📘 THE HAPPY PRINCE
By Oscar Wilde
(Class 9 English – Moments)
✅ 1–40: Short Question-Answers (2–3 lines each)
🔵 Who is the Happy Prince?
The Happy Prince is a statue covered in gold and jewels, standing on a tall column overlooking the city.
🟢 Why was the Happy Prince not really happy?
Though called ‘Happy’, he had never known sorrow during his lifetime. As a statue, he saw suffering and felt sad.
🟡 Where was the statue of the Happy Prince placed?
It was placed on a high column in the middle of the city.
🔴 Why did people admire the Happy Prince?
They admired his beauty—his golden body, sapphire eyes, and ruby on his sword.
🔵 Who came to rest at the feet of the statue?
A little swallow stopped to rest at the statue’s feet while flying to Egypt.
🟣 Why did the swallow decide to stay with the statue?
He was moved by the Prince’s sorrow and agreed to help him in his acts of kindness.
🟢 What did the Happy Prince ask the swallow to do?
He asked the swallow to deliver his ruby, sapphires, and gold leaves to the poor.
🟡 Whom did the Prince help first?
A poor seamstress whose child was ill and had nothing to eat.
🔴 How did the swallow help the seamstress?
He took the ruby from the Prince’s sword and gave it to her.
🔵 Why didn’t the swallow fly to Egypt?
He delayed his journey out of love and loyalty to the Prince.
🟣 What happened to the swallow in the cold?
He grew weak and cold but still stayed to serve the Prince.
🟢 What did the Prince give to the young playwright?
A sapphire from one of his eyes.
🟡 How did the Prince help the match girl?
He gave her his second sapphire so she wouldn’t be beaten by her father.
🔴 What happened to the Prince after giving away his sapphires?
He became blind, but the swallow became his eyes.
🔵 What was the swallow’s role after the Prince turned blind?
He flew over the city and described people’s misery to the Prince.
🟣 How did the Prince help the poor after he lost his jewels?
He asked the swallow to pluck off his gold leaves and distribute them.
🟢 How did the townspeople react to the statue later?
They said the statue looked dull and ugly and decided to remove it.
🟡 What did the Mayor say about the statue?
He said the statue was no longer beautiful and must be melted.
🔴 What happened to the swallow at the end?
He died from the cold beside the statue.
🔵 What happened to the Happy Prince’s heart?
It broke when the swallow died and didn’t melt in the furnace.
🟣 What did the Angel take to God?
The Angel took the broken heart and the dead swallow.
🟢 What did God say about the gifts?
God called them the two most precious things in the city.
🟡 What message does the story convey?
It promotes compassion, selflessness, and sacrifice.
🔴 Why did the swallow feel warm despite the cold?
Because he felt joy and love in helping others.
🔵 Who was the true hero of the story?
Both the Prince and the swallow, for their sacrifice.
🟣 How is the Happy Prince ironic?
Though called ‘happy’, he truly felt sorrow only after death.
🟢 What was the swallow’s original plan?
To fly to Egypt to escape the cold.
🟡 Why did the swallow delay his journey?
Out of sympathy and later love for the Prince.
🔴 How did the Prince help children?
He gave them gold and jewels to survive.
🔵 What shows the Prince’s change of heart?
He gave up his beauty and riches for the needy.
🟣 How did the townspeople judge the statue?
By appearance—they removed it once it looked unattractive.
🟢 What does the broken heart symbolize?
True love and sacrifice.
🟡 Why is the swallow important in the story?
He brings the Prince’s compassion to life.
🔴 Why did the Angel choose the heart and the swallow?
Because of their love, sacrifice, and purity.
🔵 How did the poor benefit from the Prince’s sacrifice?
They received gold, jewels, and hope in tough times.
🟣 What lesson do the Mayor and officials teach us?
How society often values appearance over inner goodness.
🟢 What theme is reflected through the Prince?
Selfless love and compassion for the suffering.
🟡 What theme is reflected through the swallow?
Loyalty, friendship, and devotion.
🔴 How does the story criticize society?
By showing how people neglect true beauty and kindness.
🔵 What does the story encourage readers to do?
To help others and value inner goodness over appearance.
✅ 41–45: Long Answer Questions (100–120 words)
🟦 Describe the relationship between the Happy Prince and the swallow.
The Happy Prince and the swallow develop a deep, emotional relationship based on love and sacrifice. The Prince, once unaware of human suffering, becomes compassionate as a statue and wishes to help the needy. The swallow, initially resting at his feet, is moved by the Prince’s sorrow and decides to stay and help. Though he had planned to go to Egypt, he delays his journey to carry out the Prince’s wishes. Over time, their bond grows strong. The swallow gives up his migration and life for the Prince, while the Prince gives up all his beauty for others. Their relationship symbolizes selfless love and true friendship.
🟩 How does the Happy Prince become a symbol of true charity?
The Happy Prince gives away all his riches to help the needy. He donates the ruby from his sword to a poor seamstress, sapphires from his eyes to a writer and a match girl, and his golden leaves to starving children. He shows no concern for his own beauty and willingly sacrifices everything. His acts of kindness are done in silence and without any expectation of reward. Even when blind, he continues to help through the swallow. His broken heart at the swallow’s death shows his deep love and sorrow. Through this, he becomes a true symbol of charity, love, and sacrifice.
🟥 What does the story teach about true beauty and worth?
The story shows that true beauty lies in kindness, compassion, and selflessness. The Happy Prince was admired for his outward beauty but ignored when he looked dull. Yet, his real worth was in the love he showed for the poor. Similarly, the swallow was small and considered insignificant, but his devotion and sacrifice made him noble. The townspeople and officials valued physical appearance, while God chose the Prince’s heart and the swallow’s body as the most precious things. Thus, the story teaches that real beauty is not in appearance but in the goodness of one’s heart.
🟨 How does Oscar Wilde criticize the society in “The Happy Prince”?
Oscar Wilde criticizes society’s obsession with appearance and its ignorance toward the poor. The statue of the Happy Prince was admired only for its beauty. Once it lost its outer charm, it was discarded. Similarly, the officials and Mayor only thought of status and ignored the suffering around them. The rich ignored the poor, while only the Prince and the swallow showed compassion. The story also shows how people fail to recognize true value—despising what is kind and noble when it doesn’t look appealing. Wilde suggests that society needs to look beyond appearance and value empathy and love.
🟧 What is the significance of the ending of the story?
The ending of the story is deeply meaningful. The townspeople discard the statue and the dead swallow, seeing them as worthless. However, an Angel presents the broken heart and the dead bird to God, who calls them the most precious things in the city. This divine recognition shows that real worth is not judged by the world, but by one’s actions and sacrifice. It emphasizes that love, loyalty, and kindness are the true treasures of life. The ending reinforces the story’s message—that spiritual beauty outlasts physical beauty and that good deeds are rewarded in the eyes of God.
✅ 46–50: Value-Based Questions
🟦 What values do you learn from the Happy Prince?
We learn values of compassion, selflessness, and generosity.
🟩 What does the swallow teach us?
The swallow teaches us loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice.
🟥 Why should we help others in need?
Because helping others brings real happiness and humanity to society.
🟨 What lesson does the story give about judging others?
It teaches us not to judge by appearance, but by inner goodness.
🟧 How can this story make us better people?
It helps us value kindness, respect emotions, and think about helping others selflessly