PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 1 The Happy Prince Important Question Answers from English Main Course Book
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PSEB Class 10 English Chapter 1 The Happy Prince Textbook Questions
A. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
i) Answer the following questions in your own words:
1. Where did the statue of the Happy Prince stand?
Ans. The statue stood high above the city on a tall column.
2. How was the statue decorated?
Ans. The statue was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold. It had two bright sapphires for eyes and a large red ruby glowing on the sword hilt.
3. Where was the swallow going?
Ans. The swallow was going to Egypt where his friends had gone six weeks before.
4. Why did the swallow put up between the feet of the Happy Prince?
Ans. The swallow was looking for shelter for the night. When he saw the statue on the tall column, he thought it was a fine position with plenty of fresh air, so he decided to stay there.
5. Where were the drops coming from?
Ans.The drops were falling from the eyes of the Happy Prince. They were his tears.
6. Why was the Happy Prince crying?
Ans. 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 couldn’t help but weep at the suffering of the poor.
7. Describe the seamstress in the words of the prince.
Ans. The seamstress had a thin and worn face. She had coarse, red hands, all pricked by the needle. She was embroidering flowers on a satin gown for one of the Queen’s maids of honour to wear at the next Court ball.
8. Why was the seamstress’ little boy crying?
Ans. The boy was lying ill with fever. He was asking his mother to give him oranges but she had nothing to give him except river water, so he was crying.
9. How did both the Happy Prince and the Swallow help the seamstress?
Ans. The Prince asked the Swallow to take the ruby from his sword hilt and give it to the seamstress. The Swallow placed the ruby on the table beside the woman’s thimble and fanned the boy’s forehead with his wings, making him feel cool.
10. Why did the Swallow feel warm?
Ans. The Swallow felt warm because he had done a good action. The Prince explained that doing good deeds brings inner warmth despite the cold weather outside.
11. What troubled the young man in the garret?
Ans. The young man was trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he was too cold to write anymore. There was no fire in the grate and hunger had made him faint.
12. How was the young man helped?
Ans. The Prince ordered the Swallow to pluck out one of his sapphire eyes and take it to the playwright. The young man could then sell it to the jeweller, buy firewood for warmth and finish his play.
13. Why was the match girl crying?
Ans. The match girl was crying because she had let her matches fall in the gutter and they were all spoiled. Her father would beat her if she didn’t bring home some money in return.
14. The Swallow said to the prince, “I will stay with you always.” Why?
Ans. The Swallow decided to stay forever because the Prince had given away both his eyes and was now blind. The Swallow loved him too much to leave him alone in such a condition.
15. How did the poor Swallow manage to live in so much cold?
Ans. The Swallow picked up crumbs outside the baker’s door when the baker wasn’t looking and tried to keep himself warm by flapping his wings.
16. Why was the statue of the Happy Prince pulled down?
Ans. The statue was pulled down because the Mayor and Town Councillors thought it looked shabby. The ruby had fallen out, the eyes were gone, and it was no longer golden. The Art Professor said since it was no longer beautiful, it was no longer useful.
17. What were the two most precious things in the city?
Ans. The two most precious things were the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead Swallow. God’s Angel brought these to him as the most precious things in the city.
(ii) Answer the following questions in about 50 words each:
1. Why was the prince called the Happy Prince?
Ans. When alive, the Prince lived in the palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. His courtiers called him the Happy Prince because he lived in complete happiness, shielded from all suffering and pain. He knew nothing of tears or misery during his lifetime, so he was genuinely happy then.
2. “I cannot choose but weep.” Why did the Happy Prince say so?
Ans. The Happy Prince said this because from his high position on the column, he could see all the ugliness and suffering in his city. Even though his heart was made of lead and incapable of feeling, the misery he witnessed was so overwhelming that he had no choice but to weep. His compassion forced tears from him.
3. Comment on the remark – ‘The living always think that gold can make them happy.’
Ans. This remark shows the Prince’s wisdom about wealth. He understood that gold itself cannot create happiness, but it can relieve immediate suffering by providing for basic needs like food and shelter. The Prince knew material wealth is meaningless for true happiness, yet recognized its practical value in helping the desperate poor survive their daily struggles.
4. Why did the Mayor dislike the statue so much?
Ans. The Mayor disliked the statue because it no longer looked beautiful or impressive. Without the ruby, sapphires, and gold covering, the statue appeared shabby and dull. The Mayor valued only outward appearance and didn’t understand the statue’s real worth. He thought something that wasn’t beautiful couldn’t be useful to the city.
5. Write a short note on the sufferings of the poor people in the city.
Ans. The poor in the city lived in terrible conditions. The seamstress worked until her hands were pricked raw yet couldn’t afford oranges for her sick child. The young playwright had no fire or food while trying to finish his work. The match girl feared beatings from her father. Little boys slept hungry under bridges in the cold rain. Starvation, cold, and desperation were everywhere.
6. What is the message conveyed by the author?
Ans. The story teaches that true beauty and worth lie in compassion and self-sacrifice, not in outward appearance. Real happiness comes from helping others, not from material possessions. Love, kindness, and selfless service are the most precious virtues. The story shows that what humans value (beauty, wealth) differs completely from what God treasures (sacrifice, love). Acts of genuine charity receive eternal rewards.
B. VOCABULARY EXERCISES
(i) Look at the following sentence:
“It is a fine position with plenty of fresh air.”
The word fine means good. But have you ever heard this word elsewhere? What are you supposed to pay when you are late for school? That money paid by you as punishment is also called fine.
Words like these which are identical in form but have more than one meaning are called homonyms.
Now fill in the blanks with words meaning both A and B, for example:
| a. | A. gift B. the time now passing |
present present |
| b. | A. riverside B. a financial institution where money is deposited |
……….. ……….. |
| c. | A. solid and reliable B. noise |
……….. ……….. |
| d. | A. portray B. pull out |
……….. ……….. |
| e. | A. cause to pass down one’s throat, gulp B. a small migratory bird |
……….. ……….. |
| f. | A. shut B. near |
……….. ……….. |
| g. | A. fireplace, framework of metal bars for holding fuel B. rub into small pieces |
……….. ……….. |
| h. | A. try to win the love of B. the place where legal trials take place |
……….. ……….. |
Ans.
| Sr. No. | A. First Meaning | B. Second Meaning | Answer |
| a. | gift | the time now passing | present |
| b. | riverside | a financial institution where money is deposited | bank |
| c. | solid and reliable | noise | sound |
| d. | portray | pull out | draw |
| e. | cause to pass down one’s throat, gulp | a small migratory bird | swallow |
| f. | shut | near | close |
| g. | fireplace, framework of metal bars for holding fuel | rub into small pieces | grate |
| h. | try to win the love of | the place where legal trials take place | court |
ii. Students are liable to confuse and misuse words that appear similar in sound but are different in meaning. There are many such words in this lesson. Fill in the blanks choosing the correct word from the following sets:
| a. You have……… drenched me. The patient is sleeping, please keep…. |
quiet/quite |
| b. The poet’s….. was filled with joy. Do not hunt the……. You can be punished for it. |
hart/heart |
| c. Winter dryness makes her skin…… You need good marks to get into this university……. |
coarse/course |
| d. There is no fire in the…….. She takes……. care of her kids. |
grate/great |
| e. Do not…… in the rain. The Pyramids are a great. |
wonder/wander |
| f. They pulled down the…… of the Happy Prince. Penalties are laid down in the…. |
statue/statute |
| g. …… nature is the same everywhere All nations believe in the ………… treatment of the prisoners of war. |
humane/human |
| h. They held their……. meeting on Tuesday. I will bear your…… in mind. |
council/counsel |
| i. A bird in hand is……. than two in the bush. ………the mixture into a thick paste. |
batter/better |
| j. He wrote an ………. letter. His……… manner made him many enemies. |
official/officious |
Ans.
a.
1. You have quite drenched me.
2. The patient is sleeping, please keep quiet.
b.
1. The poet’s heart was filled with joy.
2. Do not hunt the hart. You can be punished for it.
c.
1. Winter dryness makes her skin coarse.
2. You need good marks to get into this university course.
d.
1. There is no fire in the grate.
2. She takes great care of her kids.
e.
1. Do not wander in the rain.
2. The Pyramids are a great wonder.
f.
1. They pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince.
2. Penalties are laid down in the statute.
g.
1. Human nature is the same everywhere
2. All nations believe in the humane treatment of the prisoners of war.
h.
1. They held their council meeting on Tuesday.
2. I will bear your counsel in mind.
i.
1. A bird in hand is better than two in the bush.
2. Batter the mixture into a thick paste.
j.
1. He wrote an official letter.
2. His officious manner made him many enemies.
(iii) Match the following words with their antonyms:
| above | destroy |
| plenty | hostile |
| bright | vanish |
| sorrow | happiness |
| entrance | disagree |
| personal | reject |
| coarse | devil |
| delicious | health |
| strange | departure |
| shabby | below |
| friendly | scarcity |
| arrival | dull |
| disease | joy |
| angel | public |
| accept | smooth |
| agree | exit |
| misery | insipid |
| appear | familiar |
| create | neat |
Ans.
| Column A | Column B |
| above | below |
| plenty | scarcity |
| bright | dull |
| sorrow | joy |
| entrance | exit |
| personal | public |
| coarse | smooth |
| delicious | insipid |
| strange | familiar |
| shabby | neat |
| friendly | hostile |
| arrival | departure |
| disease | health |
| angel | devil |
| accept | reject |
| agree | disagree |
| misery | happiness |
| appear | vanish |
| create | destroy |
C. GRAMMAR EXERCISES
(i) Look at these sentences
1. What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?
2. Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off.
Now do you understand the difference between of and off? Fill in the blanks using these two prepositions:
1. Send me a cup….tea.
2. I washed the dirt……. my hands.
3. Get…..the bus at the next stop.
4. Send me a copy………. this story.
5. Did you get a day……. this week?
6. She died….. heart failure.
7. It was nice……… you to send me flowers.
8. He fell …….. the bed and broke his leg.
9. He is a member…………. the Parliament.
10. She is better………. without him.
Ans.
1. of
2. off
3. off
4. of
5. off
6. of
7. of
8. off
9. of
10. off
(ii) Rewrite the following sentences in their past perfect and past perfect continuous form:
(Past perfect tells us about action begun and completed in the past. We use ‘had’ before the verb. Past perfect continuous tells us that the action began in the past, continued for some time, then stopped. e.g. The town had been making all preparations.)
1. The town has made all preparations.
2. He passed by the cathedral tower.
3. You have done a good action.
4. I have come to bid you goodbye.
5. He slept at the prince’s feet.
6. The Swallow flew over the great city.
7. They pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince.
8. He picked up crumbs outside the baker’s door.
9. They melted the statue in a furnace.
10. The poor little Swallow grew colder and colder.
Ans.
1. Past Perfect: The town had made all preparations.
Past Perfect Continuous: The town had been making all preparations.
2. Past Perfect: He had passed by the cathedral tower.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been passing by the cathedral tower.
3. Past Perfect: You had done a good action.
Past Perfect Continuous: You had been doing a good action.
4. Past Perfect: I had come to bid you goodbye.
Past Perfect Continuous: I had been coming to bid you goodbye.
5. Past Perfect: He had slept at the prince’s feet.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been sleeping at the prince’s feet.
6. Past Perfect: The Swallow had flown over the great city.
Past Perfect Continuous: The Swallow had been flying over the great city.
7. Past Perfect: They had pulled down the statue of the Happy Prince.
Past Perfect Continuous: They had been pulling down the statue of the Happy Prince.
8. Past Perfect: He had picked up crumbs outside the baker’s door.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been picking up crumbs outside the baker’s door.
9. Past Perfect: They had melted the statue in a furnace.
Past Perfect Continuous: They had been melting the statue in a furnace.
10. Past Perfect: The poor little Swallow had grown colder and colder.
Past Perfect Continuous: The poor little Swallow had been growing colder and colder.
(iii) Punctuate the following paragraph:
jack shouted back at his accuser you want to massacre 150000 people for nothing spitting out his words with fury roger the senior officer in the room shouted I have never seen such a gutsless general like you jack.
Ans. Jack shouted back at his accuser, “You want to massacre 150,000 people for nothing,” spitting out his words with fury. Roger, the senior officer in the room, shouted, “I have never seen such a gutless general like you, Jack.”
(iv) Given below is the list of adverbs used in this lesson.
Make adjectives and use them in sentences.
1. brilliantly
2. quickly
3. nervously
4. brightly
5. eagerly
7. critically
6. carefully
8. simply
9. suddenly
10. lovingly
Ans.
1. brilliantly → brilliant (The brilliant student topped the class.)
2. quickly → quick (The quick response saved many lives.)
3. nervously → nervous (She felt nervous before the exam.)
4. brightly → bright (The bright sun shone overhead.)
5. eagerly → eager (The eager child waited for his gift.)
6. carefully → careful (Be careful while crossing the road.)
7. critically → critical (His critical condition worried everyone.)
8. simply → simple (It was a simple solution to a complex problem.)
9. suddenly → sudden (The sudden noise startled us.)
10. lovingly → loving (She had a loving nature.)
D. PRONUNCIATION PRACTICE
Say the following words aloud:
(The pairs of words given below differ in one sound only in the initial position. The words on the right start with/s/sound (as in the word seat) while the words on the left start with the sound that appears in the beginning of the word ship:
| sign | shine | socks | shocks |
| sip | ship | sift | shift |
| sour | shower | sort | short |
| sun | shun | seek | chic (meaning very fashionable and elegant) |
Ans.
| Left Column | Right Column |
| shelf | self |
| shin | sin |
| shine | sign |
| shocks | socks |
| ship | sip |
| shift | sift |
| shower | sour |
| short | sort |
| shun | sun |
| chic (very fashionable) | seek |
E. CREATIVE WRITING AND EXTENDED READING
Writing Tasks
1. Autobiography of the Happy Prince
Imagine yourself to be the Happy Prince. Write your autobiography covering:
- Your life in the palace
- Your death and transformation into a statue
- Your experiences watching the city’s suffering
- Your decision to help the poor
- Your friendship with the Swallow
- Your feelings about losing your beauty
- Your final moments and reward from God
2. The Mayor’s Perspective
Imagine yourself to be the Mayor of the city. Write your experiences vis-à-vis the statue of the Happy Prince, including:
- Your initial pride in the beautiful statue
- Your discovery of its deteriorating condition
- Your decision to pull it down
- Your justification for the decision
3. Speech Preparation
Prepare a speech on the topic: “Service of Mankind is the Best Service”
Include points such as:
- The true meaning of service
- Examples from the story
- How helping others enriches our own lives
- The difference between material and spiritual wealth
4. Class Discussion
Discuss the topic: “What Constitutes Real Happiness?” with your class-fellows in the light of your study of the story ‘The Happy Prince.’
Consider:
- The Prince’s happiness when alive vs. as a statue
- The Swallow’s happiness in helping others
- Material possessions vs. spiritual fulfillment
- The concept of sacrifice leading to true joy
5. Short Story Analysis
Every good short-story has a message in it. Read at least 5 short stories written by different authors. Try to find the message contained in each story.
Suggested stories:
- “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
- “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry
- “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant
- “The Selfish Giant” by Oscar Wilde
- “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen
6. Statue Reflection Writing
Write about:
- What you feel when you see the statue of a person
- What it would say if it had life
- What you think about the life of the person whose statue it is
Think about statues of freedom fighters, leaders, or important figures in your city.
Punjab Board Class 10 English Chapter 1 The Happy Prince Extra Question and Answers
Extract-Based questions
A.
‘When I was alive and had a human heart,” answered the statue, “I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace, where sorrow is not allowed to enter. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince and happy indeed I was. So I lived and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see the ugliness and all the misery of my city and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.”
Q1. Why didn’t the Prince know what tears were when he was alive?
Ans. His palace kept sorrow locked outside its walls. Nothing sad ever reached him there. He lived wrapped in joy and pleasure, completely shielded from pain or suffering.
Q2. What could the Prince see from his high position?
Ans.From way up on that column, the whole city spread below him. Every ugly corner, every bit of suffering, he saw it all now. The poor, hungry, desperate, everywhere his eyes fell.
Q3. What is ironic about the Prince being called “Happy”?
Ans.When alive, happiness filled him because ignorance protected him from truth. Now as a statue still called “Happy Prince,” he weeps constantly. The title stuck but reality flipped, awareness of suffering killed his happiness forever.
Q4. What does “I cannot choose but weep” mean?
Ans. He’s saying he has no choice. Even with a lead heart that shouldn’t feel anything, the suffering forces tears from him. His compassion runs so deep that weeping becomes inevitable, unavoidable, beyond his control.
Q5. What does this extract tell us about the Prince’s character?
Ans. You see his deep sensitivity here. Lead heart or not, empathy pours out. He went from sheltered ignorance to painful awareness, and instead of turning away, he faces it fully. That transformation shows real character.
B.
“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “far away across the city I see a young man in a garret. He is leaning over a desk covered with papers, and in the glass by his side here is a bunch of withered violets. His hair is brown and crisp and his lips are red as a pomegranate, and he has large and dreamy eyes. He is trying to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre, but he is too cold to write any more. There is no fire in the grate, and hunger has made him faint.”
Q1. Where did the young man live?
Ans. Way up in a garret, one of those cramped rooms stuck at the top of buildings. Cold drafts, no fire, barely enough space to work. The kind of place struggling artists end up with more talent than money.
Q2. What was the young man trying to do?
Ans. He had a play to finish for the Theatre Director. Words needed to get on paper but his body wouldn’t cooperate anymore. Too cold, too hungry, his mind wanted to write but cold and starvation shut him down.
Q3. What does the bunch of withered violets suggest?
Ans. Those dead flowers tell everything about his situation. He’s artistic enough to keep flowers around but too poor to replace them when they die. They sit there withered, just like his hopes probably feel, fading, dying from neglect and poverty.
Q4. How did the Prince help this young man?
Ans. The Prince ordered the swallow to take one sapphire eye to that garret. Once the playwright found that jewel, he could sell it. Money meant fire, food, ability to finish his work without his body giving out.
Q5. What quality of the Prince is shown in this extract?
Ans. His attention catches individual suffering even from far away. He notices details, the withered flowers, empty grate, desperate situation. Then he acts, sacrificing his own eye without hesitation. That’s empathy combined with selflessness.
C.
“I am covered with fine gold,” said the Prince. “You must take it off leaf by leaf, and give it to the poor; the living always think that gold can make them happy.” Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till the Happy Prince looked quite dull and grey.
Q1. What did the Prince ask the swallow to do?
Ans. The Prince asked it to strip every gold leaf off him, one at a time, and deliver them to poor people throughout the city. He wanted his entire golden covering distributed to those who actually needed it.
Q2. What happened to the Prince’s appearance?
Ans. All that glittering gold came off leaf by leaf until nothing remained. He turned dull and grey, shabby-looking, ordinary and even ugly. His magnificent appearance vanished completely, leaving him looking like worthless scrap metal.
Q3. What does “the living always think that gold can make them happy” mean?
Ans. People believe money and wealth equal happiness, that’s what he’s saying. The Prince knows better though. Gold can’t create real happiness, but it can stop people from starving. It prevents immediate suffering right now.
Q4. What did the poor do when they received the gold?
Ans. Their children’s faces brightened with color for the first time in ages. Laughter erupted in the streets. They ran around yelling “We have bread now!”, pure relief and joy at finally having enough to eat.
Q5. What does this act reveal about the Prince?
Ans. Total self-sacrifice lives in him. He strips away everything that makes him beautiful without regret or hesitation. His appearance means nothing compared to relieving human suffering. That’s who he is, someone who values others’ lives over his own glory.
D.
“Bring me the two most precious things in the city,” said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the lead heart and the dead bird. “You have rightly chosen,” said God, “for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing forever and in my City of Gold the Happy Prince shall praise me.”
Q1. What did God ask His Angel to bring?
Ans. God wanted the two most precious items from the entire city brought to Him. The Angel searched everywhere and returned carrying that broken lead heart and the dead swallow from the dust heap.
Q2. Why were these considered the most precious things?
Ans. They embodied pure love and sacrifice. The Prince gave everything he had to ease suffering. The swallow abandoned Egypt and warmth out of loyalty, dying for love. That kind of selfless devotion makes something truly precious.
Q3. What reward did God give them?
Ans. Eternal life in paradise became theirs. The bird would sing forever in God’s garden, no more winter, no more death. The Prince would praise God forever in His City of Gold, no more weeping, no more witnessing suffering.
Q4. What is the significance of the ending?
Ans. It flips everything upside down. Humans valued beauty and threw away what looked worthless. God looked past surfaces to see real value, love, sacrifice, compassion. Divine judgment operates completely differently from human judgment.
Q5. What is the moral lesson in this extract?
Ans. What God treasures isn’t what humans prize. Selfless love and sacrifice top the list, those virtues last forever, matter eternally. Physical beauty and material wealth? Temporary, meaningless in the long run. Give yourself away helping others, that’s what counts.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. The Happy Prince statue stood on a tall ________.
A. pillar
B. column
C. building
D. tower
Ans. B. column
2. The Happy Prince’s eyes were made of ________.
A. diamonds
B. rubies
C. sapphires
D. emeralds
Ans. C. sapphires
3. The poor seamstress was given the ________ by the swallow.
A. gold
B. sapphire
C. ruby
D. oranges
Ans. C. ruby
4. Who ordered to pull down the statue of the Happy Prince?
A. Mayor
B. swallow
C. seamstress
D. playwright
Ans. A. Mayor
5. The swallow was going to ________.
A. India
B. Egypt
C. China
D. Rome
Ans. B. Egypt
6. The young playwright was trying to finish a ________.
A. novel
B. poem
C. play
D. story
Ans. C. play
7. The match girl had dropped her matches in the ________.
A. street
B. river
C. gutter
D. basket
Ans. C. gutter
8. The statue was covered with thin leaves of ________.
A. silver
B. fine gold
C. bronze
D. copper
Ans.B. fine gold
9. How many nights did the swallow initially stay with the Prince?
A. one
B. two
C. three
D. four
Ans. C. three
10. The seamstress was embroidering flowers on a ________ gown.
A. cotton
B. silk
C. satin
D. velvet
Ans. C. satin
11. The ruby was located on the Prince’s ________.
A. crown
B.sword hilt
C. chest
D. hand
Ans.B. sword hilt
12. What did the little match girl call the sapphire?
A. a jewel
B. a lovely bit of glass
C. a treasure
D. a gift
Ans.B. a lovely bit of glass
13. The leaden heart of the Prince ________.
A. melted
B. broke
C. snapped in two
D. disappeared
Ans. C. snapped in two
14. God asked His Angel to bring the ________ most precious things.
A. one
B. two
C. three
D. four
Ans. B. two
15. The seamstress’s son was suffering from ________.
A. cold
B. hunger
C. fever
D. pain
Ans. C. fever
16. The Prince’s feet were fastened to a ________.
A. platform
B. pedestal
C. base
D. stand
Ans. B. pedestal
17. The swallow died at the Prince’s ________.
A. feet
B. hands
C. side
D. shoulder
Ans. A. feet
18. The Art Professor said the statue was no longer ________.
A. useful
B. beautiful
C. valuable
D. both A and B
Ans. D. both A and B
19. The sapphires were brought from ________.
A. Egypt
B. India
C. China
D. Persia
Ans. B. India
20. What could NOT melt in the furnace?
A. the gold
B. the sapphires
C. the leaden heart
D. the ruby
Ans. C. the leaden heart
True or False
State whether the following statements are true or false-
1. The swallow’s friends had gone to Egypt six weeks before him.
2. The son of the seamstress was crying because he wanted to go to Egypt.
3. The Happy Prince could see all the misery of the city from where he stood.
4. The swallow felt cold after helping the seamstress.
5. The young playwright had a fire burning in his grate.
6. The Mayor thought the statue looked shabby and wanted it removed.
7. The Happy Prince lived in a palace when he was alive.
8. The swallow initially wanted to stay with the Prince forever.
9. The two little boys under the bridge were hungry and cold.
10. God said the Angel had wrongly chosen the two precious things.
Answer-
1. True
2. False (He was crying because he had fever and wanted oranges)
3. True
4. False (He felt warm after doing a good deed)
5. False (There was no fire in the grate)
6.True
7. True
8. False (He wanted to go to Egypt)
9. True
10. False (God said “You have rightly chosen”)
Fill in the blanks
1. The Happy Prince had a large red ________ glowing on his sword hilt.
2. When the Happy Prince was alive, he lived in the Palace where ________ was not allowed to enter.
3. The seamstress had coarse, red hands, all pricked by the ________.
4. The young man’s hair was brown and ________, and his lips were red as a pomegranate.
5. The swallow picked up ________ outside the baker’s door to keep himself alive.
6. The match girl’s father would ________ her if she didn’t bring home money.
7. Leaf after leaf of fine gold was given to the ________.
8. The children’s faces grew ________ when they received the gold.
9. In God’s garden of Paradise, the little bird shall ________ forever.
10. The Prince’s heart was made of ________.
Answers-
1. ruby
2. sorrow
3. needle
4. crisp
5. crumbs
6. beat
7. poor
8. rosier
9. sing
10. lead
Extra Questions
Q1. Why did the Happy Prince weep?
Ans. When alive, the Prince lived in the Palace where sorrow never entered. After death, placed high on a column, he could see all the ugliness and misery spread across his city. Though his heart was made of lead, he couldn’t stop weeping at the suffering below.
Q2. How did the Prince help the seamstress?
Ans. The poor seamstress stitched gowns while her feverish boy cried for oranges she couldn’t buy. The Prince sent his ruby through the swallow. The swallow placed it by her thimble and cooled the sick child’s forehead with gentle wing beats.
Q3. Why did the swallow not leave the Prince at the end?
Ans. After the Prince gave away both eyes and stood blind, the swallow couldn’t abandon him. Love and loyalty kept him there through winter’s approach, even knowing the cold would eventually kill him.
Q4. What made the swallow feel warm despite the cold?
Ans. After helping the seamstress, strange warmth filled the swallow even in cold air. The Prince explained that good deeds create inner heat. Helping others brings satisfaction that warms you regardless of weather.
Q5. Why was the statue pulled down?
Ans. One morning, the Mayor and councillors declared the statue shabby. No ruby, no eyes, no gold remained anywhere. The Art Professor sealed its fate, beauty gone meant usefulness gone. Down it came without respect.
Q6. What were the two most precious things in the city?
Ans. The lead heart that wouldn’t melt and the dead swallow on the dust heap. When the statue melted, that broken heart refused to liquify. God’s Angel gathered both, recognizing true worth.
Q7. How did the Prince help the young playwright?
Ans. The young writer sat freezing in his garret, too cold and hungry to finish his play. The Prince sacrificed one sapphire eye for him. That jewel meant fuel, food, and renewed hope to complete his work.
Q8. What was the condition of the poor in the city?
Ans. Misery spread everywhere. The seamstress worked fingers raw for pennies. The playwright starved in his cold room. The match girl feared beatings for lost income. Boys huddled under bridges, hungry and shivering in rain. Poverty crushed them all.
Q9. Why did the Happy Prince give away all his beauty?
Ans. Standing covered in gold and jewels while people suffered below became unbearable. Each precious thing he wore could ease someone’s pain. He chose compassion over beauty, stripped himself bare to help the desperate poor.
Q10. What message does the story convey?
Ans. Real beauty lives in what you give, not what you keep. Helping others matters more than looking good. Wealth means nothing sitting unused while people starve. Love and sacrifice last forever, receive God’s recognition, truly make life meaningful.