Gujarat Board GSEB Class 9 English Textbook Solutions Moments Chapter 5 The Happy Prince Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.
Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 9 English Moments Chapter 5 The Happy Prince
GSEB Class 9 English The Happy Prince Text Book Questions and Answers
Think about It
Question 1.
Why do the courtiers call the prince ‘the Happy Prince’? Is he really happy? What does he see all around him?
Answer:
The courtiers called the prince ‘the Happy Prince’ because he was always happy. When he was alive, he did not know what tears were. After all, he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. However, things changed when he died. He was made into as statue and he was no more happy. He could now see the misery and ugliness of the city around him. This caused tears to flow down his? eyes. He was sad on seeing the state of his city
Question 2.
Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow do in the seamstress’ house?
Answer:
The Happy Prince sent a ruby for the seamstress as she was extremely poor and could not feed her son who was suffering from fever, The swallow, persuaded by the prince, went s to the seamstress’ house. But the seamstress ? had fallen asleep as she was tired. The swallow s kept the ruby on the table where the woman worked. It then flew round the bed fanning the boy’s forehead with its wings. This relaxed the boy and he was able to go to sleep.
Question 3.
For whom does the prince send the sapphires and why?
Answer:
The Happy Prince sent the sapphires to two people: The young writer who lived across the city and the match-girl.
The young writer was trying hard to finish a play for the Director of the Theatre. As there was no fire in the grate and hunger had made him feel faint, he was too cold to write anymore, The young playwright could sell the sapphire s to the jeweller. He could then buy firewood,? and finish his play. On seeing the sapphire, the young man felt appreciated and believed that he could finish his play.
The Happy Prince then saw a little match-girl who was standing in the square just below him. All her matches had fallen into the gutter and were all spoiled. The prince knew that the match girls father would beat her if she did not bring home some money. When the swallow slipped the jewel into the palm of the little girl’s hand, she ran home happy and laughing.
Question 4.
What does the swallow see when it flies over the city?
Answer:
When the swallow flew over the city it saw the stark contrast between plenty and poverty. It saw rich men making merry completely oblivious to the plight of the poor just down the lane. It saw the pathetic condition of the poor when they were denied even a sound sleep by police patrolling the street.
Question 5.
Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?
Answer:
The price having given away the two sapphires of his eyes had become blind. Therefore, the swallow decided to be with the prince all the time. Probably the swallow was so touched by prince’s kindness that instead of flying to Egypt and be with his friend, he decided to stay back. This clearly suggests that kind-hearted people always attract friends who will stay with them forever.
Question 6.
What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?
Answer:
The precious things mentioned in the story are the leaden heart of the happy prince and the dead bird. They are precious because both the happy prince and the swallow were very kind, generous and selfless. The prince could not bear to see the ugliness, misery and suffering in his city and so gave away all his precious stones and gold to make his people happy. This inspired the swallow to sacrifice his trip to Egypt.
He stayed back and acted as the prince’s messenger carrying the precious stones and gold to the needy spreading happiness around. As the kind prince was blinded, having given away the sapphires of his eyes, the swallow, out of love chose to not leave him. By now it was getting colder and colder with winter approaching rapidly.
Finally, he could no longer bear the cold and died at the feet of the very statue that loved him so much. This broke its leaden heart into two. When God asked one of the angels to bring him two precious things in the garden of paradise, the angel brought the leaden heart of the prince and the dead bird. God proclaimed that in his garden of Paradise the little bird shall sing for evermore and in the city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise God.
The Happy Prince Summary in English
The Happy Prince Summary:
This is a story about the statue of a Happy Prince and a little Swallow. The Happy Prince was a beautiful statue that 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. One night a little swallow flew over the city. He was tired and want to spent the night between the feet of the Happy Prince.
As he was ready to sleep just then a large drop of water fell on him. It was curious as there were no clouds in the sky. Then another drop of water fell on him. The swallow decided to look for another place just then third drop fell on him, he looked up and saw that these were the tears from the eyes of the Happy Prince and the swallow filled with pity. The swallow asked, “Who are you ?” and why are you crying? The Happy Prince told the swallow that he lived in a palace while he was alive and had a kind, human heart.
There was no sorrow at all and his courtiers called him the happy prince. After his death he had been set up on a high pillar, his heart is made up of lead yet and it always weeps when he see the ugliness and misery of his city. He told the swallow that far away in a little street a little boy of a seamstress is sick. He is crying and his mother could not give him oranges to eat. He asked the. swallow to give his ruby to the poor women when he was going to Egypt.
But he obeyed the Happy Prince and then he flew and laid the ruby on the table of the poor women. Then the Happy Prince saw a writer. He was suffering from cold and was hungry. Happy Prince asked the swallow to give one of the sapphires to the writer. The swallow did not want to pluck out the sapphire from his eyes, but he obeyed him unwillingly. After that, the Happy Prince saw a match girl and her matches fall into the gutter.
At his command, the swallow very unwillingly plucked out the sapphire from the other eye of the Happy Prince and now the Prince was totally blind. The swallow slipped the sapphire into the palm of the match girl. Then the Happy Prince allowed the swallow to fly away to Egypt, but the swallow decided to stay with the blind Prince forever. The swallow reported about the suffering of the starving people. At the command of the Happy Prince, the swallow took of the golden leaves from the statue and distributed them among the poor people.
Now the statue was dull and grey. The frost made the swallow colder and colder and he was about to die. He flew to the Happy Prince who bade him kiss on the lips. The swallow fell down and died at the feet of the statue. The lead heart of the Prince broke into two.
The Mayor ordered that the statue should be pulled down because it was neither beautiful nor useful. in the city. God praised the angel’s choice in bringing him the leaden heart of the Happy Prince and the dead swallow.