The Happy Prince: 9th Class CBSE English Moments Ch 05

The Happy Prince: NCERT 9th Class CBSE English Moments Chapter 05

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

Answer – The Happy Prince: The courtiers called the prince ‘the Happy Prince’ because he was always happy. When he was alive, he did not know what tears were for he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. However, when he died and was made into a statue, he was not happy and tears flowed down his eyes on seeing the state of his city. He could see all the misery and ugliness of the city around him.

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

Answer: The Happy Prince sent a ruby for the seamstress as she was extremely poor and could not feed her child who was suffering from fever.

The swallow picked out the ruby from the Happy Prince’s sword and flew to the seamstress’ house. On reaching the house he saw that the seamstress had fallen asleep because she was tired and the little boy was tossing feverishly on the bed. The swallow laid the ruby on the table and flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy’s forehead with his wings. The boy immediately felt cool, thought the fever must be improving and fell off to sleep.

Question: For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why?

Answer: The Happy Prince sent the sapphires for two people: the young writer across the city and the matchgirl.

The young writer was trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre. However, he was too cold to write anymore, there was no fire in the grate and hunger had made him faint. He sent the sapphire to the young playwright so that he could sell it to the jeweler, buy firewood, and finish his play. On seeing the sapphire, the young man felt appreciated and believed that he could finish his play.

The Happy Prince then saw a little matchgirl who was standing in the square just below him. She had let her matches fall in the gutter because of which they were all spoiled. The prince knew that her father would beat her if she did not bring home some money. When the swallow slipped the jewel into the palm of the little girl’s hand, she ran home happy and laughing.

Question: What does the swallow see when it flies over the city?

Answer: When the swallow was flying over the city, it saw the rich making merry and the beggars sitting at the gates of the rich men’s houses. It flew into the dark lanes and saw the white faces of starving children. Under the archway of a bridge, it saw two little boys lying in each other’s arms trying to keep themselves warm in the rain. They were extremely hungry and on top of it, they were asked by the watchman to vacate the archway. The swallow went back and told the Prince about all it had seen.

Question: Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?

Answer: When the Happy Prince had given both his sapphire eyes to the needy, the swallow decided to stay with him as he was blind. It did not leave for Egypt even though the Prince urged him to. When the snow came, followed by frost, the little swallow grew colder and colder. However, it did not leave the Prince as it loved him very much. It fed itself on the crumbs outside the bakery and kept itself warm by flapping its wings. However, at last, it knew it was going to die. It flew to the Prince, said goodbye, and asked if it could kiss his hand. It kissed the Prince’s lips and fell down dead at its feet.

Question: What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?

Answer: There are two precious things in the story: the Prince’s leaden heart and the dead swallow.

They were both precious because they were kind and selfless. The Prince was sad as he saw so many people suffering in his city. He gave away his ruby, sapphires and all his gold to them. He did not think about himself for once. He was more concerned about the well-being of his people even though he was dead.

The little swallow was precious because it showed kindness by carrying the Prince’s messages to the poor and deciding to stay back for the Prince when he was blind, though he knew that he would face difficulties in winter, which was fast approaching. It actively participated in helping the poor and needy in the city. The swallow was so precious that when it died and fell down at the Prince’s feet, the Prince’s leaden heart broke into two.

When God asked one of his angels to bring him the two most precious things in the city, the angel brought him the leaden heart and the dead bird. God said that the little bird would forever sing in His garden of Paradise and the Happy Prince would praise Him in His city of gold.

Question: Why did the Swallow cry when the Happy Prince asked him to pluck out one of the sapphires?

Answer: The swallow cried when the Prince asked him to pluck out one of the sapphires because the Prince would go blind. The Prince himself suffered too much so as to help the poor and needy people.

Question: Where was the swallow going? Why did he decide not go there?

Answer: The little swallow was going to Egypt to join his friends. The happy Prince looked so sad that the swallow decided to stay back and be his messenger. The swallow died helping the happy Prince in the service of poor people.

Question: What were the drops of the rain actually? Why did they fall?

Answer: The drops of rain were actually the Happy Prince’s tears. The Happy prince was sad and moved by the widespread poverty and misery. He had always seen happiness around him. He could not fathom that people were sick and crying because of the misery around them.

Question: Describe the statue of the Happy Prince as described in the beginning of the story?

Answer: At the beginning of the story the statue was fixed on a tall column, full of thin leaves of gold on the body, and had two sapphires for eyes. It had a large red ruby fixed on the hilt of the sword.

Question: How did the Happy Prince help the poor children in the city?

Answer: As per the orders of the Happy Prince, the gold leaves and the jewels on his boy were taken out by the swallow and distributed among the poor. Thus, the Happy Prince was able to help the poor children in the city.

Question: In the story ‘The Happy Prince’ what are the two most precious things? What makes them so precious?

Answer: The two most precious things were the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead swallow. The former wept for the poor and helped them by giving sapphires, gold leave and ruby. While the latter helped the prince in his noble cause and sacrificed her life while staying with him.

Question: How did the Happy Prince help the seamstress?

Answer: The Happy Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby out of his sword, where it was hidden and give it to the seamstress, whose son was lying on the bed with fever. The swallow took the ruby and placed it on the table.

Question: How did the prince and the swallow enable the playwright to finish his work?

Answer: The playwright was very poor. He could not buy food and firewood. It was difficult for him to write a play without food and firewood. The Prince took pity on him and decided to help him by sending the sapphires with the help of the swallow.

Question: What were the drops of the rain actually? Why did they fall?

Answer: The drops of rain were actually tears of the Happy Prince because he was weeping on seeing the misery and suffering of the people.

Question: Why was the ‘Happy Prince’ not really happy?

Answer: When the ‘Happy Prince’ was alive, he did not know what tears and sorrow were. After his death, he could see the ugliness and misery of the city. Therefore, he weeps and is not really happy.

Question: Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?

Answer: The Happy Prince looked so sad that the little swallow felt sorry for him. He agreed to stay with him for one night and be his messenger. He picked out the great ruby from the prince’s sword and flew away to deliver it to the poor woman.

Question: What is the moral of the story The Happy Prince?

Answer: The moral of the story is that we must help the poor and the needy. The prince set an example of this by giving his jewels to the poor. The swallow also proved to be a great example of love and sacrifice.

Question: What happened when the little swallow was getting ready to sleep?

Answer: When the little swallow was getting ready to sleep a large drop of water fell on him. It was the Prince crying on seeing the misery and suffering of the people.

Question: What did the Happy Prince ask the swallow to do for helping the young man in the garret?

Answer: The Happy Prince ordered the swallow to pluck one of his eyes which were made of sapphire and take it to the man living in the garret who was very poor and could not write with an empty stomach.

Question: How did the little swallow carry out the wishes of the Happy Prince?

Answer: The swallow wanted to go to Egypt just like his friends who had already gone there. He had rested at the base of the statue of the Happy Prince for just a night. He postponed his trip as he had to carry a ruby to the needy playwright and another to the seamstress. When the Happy Prince gave the sapphire from his eye to the match girl he became blind. So the swallow decided to stay there and help the needy just like the prince. The swallow died carrying out the wishes of the Happy Prince in the service of the needy.