The Happy Prince saw a woman in one of the house through the open window. On one hand, she was embroidering on a gown for the loveliest of the Queen’s Maids of honor and on the other, her son was lying ill in the corner of the room. He wanted oranges but she had nothing more than the river water to give to him. The Happy Prince requested the swallow to pluck the ruby on his sword and deliver it to the seamstress so that she could buy oranges for her son.

The swallow came to the poor woman’s house and laid the ruby on the table where the poor seamstress had fallen asleep. He also fanned the boy’s forehead with his wings.