Q. Why does the Happy
Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow do in the
seamstress’ house?
Ans. The prince wanted the swallow to pick out the
ruby from his sword-hilt and take it to the poor seamstress because he saw that
the poor woman’s son was seriously sick. He was crying on his bed. The boy was
asking for oranges. But the woman could not afford. Therefore, the Happy Prince
sent a ruby for her. The swallow put the ruby on a table and fanned the boy’s
forehead with its wings.
Q. For whom does the Prince send the sapphires and
why?
Ans. The prince
sends one sapphire for a playwright and the other to a poor match girl.
The Happy Prince saw a young playwright leaning
over a desk covered with papers. His hair was brown ,crisp and his lips were
red. He was trying to finish a play for the theatre. Cold, abscence of firewood and hunger had made him faint. So, he
could not finish the play.
The Happy Prince also
noticed a poor match girl weeping after she accidentally threw her matches into
a drain. She was afraid that her parents would beat her.
The Happy Prince helped both the playwright and the
poor girl by sending them the sapphires.
Q. What does the swallow see
when it flies over the city?
Ans. When the swallow flies over the city, it sees
the rich enjoying in their houses while the beggers begging at their gates. The
swallow even sees two little-wretched boys lying in each other’s arms to keep
themselves warm. In this way, the swallow sees the stark contrast between
prosperity and poverty.
Q. Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go
to Egypt?
Ans. The Happy
Prince had become totally blind. The swallow was impressed with his charity and
kindness. He had sacrificed everything for the good cause of helping the poor
and downtrodden in their needs.
The unusual traits of the Happy Prince had a deep
impact on the heart of swallow. The swallow loved the prince now much that he
could not leave him in that state. He decided not to go to Egypt. He remained
there till his last breath.
Q.Why is the statue of the
Prince described as looking like a beggar and being no longer useful?
Ans. The statue of the prince had lost all that had
made it great and resplendent. It had lost all it gold, sapphires and the ruby.
It looked worn out like a beggar.
Q.What proclamation (order)does the mayor make
about the death of the birds?
Ans. The proclamation made by the Mayor was that no
birds should be allowed to die in the city
Q.What impression do you gather of his personality
form this?
Ans. From the Mayor’s remarks, we gather that he
was an irrational and censorious person. Instead of thinking
about the disappearance of the prince assets . Instead of thinking, what has
made the statue so shabby and how has the bird died, he makes proclamations
without any rationale. He just looks
at the external appearance of things instead of thinking about the essence of
things.
Q. What were the two precious things the angel
brought to God? In what way were they precious?
The two most precious things mentioned in the story
are the leaden heart of the happy prince and the dead swallow. The happy prince
had sacrificed these to serve the suffering humanity. The swallow fulfilled the
wishes of the happy prince. He sacrificed his self-interest in going to Egypt.
He carried gold and jewels to the suffering people. He remained with the prince
in the bad weather also. He died at the prince’s feet. So, the angel was right
when it took the leaden heart of the prince and the dead swallow to Heaven.
Q. What happened to the prince
’s heart? What feelings does the end of the story arouse in you?
Ans. The prince’s heart broke into two halves when
the bird fell dead at its feet. When the leaden heart was put into the furnace,
it does not melt. So, it was thrown away. Therefore, the dead bird and the
leaden heart met even after death. The end the story arouses in us deep
sympathy for the two. The angels considered the leaden heart the most precious
thing in the city. They took it to heaven.
Q.What is the conclusion of ‘The Happy Prince?
The story concludes that mortal life is meant to
decay and death and good deeds make one immortal. Goodness is everlasting and
ever- rewarding. The Happy Prince He gave his eyes, gold and jewellery to the
needy. His heart was divided into two halves when the swallow died at his feet.
The Happy Prince’s statue was not useful anymore. It was dull and useless. The
heart of the statue did not melt in a furnace as goodness could never be
destroyed.
At the end both the happy prince and the swallow were rewarded for their good deeds by God. They found a permanent place in heaven. The swallow will sing forever in the garden of paradise and the happy prince will live in the city of gold. Thus the story teaches us to live a meaningful life by helping those who are in need.
Q. The story presents a shocking contrast between
external appearance and the essence of things. How?
Yes the story presents a shocking contrast between
external appearance and the essence of things This is a strange world. Nothing
succeeds like success here. So long we are powerful and strong we are respected
and obeyed. In this dazzling world of wealth and riches, human feelings have no
relevance. The statue of the Happy Prince was installed at the highest column
in the most important square of the city. It was gilded all over with fine
gold. His eyes had two bright sapphires and a large red ruby glowed on his
sword hilt. He was a symbol of power, beauty and grandeur. The moment he lost
his gold, sapphires and the grand ruby, he became very ordinary, ugly and
useless. He was to be pulled down and melted in a furnace. The Mayor and the
Town Counsellors were cruel and selfish.
Q. What is the moral lesson of
“The Happy Prince”?
Ans. The moral lesson of “The Happy Prince” is that
the worst aspects of modern society can be overcome by righteousness .Righteousness
always plays an important role in bringing prosperity. The case might be of a
person, a family, a country or a nation. Of course, wealth and power can
provide luxury and comfort. But mental satisfaction and spiritual peace cannot
be brought. Every spiritual and religious leader recommend that people take the
right path and avoid the way of vice. It is possible to take care of the old,
weak and downtrodden sections of society when you are virtuous. When we go the
right way, the nation rises to great heights. Righteousness blesses a man with
great satisfaction and happiness. In the story, the Happy Prince reached the
highest level with his fellow swallows through righteousness.
