Updated on 03/06/2026
*5. The Happy Prince (Oscar Wilde)*
*1. Who is the writer of this story?*
Ans. Oscar Wilde
*2. Where did the statue of the Happy Prince stand?*
Ans. It stood on a tall column, high above the city
*3. What did the statue have for eyes?*
Ans. Two bright sapphires
*4. What was there on the statue’s sword hilt?*
Ans. A large red ruby
*5. What was his heart made of?*
Ans. It was made of lead (a heavy metal)
*6. Where was the little swallow going?*
Ans. To Egypt, where his friends were waiting
*7. Where did the little swallow decide to spend his night?*
Ans. Between the feet of the Happy Prince
*8. How many drops of water fell on the little swallow from the eyes of the Happy Prince?*
Ans. Three drops of water (which were the Prince’s tears)
*9. Why was the Happy Prince weeping?*
Ans. He was weeping to see the misery, poverty and sufferings of his people
*10. What was the old woman’s son suffering from?*
Ans. He was suffering from a high fever
*11. What was the seamstress’s ailing son asking for?*
Ans. oranges
*12. What was wrong with the playwright?*
Ans. He was faint with hunger
*13. Why was the match girl crying?*
Ans. Because her matches had fallen into the gutter and were spoiled
*14. What happened to the little swallow ultimately?*
Ans. He died at the feet of the Happy Prince due to the extreme cold
*5. The Happy Prince (Oscar Wilde)*
*1. Describe the statue of the Happy Prince.*
Ans. The Happy Prince was a beautiful statue. It stood on a tall column high above the city. The statue was covered with thin leaves of gold. He had sapphires for his eyes and a ruby in his sword.
*2. What made the statue of the Happy Prince cry?*
Ans. The statue of the Happy Prince was weeping because when he was alive, he had no sorrow. But after his death from here he was able to see all the ugliness and misery of the people. Now he had a lead heart so he could still feel the pain, which made him cry.
*3. For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why?*
Ans. The prince sent the sapphires for the playwright so that he could finish a play for the director of the theatre in time. The prince 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.
*4. What does the swallow see when it flies over the city?*
Ans. When the swallow flies over the city, it sees the stark contrast of plenty and poverty. The beggars were sitting at the gates of the rich men's houses. It flies into the dark lanes and sees the white faces of starving children. It seems rich men were celebrating.
*5. Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?*
Ans. The prince had given the two sapphires of his eyes for the poor. Now he was completely blind. The swallow had a kind heart. So he decided not to leave the prince.
Q.6 What happened to the Prince's heart when the swallow died?
Ans: As soon as the little swallow kissed the Prince on the lips and fell dead at his feet, a strange cracking sound occurred inside the statue. The Prince's leaden heart had snapped right into two pieces because of intense grief.
Q.7 Why did the Mayor and Town Councillors call the statue "shabby" and "no longer beautiful"?
Ans: The city officials loved only outward, superficial beauty. Once the Happy Prince gave away all his gold, ruby, and sapphires for charity, he looked dull and grey. Since he was no longer useful or decorative for the city, they decided to pull him down.
Long Answer
*1. Describe a brief character sketch of the Happy Prince.*
Ans. The Prince is described as a beautiful statue with golden skin, sapphires for eyes, and a ruby on his sword-hilt. The happy prince was kind hearted and a helping nature. If he had stepped out of his palace he would've done his best to help the poor people in need. When a bird came to stay at night between his feet. The statue of the Happy Prince was weeping to see the misery and poor condition of his country's people. He urged the bird by giving his Ruby from sword and sapphires from his eyes to the poor people. Now he was completely blind. The swallow had a kind heart. So he decided not to leave the prince. In the end the bird died under his feet due to cold and snow.