05. The Snake and The Mirror

SUMMARY

In this story, the narrator is a homeopathic doctor. He narrates his encounter with a snake in a frightening and humourous way. One night, the doctor was sitting in his room and admiring himself in the mirror. Suddenly, a snake falls on his shoulder and coils itself around his left arm. Luckily, the snake turns its head and looks into the mirror. Then, it uncoils itself from the doctor's arm and moves closer to the mirror. The doctor, thus, gets an opportunity to escape.

Think About The Text

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

Q1. “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?

Ans – The doctor heard the familiar sound of rats running on the roof of his room. He thought that the sound was made by the rats that were his housemates. It gives an impression that the house was full of rats. The doctor heard the sound thrice. The places in the text where the mention of sound is given are as followings.
'The sound was a familiar one." "Again I heard the sound from above."
'Again came the noise from above." The sounds stopped just before the snake landed on the doctor's shoulder. The snake moving around on, the roof might have scared away the rats, which why their sounds stopped.

Q2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

Ans – The first important and earth-shaking (significant) decision taken by the doctor was to shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look handsome. The second decision was to always keep an attractive smile on his face in order to look more handsome.

Q3. “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?

Ans – When the doctor first smiles he is in a happy mood and is proud of being a handsome, bachelor doctor. When the doctor smiles again he is full of nervousness and self pity. His thoughts change in between, from happiness to nervousness and self pity. He was happy earlier because there was no fear of death. He was nervous and full of self-pity later on even because a snake was coiled around his left arm and although being a doctor he did not even have the medicines for snakebite with him.

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.

Ans –

The story shows a contrast between dreams and in a humorous manner. The doctor's irnings are very less because he has just started his career. He was living in a small rented room without electricity. He had few clothes. Even his room was full of rats.
However, his dreams and ambition were totally in contrast to his situation. He was a great admirer of beauty and believes in looking handsome. That's why he decides to grow a thin moustache and shat daily. He also decides to always keep smiling to look more handsome. The doctor also wants to be rich as he plans to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money.

1.

(i) – The doctor is a man of possessions. Having a little practice.

(ii) – he wants to be an ambitious person. He longs for wealth, health, beauty and money. He wants to be handsome with an attractive smile on his face. All things vanish away when he is put in a deep danger.

2.

(i) – The doctor has desired to marry a fat woman. She must be an attractive lady doctor She should be wealthy and prosperous. She must be a fat woman so that she could not catch when the doctor ran.

(ii) – At he remains bachelor and has to spend his life on his available resources.

3.

(i) – When he looks into the mirror, varied thoughts overpower his mind. He desires to make his presence felt by others. He dresses his hair to look straight and neat. He decides to shave daily and grows a thin moustache to look more handsome. He wishes to have an attractive smile on his face. Being a bachelor. he decides to look more pretty. Then he desires to marry a fat and rich woman doctor.

(ii) – He petrified with fear and turns like a stone. He feels the presence of Supreme Power. His arm starts losing its strength. He realises a throbbing pain. Death lurks over his head. He considers himself to be a poor fellow

Think About The 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.

Ans –

1. Was afraid of the snake

2. Had a sense of humour

3. Was afraid of the snake

4. Had sense of humour 

5. Was no longer afraid of the snake

6. Was proud of his appearance

7. Had a sense of humour

8. Was  proud of his appearance

9. Had a sense of humour

10. Was no longer a friend of the snake

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 ____________.

Ans –

1. to stone

2. my breath

3. a stone image in the flesh

III. In the sentences given below some words and expressions are italicised. 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 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.

Ans :-

1. Very frightened

2. Frightened by something that happens suddenly.

3. Very frightened

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 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?”

Ans :-

1. Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day.

2. David asked hes 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 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.