Chapter 1
The Happy Prince
A. Comprehension Questions
(1) Answer the following Questions:
1. Where did the statue of the Happy Prince stand?
Answer: The statue of the Happy Prince stood high above the city, on a tall column.
2. How was the statue decorated?
Answer: The statue of the Happy Prince was beautifully decorated — it was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, had two bright sapphires for eyes, and a large red ruby on the hilt of his sword.
3. Where was the Swallow going?
Answer: The Swallow was originally going to Egypt to join his friends, who had already flown there six weeks earlier.
4. Why did the swallow put up between the feet of the Happy Prince?
Answer: The Swallow put up between the feet of the Happy Prince because he thought it was a fine position with plenty of fresh air. He was looking for a place to rest for the night and found the statue on a tall column suitable for that.
5. Where were the drops coming from?
Answer: The drops were coming from the eyes of the Happy Prince. The statue was weeping, and the tears were running down his golden cheeks.
6. Why was the Happy Prince crying?
Answer: The Happy Prince was crying because, from his high position, he could see all the ugliness and misery of the city. Though his heart was made of lead, he was deeply moved by the suffering of the people and could not help but weep.
7. Describe the seamstress in the words of the prince.
Answer: The Happy Prince described the seamstress as a woman with a thin and worn face and coarse, red hands pricked by the needle. She was working hard, embroidering flowers on a satin gown for one of the Queen’s maids of honour, while her little boy lay ill in bed, crying for oranges, but she had nothing to give him except river water.
8. Why was the seamstress's little boy crying?
Answer: The seamstress's little boy was crying because he was ill with a fever and was asking for oranges, but his mother was too poor to give him anything except river water.
9. How did both the Happy Prince and the Swallow help the seamstress?
Answer: The Happy Prince saw the suffering of the seamstress and her ill son and wanted to help. He asked the Swallow to pluck the ruby from his sword hilt and deliver it to the seamstress.
The Swallow, though reluctant to delay his journey to Egypt, agreed to help. He carried the ruby to the poor house and placed it beside the woman’s thimble. Then he gently fanned the boy’s forehead with his wings to cool him, which made the boy feel better.
In this way, both the Happy Prince and the Swallow showed compassion and helped ease the seamstress’s pain and her child’s suffering.
10. Why did the Swallow feel warm?
Answer: The Swallow felt warm because he had done a good action by helping the poor seamstress and her sick child.
It shows that kindness and selflessness can bring warmth to the heart, even in the coldest times.
11. What troubled the young man in the garret?
Answer: The young man in the garret was troubled because he was too cold and hungry to finish writing a play for the Director of the Theatre.
12. How was the young man helped?
Answer: The young man was helped when the Happy Prince asked the Swallow to pluck out one of his sapphire eyes and give it to him.
The Swallow flew to the garret and dropped the beautiful sapphire near the man’s withered violets. The young man believed it was a gift from an admirer, felt appreciated, and with the sapphire he could now buy firewood and food, which allowed him to finish his play.
13. Why was the match girl crying?
Answer: The match girl was crying because she had accidentally dropped all her matches in the gutter, and they got spoiled. She had no money to take home, and she was afraid her father would beat her. Also, she had no shoes or stockings, and her little head was bare, which made her situation even more miserable.
14. The Swallow said to the prince, "I will stay with you always." Why?
Answer: The Swallow said to the Prince, "I will stay with you always," because the Happy Prince had become blind after giving away both of his sapphire eyes to help the poor. The Swallow felt deep love, loyalty, and compassion for the Prince, who had shown such kindness and sacrifice. He could not leave the helpless and blind Prince alone, so he chose to stay with him, even though the weather was turning cold and it was time for him to fly to Egypt.
15. How did the poor Swallow manage to live in so much cold?
Answer: The poor Swallow managed to live in the cold by picking up crumbs outside the baker’s door when the baker was not looking, and he tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings. Even though he was growing weaker and colder every day, he refused to leave the Happy Prince because of his deep love and loyalty.
16. Why was the statue of the Happy Prince pulled down?
Answer: He statue of the Happy Prince was pulled down because it was no longer beautiful. The Mayor and the Town Councillors noticed that:
- The ruby had fallen from his sword.
- His sapphire eyes were gone.
- His golden covering had been stripped off.
They declared that since the statue was no longer attractive, it was no longer useful, so they melted it down in a furnace. However, the leaden heart did not melt, and was thrown away along with the dead Swallow.
17. What were the two most precious things in the city?
Answer: The two most precious things in the city were:
- The leaden heart of the Happy Prince.
- The dead Swallow.
