Chapter 5 The Happy Prince

The countries called the prince as the happy prince because he always seems happy. When he was alive, he was unaware of wheat tears were. He lived in a place where grief was not allowed to come. However, when he died and was made into a statue he wasn't happy and tears flowed down his eyes on seeing poor state of his city and the people around.

The happy prince sent a ruby for the seamstress because of her poorness and had nothing to feed her child who was suffering from fever. The swallow went to the seamstress’s house after being assured by the prince and kept the ruby on the table. He then flew round the bed and flapped the boy’s forehead with his wings. This made the boy comfortable and he went to sleep.

The happy prince sent the sapphires for two people which are named below:
- The young writer across the city
- The match girl: The young writer was trying to complete writing a play for the theatre. It was too cold to write and there was no fire in the grate hunger that made him faint. He sent the sapphire so that he could sell it to the jeweler, buy firewood, and finish his play well. The happy prince then saw a little match girl whose matches had fallen in the gutter and got spoiled. The prince knew that her father would beat her if she did not bring some money to the home. When the swallow slipped the jewel in to the palm of the little girl’s hand, she ran home happily and by laughing.

When the swallow flew over the city, he saw the rich people making merry and the beggars sitting down the lane. It was a evident contrast of wealth and poverty. He saw pale faces of starving children on the streets there. He saw that two boys being shouted at and denied of a sound sleep by the watchman and police patrolling .

When the price had given away the two sapphires of his eyes, he had become blind. Therefore, the swallow decided to stay always with the prince. The swallow was so touched by his gesture and kindness that swallow decided to stay back rather than going to Egypt with his friends.

The precious things that are named in the story are the broken heart of the happy prince and the dead bird. They are very precious because both the happy prince and the swallow were very king hearted, generous and selfless. The prince couldn't see the ugliness, misery and suffering of the people in his city and so he gave away all his precious stones and gold to make everyone happy. Similarly, the swallow sacrificed his trip to Egypt and decided to stay with the prince as his messenger for transferring the precious stones and got to the needy. That's why when god asked one of the angels to bring him the two precious things in the garden then the angel took the broken heart and the dead bird and god said that in his garden of paradise the little bird shall sing for every morning and in the city of gold the happy prince shall praise god.