The Snake and the Mirror & A Legend of the Northland
The Snake and the Mirror
A Legend of the Northland
The Snake and the Mirror
I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30–40 words).
1. "The sound was a familiar one." What sound did the doctor hear? What did he think it was? How many times did he hear it? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?
The doctor heard a noise from above. He thought it was the sound of rats, which he was familiar with. He heard it three times (in paragraphs 1, 4, and 5). The sounds stopped after the third time, just before the snake fell with a dull thud.
2. What two "important" and "earth-shaking" decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?
The first "important" decision was to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. The second "earth-shaking" decision was to always keep an attractive smile on his face.
3. "I looked into the mirror and smiled," says the doctor. A little later he says, "I forgot my danger and smiled feebly at myself." What is the doctor's opinion about himself when: (i) he first smiles, and (ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?
(i) When he first smiles, he is proud of his appearance and considers himself a handsome bachelor. (ii) When he smiles again, he feels foolish and stupid for being in such a dangerous situation without any medicine. His thoughts change from vanity to humility because the life-threatening situation with the snake makes him realize his helplessness and foolishness.
II. This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous? (Think of the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality.)
1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions) (ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
The doctor is a poor man with meagre earnings and only sixty rupees. He possesses a few shirts, dhotis, and one solitary black coat. However, he wants to be a handsome, admired man who shaves daily, has a moustache, and always wears an attractive smile. This contrast between his reality and his dreams is humorous.
2. (i) The person he wants to marry (ii) The person he actually marries
He dreams of marrying a rich, fat woman doctor so that if he makes a mistake and needs to run away, she cannot catch him. In reality, he marries a thin, reedy person with the gift of a sprinter. The contrast between his ambitious dream and the ironic reality is funny.
3. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror (ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
When he looks into the mirror, he is full of vanity, making plans to look more handsome and to marry a rich wife. When the snake is coiled around his arm, he is terrified, turned to stone, and thinks of God and his own impending death. The sudden shift from lighthearted vanity to sheer terror creates humour.
I. Here are some sentences from the text. Say which of them tell you, that the author: (a) was afraid of the snake, (b) was proud of his appearance, (c) had a sense of humour, (d) was no longer afraid of the snake.
Sentence
What it shows
1. I was turned to stone.
(a) was afraid of the snake
2. I was no mere image cut in granite.
(d) was no longer afraid of the snake
3. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.
(a) was afraid of the snake
4. I tried in my imagination to write... 'O God'.
(a) was afraid of the snake
5. I didn't tremble. I didn't cry out.
(a) was afraid of the snake
6. I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
(b) was proud of his appearance
7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
(d) was no longer afraid of the snake
8. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
(c) had a sense of humour
9. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness...! The rascal could have taken it...
(c) had a sense of humour
10. Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache...
(c) had a sense of humour
II. Expressions used to show fear. Can you find the expressions in the story that tell you that the author was frightened?
1. I was turned to stone.
2. I sat there holding my breath.
3. In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.
III. Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italics...
1. I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits. (very frightened)
2. I got a fright when I realised how close I was to the cliff edge. (is frightened by something that happens suddenly)
3. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him. (is frightened by something that happens suddenly)
4. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. (makes another feel frightened)
5. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end. (makes another feel frightened)
6. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors. (is too scared to move)
7. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle. (is too scared to move)
IV. Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what.
1. Meena asked her friend, "Do you think your teacher will come today?" Meena asked her friend if/whether she thought her teacher would come that day.
2. David asked his colleague, "Where will you go this summer?" David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
3. He asked the little boy, "Why are you studying English?" He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
4. She asked me, "When are we going to leave?" She asked me when we were going to leave.
5. Pran asked me, "Have you finished reading the newspaper?" Pran asked me if/whether I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her, "How long have you lived here?" Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children, "Are you ready to do the work?" Sheila asked the children if/whether they were ready to do the work.
Using some of the expressions given above in exercise III, talk about an incident when you were very scared.
One night, I was walking home alone through a dimly lit alley. I heard footsteps behind me that seemed to be matching my pace. I was scared out of my wits. I got a fright when I turned around and saw a shadowy figure. I was paralysed with fear for a moment, not moving a muscle. Then, I gathered my courage and started walking faster, and the figure turned out to be just a neighbour returning home. He really gave me a fright!
1. Try to rewrite the story without its humour, merely as a frightening incident. What details or parts of the story would you leave out?
To rewrite the story as purely frightening, I would leave out all the humorous and vain thoughts of the doctor. This includes his daydreams about looking handsome, growing a moustache, keeping a smile, and especially his plan to marry a fat, rich wife so he could outrun her. I would focus only on the eerie setting, the sudden fall of the snake, the paralyzing fear, the physical sensation of the coil, and his silent prayer to God. The ending about the thief and the vest would also be omitted to maintain a serious, scary tone.
2. Read the description... Make up a story about what the monkey is thinking... Write a paragraph about it.
The monkey, clutching the piece of mirror, stared intently at its reflection. It was thinking, "Is this really me?" It had seen humans use these strange objects and often admired their shiny fur (hair). Now, with a mirror of its own, it could finally see what it looked like. It tilted its head, examining its features, perhaps wondering if it was the "fairest of them all" in the jungle. It puffed out its chest, thinking how its reflection was just as impressive as the alpha male's, planning to use this new tool to practice its most intimidating and impressive expressions.
A Legend of the Northland
1. Which country or countries do you think "the Northland" refers to?
"The Northland" likely refers to the Arctic polar region, including countries like Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Canada, and parts of Alaska (USA) where days are short in winter and reindeer are harnessed to sledges.
2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady's reaction?
Saint Peter, who was faint with fasting, asked the old lady for a single cake from her store. The lady was very selfish and unwilling to give him any cake. She kept making smaller and smaller cakes but found each one too large to give away and eventually put them all on the shelf.
3. How did he punish her?
He punished her by turning her into a woodpecker. She would have to build nests like birds and bore all day in hard, dry wood to get scanty food.
4. How does the woodpecker get her food?
The woodpecker gets its food by boring, and boring, and boring all day in the hard, dry wood.
5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
No, she would not have been so ungenerous if she had known he was Saint Peter. She would have probably given him the largest cake she had to gain his blessings.
6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
No, it is not a true story; it is a legend. The most important part is the moral lesson it teaches against greed and selfishness.
7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
A legend is an old traditional story, sometimes popularly regarded as historical but not authenticated. This poem is called a legend because it is a traditional story passed down through generations that teaches a lesson, and the poet herself says she doesn't believe it's true.
8. Write the story of 'A Legend of the Northland' in about ten sentences.
1. Saint Peter was walking around the earth, preaching.
2. He came to a cottage where an old woman was baking cakes.
3. He was hungry and asked her for a cake.
4. She made a small cake but thought it was too big to give away.
5. She made an even smaller one, but it also seemed too large.
6. She made a tiny wafer-thin cake but still could not part with it.
7. She refused to give him any cake and put them all on the shelf.
8. Saint Peter became angry at her greed.
9. He cursed her to become a woodpecker.
10. She flew up the chimney and became a bird, who must now bore in wood for food.