NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror(Short,Long Answer Type and Value Based Questions )

Short Answer Type Questions (2 marks each)
(About 30-40 words each)

Question 1:
What was the doctor thinking while he was seated before the mirror? (SA-1,2014-15)

Answer:
The doctor thought of various medicine he had and if any medicine was good enough to save him if the snake did bite him. He also realized that God had punished him for being so proud and arrogant.

Question 2:
Why did the doctor run from his house? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-014)
                                                             Or
Why did the doctor run away to his friend’s house? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-052)

Answer:
From the writer’s arm, the snake slithered into his lap, crept onto the table, and then moved towards the mirror. The writer revived, got up from the chair and leaped into the yard, and ran to his friend’s house to save his life.

Question 3:
How did the doctor show the presence of mind when he encountered the snake?
(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-021)

Answer:
The doctor showed great presence of mind on seeing the snake: He neither jumped nor cried out. He sat on the chair holding his breath. His body was still but his mind remained very active.

Question 4:
How did the snake change the writer’s opinion about himself? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-025)

Answer:
The writer was proud of being a doctor. Coming face-to-face with the snake made him humble. He thought he was only a poor and stupid doctor who should not be proud of his profession.

Question 5:
While looking into the mirror, what important and earth-shaking decisions did the doctor make? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-027)
                                                                        Or
What were the two important decisions taken by the doctor while looking into the mirror?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-039)

Answer:

• The important decision made by the doctor was that he would shave daily and grow a thin mustache, to look more handsome.
• The earth-shaking decision made by the doctor was that he would always keep that attractive smile on his face.

Question 6:
What did the doctor do on seeing the snake? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-029)

Answer:
The doctor saw the snake’s reflection in the mirror. He, then, went to have a closer look. He got up from the chair and ran away from the house.

Question 7:
What type of woman did the doctor in the story “The Snake and the Mirror”, want to get married to and why? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-031)

Answer:
The doctor, who had plenty of money and good medical practice, wanted to get married to a woman who was fat. The reason he gave was that if he, the doctor's husband ever made any mistake, and tried to run away, she would not be able to catch him and stop him from escaping.

Question 8:
Why did the author of “The Snake and the Mirror” fantasize about a fat woman as his wife?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-037)

Answer:
The author of “The Snake and the Mirror’ fantasizes about a fat woman as his wife since she would never be able to catch the doctor on his mistakes. She would not be able to run after him and he would be saved of all kinds of punishments. Thus, the author fantasizes about a fat woman as his wife.

Question 9:
Why did the snake leave the doctor’s arm? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-040)
Answer:
The snake left the doctor’s arm because it saw its reflection in the mirror and was fascinated by it and so wanted to enjoy its own reflection by having a closer look. Like his parents even he respects all religions.

Question 10:
What made the doctor utter “Death lurked four inches away” ? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI- 048)
Answer:
The doctor was under the grip of the snake and sat motionless as a statue, his body was inactive but his mind was completely active. He knew very well that the snake would bite him at the slightest movement. This is what made him utter these words.

Long Answer Type Questions (4 marks each)
(About 80-100 words each)

Question 1:
“Birds of the same feathers flock together” goes the saying. Does the encounter between the snake and the doctor in the story “The Snake and the Mirror” support the saying? Why or why not? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-016)
Answer:
Yes, the story supports the saying which means that the people of similar habits and tastes find each other. The doctor enjoyed self-appreciation and could not resist the temptation of looking at his reflection in the mirror. He also takes a number of decisions, so as to improve his looks. The snake that coiled itself on the doctor’s arm, kept staring at its reflection in the mirror for a long time, enjoying its beauty and appreciating its form. The snake was so much engrossed in its beauty that it forgot as to why it had come to the author’s house.

Question 2:
Without a mirror, the story will lose its charm and reality. Justify. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-018)

Answer:
The story would lose its charm and reality without the mirror because it fascinates both the characters i.e., the doctor and the snake. The doctor makes two important decisions – saving daily and growing thin mustaches to make himself more handsome and keeping a smile on his face all the time while looking at himself in the mirror. The snake also feels attracted to look at his face in the mirror and leaves the doctor’s arm. It sits on the table in front of mirror and the doctor finds an opportunity to move away to save himself. Thus, the story does revolve around the mirror and therefore it's important.

Question 3:
What are the similarities between the doctor and the snake? (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-019)

Answer:

The doctor and the snake had striking similarities. Both were victims of self-adoration. This is clearly visible in two decisions of the doctor- to shave daily and a grow mustache and also to wear an attractive smile on his face to look handsome. While the snake enjoyed looking at his reflection at closer quarters. It did not move the doctor’s arm and later crept into the table and moved towards the mirror. ,

Question 4:
Justify the title of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’. (Board Term 1,2012, ELI-020)

Answer:
The story revolves around the narrator, the snake, and the mirror. The narrator hears some familiar sounds – a dull thud and a snake lands on his shoulder. The doctor is terrified and sits there like a stone. He suddenly feels the presence of the creator of the world and death 4-inches away. He forgets danger and smiles feebly. The snake looks into the mirror, moves towards the mirror, and wants to enjoy a close reflection in the mirror. Thus the title is justified as the story revolves around the snake and the mirror.

Question 5:
Describe in detail the doctor’s feelings when he saw the snake coiled around his arm?(Board Term 1,2012, ELI-043)
Answer:
The doctor was so engrossed in his daydreaming that he did not realize that a snake had wriggled
over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulders and could round his left arm with its hood spread out. The doctor sat there without moving an inch, he was afraid lest the snake might strike.
He thought of various medicines he had and if any one of them was good enough to save him if the * snake struck him. He realized the presence of God and felt that it was a punishment for being proud and arrogant.

Value-Based Question (4 marks)

Question 1:
God has a lot of ways of controlling Our lines. Discuss this in the light of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’.

Answer:
Our life is definitely in the hands of God. He is fire supreme power in control of our lives. At times we forget this like the young doctor. He was under the false belief that he was the one who would decide what was going to happen in his life. He was standing in front of the mirror with a lot of pride thinking about his future. The snake was a symbol of God’s control over him. It made him realize that he was close to death and not to life. He was not the master of his life.

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