Chapter 9 – The Snake and the Mirror Solutions
Question - 1 : - Do you like to look at yourself in the mirror? What do you think about at such times? Have you ever seen a dog, a cat or a bird look into a mirror? What do you think it sees?
Answer - 1 : -
Yes, I like looking at myself in the mirror. At such times, I often think about the ways to make myself look more presentable to others.
No, I have not seen a dog, a cat or a bird look into a mirror. However, I have seen birds looking at their reflection in water. I think they do not realise that what they see is their own reflection and not another being of their own species facing them.
Question - 2 : - “The sound was 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?
Answer - 2 : -
The doctor heard a scuttling sound, which he thought to be of the rats.
He heard it thrice: as he entered his room; after combing; while looking at himself in the mirror.
The sounds stopped after the doctor heard a dull thud, because the snake had fallen to the ground.
Question - 3 : - What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?
Answer - 3 : - While looking into the mirror, the doctor took two “important” and “earth shaking” decisions: that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache; and that he would always wear an attractive smile on his face to look handsome
Question - 4 : - “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?
Answer - 4 : -
(i) When the doctor first smiles, he has an inflated opinion of himself, admiring his looks and profession.
(ii) In the second instance, the doctor smiles at his foolishness and helplessness.
His thoughts change after his encounter with the snake—from being a proud doctor he moves on to accept his stupidity.
Question - 5 : - 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. Some of them are listed below.)
1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
2. (i) The person he wants to marry
(ii) The person he actually marries
3. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.
Answer - 5 : -
What makes this frightening story humourous is the interspersion of humourous and witty comments in the narration. Besides, the presentation of contrasts between dreams and reality also contribute to the humour element in the story. Some such contrasts are discussed below.
1. There is a visible discrepancy between the lifestyle of the doctor and his high opinion of himself. Even with a meagre income and modest living condition, he considers himself an eligible bachelor. He is extremely proud of his looks and profession. The special attention that he lays on his looks—on his moustache, hair and smile—to look handsome brings in the element of humour in the story.
2. There is also a contradiction between the kind of wife the doctor aspires for and the lady he finally marries. The doctor wants to marry a rich woman doctor. He also wants his wife to be fat, who would not be able to catch hold of him if someday he does something silly and has to run away from her. But, contrary to his wishes, he ends up getting married to a slim lady who could run like a “sprinter”.
3. When the doctor looks into the mirror, he is full of admiration for himself and thinks of ways to make his self more appealing. He decides to shave daily and keep a thin moustache. He regards his smile quite attractive and resolves to smile always. But, when the snake is coiled around his arm, he smiles for a different reason. This time it is at his foolishness and stupidity, as he did not have any medicines for snakebite. Perhaps he realises the futility of his vanity.
Question - 6 : - 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.
1. I was turned to stone.
2. I was no mere image cut in granite.
3. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.
4. I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O God’.
5. I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out.
6. I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
8. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
9. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness...! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water.
10. Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead?
Answer - 6 : -
| | (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 |
| 1. | I was turned to stone. | | | |
| 2. | | | | I was no mere image cut in granite. |
| 3. | The arm was beginning to be drained of strength. | | | |
| 4. | I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, 'O God'. | | I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, 'O God'. | |
| 5. | I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out. | | | |
| 6. | | I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile. | | |
| 7. | | | | I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. |
| 8. | | I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it! | | |
| 9. | | | The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness...! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water. | |
| 10. | | | Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead. | |
Question - 7 : - Expressions used to show fear
Can you find the expressions in the story that tell you that the author was frightened? Read the story and complete the following sentences.
1. I was turned ___________________________________________________.
2. I sat there holding _______________________________________________.
3. In the light of the lamp I sat there like _______________________________.
Answer - 7 : -
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.
Question - 8 : - In the sentences given below some words and expressions are italicised. They variously mean that one
• is very frightened.
• is too scared to move.
• is frightened by something that happens suddenly.
• makes another feel frightened.
Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italics, and write the appropriate meaning next to the sentence. The first one has been done for you.
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.
3. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him.
4. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that.
5. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end.
6. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors.
7. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle.
Answer - 8 : -
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. (frightened by something that happens suddenly)
3. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him. (very frightened)
4. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. (frightened by something that happens suddenly)
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. (too scared to move)
7. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle. (too scared to move)
Question - 9 : - Reported questions
Study these sentences:
• His friend asked, “Did you see the snake the next day, doctor?”
His friend asked the doctor whether/if he had seen the snake the next day.
• The little girl wondered, “Will I be home before the TV show begins?”
The little girl wondered if/whether she would be home before the TV show began.
• Someone asked, “Why has the thief left the vest behind?”
Someone asked why the thief had left the vest behind.
The words if/whether are used to report questions which begin with: do, will, can, have, are etc. These questions can be answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Questions beginning with why/when/where/how/which/what are reported using these same words.
The reporting verbs we use in questions with if/whether/why/when etc. are: ask, inquire and wonder.
| Remember that in reported speech, • the present tense changes to past tense • here, today, tomorrow, yesterday etc. change to there, that day, the next day, the day before, etc. • I/you change to me/him/he, etc., as necessary. Example: • He said to me, “I don’t believe you.” He said he did not believe me. • She said to him, ‘I don’t believe you.’ She told him that she did not believe him. |
Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what.
Remember the italicised verbs change into the past tense.
1. Meena asked her friend, “Do you think your teacher will come today?”
2. David asked his colleague, “Where will you go this summer?”
3. He asked the little boy, “Why are you studying English?”
4. She asked me, “When are we going to leave?”
5. Pran asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper?”
6. Seema asked her, “How long have you lived here?”
7. Sheila asked the children “Are you ready to do the work?”
Answer - 9 : -
1. Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day.
2. David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
3. He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
4. She asked me when we were going to leave.
5. Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.
Question - 10 : - Try to rewrite the story without its humour, merely as a frightening incident. What details or parts of the story would you leave out?
Answer - 10 : -
One hot summer night, a doctor returned home late at night. He heard a familiar scuttling sound of rats from above while opening the door. He heard the sound thrice. The doctor was sitting at a table—on which stood a lamp and a mirror—when he heard a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground. At the same time that the doctor turned his back to find out the source of the thud, he found a snake wriggling at the back of his chair. As the snake slowly slid along the arm of the doctor, he found himself paralysed with fear. The doctor sat there without a muscle moving, silently praying to God. The doctor felt helpless and foolish at that time as he did not have any medicine for snakebite. By chance, the snake turned his head to the mirror and it slowly slithered away towards it. Taking the opportunity, the doctor ran till he reached his friend's house, where he took bath and changed into fresh clothes. Next morning, he returned to his house to shift his belongings only to find that his belongings had been stolen by a thief.
To turn the story into just a frightening incident without humour, I would leave out the following elements from the story: the author's description about his beauty and his admiration of the same; his ambition to marry a fat and rich female doctor; the part about the snake admiring its beauty by looking into the mirror; the doctor's remark about the thief leaving back only his dirty vest.