Class 9- English -Moments – Chapter 5

The courtiers called the prince ‘the Happy Prince’ because he was always happy. When he was alive he did not know what tears were.

The Happy Prince sends ruby so that the seamstress can get good amount of money after selling it. With money she can buy medicines for her child. She can be in a position to pay more attention to her child. At present her economic needs don’t permit her to pay proper attention to her child.

The swallow flutters her wings over the sick boy’s head so that he would feel easy. Feeling the relief from high temperature the boy falls asleep.

The playwright was very poor. He was incapable of buying food and firewood. The prince sent the sapphires for the playwright so that he could finish a play for the director of the theatre in time. The princes 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. So, she was helped by the prince by sending her the second sapphire.

When the swallow flies over the city, it sees the sharp difference between the lives of the rich and the poor. He sees the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the gates. He flows into dark lanes, and sees the white faces of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets.

Since the prince had given away the two sapphires of his eyes to the people in need, he had become blind. Touched by his kindness and to give him support, the swallow decided to stay with the prince always. He left the idea of going to Egypt and decided to serve the Prince.

The two precious things are the dead swallow bird and the statue’s broken heart. According to God, they were precious because in the garden of paradise, the little bird shall sing for ever more and in heaven, the Happy Prince’s heart shall praise God.