THE HAPPY PRINCE SUMMARY
The statue of the Happy Prince stood on a tall column. The statue was decorated beautifully. It was covered with gold. It had two bright sapphires for eyes and a large red ruby on its sword hilt.
When the Happy Prince was alive, he lived in a palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter. He led a happy life. But, after his death, his statue was erected on a tall column in the middle of the city. The statue of the happy prince could see all the miseries of the city. He would weep to see the sorrows and miseries of the people in the city.
Once, a little Swallow flew to the city and sat at the feet of the statue of the Happy Prince. He was going to Egypt. The prince told the Swallow that he could not help the poor and the needy people of the city. So, he requested the Swallow to stay with him for a night and be his messenger.
The Happy Prince told the Swallow that he could see a poor seamstress through the open window. Her son was ill and crying for the oranges. But the poor lady had no money to buy his son oranges. The Happy Prince requested the Swallow to pluck the ruby out of his sword hilt and gave it to the poor seamstress. The Swallow did as he was told.
Next, the Happy Prince requested the
Swallow to pluck a sapphire from one of his eyes and give to the young playwright. The young man had no food to eat and no fuel for fire. The Swallow plucked the sapphire from the Happy Prince’s eye and gave it to the poor young man.
After this, the Happy Prince saw a poor match girl. Her matches had fallen in the gutter and she was badly crying. Her father would beat her if she did not bring home any money.
The Happy Prince requested the Swallow to pluck a sapphire from his other eye and give to the crying match girl. The swallow did so. Now the Happy Prince became blind.
At last, the Happy Prince asked the Swallow to take off the gold leaf by leaf from his body and distribute it among the poor. The Swallow did as he was told. The poor men and children of the city became happy. They could eat bread now.
The little Swallow grew colder in the frost, but he did not leave the Happy Prince. At last, he died and fell into the feet of the statue. At the death of his little friend, the lead heart of the Happy Prince broke.
Next day, the Mayor of the city along with the Councilors passed by the statue of the Happy Prince. He found the statue very ugly. His eyes and ruby had gone and it looked like a beggar. So they pulled down the statue.
The statue was then melted in the furnace. But the broken lead heart of the Happy Prince did not melt. So it was thrown on the heap of dust where the dead little Swallow was lying.
In the Paradise, God asked one of His angels to bring Him the two most precious things in the city. The angel brought Him the lead heart of the Happy Prince and the dead bird.
QUESTION AND QUESTIONS
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The Happy Prince Questions and Answers - Smart eNotes · January 1, 2021 at 9:34 am
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