Class 9 English - HARYANA
Supplementary: The Happy Prince
Supplementary: The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde is a touching story about a golden statue of a prince and a little swallow bird. The prince, when alive, lived in a palace and knew no sorrow. After his death, his statue is placed high above the city, where he finally sees the real poverty, misery, and ugliness around him. Moved to tears, he asks the swallow to strip away his gold leaf and precious jewels to help the poor. This chapter teaches Haryana Board (BSEH) Class 9 students about true empathy, sacrifice, and how inner beauty and charity matter more than outward riches.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
The Happy Prince
A gilded statue who, after witnessing the misery of the city's poor from his high pedestal, undergoes a moral awakening and chooses to give away all his wealth.
The Little Swallow
A migratory bird who delays his journey to Egypt to act as the Prince's messenger, delivering his jewels and gold to those in desperate need.
Theme of Sacrifice and Compassion
The story highlights that true love and happiness come from sacrificing one's own comforts for the welfare of others suffering in society.
Appearance vs. Reality
Though the statue appears glorious and happy on the outside, true happiness is found only when it shares its wealth to bring joy to the miserable people below.
The Precious Things
In the end, God considers the dead swallow and the leaden heart of the Prince as the two most precious things on earth because of their selfless acts.
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Haryana (BSEH) Class 9 English exams, this supplementary chapter usually carries around 3 to 5 marks. Questions frequently include short-answer questions about why the Prince cried, why the swallow died, or long-answer questions focusing on the central theme of sacrifice and the character sketch of the Happy Prince or the Swallow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the statue called the Happy Prince?
During his lifetime, he lived in Sans-Souci palace where sorrow was not allowed to enter, so his courtiers called him the Happy Prince.
Why did the swallow decide to stay with the Happy Prince?
The swallow stayed back because he was moved by the blind charity and sadness of the Happy Prince after plucking out one of his ruby eyes for a poor seamstress.
What were the two most precious things mentioned at the end of the story?
God's angels brought the dead swallow and the broken leaden heart of the Happy Prince as the two most precious things on earth to heaven.
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