. He is placed high above the city, from where he can see the ugliness and misery of the city. He sees a poor seamstress whose little boy is ill, a hungry young playwright who is too cold to write, a little matchgirl who is suffering, beggars, starving children and two little boys who are hungry and cold.

2. Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow do in the seamstress’ house?

Answer: The Happy Prince sends the ruby from his sword hilt to the seamstress because her little boy is ill with fever and is asking for oranges. His mother has nothing to give him except river water, so the boy is crying.

The swallow takes the ruby to the seamstress’ house and lays it on the table beside her thimble. He then flies gently around the boy’s bed and fans his forehead with his wings. The boy feels better and falls into a peaceful sleep.

3. For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why?

Answer: The Prince sends his two sapphires to a young playwright and a little matchgirl.

He sends one sapphire to the young playwright because he is too cold and hungry to finish his play. The Prince says that the playwright can sell the sapphire to the jeweller, buy firewood and finish his play.

He sends the other sapphire to the little matchgirl because her matches have been spoiled, and her father will beat her if she does not bring home some money. She has no shoes or stockings and her head is bare.

4. What does the swallow see when it flies over the city?

Answer: The swallow sees the rich making merry in their beautiful houses while beggars sit at the gates. He also sees starving children in dark lanes. Under the archway of a bridge, he sees two little boys lying in each other’s arms to keep themselves warm. They are hungry, but the watchman drives them away into the rain.

5. Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?

Answer: The swallow did not leave the Prince because he loved him too well. Although it was winter and the swallow was growing colder, he decided to stay with the Prince. Even when he knew that he was going to die, he returned to the Prince and stayed with him.

6. What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?

Answer: The two precious things mentioned at the end of the story are the Happy Prince’s leaden heart and the dead swallow.

The leaden heart and the dead bird are considered precious because the Prince and the swallow had given up their possessions and their lives while helping those who were suffering. The Angel brought these two things to God, and God said that they had been rightly chosen.

EXTRA QUESTON

1. Why did the Happy Prince decide to help the poor people of the city?

Answer: The Happy Prince decided to help the poor people because, after his death, he could see the misery and suffering in his city. He saw a poor seamstress whose son was ill, a young playwright who was hungry and cold, a little matchgirl who was suffering, and many starving and homeless people. Since he could not move from his pedestal, he asked the swallow to carry his precious things to those who needed help.

2. How did the swallow gradually become attached to the Happy Prince?

Answer: At first, the swallow wanted to leave for Egypt and was unwilling to stay with the Happy Prince. However, he felt sorry for the Prince and agreed to stay for one night. He then carried the Prince’s ruby to the poor seamstress and later gave a sapphire to the young playwright. When the Prince became blind, the swallow decided to stay with him always. Although winter came and the swallow became colder and weaker, he refused to leave the Prince because he loved him too well.

3. How did the Happy Prince and the swallow sacrifice themselves for others?

Answer: The Happy Prince gave away his ruby, his two sapphires and all the gold covering his statue to help poor and suffering people. After giving away his two sapphires, he became blind, but he still asked the swallow to take the gold from his body and distribute it among the poor.

The swallow stayed with the blind Prince instead of going to Egypt. He continued helping the Prince until winter became too severe and he died at the Prince’s feet. The Prince’s leaden heart also broke when the swallow died. Thus, both the Prince and the swallow sacrificed what they had for the sake of others.