In this post, ‘The Happy Prince Question Answer Class 9 English’, we’ll read NCERT Solutions for The Happy Prince Class 9th English Moments Chapter 5. Below are clear, exam-friendly answers to each Think About It & Talk About It question (based directly on the NCERT text). I’ve kept them precise so you can write them easily in the exam. You can also read the Summary of The Happy Prince to understand these questions better.
The Happy Prince Think About It
Q1. Why do the courtiers call the Prince ‘the Happy Prince’? Is he really happy? What does he see all around him?
Ans. The courtiers called him the Happy Prince because when he was alive, he always looked cheerful and lived in a grand palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. He enjoyed a luxurious life and never knew what sadness or suffering meant.
However, after his death, his statue was placed high above the city, and from there he could see all the misery, poverty, and ugliness around him. He saw poor people suffering, hungry children, and sad faces everywhere. Therefore, he was not really happy — he was filled with sorrow and compassion for others.
Q2. Why does the Happy Prince send a ruby for the seamstress? What does the swallow do in the seamstress’s house?
Ans. The Happy Prince saw a poor seamstress whose hands were rough and red from sewing clothes for rich ladies. Her little boy was sick and crying for oranges, but she had nothing to give him except river water.
The Prince asked the swallow to take the ruby from his sword hilt and give it to her to help her in her suffering.
The swallow obeyed, placed the ruby beside her thimble, and gently fanned the sick boy’s forehead with his wings. The boy felt cool and fell asleep peacefully.
Q3. For whom does the Prince send the sapphires and why?
Ans. The Happy Prince sent his two sapphire eyes to help two different people:
- The first sapphire was sent to a young playwright who was too cold and hungry to finish his play. The Prince wanted to help him so that he could buy firewood and complete his work.
- The second sapphire was sent to a poor little match girl who had dropped her matches and was crying because her father would beat her. The Prince wanted to save her from punishment and suffering.
Q4. What does the swallow see when it flies over the city?
Ans. When the swallow flew over the city, he saw a great contrast between the rich and the poor.
He saw rich people living happily in their beautiful houses, while the poor suffered outside. He saw hungry and pale children, beggars sitting at the gates, and two little boys lying under a bridge trying to keep warm. Everywhere he went, he saw sadness, misery, and injustice.
Q5. Why did the swallow not leave the Prince and go to Egypt?
Ans. At first, the swallow wanted to go to Egypt to join his friends, but he gradually grew fond of the Happy Prince. He stayed with him to help the poor people of the city.
Later, when the Prince became blind, the swallow could not bear to leave him alone. Out of love, loyalty, and compassion, he decided to stay with the Prince even in the freezing cold, ultimately sacrificing his own life.
Q6. What are the precious things mentioned in the story? Why are they precious?
Ans. The two most precious things mentioned in the story are: (1) the leaden heart of the Happy Prince, and (2) the dead swallow.
They are precious because they represent true love, kindness, and selfless sacrifice. The Happy Prince gave away all his wealth to help others, and the swallow gave up his life to stay with the Prince. God himself declared these two to be the most precious things in the city and took them to Heaven.
The Happy Prince Talk About It
Q1. The little swallow says, “It is curious, but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold.” Have you ever had such a feeling? Share your experience with your friends.
Ans. (Sample Answer, You can write your own similar answer too.) Yes, I have experienced a similar feeling. Once, during winter, I saw an old man sitting alone outside a temple. He looked very weak and hungry. I gave him my tiffin, which I had brought for myself. Even though it was cold that day, I suddenly felt warm and happy inside.
It was the same kind of warmth that the little swallow felt; not from the weather, but from the joy of helping someone in need. Acts of kindness give us an inner satisfaction and make us feel peaceful and content, no matter how hard the situation is.
Read all chapter: NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English