The Happy Prince
1. Why do the courtiers call the prince The Happy Prince? is he really happy? What does he see all around him?
Ans: The courtiers used to call the prince the Happy Prince because when he was alive, he did not know what tears were for he lived in the Palace, where sorrow was not allowed to enter.
No, he was not happy anymore. When he died, he was made into a statue and placed at a height from where he could see the ugliness and poverty in the city.
2. Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow do in the seamstress' house?
Ans: The Happy Prince sends a ruby for the seamstress because she was poor and her son was with fever. Her son asks her to give him oranges but all she has is river water.
The swallow was requested by the Happy Prince to visit and give the ruby to the seamstress. When the swallow reached her house, she was asleep and the little boy was tossing feverishly. The swallow kept the ruby on the table beside her thimble. He then gently went around the boy's bed, fanning the bay's forehead with his wings. The boy felt better and went into a deep sleep
3. For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why?
Ans: The playwright was very poor. He was incapable of buying food and firewood. The prince sent the sapphires for the playwright so that he could finish a play for the director of the theatre in time. The princes sent his second sapphire to a poor match girl. Her matches had fallen into the gutter. She was afraid that her father would beat her for this loss. So, she was helped by the prince by sending her the second sapphire.
4. What does the swallow see when it was flying over the city?
Ans: The swallow saw all categories of people. He found the rich making merry in their beautiful houses and beggars begging sitting at the gates. He also saw a group of wandering children who were poverty- stricken.
5. Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?
Ans: At first, the swallow was willing to go to Egypt just after discharging his duty properly. But when he saw Prince's activities of charity and kindness he got impressed. On the other hand now the Happy Prince had become totally blind due to the deeds of charity, in this condition, he could not leave the Prince helpless. He left the idea of going to Egypt and decided to serve the Prince.
6. What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?
Ans: The leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead swallow are the two precious things mentioned in the story. They are precious as they did various deeds for the welfare of people and sacrificed their lives for the sake of others.
