“The Happy Prince” is a celebrated fairy tale written by the Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, included in the NCERT Class 9 English Moments supplementary reader (Chapter 5). The story is a moving tale of selfless love and compassion, set against a backdrop of human suffering and social inequality. It follows a beautiful, jewel-studded statue of a prince and a small Swallow who together give away everything they have to help the poor. This chapter is an important part of the ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education) Class 9 English syllabus and frequently appears in examinations.
Summary of The Happy Prince
High above the city, on a tall column, stands a magnificent statue of the Happy Prince. The statue is covered with thin leaves of fine gold, has two sapphires for eyes, and a great red ruby glows on the sword-hilt. Everyone in the city admires the statue for its beauty.
One night, a little Swallow stops to rest between the feet of the statue on his way to Egypt, where his companions have already gone. As the Swallow is about to sleep, drops of water fall on him — they are the tears of the Happy Prince, who can see all the misery and ugliness of the city from his high pedestal.
The Prince tells the Swallow about a poor seamstress whose son is ill with fever and who has no money to buy oranges or medicine. He asks the Swallow to carry the ruby from his sword-hilt to her. The Swallow obeys, though reluctant to delay his journey to Egypt. He leaves the ruby by the seamstress’s thimble and fans the sick boy with his wings. The boy falls into a comfortable sleep.
The next night, the Swallow decides to leave, but the Prince asks him to stay one more night and give one of his sapphire eyes to a young playwright who is cold and hungry, unable to finish his play because he has no firewood and his lamp has gone out. The Swallow obeys and delivers the sapphire. The playwright feels fortunate and speaks of a rich patron sending him a precious stone.
The following night, the Swallow again prepares to leave. The Prince spots a little match-girl who has dropped her matches in the gutter and is afraid to go home lest her father beat her. The Prince asks the Swallow to pluck out his remaining sapphire eye and give it to her. The Swallow is reluctant because the Prince will then be blind, but the Prince insists. The Swallow gives the girl the sapphire. Having given away both his eyes, the Prince is now blind, and the Swallow decides to stay with him always.
The Swallow flies over the city and reports the suffering he sees — the hungry children, the gaunt faces of the starving poor under the bridges. The Prince asks the Swallow to strip his golden leaves one by one and distribute them to the poor. The Swallow does so, and the poor children’s faces grow rosier. Winter arrives and the Swallow grows very cold. He knows he is dying. He summons the strength to fly up to the Prince’s shoulder and tell him he has come to say goodbye. He kisses the Prince on his lips and falls down dead at his feet. At that moment, the leaden heart of the Prince breaks in two with a dull crack.
The next morning, the Mayor and the town councillors notice that the statue looks shabby — no gold, no jewels — and decide to pull it down. The broken leaden heart does not melt in the furnace along with the statue and is thrown on a dust-heap where the dead Swallow also lies. God asks one of His angels to bring the two most precious things in the city. The angel brings the leaden heart and the dead bird. God says that in His garden of Paradise the little bird shall sing forever, and in His city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise Him.
Think about It
Q1. Why did the swallow not leave for Egypt?
Answer: The Swallow did not leave for Egypt because the Happy Prince requested him to stay and help the poor and suffering people of the city. Each night, the Prince asked the Swallow to carry one of his precious jewels — first the ruby from his sword-hilt, then one of his sapphire eyes, and then the other sapphire eye — to people in need. After the Prince gave away both his eyes and became blind, the Swallow took pity on him and decided to stay with the Prince always. He would not leave a blind friend alone. As winter deepened, the Swallow grew very cold and weak, but he continued to carry out the Prince’s wishes, stripping the golden leaves from the statue and giving them to the poor. He stayed until he died at the Prince’s feet.
Q2. For whom did the Prince give his ruby, his two eyes, and all his gold? What does this act tell us about him?
Answer: The Prince gave away his precious possessions to those who were suffering:
- The ruby was given to a poor seamstress whose little boy was suffering from fever and needed oranges and medicine, but she had no money.
- The first sapphire eye was given to a young playwright who was cold and hungry and could not finish his play.
- The second sapphire eye was given to a little match-girl who was afraid to go home without selling her matches.
- All the gold leaves covering his body were distributed to the poor and hungry children of the city.
This act tells us that the Happy Prince was deeply compassionate, selfless, and generous. Despite being a statue — immovable and unable to act on his own — he felt real pain seeing the suffering of the poor from his high pedestal. He willingly parted with every precious thing he possessed, making himself ugly and bare in the eyes of the townspeople, without any hesitation. His beauty was not just physical; it lay in his pure and giving heart.
Q3. What are the two precious things mentioned in the story? Why does God consider them precious?
Answer: The two precious things mentioned at the end of the story are the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead Swallow. When the statue was melted down in the furnace, the broken leaden heart refused to melt and was thrown on a dust-heap along with the dead Swallow. God asked one of His angels to bring the two most precious things in the city, and the angel brought these two.
God considers them precious because they represent the highest human virtues of selfless love, compassion, and sacrifice. The Happy Prince had given away all his beauty and riches — his ruby, his sapphire eyes, and all his gold — to relieve the suffering of the poor, without expecting anything in return. The little Swallow, despite being bound for warmer lands and knowing he would die in the cold, chose to stay with the Prince and faithfully carry out acts of charity until his last breath. Together, they embody true love and self-sacrifice, which God values above all earthly wealth or physical beauty. God declares that the little bird shall sing forever in His garden of Paradise, and the Happy Prince shall praise Him in His city of gold.
Talk about It
Q1. The little swallow was a companion and messenger for the Happy Prince. What qualities of the Swallow do you admire the most?
Answer: The Swallow in the story displays many admirable qualities. The quality I admire most is his compassion and loyalty. Initially, the Swallow was eager to reach Egypt and join his companions. However, when he saw the tears of the Happy Prince and understood the suffering of the poor, he set aside his own plans and became the Prince’s faithful helper. He carried out each mission without complaint, even when it meant staying in the bitterly cold city instead of flying to the warm south. His most touching quality is his selfless devotion — he chose to stay with the blind Prince rather than save his own life, and he died at the Prince’s feet after distributing the last of the gold. His bravery, kindness, and loyalty make him truly heroic.
Q2. Today we see so much suffering and pain around us. What can we as individuals do to help those in need?
Answer: The story of the Happy Prince and the Swallow teaches us that even small acts of kindness can make a great difference in someone’s life. As individuals, we can help those in need in many ways. We can donate food, clothing, and money to the poor. We can volunteer at shelters, schools, or hospitals. We can speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We can be kind and empathetic in our daily interactions — a gentle word or a helping hand costs nothing but can mean everything to a person in distress. Like the Swallow, we do not need to be powerful or wealthy to make a difference; we need only the willingness to act with a compassionate heart. True happiness, as the story suggests, lies not in possessing beautiful things, but in giving and sharing with others.
Additional Questions
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Who was the Happy Prince? Where was he placed?
Answer: The Happy Prince was a beautiful statue of a prince, placed high on a tall column overlooking the city. He was covered with thin leaves of fine gold, had two bright sapphires for eyes, and a great red ruby on the hilt of his sword. The townspeople admired his beauty and considered him a fine example for their children.
Q2. Why did the Happy Prince begin to weep?
Answer: The Happy Prince wept because from his high pedestal he could see all the misery, poverty, and ugliness hidden within his beautiful city. During his lifetime he had lived in a palace of pleasure and had not known sorrow. But now, as a statue, he could see everything — the hungry, the sick, and the suffering — and his heart was filled with great compassion and sadness. He wept because he could feel their pain but could not help them on his own.
Q3. How did the Happy Prince help the poor seamstress?
Answer: The Happy Prince asked the Swallow to carry the great ruby from his sword-hilt to a poor seamstress whose little boy was ill with fever. The boy was crying for oranges, but the seamstress had nothing but river water to give him. The Swallow placed the ruby by the seamstress’s thimble and fanned the sick child with his wings to cool him. The boy fell into a restful sleep. Thus, the Happy Prince helped the seamstress by giving her the most valuable jewel he had.
Q4. Whom did the Prince help with his first sapphire?
Answer: The Prince gave his first sapphire to a young playwright who was cold and hungry and sitting at a desk trying to finish a play for the Director of the theatre. The young man had no firewood to warm himself, and his lamp had gone out. He was too poor to buy food. The Swallow left the sapphire on the playwright’s table beside his work. The young man immediately felt encouraged and warmer, believing he had received the stone from an admirer.
Q5. How did the Prince help the little match-girl?
Answer: The Prince saw a little match-girl standing in the square below. Her matches had fallen into the gutter and were all spoiled. She was weeping because she feared her father would beat her if she went home without money. The Prince asked the Swallow to pluck out his remaining sapphire eye and give it to the girl. The Swallow did so, and the little girl ran home laughing, saying she had found a lovely piece of glass in the street.
Q6. Why did the Swallow decide to stay with the Prince permanently?
Answer: The Swallow decided to stay with the Prince permanently after the Prince gave away his second sapphire eye and became completely blind. The Swallow could not bring himself to leave a blind and helpless friend alone in the cold city. He felt deep love and loyalty for the Prince. He said, “I will stay with you always,” and from that moment he became the Prince’s eyes, flying over the city and describing the suffering he saw so the Prince could decide how to help.
Q7. How did the Happy Prince and the Swallow help the poor children of the city?
Answer: After giving away his ruby and both his sapphire eyes, the Happy Prince asked the Swallow to strip the gold leaves from his body and distribute them to the poor. The Swallow flew from place to place, carrying the flakes of gold to the hungry and homeless. The poor children’s faces grew rosier as they received the gold. They were able to buy food and their condition improved. The Prince sacrificed his entire beautiful golden covering to ensure the poor would not suffer.
Q8. What happened to the statue of the Happy Prince after it was stripped of its gold and jewels?
Answer: After the statue had been stripped of all its gold and gems, it looked dull and grey. The Mayor and the town councillors declared it was no longer beautiful and decided to pull it down. The statue was melted in the furnace. However, the broken leaden heart of the Prince refused to melt and was thrown onto a dust-heap along with the dead body of the little Swallow. It was these two — the leaden heart and the dead bird — that God later declared to be the most precious things in the city.
Q9. What did God say about the two precious things brought by His angel?
Answer: God told His angel that he had chosen rightly. He said: “In my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me.” This declaration shows that God values selfless love, compassion, and sacrifice above all material wealth or earthly beauty. The Prince and the Swallow had given everything they had for the sake of others, and God rewarded them with the highest honour — eternal life in Paradise.
Q10. What was the Happy Prince like when he was alive?
Answer: When the Happy Prince was alive, he lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci, a palace of pleasure where sorrow was not allowed to enter. He danced and played all day, ate at great banquets, and never went beyond the palace gardens. He had never seen the suffering of the people outside. He was called “Happy” because he lived a life of pure pleasure and ignorance of pain. It was only after his death, when he stood as a statue overlooking the entire city, that he came to understand and feel the depth of human suffering around him.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. The Happy Prince and the Swallow both made great sacrifices for the sake of others. Compare and contrast their roles in the story.
Answer: The Happy Prince and the Swallow are the two central characters of the story and both make supreme sacrifices, though in different ways.
The Happy Prince is a statue — he cannot move or act on his own. Yet he feels deep compassion for the poor people of the city. He gives away his most precious possessions: the ruby from his sword, his two sapphire eyes, and the gold leaves covering his entire body. Each gift costs him dearly — first his beauty, then his sight, then his golden covering. He becomes blind, dull, and stripped of all glory. But he never hesitates or regrets his choices. His sacrifice is one of material wealth and physical beauty in the service of others.
The Swallow, on the other hand, is a free creature capable of flying to warm Egypt. His sacrifice is one of freedom and ultimately of life itself. He delays his journey repeatedly at the Prince’s request, giving up the warmth and safety of Egypt. When the Prince becomes blind, the Swallow chooses to stay permanently, knowing the cold will kill him. He strips the gold from the statue and flies across the miserable city day after day, growing weaker, until he dies at the Prince’s feet.
Together, they complement each other perfectly: the Prince has the will and the wealth but not the power to act, while the Swallow has the freedom and ability to act, though he had no wealth to give. Their partnership creates a beautiful example of how love and charity are most powerful when people work together.
Q2. “The Happy Prince” is a story about the contrast between the rich and the poor. Discuss.
Answer: Oscar Wilde uses the story of the Happy Prince to highlight the stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor in society. The statue of the Happy Prince stands tall and glittering — covered in gold and jewels — while below him the city is full of misery. The seamstress works night and day but cannot afford medicine for her sick child. The young playwright is talented but cold and hungry. The little match-girl is weeping in the square, afraid to go home without money.
The town councillors and the Mayor care only about the statue’s appearance — its beauty and grandeur. When it is stripped of its ornaments for the sake of the poor, they consider it “little better than a beggar” and pull it down. They value outward beauty and wealth over compassion and service.
Wilde seems to suggest that true wealth lies not in gold and jewels but in the ability to feel and respond to the suffering of others. The Prince and the Swallow, by choosing to give up everything they had, achieve a higher kind of richness — the love of God and eternal life in Paradise. The story is a gentle but powerful critique of a society that ignores the poor and rewards only the beautiful and the wealthy.
Q3. How does the story “The Happy Prince” convey the theme of selfless love and sacrifice?
Answer: The central theme of “The Happy Prince” is selfless love — the kind of love that gives without expecting anything in return. This theme is woven through every action of the two main characters.
The Happy Prince had everything a prince could want when he was alive — pleasure, comfort, and beauty. As a statue, he retains none of that happiness; instead, he is filled with sadness and compassion for the suffering poor he can now see. Without hesitation, he gives away his ruby, his sapphire eyes (leaving himself blind), and eventually every golden leaf from his body. He does not ask for praise or recognition. His only desire is to relieve the pain of others.
The Swallow, though a small and seemingly insignificant bird, demonstrates equally profound love. He sacrifices his natural instinct to migrate south and his very life in order to serve the Prince and, through him, the poor. His death is quiet and dignified — a final kiss on the Prince’s lips before he falls dead at his feet.
Oscar Wilde concludes the story with God recognising these two as the most precious things in the city, rewarding them with eternal life. This ending reinforces the idea that selfless love is the highest virtue a being can possess, more valuable than any jewel or gold. The story thus teaches readers that true happiness comes not from receiving, but from giving generously and lovingly to those in need.
Q4. Why do you think the author named the prince “The Happy Prince”? Was he truly happy?
Answer: The title “The Happy Prince” carries a deep irony. When the Prince was alive, he lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci — a name that itself means “without care” in French — surrounded by pleasure and completely shielded from sorrow. He was called “Happy” because he knew no grief and experienced only joy. His happiness, however, was superficial — it was the happiness of ignorance, not of fulfilment.
As a statue, the Prince is anything but happy. He weeps at the sight of the misery around him. He is moved by the suffering of the seamstress, the playwright, and the little match-girl. He gives away all his beauty and is left dull and blind. Yet, paradoxically, this is when the Prince achieves a deeper, truer form of happiness — the happiness of having loved and given fully. His broken leaden heart, which refuses to melt in the furnace, is a symbol of this pure love.
The name “The Happy Prince” thus serves as both an irony and a truth: ironic because the Prince is full of sorrow when we meet him; true because his selfless giving leads him to the ultimate happiness — eternal life in God’s Paradise. Oscar Wilde seems to suggest that real happiness is not found in pleasure or wealth, but in love and service to others.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. “The Happy Prince” is written by —
(a) Charles Dickens (b) Oscar Wilde (c) O. Henry (d) H.G. Wells
Answer: (b) Oscar Wilde
Q2. Where was the statue of the Happy Prince placed?
(a) In the middle of a garden (b) At the entrance of the palace (c) On a tall column high above the city (d) On a bridge over the river
Answer: (c) On a tall column high above the city
Q3. The eyes of the Happy Prince were made of —
(a) Diamonds (b) Emeralds (c) Sapphires (d) Rubies
Answer: (c) Sapphires
Q4. The first gift the Happy Prince gave away was —
(a) A sapphire (b) A gold leaf (c) The ruby from his sword-hilt (d) His golden crown
Answer: (c) The ruby from his sword-hilt
Q5. To whom did the Happy Prince give his first sapphire eye?
(a) A seamstress (b) A match-girl (c) A young playwright (d) A hungry child
Answer: (c) A young playwright
Q6. Why did the little Swallow decide to stay with the Happy Prince permanently?
(a) Because it was too cold to fly (b) Because the Prince had become blind and he could not leave him (c) Because he had forgotten the way to Egypt (d) Because the townspeople kept him as a pet
Answer: (b) Because the Prince had become blind and he could not leave him
Q7. What happened to the leaden heart of the Happy Prince when the statue was melted?
(a) It melted completely (b) It turned into gold (c) It refused to melt and was thrown on a dust-heap (d) It was given to the Mayor
Answer: (c) It refused to melt and was thrown on a dust-heap
Q8. What were the two most precious things that God asked the angel to bring from the city?
(a) The ruby and the sapphire (b) The leaden heart and the dead Swallow (c) The gold leaves and the ruby (d) The statue and the match-girl
Answer: (b) The leaden heart and the dead Swallow
Q9. What was the name of the palace where the Happy Prince lived during his lifetime?
(a) Palace of Joy (b) Sans-Souci (c) Palace of Versailles (d) Palace of Dreams
Answer: (b) Sans-Souci
Q10. What is the central theme of “The Happy Prince”?
(a) The importance of beauty (b) The power of wealth (c) Selfless love, compassion, and sacrifice (d) The cruelty of society
Answer: (c) Selfless love, compassion, and sacrifice