Reading Comprehension

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

The eyes of the Happy Prince were full of tears. Tears ran down his golden face. The face was very beautiful in the moonlight, and the bird felt sorry for him.

‘Who are you?’ asked the bird.                                                                                                                    

‘I am the Happy Prince.’

‘Then why are you crying? I am wet with your tears.’

‘When I was alive,’ said the prince,’ I had a heart like every other man. But I did not know what tear were. I lived in a palace where there was no sadness. In the daytime I played with my friends in a beautiful garden, and in the evening I danced. There was a high wall round the garden. But I did not know what lay on the other side. So I was called the Happy Prince. I was pleased with my little world. Now I am dead, and they have put me up here. I can see all the unhappiness of my city. My heart now is made of a cheap metal. But even that poor heart can feel, and so I cry.’

‘Oh,’ said the bird to himself, ‘he is not all gold — he is only gold on the outside.’

‘Far away from here,’ said the Happy Prince in a low voice, ‘there is a poor house in a little street. Through an open window, I can see a woman at a table. Her face is very thin and she has rough, red hands. She is making a dress for one of the queen’s ladies, for a dance in the palace. Her little boy is lying on a bed in the corner of the room. He is very ill. He is crying because she can only give him water from the river. Little bird, will you take my red jewel to her? I cannot move from here.’

‘My friends are waiting for me in Egypt,’ said the bird.

‘Little bird, little bird,’ said the prince, ‘please stay with me for one night and do this for me. The boy is crying and his mother is so unhappy.’

The Happy Prince looked very sad, and the little bird was sorry for him. ‘It is very cold here,’ he said, ‘but I will stay with you for one night. Tomorrow I will take the jewel.’

‘Thank you, little bird,’ said the prince.

So the bird took the great red jewel from the prince’s waist and flew away with it over the roofs of the town. He passed the palace and heard the sound of dancing. A beautiful girl -was at a window with her lover. ‘I hope my dress will be ready for the dance next week,’ she said.’ Those women are so lazy.’

The bird passed over the river and flew and flew. At last he came to the poor little house and looked inside. The boy was lying on the bed. The mother was asleep; she was so tired. He flew in and put the great red jewel on the table. Then he flew round the bed, moving the air around the boy’s face with his wings.

‘Oh,’ said the boy, ‘my face does not feel so hot. I think I am getting better.’ And he fell asleep.

Then the bird flew back to the Happy Prince. ‘It is strange,’ the bird said. ‘It is very cold, but I feel quite warm.’

Questions:

Part One: True or false

a-The Woman in the passage is really rich and owns many beautiful dresses.

b-She is making dresses for a rich girl.

c-She and her child are living a luxurious life.

a-The bird wants to go to Egypt.

b-The bird is already in Egypt.

c-The bird was talking to a statue.

Part two: Answer the following questions

1-Was the prince happy? Explain.

2-What is the statue made of?

3-What is the type of the text?

4- What did it mean for the bird to feel warm in a cold weather?

5- Explain this statement: “‘Oh,’ said the bird to himself, ‘he is not all gold — he is only gold on the outside.’”

6- How can you describe the queen’s lady’s personality?