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The Snake and the Mirror Class 9 Chapter 5, By Vaikom Muhammad Basheer [translated from the, Malayalam by V. Abdulla], , Introduction to the Lesson, The story is a narrative within the narrative. The writer tells us the story which was told to him by a homeopathic, doctor. As we see from the title, the snake and the mirror are the two most important things in the story. This, homeopathic doctor encountered a snake, the snake fell on the doctor. When the snake saw its reflection in the, mirror, it was more interested in that and the doctor’s life was saved, , The Snake and the Mirror Summary, It is a story of a homeopathic doctor’s encounter with a snake. The doctor lived in a small rented room which, was an outhouse. It had two windows and a tiled roof. The tiles were supported by gables which rested on the, beam and there was no electricity supply to the room. The place was infested with rats., One hot summer night, the doctor took his meals at the restaurant and returned home. He lighted the kerosene, lamp, took off his coat and shirt and opened the two windows. He settled on the chair and took out a medical, book to read. There was a large mirror on the table on which stood a lamp. Since it was too hot to sleep, and, he had nothing better to do, he sat down in front of the mirror, admiring himself, planning to improve his, appearance as he was an eligible bachelor. Gradually, his thoughts shifted from self-admiration to planning his, future marriage. He thought that he would marry a rich doctor having a good practice and that he would choose, a fat lady as his wife so that she would not be able to run and catch him., He was so engrossed in his day dreaming that he did not give much importance to the sudden silence. The rats, had stopped scampering and there was a sound of something falling behind him. But he was slow to react. By, the time he turned around to have a look, a snake had wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his, shoulders. It coiled around his left arm, above the elbow. It was a dangerous cobra and its hood spread out,, hardly three inches from his face.The doctor sat there like a stone statue, afraid to move, lest the snake may, strike. He thought of various medicines he had and if any was good enough to save him if the snake did bite, him., In this moment of fear of death, (he realized the presence of God). God had punished him for being too proud, and arrogant. He realized that he was but a mere human, a poor man, nothing to boast about., The moment he accepted his true worth, the snake crawled off and sat on the table in front of the mirror.The, doctor got up silently and rushed out of the door. Next morning when he returned, all his belongings had been, robbed but for his dirty vest which was too dirty even for the thief., , The Snake and the Mirror Questions and Answers, 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?
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A. The sound that the doctor heard was that of rats which moved on the beam overhead. He, thought that it was the squeaking of the rats. He heard the sound thrice. The places in the text, which indicate this are as follows –, 1. “I heard a noise from above as I opened the door”., 2. “Again I heard that sound from above”., 3. “Again came that noise from above”., , When the doctor sat on the chair, the sound stopped suddenly as the rats had seen a snake., 2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor takewhile he was looking, into the mirror?, A. When the doctor looked at himself in the mirror, he decided to improve his looks in order to, appear more handsome. So, he made two “important and “earth – shaking” decisions. Firstly, he, would shave daily and grow a thin moustache. Secondly, he would always keep smiling as he, looked attractive when he smiled., 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 waydo his thoughts change in between, and why?, A. (i) when the doctor smiled for the first time, he thought that he was a valuable man as he was, an unmarried doctor and there would be many girls who wanted to marry him. He was looking, at himself in the mirror, admiring himself and planning to improve his looks., (ii) when he smiled for the second time, he was helpless and thought that he was a foolish person., He was looking at himself in the mirror, feeling that he was so silly to have landed into trouble as, he could not think of any way out., Question 1., Who narrated his encounter with a snake? To whom? Why did he narrate the incident?, Answer:, The narrator of the incident was a homeopathic doctor. One day, when the narrator and some, others were discussing snakes, the doctor was reminded of his own encounter with a snake and, he narrated the incident., Question 2., When and where did the incident with the snake take place?, Answer:, The incident took place in the narrator’s room after he had taken his meal in a restaurant and, had returned to his room at about ten o’clock in the night., Question 3. What circumstances prompted the doctor to live in a small, poor house?, Answer:, The doctor had just started his practice and his earnings were meagre. Therefore, he lived in a, small, poor house because he could not afford to rent a better and more comfortable
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accommodation. Besides, he was not married at that time so he could manage in a small rented, room until the time he got married., Question 4. What were the narrator’s feelings as he looked into the mirror?, Answer:, At that time the narrator, who was unmarried and a doctor, was a great admirer of beauty and, he believed in making himself look handsome. He felt he had to make his presence felt by, improving his appearance. He began to comb his hair, adjusting the parting so that it looked, straight and neat in order to appear more handsome., , Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow., Question 1., I had my meal at the restaurant and returned to my room. I heard a noise from above as I, opened the door. The sound was a familiar one., (a) Who does ‘I’ refer to in this extract?, Answer:, In this extract, ‘I’ refers to the homeopathic doctor who narrates his encounter with a snake., (b) At what time did ‘I’ return to his room? Where did he return from?, Answer:, The doctor returned to his room at ten o’clock at night after having a meal at a restaurant., (c) When did ‘I’ hear a noise?, Answer:, The doctor heard a noise when he entered his room., (d) What type of noise was it?, Answer:, It was a familiar noise like that made by the rats that lived in his room as they moved about., Question 2., The sound was a familiar one. One could say that the rats and I shared the room. I took out my, box of matches and lighted the kerosene lamp on the table., (a) What sound did the narrator hear as he entered the room?, Answer:, The narrator heard a sound as if of the scampering of rats as he entered the room.
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(b) Why does the narrator say that it was a familiar sound?, Answer:, The narrator says that it was a familiar sound because there were many rats in his room and, their constant squeaking or scampering about had become familiar., (c) How many times did he hear it?, Answer:, He heard the sound thrice. (He heard it as he opened the door, he heard it again as he sat, combing his hair this way and that, and he heard it for the third time when he decided to smile, more.), (d) When and why did the noise stop?, Answer:, The sound stopped suddenly as the narrator after pacing about the room, sat down in his chair., Probably, the rats had seen the snake., Question 3., It had a tiled roof with long supporting gables that rested on the beam over the wall. There was, no ceiling. There was a regular traffic of rats to and off., (a) What did the narrator do after entering the room?, Answer:, The narrator lit the kerosene lamp and then made his bed., (b) Why could the narrator not sleep?, Answer:, The narrator could not sleep because there was a regular traffic of rats to and from the beam, and the gables. Moreover, it was warm in the room., (c) Where did he go and why?, Answer:, He went out to the veranda for a little air., (d), Why, did, he, Answer:, There was no wind blowing outside too., , return, , to, , his, , room?, , Question 4., I was unmarried and I was a doctor. I felt I had to make my presence felt. I picked up the comb, and ran it through my hair and adjusted the parting so that it looked straight and neat. .
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(a) Explain “I had to make my presence felt.”, Answer:, The narrator decided that he had to create an impact on people by improving upon his, appearance or personality., (b) Why did the narrator feel he had to make his presence felt?, Answer:, The narrator felt he was a doctor, a profession that is much respected in society, and was a, bachelor. Therefore, he had to make an impact on society., (c) What did the narrator do to make his presence felt?, Answer:, In order to make his presence felt, he combed his hair carefully and adjusted the parting., (d) What do you learn about the narrator from this extract?, Answer:, The narrator was arrogant because of his profession and vain about his looks., Question 5., I got up, paced up and down the room. Then another lovely thought struck me. I would marry., (a) Where did the narrator get up from? Why?, Answer:, The narrator, the homeopathic doctor, got up from his chair in his room. He wanted to think, about improving his presence in society., (b) Which lovely thought struck him?, Answer:, The lovely thought that struck him was that he should get married., © What sort of lady did he wish to marry?, Answer:, He wished to marry a rich, fat lady-doctor., (d) What prompted him to make this choice?, Answer:
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He would get married to a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical, practice as he did not have much money. She had to be fat so that if he made a silly mistake, and needed to run away she should not be able to run after him and catch him.
