Haryana Board 9th Class English Solutions Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror

HBSE 9th Class English The Snake and the Mirror Textbook Questions and Answers

The Snake and the Mirror Introduction in English

This is an interesting story. It is about a doctor’s encounter with a snake. The doctor lived in a small rented room full of rats. One night, he was reading a book. A kerosene lamp was burning on the table. There was also a large mirror on the table. Suddenly something fell on the back of the chair. He turned to see what it was. He froze with fear when he saw that it was a big snake.

The snake then coiled itself around the doctor’s left arm. The doctor prayed to God. Then the snake looked into the mirror on the table. Luckily, the snake liked its own image in the mirror. It wanted to have a closer look at its image. So it uncoiled itself from the arm and came on the table.

The doctor at once got and ran out of the room. He spent the night at the house of one of his friends. The next morning he came back to his room. He was shocked to find that during the night some thief had taken away everything from his room.

The Snake and the Mirror Summary in English

The narrator of the story is a doctor. He is telling this story to some of his friends. He tells the story of his encounter with a deadly snake. He is a homeopath. He says that he had just started his practice in those days when he was living in a rented room.

It was a hot summer night. The time was about ten o’clock. He had just returned home after taking his meals at a restaurant. He lighted the kerosene lamp, as his house was not electrified. After some time, he opened the two windows in the room. Then he sat down on the chair and took out a book to read.

Apart from the lamp, there was a large mirror on the table. In those days, the doctor bothered much about his looks, as he was a bachelor. He picked up a comb and parted his hair. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and smiled at his own image. There were rats in the room which constantly made noises.

The doctor got up, lit a beedi and paced up and down the room. He decided that he would marry. He thought that he would marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice. He decided that he would marry a fat lady so that she would not be able to run after him if he wanted to run away. He resumed his seat in the chair in front of the table.

There were no more sounds of rats. Suddenly something fell on the back of his chair with a thud. He was horrified to see that there was a large snake on the back of the chair. Just then the snake came on his shoulder. Before the doctor could think and act, the snake coiled itself round his left arm. Its hood was spread and its head was hardly three or four inches from his face.

The doctor was turned to stone with fear. But his mind was active. He prayed to God to save him. It appeared as if God had heard his prayer. The snake turned its head and looked into the mirror. It appeared to like its own image. Then the snake unwound itself from the doctor’s arm and fell into his lap. From there the snake crept onto the table.

It moved towards the mirror. Perhaps it wanted to see its image closely. Now the doctor acted quickly. Still holding his breath, he got up slowly from the chair. Then he ran out of the house. He went to the house of one of his friends and spent the night there.

Next morning, he took his friend and one or two others to his room. He had decided to shift to some other house. He was shocked to find that there was nothing left in his room. Some thief had taken away most of his things. There was no sign of the snake either.

The Snake and the Mirror Introduction in Hindi

यह एक रोचक कहानी है। यह एक डॉक्टर की एक सांप के साथ सामने के बारे में है। डॉक्टर चूहों से भरे किराए के एक छोटे से कमरे में रहता था। एक रात, वह एक पुस्तक पढ़ रहा था। मेज़ पर मिट्टी के तेल का एक लैंप जल रहा था। वहाँ मेज पर एक बड़ा दर्पण भी था। अचानक कुर्सी की पीठ पर कुछ गिरा। वह यह देखने के लिए मुड़ा कि यह क्या था। वह तब डर के मारे जम गया जब उसने देखा कि यह एक बहुत बड़ा सांप है। तब सांप लेखक के बाई बाजू से लिपट गया। डॉक्टर ने भगवान से प्रार्थना की।

तब सांप ने मेज पर पड़े दर्पण में स्वयं को देखा। भाग्यवश सांप को दर्पण में अपना बिंब अच्छा लगा। यह अपना बिंब नजदीक से देखना चाहता था। इसलिए इसने स्वयं को बाजू से अलग किया और मेज़ पर आ गया। डॉक्टर एकदम उठा और कमरे से बाहर भागा। उसने रात अपने एक मित्र के घर बिताई। अगली प्रातः वह अपने कमरे में वापस गया। उसे यह देखकर सदमा लगा कि रात के दौरान कोई चोर उसके कमरे में से हर वस्तु चुराकर ले गया था।

The Snake and the Mirror Summary in Hindi

कहानी का वर्णनकर्ता एक डॉक्टर है। वह अपने कुछ मित्रों को यह कहानी सुना रहा है। वह एक भयानक सांप के साथ अपने सामने की कहानी सुनाता है। वह होम्योपैथी का डॉक्टर है। वह कहता है कि उसने अपनी प्रेक्टिस उन्हीं दिनों में आरंभ की थी जब वह एक किराए के कमरे में रह रहा था।

मत की गर्म रात थी। समय लगभग दस बजे का था। वह एक रेस्तरां से भोजन करके अभी-अभी घर लौटा था। उसने मिट्टी के तेल का लैंप जलाया, क्योंकि उसके घर में बिजली नहीं थी। कुछ समय पश्चात उसने अपने कमरे की दो खिड़कियों खोल दीं। तब वह कुर्सी पर बैठ गया और पढ़ने के लिए एक पुस्तक निकाल ली। लैंप के अलावा मेज़ पर एक बड़ा दर्पण भी था। उन दिनों में डॉक्टर अपने रूप की बहुत परवाह करता था, क्योंकि वह कुंवारा था। उसने एक कंघी उठाई और अपने बालों में फेरी। उसने दर्पण में स्वयं को देखा और अपने प्रतिबिंब पर मुस्कुराया। कमरे में चूहे थे जो लगातार शोर मचा रहे थे।

डॉक्टर उठा, उसने बीड़ी सुलगाई और कमरे में इधर-उधर चहलकदमी करने लगा। उसने फैसला किया कि वह शादी करेगा। उसने फैसला किया वह एक लेडी डॉक्टर से शादी करेगा जो बहुत अमीर होगी और जिसकी प्रैक्टिस अच्छी होगी। उसने फैसला किया कि वह एक मोटी औरत से शादी करेगा ताकि अगर वह भागना चाहे तो वह उसके पीछे न भाग सके। वह मेज़ के सामने कुर्सी में फिर से बैठ गया। चूहों की आवाजें आनी बंद हो गई।

अचानक उसने सुना कि कोई चीज़ उसकी कुर्सी पर धम्म से गिरी है। वह यह देखकर भयभीत हो गया कि कुर्सी की पीठ पर एक बड़ा सांप था। उसी समय सांप डॉक्टर के कंधे पर आ गया। इससे पहले कि डॉक्टर सोच सकता या कुछ करता, सांप उसकी बाई बाजू से लिपट गया। उसका फन फैला हुआ था और उसका सिर उसके चेहरे से मुश्किल से तीन या चार इंच दूर था।

डॉक्टर डर से पत्थर बन गया था। मगर उसका दिमाग चुस्त था। उसने भगवान से प्रार्थना की कि वह उसे बचा ले। ऐसा लगा जैसे भगवान ने उसकी प्रार्थना सुन ली। सांप ने अपना सिर घुमाया और दर्पण में देखा। ऐसा लगा कि जैसे उसे अपना बिंब अच्छा लगा। तब सांप ने स्वयं को डॉक्टर की बाजू से अलग कर लिया और उसकी गोद में गिर गया। वहाँ से सांप रेंगकर मेज़ पर आ गया। यह दर्पण की ओर मुड़ा। शायद यह अपना बिंब नज़दीक से देखना चाहता था। अब डॉक्टर ने शीघ्रता से कार्य किया। अपना सांस थामे-थामे वह कुर्सी से उठा।

तब वह घर में से बाहर भागा। वह अपने एक मित्र के घर गया और रात वहाँ बिताई। अगली प्रातः उसने अपने मित्र एवं दो अन्य व्यक्तियों को अपने साथ लिया और अपने कमरे में आया। उसने किसी अन्य घर में जाने का निर्णय ले लिया था। मगर उसे यह देखकर धक्का लगा कि उसके कमरे में कुछ भी नहीं बचा था। कोई चोर उसकी अधिकतर वस्तुएं ले गया था। न ही वहाँ सांप का कोई चिह्न था।

The Snake and the Mirror Word-Meanings

(Page 56) :
Coil = wind = लपेटना; full-blooded = frightening = डरावना; homeopath – a kind of doctor – होम्योपैथी का डॉक्टर, attentively = with attention = ध्यान से; meal = food – भोजन; familiar = known = परिचित; share = lived together = साथ रहना; kerosene = paraffin oil = मिट्टी का तेल; rented = hired = किराए का; earnings = income = आमदनी; meagre = small = तुच्छ; possessed = had – रखता था; solitary = only – एकमात्र, अकेला; vest = under garment = बनियान; facing = in front of = के सामने: yard = open space at the front or back of the house = आंगन; supporting – giving the support = सहारा देने वाले; gable = three cormered part of a wall below the sloping roof = ढलान वाली छत के नीचे तीन कोनों वाली दीवार का भाग; beam = rafter = शहतीर।

(Page 57) :
Close = near – नज़दीक; taken time off = on leave – छुट्टी पर; beneath = under = नीचे beside = near= पास; tempted = inclined = प्रेरित हुआ; admirer = one who praises = प्रशंसक; handsome = good looking = सुंदर; adjusted = set = व्यवस्थित किया; parting = division = भाग; moustache = hair on the upper lip = मूंछ; attractive – charming = आकर्षक: earth shaking = important – महत्त्वपूर्ण; bachelor = unmarried = कुंवारा; paced = walked = चहलकदमी की; up and down = from one side to the other – इधर-उधर: plenty = much = काफी; valid= proper – उचित; silly foolish = मूर्ख; resumed = took again – फिर से लिया; dull thud = heavy sound = भारी आवाज़।

(Page 58) :
Wriggled = made a sharp movement = बलखाते हुए आया; landed = came = आया; simultaneous = at the same time = साथ-साथ; tremble = shiver = कांपना; slither = slip- फिसलना; hood = the spread head of the snake – फन; merely = only = केवल; image = statue = मूर्ति; drained of = without = के बिना; flesh = flesh = माँस; leaden = made of lead = दर्पण का; molten = turmed to liquid with fire – पिघला हुआ; crushing = pressing hard – कुचलना; lurked = hidden = छिपा हुआ; struck = attacked – प्रहार किया; feebly = weakly = कमज़ोरी से; stupid – foolish = मूखं; appreciated = valued = तारीफ करना, अच्छा समझना; reflection = image – प्रतिबिंब; admiring = praising = प्रशंसा करना।

(Pages 59-60) :
Mascara = an item of cosmetics = एक सौंदर्य प्रसाधन; vermilion = red lead = सिंदूरः male = masculine = पुल्लिंग; female = feminine = स्त्रीलिंग; unwound = uncoiled – अलग किया; slithered = slid= फिसला; crept = crawled = रेंगने लगा; granite = stone = पत्थर; veranda = veranda = बरामदा; leapt = jumped = कूदा; for all I was worth = with all my force = पूरी ताकत से; willed = desired – इच्छा की; reedy = very thin – बहुत पतला; sprinter – racer = धावक; smeared = applied = मला; rascal = rogue – पूर्त।’

The Snake and the Mirror Translation in Hindi

(Pages 56-57)
पढ़ने से पहले-
(i) क्या तुम अपने आपको दर्पण में देखना पसंद करते हो उस समय तुम क्या सोचते हो क्या तुमने कभी किसी कुत्ते, बिल्ली या पक्षी को दर्पण में स्वयं को निहारते हुए देखा है आपके विचार में यह क्या देखता है
(ii) अब यह एक डॉक्टर, सांप और दर्पण की हास्यास्पद कहानी को पड़ो।

1. क्या कभी कोई सांप आपके शरीर के किसी भाग के गिर्द लिपटा है-एक डरावना कोबरा। हम सब खामोश हो गए। यह प्रश्न होम्योपैथी के डॉक्टर से आया था। यह विषय तब आया जब हम सांपों की चर्चा कर रहे थे। हम सबने ध्यान से सुना जबकि डॉक्टर ने अपनी कहानी को जारी रखा।

ग्रीष्म ऋतु की एक गर्म रात थी, लगभग दस बजे थे। मैं रेस्तरां में भोजन करने के बाद अपने कमरे में लोटा था। जब मैंने दरवाजा खोला तो मैंने ऊपर से एक आवाज़ सुनी। आवाज़ जानी-पहचानी थी। आप कह सकते हैं कि चूहे और मैं कमरे में मिलकर रहते थे। मैंने अपनी माचिस निकाली और मेज़ पर पड़े हुए मिट्टी के तेल का लैंप जलाया।

2. घर में बिजली नहीं थी; यह एक छोटा सा किराए का कमरा था। मैंने कुछ समय पहले ही डॉक्टरी की प्रेक्टिस आरंभ की थी और मेरी कमाई बहुत कम थी। मेरे सूटकेस में लगभग साठ रुपए थे। कुछ कमीजों और धोतियों के अलावा मेरे पास एकमात्र काला कोट भी था जो मैंने पहना हुआ था।

3. मैंने अपना काला कोट, सफेद कमीज और वह बनियान उतारी जो ज्यादा सफेद नहीं थी और उन्हें लटका दिया। मैंने अपने कमरे की दोनों खिड़कियाँ खोल दीं। यह एक बाहर का कमरा था जिसकी एक दीवार बाहर के आंगन की तरफ थी। इसकी खपरैल की छत थी और छत के नीचे तिकोना भाग था जो दीवार के ऊपर बीम पर टिका हुआ था।

ऊपर छत नहीं थी। चूहों का नियमित आवागमन बीम के ऊपर होता रहता था। मैंने बिस्तर लगाया और उसे खींचकर दीवार के पास कर दिया। में लेट गया मगर मुझे नींद नहीं आई। मैं उठा और हवा के लिए बरामदे में चला गया, मगर लगता था कि वायु देवता छुट्टी पर थे।

(Pages 57-58)
4. मैं कमरे में वापस आया और कुर्सी पर बैठ गया। मैंने मेज़ के नीचे पड़ा बक्सा खोला और एक किताब निकाली जिसका नाम था मैटीरिया मेडिका । मने इसे मेज़ के ऊपर खोल दिया जिसके ऊपर लैंप और एक बड़ा दर्पण था; दर्पण के पास एक छोटी सी कंघी पड़ी थी।

जब दर्पण व्यक्ति के निकट हो तो उसका मन उसमें देखने को करता है। मैंने एक नजर डाली। उन दिनों में सुंदरता का बहुत बड़ा प्रशंसक था और मैं स्वयं को सुंदर दिखने वाला बनाने में विश्वास करता था। मैं कुंवारा था और एक डॉक्टर था। मुझे लगा कि मुझे अपनी उपस्थिति महसूस करवानी चाहिए। मैंने कंधी उठाई और उसे बालों में फेरा और माँग को व्यवस्थित किया ताकि यह सीधी और अच्छी लगे।
मैने फिर ऊपर से आवाज़ सुनी।

5. मैंने दर्पण में अपने चेहरे को नज़दीक से देखा। मैंने एक महत्त्वपूर्ण निर्णय लिया सुंदर नज़र आने के लिए में प्रतिदिन शेव करूंगा और पतली-सी मूंछ उगाऊंगा। आखिर में कुंवारा था और एक डॉक्टर था!

मैंने दर्पण में देखा एवं मुस्कुराया। यह एक आकर्षक मुस्कुराहट थी। मैंने एक अन्य धरती हिलाने वाला फैसला किया। मैं हमेशा उस आकर्षक हँसी को अपने चेहरे पर कायम रखूगा…… अधिक सुंदर दिखाई देने के लिए। आखिर मैं एक कुंवारा था और उससे भी ज्यादा एक डॉक्टर!
दोबारा वह शोर ऊपर से आया।

6, मैं उठा, एक बीड़ी जलाई और कमरे में चहलकदमी की। तब दूसरा सुंदर विचार मेरे मन में आया। मैं शादी करूंगा। मैं एक ऐसी महिला डॉक्टर से शादी करूंगा जिसके पास बहुत पैसा हो तथा अच्छा डॉक्टरी अभ्यास हो। वह अवश्य ही मोटी होगी; ऐसा एक उचित कारण से होगा। अगर मैंने कोई बेवकूफी भरी गलती कर दी और भागने की जरूरत पड़ी तो वह मेरे पीछे भाग नहीं सकेगी और मुझे पकड़ नहीं सकेगी!

अपने मन में ऐसे विचारों के साथ मैंने मेज के सामने अपनी कुर्सी को फिर से ग्रहण किया। ऊपर से अब कोई आवाजें नहीं आ रही थीं। अचानक धम्म की आवाज़ हुई जैसे कि रबड़ की एक ट्यूब ज़मीन पर गिर गई हो… निःसंदेह चिंता की कोई बात नहीं थी। फिर भी मैंने सोचा कि मैं मुड़कर देखूगा। ज्योहि मैंने मुड़कर देखा, एक मोटे सांप ने कुर्सी की पीठ पर बल खाया और मेरे कंधे के ऊपर आ गया। सांप का मेरे ऊपर आना और मेरा मुड़ना साथ-साथ हुआ।

(Pages 58-59)
7. मैं कूदा नहीं। मैं कांपा नहीं। मैं चिल्लाया नहीं। ऐसा कुछ करने का समय नहीं था। सांप मेरे कंधे से खिसका और मेरे बाएं हाथ पर कोहनी से ऊपर लिपट गया। इसका फन फैला हुआ था और इसका सिर मेरे चेहरे से मुश्किल से ही तीन या चार इंच दूर था।

केवल इतना कहना सही नहीं होगा कि मैंने अपना सांस रोका हुआ था। मैं पत्थर का बन गया था। मगर मेरा दिमाग बहुत था। दरवाजे के बाहर अंधेरा था। कमरा अंधेरे से घिरा हुआ था। लैंप के प्रकाश में मैं मांस का बना हआ मगर पत्थर की मूर्ति की तरह बैठा था।

8. उस समय मैंने इस संसार और ब्रह्मांड के रचयिता की महान उपस्थिति को महसूस किया। भगवान वहाँ था। मान लो मैं कुछ कहता और उसे वह बात अच्छी न लगती…… मैंने कल्पना में अपने छोटे से दिल के बाहर ये शब्द लिखने का प्रयत्न किया, हे भगवान”।

मेरी बाई बाजू में कुछ दर्द था। ऐसा लगता था जैसे दर्पण की एक मोटी छड़….. नहीं, पिघलती हुई आग की छड़….. धीरे-धीरे मगर शक्तिशाली रूप से मेरी बाजू को कुचल रही है। बाजू की सारी ताकत बहनी आरंभ हो गई थी। मैं क्या कर सकता था

9. मेरी हल्की सी हलचल पर भी सांप मेरे पर प्रहार कर देगा! मौत केवल चार इंच छिपी हुई थी। मान लो इसने प्रहार कर तो मुझे कौन सी दवाई लेनी थी कमरे में कोई दवाई नहीं थी। मैं तो केवल एक गरीब, बेवकूफ और मूर्ख डॉक्टर था। मैं अपने खतरे को भूल गया और अपने ऊपर हल्का सा मुस्कुराया।

ऐसा लगता था कि भगवान ने इस बात को पसंद किया। सांप ने अपना सिर घुमाया। इसने दर्पण में देखा; और अपने प्रतिबिंब को देखा। मैं ऐसा दावा नहीं करता कि यह ऐसा पहला सांप था जो दर्पण में देख रहा था। मगर यह निश्चित था कि सांप दर्पण में देख रहा था। क्या यह अपनी सुंदरता की तारीफ कर रहा था-क्या यह मूंछ उगाने, आंखों पर छाया डालने, मस्कारा लगाने या माथे पर सिंदूर लगाने का कोई महत्त्वपूर्ण निर्णय ले रहा था?

(Pages 59-60)
10. मुझे निश्चित रूप से कुछ भी पता नहीं था। इस सांप का लिंग क्या था, क्या यह नर था या मादा नहीं होगा क्योंकि सांप ने स्वयं को मेरी बाज़ से अलग किया और धीरे-धीरे खिसककर मेरी गोद में आ गया। वहाँ से यह रेंगकर मेज़ के ऊपर आ गया और दर्पण की ओर बढ़ा। शायद यह अपने बिंब को नज़दीक से देखना चाहता था।

अब मैं और अधिक पत्थर का बुत नहीं था। मैं अचानक माँस एवं खून का व्यक्ति बन गया था। अपना सांस रोके-रोके मैं कुर्सी से उठा। मैं चुपके से दरवाज़ा पार करके बरामदे में आ गया। वहाँ से मैं आंगन में आ गया और अपनी पूरी ताकत लगाकर भागा।
‘ओह’! हममें से हर एक ने चैन की सांस ली। हम सब ने बीड़ियाँ सुलगा लीं। किसी ने पूछा, “डॉक्टर क्या तुम्हारी पत्नी बहुत मोटी है-

11. ‘नहीं’, डॉक्टर ने कहा, “भगवान की इच्छा कुछ और ही थी। मेरी जीवन साथी सरकंडे की तरह पतली है और उसमें तेज धावक के गुण हैं।” किसी और व्यक्ति ने पूछा, “डॉक्टर जब आप भागे तो क्या सांप ने आपका पीछा किया-”

डॉक्टर ने उत्तर दिया, “मैं तब तक दौड़ता रहा जब तक मैं एक मित्र के घर नहीं पहुंच गया। फौरन मैंने सारे बदन पर तेल मल लिया एवं स्नान किया। मैंने नए कपड़े पहन लिए। अगली प्रातः लगभग साढे आठ बजे मैंने अपने मित्र तथा एक दो अन्य व्यक्तियों को साथ लिया और अपने कमरे में लाया ताकि वहाँ से सामान हटा सकूँ। मगर हमने देखा कि हमारे यहाँ से ले जाने के लिए कुछ ही सामान था। कोई चोर मेरी लगभग सारी चीजे ले गया था। कमरा बिल्कुल साफ कर दिया गया था! मगर सचमुच बिल्कुल नहीं, क्योंकि चोर अंतिम अपमान के रूप में एक चीज छोड़ गया था!’

12. “वह क्या था-” मैंने पूछा।
डॉक्टर ने कहा, “मेरी बनियान । मैली बनियान। उस व्यक्ति (चोर) में सफाई की बहुत अधिक भावना थी…..” यह धूर्त इसे ले जा सकता था और साबुन एवं पानी से धोकर प्रयोग कर सकता था।’
“डॉक्टर, क्या तुमने सांप को अगले दिन देखा-”
डॉक्टर हंसा, “मैंने उस दिन के बाद से सांप को कभी नहीं देखा। यह एक ऐसा सांप था जो अपनी ही सुंदरता से प्रभावित हो गया था!”

HBSE 9th Class English The Snake and the Mirror Textbook Questions and Answers

Thinking about the Text

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30-40 words).

Question 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?
(‘ध्वनि एक जानी-पहचानी सी लग रही थी।’ डॉक्टर ने क्या ध्वनि सुनी-उसने क्या होने के बारे में सोचा उसने उसे कितनी बार सुना-(पाठ्यपुस्तक से स्थान चुनिए) आवाजें सुनाई देनी कब और क्यों बंद हो गई ?
Answer:
The doctor heard a noise from the roof as he opened the door. He thought it the sound made by the rats. He heard that sound thrice at the different times. The sounds stopped after sometime because the snake had fallen to the ground.

(जैसे ही डॉक्टर ने अपने कमरे का दरवाजा खोला तो उसे छत से एक आयाज-सी सुनाई दी। उसने सोचा कि यह चूहों की आवाज होगी। उसने इस आवाज को थोड़े-थोड़े अंतराल के पश्चात तीन बार सुना। सांप के जमीन पर गिरने के कुछ समय पश्चात आवाजें बंद हो गई।)

Question 2.
What two important’ and earth-shaking decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?
(डॉक्टर ने दर्पण में अपना चेहरा देखते समय कौन-से दो अति ‘महत्त्वपूर्ण और प्रभावकारी’ निर्णय लिए ?
Answer:
The doctor decided that he would try to look more handsome. For this purpose, he would shave daily. He would also grow a thin moustache. He would keep an attractive smile on his face. The second decision was that he would marry a woman doctor who was rich and fat.

(डॉक्टर ने निर्णय लिया कि वह अधिक सुंदर दिखने का प्रयास करेगा। इस उद्देश्य के लिए वह प्रतिदिन शेव करेगा। वह पतली मुंछ भी उगाएगा। वह अपने चेहरे पर एक आकर्षक मुस्कान रखेगा। दसरा निर्णय था कि वह एक महिला डॉक्टर से शादी करेगा जो कि बहुत अमीर और मोटी होगी।)

Question 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) Dhe first smiles, and
(ii) he smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?
(‘मैंने दर्पण में देखा और मैं मुस्कुराया,’ डॉक्टर कहता है। कुछ देर बाद वह कहता है, ‘मैं अपना खतरा भूल गया और धीमे से अपने आप पर मुस्कुराया।’ डॉक्टर की स्वयं के बारे में क्या धारणा है जब
(i) वह पहली बार मुस्कुराता है, और?
(ii) जब वह दूसरी बार मुस्कुराता है-इस दौरान उसके विचार किस प्रकार बदलते हैं और क्यों ?)
Answer:
(i) The doctor sits in front of the mirror. He makes an important decision. He decides that he will shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. This decision makes him to smile.

(डॉक्टर दर्पण के सामने बैठ जाता है। वह एक महत्त्वपूर्ण निर्णय लेता है। वह निर्णय लेता है कि वह प्रतिदिन दाढ़ी बनाएगा और पतली-सी मूठ उगाएगा ताकि वह अधिक आकर्षक लग सके। इस निर्णय से वह मुस्कुरा पड़ता है।)

(ii) The snake has a tight grip on his arm. He thinks that death is just four inches away from him. If the snake bites him, what medicine he will take. There was not any such medicine in the room. He calls himself a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. He forgets his danger and smiles feebly at his foolishness.

(सांप ने उसकी बाजू पर एक मजबूत जकड़ लगा रखी है। वह सोचता है कि मौत उससे केवल चार इंच की दूरी पर है। यदि सांप उसे डंक मार देता है, तो वह कौन-सी दवाई लेगा। कमरे में इस प्रकार की कोई भी दवाई नहीं थी। वह स्वयं को एक बेचारा, मूर्ख और बुद्ध डॉक्टर कहता है। वह अपने खतरे को भूल जाता है और अपनी मूर्खता पर मुस्कुरा देता है।)

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. 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.

(एक भयानक घटना के बारे में वर्णित इस कहानी को एक हास्यास्पद ढंग से कहा गया है। इसको क्या चीज उपहासपूर्ण बनाती है? (उन भेदों के बारे में सोचिए जिनका यह सपनों और सच्चाई में वर्णन करती है। उनमें से कुछ नीचे दी गई है।)
1. (i) डॉक्टर किस प्रकार का व्यक्ति है (धन, चीजों के बारे में)
(ii) बह किस प्रकार का व्यक्ति बनना चाहता है (दिखावे, लक्ष्य के बारे में)

2. (i) वह किस प्रकार की महिला से शादी करना चाहता है
(ii) वह वास्तव में किस प्रकार की महिला से शादी करता है

3. (i) जब वह दर्पण में देखता है तो क्या सोचता है
(ii) जब सांप उसकी बाजू पर कुंडली मार लेता है तो क्या सोचता है अपने उत्तर के लिए प्रत्येक पर एक छोटा पैरा लिखिए।)
Answer:
I. The doctor lives in a small rented room. His income is small. He has about sixty rupees in his suitcase. He has some shirts and dhoties and also possesses one black coat. In appearance he wants his face to look more handsome. For this he decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache. His ambition is to become a good medical practitioner.

(डॉक्टर किराए के एक छोटे से कमरे में रहता है। उसकी आय कम है। उसके सूटकेस में लगभग 60 रुपए हैं। उसके पास कुछ कमीजें और धोतियाँ हैं, और एकमात्र काला कोट भी है। दिखने में वह चाहता है कि उसका चेहरा सुंदर लगे। इसके लिए यह प्रतिदिन दाढी बनाने तथा हल्की मछे रखने का निर्णय लेता है। उसका लक्ष्य एक अच्छा चिकित्सक बनने का है।)

2. He wants to marry a woman doctor with a plenty of money and a good medical practice. He wants her to be fat. He says that if ever he makes some mistake, she will never be able to run after him. But in reality he marries a thin reedy woman with the gift of a sprinter.

(वह एक महिला चिकित्सक से शादी करना चाहता है जिसके पास बहुत सारा धन हो और उसकी डॉक्टरी अच्छी चल रही हो। वह चाहता है कि वह मोटी हो। वह कहता है कि यदि कभी उससे कोई गलती हो जाए तो वह उसके पीछे न दौड़ सके। लेकिन वास्तव में उसकी शादी एक सरकंडे की तरह पतली महिला से होती है जिसमें तेज धावक का गुण था।)

3. When he looks into the mirror he thinks that his face should look handsome. For this he decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache. He also decides to keep an attractive smile on his face. But when the snake coils around his arm he turns to a stone image. He prays to God to save his life.

(जब वह अपने आपको दर्पण में निहारता है, तो वह सोचता है कि उसका चेहरा सुंदर लगे। इसके लिए वह प्रतिदिन दाढी बनाने और पतली मूंछे रखने का निर्णय लेता है। वह अपने चेहरे पर एक आकर्षक मुस्कान बनाए रखने का भी निर्णय लेता है। लेकिन जब सांप उसकी बाजू पर कुंडली मार लेता है तो वह एक पत्थर की मूर्ति के समान बन जाता है। वह अपने जीवन की रक्षा के लिए भगवान से प्रार्थना करता है।’

Thinking about Language

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.

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:
1. was afraid of the snake.
2. was no longer afraid of the snake.
3. was afraid of the snake.
4. was no longer afraid of the snake.
5. was afraid of the snake.
6. had a sense of humour.
7. was no longer afraid of the snake.
8. was proud of his appearance.
9. had a sense of humour.
10. 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? 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:
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. In the sentences given below some words and expressions are it a liaised. They are 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 realized 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:
1. very frightened
2. makes another feel frightened
3. frightened by something that happens suddenly ,
4. frightened by something that happens suddenly
5. makes another feel frightened
6. too scared to move
7. very frightened

IV. 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 dav. the dav before, etc.
• I / vou change to me / him / he. etc., as necessary.

Example :

• He said to me, 7 don’t believe you.
  He said he did not believe me.
• She said to him, 7 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:
1. Meena asked her friend if / whether 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 I was going to leave.
5. Pran asked me if / whether I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her how long he had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children if / whether they were ready to do the work.

Speaking

Using some of the expressions given above in exercise III, talk about an incident when you were very scared. You may have a competition to decide whose story was the most frightening.
Answer:
For self-attempt.

Dictation

The following paragraph is about the Indian cobra. Read it twice and close your book. Your teacher will then dictate the paragraph to you. Write it down with appropriate punctuation marks.

The Indian Cobra is the common name for members of the family of venomous snakes, known for their intimidating looks and deadly bite. Cobras are recognized by the hoods that they flare when angry or disturbed; the hoods are created by the extension of the ribs behind the cobras’ heads. Obviously the best prevention is to avoid getting bitten. This is facilitated by the fact that humans are not the natural prey of any venomous snake. We are a bit large for them to swallow whole and they have no means of chopping us up into bite size pieces. Nearly all snakebites in humans are the result of a snake defending itself when it feels threatened. In general snakes are shy and will simply leave if you give them a chance.

Writing

Question 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?
Answer:
The narrator who was a homeopathic doctor and his friend were discussing about snakes. The narrator told them a horrible incident that happened to him some days ago. He said that he had just started his medical practice. His income was small in those days. He lived in a small and dirty rented house. It had a tiled roof. There was a regular traffic of rats on the beam.

One night when he returned home from work, he heard some sound from the roof. He took it the sound of the rats. It was a hot night. There was no ceiling in the room. He felt restless in the room. So he came out to the veranda for a little air but the Wind God seemed to have taken time off. He went back into the room and sat down on the chair. He started reading a book. The mirror was just in front of him.

There were no more sounds from above. Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground. No sooner had the narrator turned then a snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulder. He could not jump. He did not cry out. He did not tremble. There was no time to do any such thing. The snake slithered along his shoulder and coiled around his left arm above the elbow. The hood was spread out and it was hardly three or four inches from his face.

The narrator was sitting there holding his breath. He was turned to stone. But his mind was active. He felt then the great presence of God. There was some pain in his left arm. It was as if a thick leaden rod was slowly but powerfully crushing his arm. The arm was beginning to be drained of all strength.

At his slightest movement the snake would strike him! Death lurked four inches away. He prayed to God to save his life. It seemed as if God listened his prayer. The snake turned its head. It looked into the mirror. It was still looking into the mirror. It unwounded itself from the narrator’s arm and slowly slithered into his lap. From there it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror.

The narrator stand up quietly and went out through the door into the veranda. From there he leapt into the yard and ran away with all his might.

Question 2.
Read the description given below this sketch from a paragraph in a newspaper (Times of India, 4 September, 1999). Make up a story about what the monkey is thinking, or why it is looking into a mirror. Write a paragraph about it.

THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL : A monkey preens itself using a piece of mirror, in the Delhi ridge, (to preen oneself means to spend a lot of time making oneself look attractive, and then admiring one’s appearance. The word is used in disapproval.)
Ans. Monkeys are very much like human beings in their behaviour. They too love things that the human beings love. In this picture a young monkey is looking into the mirror. It has a dream. It wants to look handsome. It wants that everyone should praise its beauty. It wants to attract more female monkeys towards it. It thinks that beauty is life. For this purpose it preens itself into the mirror.

Translation

The text you read is a translation of a story by a well-known Malayalam writer, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
In translating a story from one language to another, a translator must keep the content intact. However, the language and the style differ in different translations of the same text.
Here are two translations of the opening paragraphs of a novel by the Japanese writer, Haruki Murakami. Read them and answer the questions given below.

Compare the two translations on the basis of the following points:

• the tense of narration (past and present tense)
• short incomplete sentences
• sentence length.

Which of these translations do you like? Give reasons for your choice.
Answer:

• In column ‘A’ the translation has been given in Past Tense while the tense of translation in column ‘B’ is Present Tense.
• Column ‘A’ has short incomplete sentences as a part of a long sentence while in the story column ‘B’ has complete sentences of short length.
• The sentences in column ‘A’ are much lengthy than the sentences in column ‘B

I like the translation given under column ‘A’ than that of ‘B\ A story described in Past Tense is much more impressive than that of the Present Tense.

HBSE 9th Class English The Snake and the Mirror Important Questions and Answers

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What was V.M. Basheer and his friends discussing?
Answer:
They were discussing snakes.

Question 2.
Who is the narrator of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’?
Answer:
The narrator of this story is a homeopathic doctor.

Question 3.
Where did the narrator of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’ live?
Answer:
He lived in a small rented room.

Question 4.
Who shared the room with the narrator in the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’?
Answer:
The rats shared the room with him.

Question 5.
What was the homeopath’s first decision while sitting before the mirror?
Answer:
He took the decision that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache.

Question 6.
What was his second earth shaking decision?
Answer:
His second earth shaking decision was that he would always keep an attracting smile on his face.

Question 7.
Who did the narrator decide to marry?
Answer:
He decided to many a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice.

Question 8.
How did the snake coil itself?
Answer:
The snake coiled itself around the narrator’s left arm above the elbow.

Question 9.
What happened when the snake looked into the mirror?
Answer:
When the snake looked into the mirror it uncoiled itself and moved towards the mirror.

Question 10.
What did the snake seem admiring in the mirror?
Answer:
It seemed admiring its own beauty.

Question 11.
Where did the narrator spend his night when he was free from the snake’s grip?
Answer:
He spent the night in a friend’s house.

Question 12.
Who entered the narrator’s room in his absence during the night?
Answer:
A thief entered his room.

Question 13.
Name the author of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’.
Answer:
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Describe the doctor’s room.
(डॉक्टर के कमरे का वर्णन कीजिए।)
Answer:
It was a small rented room. The room was not electrified. There were two windows in the room. It was an outer room with one wall facing the open yard. It had a tiled roof with long supporting gables that rested on the beam over the wall. There was no ceiling,

(यह किराये का एक छोटा-सा कमरा था। कमरे में बिजली की सुविधा नहीं थी। कमरे में दो खिड़कियाँ थीं। यह एक बाहर की ओर का कमरा था जिसकी एक दीवार खुले आंगन की तरफ थी। इसकी छत टाइलों की बनी थी तथा नीचे सहारा देने के लिए दीवार पर बने बीम (खम्बों) पर टिकी ढलानों से सहारा लिए हुए थी। कमरे की कोई अंदरूनी छत नहीं थी।)

Question 2.
What do you know about the doctor’ profession and his income?
(आप डॉक्टर के व्यवसाय और आमदनी के बारे में क्या जानते हो?)
Answer:
He was a homoeopathic doctor. He had just started his practice. His carnings were meagre. He had about sixty rupees in his suitcase. Due to his poverty he was living in such a room which was not even clectrified.

(वह एक होमियोपैथिक डॉक्टर था। उसने अपना बवसाय हाल ही में शुरू किया था। उसकी आमदनी बहुत ही कम थी। उसके सूटकेस में लगभग साठ रुपये ही थे। अपनी गरीबी के कारण वह एक ऐसे कमरे में रह रहा था जिसमें बिजली की सुविधा भी नहीं थी।)

Question 3.
Why could not the doctor sleep that night when he lay on his bed?
(उस रात जब डॉक्टर अपने बिस्तर पर लेटा तो वह क्यों नहीं सो सका?)
Answer:
It was a hot summer night. The room was not even electrified. The doctor returned to his room at about ten o’clock. He took off his black coat, white shirt and not-so-white vest. He made his bed and pulled it close to the wall. But he could not sleep because of hot weather.

(यह गर्मी की एक रात थी। यहाँ तक कि कमरे में बिजली की सुविधा भी नहीं थी। डॉक्टर लगभग दस बजे अपने कमरे काला कोट, सफेद कमीज और गन्दी-सी बनियान को उतार दिया। उसने अपना बिस्तर बिछाया और उसे दीवार के पास खींच लिया। लेकिन गर्मी होने की वजह से यह सो नहीं पाया।)

Question 4.
What happened to the doctor while he was sitting in the chair?
(जिस समय डॉक्टर कुर्सी पर बैठा था तो उसके साथ क्या घटित हुआ?)
Answer:
After pacing for a while the doctor resumed his seat in the chair in front of the table. There were no more sounds above. Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground. As he turned his head to look, a fat snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulder.

(थोड़ी देर टहलने के पश्चात वर्णनकर्ता एक बार फिर से मेज के सामने अपनी कुर्सी पर बैठ गया। अब ऊपर से बिल्कुल भी आवाजें नहीं आ रही थीं। अचानक ही जमीन पर गिरने की एक मद्दम-सी आवाज आई जैसे कि कोई रबड़ ट्यूब गिरी हो। जैसे ही उसने नजर मारने के लिए अपनी गर्दन घुमाई, एक मोटा-सा सांप उसकी कुर्सी के पीछे से सरकता हुआ उसके कंधे के ऊपर आकर बैठ गया।)

Essay Type Question

Question 1.
Is there a similarity between the doctor and the snake? If so, what is it?
(क्या चिकित्सक और सांप के बीच में कोई समानता है? यदि है, तो वह समानता क्या है?)
Answer:
The story ‘The Snake and the Mirror has been presented in a very comic manner by showing a similarity between the doctor and the snake. This similarity is that they both loved the beauty of their faces. Whenever they get a chance to look into the mirror, they don’t want to miss it. The doctor sits before the glass and looks his face into it.

He makes a decision to look always handsome. He decides that he will always keep a smile on his face and grow thin moustache to look handsome. When the snake happens to look into the mirror, it is taken by its beauty. It uncoils itself from the doctor’s arm to look its reflection into the mirror from close quarters.

(‘द स्नेक एंड द मिरर’ कहानी को बड़े ही हास्यास्पद ढंग से प्रस्तुत किया गया है जो डॉक्टर और सांप के बीच समानता के भाव को प्रकट करती है। वह समानता यह है कि वे दोनों अपने चेहरों की सुंदरता को पसंद करते थे। जब कभी भी उन्हें शीशे में अपनी शक्ल देखने का अवसर मिलता है तो वे इस अवसर को खोना नहीं चाहते हैं। डॉक्टर शीशे के आगे बैठ जाता है और उसमें अपना चेहरा देखता है।

वह निर्णय लेता है कि उसे हमेशा सुन्दर दिखना चाहिए। वह निर्णय लेता है कि वह अपने चेहरे पर हमेशा मुस्कान रखेगा और सुन्दर दिखने के लिए पतली मूठे उगाएगा। जब अवसरवश सांप को शीशे में अपनी शक्ल देखने का मौका मिलता है तो वह अपनी सुन्दरता पर मोहित हो जाता है तो वह शीशे में अपनी शक्ल को बिल्कुल नजदीक से देखने के लिए डॉक्टर की बाजू के ऊपर से अपना लपेटा खोल लेता है।)

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
What was the author and his friends discussing In the story The Snake and the Mirror?’
(A) ghosts
(B) lions
(C) snakes
(D) leaders
Answer:
(C) snakes

Question 2.
Who narrated the story of the The Snake and the Mirror’?
(A) a homeopath
(B) a teacher
(C) a lawyer
(D) a painter
Answer:
(A) a homeopath

Question 3.
The narrator of the story The Snake md the Mirror’ Ihed in a:
(A) big own house
(B) small rented house
(C) government hostel
(D) temple
Answer:
(B) small rented house

Question 4.
The sound was a familiar one. What sound doas the narrator refer to?
(A) the noise made by rats
(B) the noise made by sparrows
(C) the noise made by the snakes
(D) none of these
Answer:
(A) the noise made by rats

Question 5.
Who shared the room with the narrator?
(A) the snakes
(B) a friend of the narrator
(C) the rats
(D) hi parents
Answer:
(C) the rats

Question 6.
How would you describe the narrator’s veal?
(A) a new one
(B) of superior quality
(C) a duly one
(D) none of these
Answer:
(C) a dirty one

Question 7.
Why did the narrator open the two wüidows’
(A) to see what was happening outside
(B) he was feeling hot
(C) to let the sun lightcome in
(D) none of these
Answer:
(B) he was feeling hot

Question 8.
Why could the narrator nut sleep?
(A) because of hunger
(B) because of pain in body
(C) because of beat
(D) because of cold
Answer:
(C) because of heat

Question 9.
Which book did the narrator begin to reed?
(A) Materia Media
(B) The Ramaysna
(C) The Gus
(D) India of My Dreams
Answer:
(A) Materia Media

Question 10.
What was the narrator’s first decision?
(A) to take bath daily
(B) to shave daily
(C) to clean his teeth daily
(D) to sleep in the open
Answer:
(B) to shave daily

Question 11.
Why did the narrator decide lo grow a thin moustache?
(A) to get sob
(B) to work in films
(C) to look attractive and handsome
(D) none of these
Answer:
(C) to look attractive and handsome

Question 12.
Of the following what was the narrator’s earth shaking decision?
(A) to shave daily
(B) to grow a thin moustache
(C) to bathe daily
(D) to keep always an attractive smile on his face
Answer:
(D) to keep always an attractive smile on his face

Question 13.
‘Again came that noise from above’ actually who was making that sound?
(A) the rats
(B) the snake
(C) the birds
(D) some insects
Answer:
(B) the snake

Question 14.
Why was the narrator sitting holding his breath?
(A) a lion had entered his room
(B) there was a man with a gun in his room
(C) a snake had coiled round his arm
(D) he was feeling sleepy
Answer:
(C) a snake had coiled round his arm

Question 15.
What did the snake seem admiring?
(A) the beauty of the room
(B) its own beauty
(C) the beauty of the mirror
(D) the beauty of the narrator’s whiskers
Answer:
(B) its own beauty

Question 16.
Where did the narrator spend the night when he was free from the snake’s grip?
(A) in his shop
(B) in his own room
(C) in a friend’s house
(D) in a school building
Answer:
(C) in a friend’s house

Question 17.
Who entered the narrator’s room in his absence?
(A) a thief
(B) a snake charmer
(C) the narrator’s wife
(D) the narrator’s son
Answer:
(A) a thief

Question 18.
The thief had taken everything except one thing. What was it?
(A) the narrator’s shoes
(B) the narrator’s dirty vest
(C) the narrator’s shirt
(D) the narrator’s spectacles
Answer:
(B) the narrator’s dirty vest

Question 19.
Who is the author of the lesson ‘The Snake and the Mirror’?
(A) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
(C) Subramania Bharati
(D) William Wordsworth
Answer:
(B) Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

The Snake and the Mirror Important Passages for Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the questions given at the end of each :

Passage – 1

It was a hot summer night; about ten o’clock. 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. 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.

The house was not electrified; it was a small rented room. I had just set up medical practice and my earnings were meagre. I had about sixty rupees in my suitcase. Along with some shirts and dhotis, I also possessed one solitary black coat which I was then wearing.
Questions :
(i) What time of the year is described in this passage?
(ii) Who / What made the noise in the doctor’s room?
(iii) Was the doctor’s house electrified?
(iv) Where had he kept his sixty rupees?
(v) Find a word in the passage which means ‘little’.
Answers :
(i) It is night of the summer season.
(ii) The rats made the noise in the doctor’s room.
(iii) No, his house was not electrified.
(iv) He had kept his sixty rupees in his suitcase.
(v) meagre.

Passage – 2

I took off my black coat, white shirt and not-so-white vest and hung them up. I opened the two windows in the room. It was an outer room with one wall facing the open yard. 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 from the beam. I made my bed and pulled it close to the wall. I lay down but I could not sleep. I got up and went out to the veranda for a little air, but the Wind God seemed to have taken time off.

I went back into the room and sat down on the chair. I opened the box beneath the table and took out a book, the Materia Medica. I opened it at the table on which stood the lamp and a large mirror; a small comb lay beside the mirror.
Questions :
(i) Why did the narrator open the two windows?
(ii) Could the narrator get sleep?
(iii) What else was there on the table besides the kerosene lamp?
(iv) From where did he take out a book?
(v) Find a word from the passage which means ‘under’.
Answers :
(i) The narrator opened the two windows as he wanted fresh air.
(ii) He could not get sleep because of the heat.
(iii) There was a big mirror.
(iv) He took out a book from the box under the table.
(v) Beneath.

Passage – 3

I felt then the great presence of the creator of this world and this universe. God was there. Suppose I said something and he did not like it…. I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O God’.

There was some pain in my left arm. It was as if a thick leaden rod… no, a rod made of molten fire…. was slowly but powerfully crushing my arm. The arm was beginning to be drained of all strength. What could I do ?
At my slightest movement the snake would strike me! Death lurked four inches away.
Questions :
(i) Why did the narrator remember God?
(ii) Why did he feel pain in his left arm?
(iii) What was like a thick leaden rod?
(iv) When would the snake strike him?
(v) Find a word in the passage which means ‘hidden’.
Answers :
(i) He remembered God out of fear.
(ii) He felt a pain as the snake was coiled round his arm.
(iii) The snake was like a thick leaden rod.
(iv) The snake would strike him at his slightest movement.
(v) Lurked.

Passage – 4

I did not know anything for certain. What sex was this snake, was it male or female? I will never know; for the snake unwound itself from my arm and slowly slithered into my lap. From there it crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror. Perhaps it wanted to enjoy its reflection at closer quarters.

I was no mere image cut in granite. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. Still holding my breath I got up from the chair. I quietly went out through the door into the veranda. From there I leapt into the yard and ran for all I was worth.
Questions :
(i) What did the narrator not know for certain?
(ii) Where did the snake come from the narrator’s arm?
(iii) Why did the snake move towards the mirror, according to the narrator?
(iv) What did the narrator do when the snake came onto the table?
(v) Find a word in the passage which means ‘image’.
Answers :
(i) He did not know whether the snake was a male or female.
(ii) It came to his lap and from there it went to the top of the table.
(iii) He thought that the snake wanted to see its image in the mirror closely.
(iv) He got up from the chair and ran into the yard.
(v) Reflection.

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