This is a humorous story by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer about a young doctor who has a frightening encounter with a snake. The story shows the contrast between the doctor’s dreams and reality, and teaches us about vanity and self-importance through a funny yet thrilling incident. The doctor narrates how his life was saved by the snake’s own vanity.

The Story

The Beginning

The story begins with a homeopath asking his listeners a question about whether a snake has ever coiled itself round any part of their body, specifically a full-blooded cobra. All of them fell silent. The topic came up when they were discussing snakes. They listened attentively as the doctor continued with his tale.

The Doctor’s Living Conditions

It was a hot summer night, about ten o’clock. The doctor had his meal at the restaurant and returned to his room. He heard a noise from above as he opened the door. The sound was a familiar one. One could say that the rats and the doctor shared the room. He took out his box of matches and lighted the kerosene lamp on the table.

Description of the Room:

The house was not electrified
It was a small rented room
The doctor had just set up medical practice
His earnings were meagre (small in quantity)
He had about sixty rupees in his suitcase
Along with some shirts and dhotis, he also possessed one solitary black coat which he was then wearing

Preparing for the Night

The doctor took off his black coat, white shirt and not-so-white vest and hung them up. He 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. The doctor made his bed and pulled it close to the wall. He lay down but could not sleep. He got up and went out to the veranda for a little air, but the wind god seemed to have taken time off.

Looking in the Mirror

The doctor went back into the room and sat down on the chair. He opened the box beneath the table and took out a book, the Materia Medica. He opened it at the table on which stood the lamp and a large mirror. A small comb lay beside the mirror.

One feels tempted to look into a mirror when it is near one. The doctor took a look. In those days he was a great admirer of beauty and believed in making himself look handsome. He was unmarried and he was a doctor. He felt he had to make his presence felt. He picked up the comb and ran it through his hair and adjusted the parting so that it looked straight and neat.

Again he heard that sound from above.

The Important Decisions

The doctor took a close look at his face in the mirror. He made an important decision – he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. He was after all a bachelor, and a doctor!

He looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile. He made another earth-shaking decision. He would always keep that attractive smile on his face to look more handsome. He was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!

Again came that noise from above.

Planning Marriage

The doctor got up and paced up and down the room. Then another lovely thought struck him. He would marry. He would get married to a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice.

His Requirements for a Wife:

She had to be fat
The reason: if he made some silly mistake and needed to run away, she should not be able to run after him and catch him

The Snake’s Arrival

With such thoughts in his mind, the doctor resumed his seat in the chair in front of the table. There were no more sounds from above. Suddenly there came a dull thud as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground – surely nothing to worry about. Even so, he thought he would turn around and take a look.

No sooner had he turned than a fat snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulder. The snake’s landing on him and his turning were simultaneous.

The Doctor’s Reaction

The doctor didn’t jump. He didn’t tremble. He didn’t cry out. 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 its head was hardly three or four inches from his face!

His State of Mind:

It would not be correct to say merely that he sat there holding his breath
He was turned to stone
But his mind was very active
The door opened into darkness
The room was surrounded by darkness
In the light of the lamp he sat there like a stone image in the flesh

Facing Death

The doctor felt then the great presence of the creator of this world and this universe. God was there. He thought suppose he said something and God did not like it.

He tried in his imagination to write in bright letters outside his little heart the words O God.

Physical Pain:

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
What could he do

Helplessness and Self-Realization

At his slightest movement the snake would strike him! Death lurked four inches away. He thought suppose it struck, what was the medicine he had to take. There were no medicines in the room. He was but a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. He forgot his danger and smiled feebly at himself.

The Snake’s Vanity

It seemed as if God appreciated that smile. The snake turned its head. It looked into the mirror and saw its reflection. The doctor does not claim that it was the first snake that had ever looked into a mirror. But it was certain that the snake was looking into the mirror.

The Doctor’s Humorous Thoughts:

Was it admiring its own beauty
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

Escape

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

The doctor was no mere image cut in granite. He was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. Still holding his breath, he got up from the chair. He quietly went out through the door into the veranda. From there he leapt into the yard and ran for all he was worth.

Each of the listeners heaved a sigh of relief.

Questions from the Listeners

Somebody asked if the doctor’s wife was very fat.

The doctor said no. God willed otherwise. My life companion is a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter.

Someone else asked if the snake followed him when he ran.

What Happened Next

The doctor replied that he ran and ran till he reached a friend’s house. Immediately he smeared oil all over himself and took a bath. He changed into fresh clothes.

The next morning at about eight-thirty, the doctor took his friend and one or two others to his room to move his things from there. But they found they had little to carry. Some thief had removed most of his things. The room had been cleaned out!

But not really – the thief had left behind one thing as a final insult!

The Final Insult

Someone asked what that was.

The doctor said it was his vest, the dirty one. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water.

Someone asked if he saw the snake the next day.

The doctor laughed and said he had never seen it since. It was a snake which was taken with its own beauty!

Questions and Answers

I. Discuss these questions in short paragraphs (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? When and why did the sounds stop?

The doctor heard the sound of rats moving on the beam above. He was familiar with this sound because rats shared the room with him – there was regular traffic of rats to and from the beam. He heard this sound multiple times – when he first entered the room, while combing his hair, and while looking in the mirror making his important decisions. The sounds stopped when the snake fell from the beam onto his shoulder, as it was the snake that had been making the sounds while moving on the beam.

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

While looking into the mirror, the doctor made two decisions that he considered very important. First, he decided that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. Second, he decided that he would always keep an attractive smile on his face. He thought these decisions were earth-shaking because he was a bachelor and a doctor, and felt he needed to make his presence felt and look handsome.

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 way do his thoughts change in between, and why?

When he first smiles, the doctor thinks very highly of himself. He admires his own smile, calling it attractive. He is proud of being a bachelor and a doctor, and is vain about his appearance.

When he smiles again, he smiles feebly at himself in self-mockery. He realizes he is a poor, foolish and stupid doctor because despite being a doctor, he has no medicine to save himself from the snakebite. His thoughts change from vanity and self-importance to humility and self-realization.

The life-threatening situation with the cobra makes him see the reality of his helplessness. His earlier pride and vanity seem foolish when faced with death. He laughs at himself for his earlier pompous thoughts.

II. This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous?

The story is humorous because of the contrasts it presents between dreams and reality:

1. The kind of person the doctor is vs. the kind of person he wants to be:

What he actually is:

Lives in a small rented room without electricity
Has meagre earnings of only sixty rupees
Possesses only one black coat, some shirts and dhotis
Shares his room with rats
His vest is not-so-white (dirty)
Is poor and has very little

What he wants to be:

Wants to look very handsome by shaving daily and growing a thin moustache
Wants to always keep an attractive smile on his face
Thinks very highly of his appearance
Believes he needs to make his presence felt
Is vain about being a bachelor and a doctor

The contrast between his poverty and his vanity creates humor.

2. The person he wants to marry vs. the person he actually marries:

His dream wife:

Should be a woman doctor
Should have plenty of money
Should have a good medical practice
Must be fat so she cannot run fast
Reason: if he makes a mistake, she should not be able to chase and catch him

His actual wife:

God willed otherwise
His life companion is a thin reedy person
Has the gift of a sprinter (can run very fast)
Exactly opposite of what he wanted

This ironic contrast is very funny – he got the complete opposite of what he wanted.

3. His thoughts when looking in the mirror vs. his thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm:

When looking in the mirror:

Admires himself greatly
Makes earth-shaking decisions about his appearance
Feels important as a bachelor and doctor
Full of vanity and self-importance
Confident and proud

When the snake is around his arm:

Realizes he is a poor, foolish and stupid doctor
Has no medicine despite being a doctor
Feels helpless and powerless
Turned to stone with fear
Death is four inches away
All his pride disappears

The sudden shift from vanity to helplessness creates humor. His earlier pompous thoughts seem ridiculous in the face of real danger.

Thinking about Language

I. Sentences showing the author’s state of mind

Here are some sentences from the text with their meanings:

Showing the author was afraid of the snake:

I was turned to stone
The arm was beginning to be drained of strength
I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words O God

Showing the author was proud of his appearance:

I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile
I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it

Showing the author had a sense of humour:

The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water
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

Showing the author was no longer afraid of the snake:

I was no mere image cut in granite
I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood

II. Expressions used to show fear

Words in the story that tell you that the author was frightened:

I was turned to stone
I sat there holding my breath
In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh

III. Matching meanings with expressions about fear

Sentence	Meaning
I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits	very frightened
I got a fright when I realised how close I was to the cliff edge	frightened by something that happens suddenly
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him	very frightened by something that happens suddenly
You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that	made me feel frightened
Wait until I tell his story – it will make your hair stand on end	makes another feel frightened
Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors	too scared to move
The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle	too scared to move

IV. Questions and Answers

When we report questions, we use if or whether for yes-no questions and why, when, where, how, which, what for other questions.

Direct questions changed to reported questions:

Meena asked her friend, Do you think your teacher will come today
Reported: Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day
David asked his colleague, Where will you go this summer
Reported: David asked his colleague where he would go that summer
He asked the little boy, Why are you studying English
Reported: He asked the little boy why he was studying English
She asked me, When are we going to leave
Reported: She asked me when we were going to leave
Pran asked me, Have you finished reading the newspaper
Reported: Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper
Seema asked her, How long have you lived here
Reported: Seema asked her how long she had lived there
Sheila asked the children, Are you ready to do the work
Reported: Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work

Dictation

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 recognised 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

1. Rewriting without humour:

If we remove the humour from the story, we would leave out:

The doctor’s vain thoughts about his appearance
His earth-shaking decisions about moustache and smile
His funny requirements for a wife (fat, rich doctor who cannot run)
The humorous comparison between the snake and himself both looking in the mirror
His sarcastic comments about the thief’s sense of cleanliness
The ironic revelation about his actual wife being thin and fast
All self-mocking statements

We would keep only the frightening parts: the snake appearing, coiling around his arm, the fear and helplessness, and his escape.

2. The monkey and the mirror story:

Students should create an imaginative story about a monkey looking into a mirror, similar to how the snake in the story became fascinated with its own reflection. The story could explore themes of vanity, self-awareness, or curiosity.

Translation

Two different translations of the same Japanese text are provided to show how translators make different choices.

Translation A:

Uses past tense narration
Uses complete sentences
Longer, more detailed sentences
Formal style

Translation B:

Uses present tense narration
Uses short, incomplete sentences
More conversational and immediate
Informal style

Students should compare and choose which translation they prefer based on readability, style, and how well it conveys the mood.

A Legend of the Northland – Complete Notes

This is a ballad by Phoebe Cary that tells the legend of an old lady from Northland who was punished by Saint Peter for her greed and selfishness. The story teaches us about the consequences of being greedy and ungenerous through a narrative set in a cold northern land.

Understanding the Poem

Setting the Scene – The Northland

The poem is set in the Northland, a region far in the north where winters are very long and harsh.

Description of Northland:

A place far in the north
Days are very short in winter
Nights are so long people cannot sleep through them
People use reindeer to pull sledges in snow
Children wear thick furry clothes and look like bear cubs

The Legend Begins

The poet says this is a curious story that people tell in Northland. She doesn’t believe it is true, but there is a lesson to be learned from it.

Saint Peter’s Visit

Saint Peter once lived on earth and travelled around preaching. He came to a cottage where a little woman was baking cakes on the hearth. He was faint with fasting as the day was almost over. He asked the woman to give him just one cake from her store.

The Greedy Woman

The woman’s behavior showed extreme greed:

She made a very small cake but thought it was too large to give away
She kneaded another smaller one, but it still seemed too large
She took a tiny scrap of dough, rolled it flat and baked it thin as a wafer
But she couldn’t part with even that tiny cake
She said cakes that seem small when she eats them herself are too large to give away
She put all the cakes on the shelf and gave nothing to Saint Peter

Saint Peter’s Anger and Punishment

Saint Peter grew angry because he was hungry and faint. Such a selfish woman was enough to make even a saint angry. He said she was too selfish to live in human form. She didn’t deserve to have food, shelter, and fire to keep warm. As punishment, she would have to build nests like birds. She would have to get her scanty food by boring in hard, dry wood all day long.

The Transformation

The woman went up through the chimney without speaking a word. She flew out as a woodpecker – she was changed into a bird. Her scarlet cap remained the same. All her other clothes were burned black as coal in the flame. Every country schoolboy has seen her in the wood. She still lives in trees till this very day, boring for food.

Glossary

Word/Phrase	Meaning
legend	old traditional story
Northland	land in the far north
harness	put straps on animals to control them
sledges	vehicles for traveling on snow, pulled by animals
curious	strange, unusual
Saint Peter	an apostle of Christ
hearth	fireplace
faint	weak
fasting	not eating
kneaded	worked and pressed dough with hands
wafer	very thin, crisp cake
part with	give away
provoke	make angry
dwell	live
scanty	very little, barely enough
boring	making holes
scarlet	bright red

Thinking about the Poem

I. Understanding Questions

1. Which country or countries do you think the Northland refers to?

The Northland refers to countries in the far north, possibly in the Arctic region. This could include northern parts of countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada, or Alaska. The description of very long winter nights, short days, reindeer, snow, and people wearing thick furry clothes suggests the Arctic or sub-Arctic regions where these conditions exist.

2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?

Saint Peter asked the old lady for a single cake from her store of cakes. He was faint with fasting as the day was almost done and he needed food.

The lady’s reaction showed her greed and selfishness. She first made a very small cake but thought it was too large to give away. She made another smaller one, but that too seemed too large. Then she made a tiny one as thin as a wafer, but she couldn’t part with even that. She said cakes that seem small when she eats them are too large to give away. She put all the cakes on the shelf and gave nothing to Saint Peter.

3. How did he punish her?

Saint Peter grew angry at her selfishness and cursed her. He said she was too selfish to dwell in human form and didn’t deserve food, shelter, and fire. He punished her by transforming her into a woodpecker. She had to build nests like birds and get her scanty food by boring holes in hard, dry wood all day long. She went up through the chimney and flew out as a woodpecker, with her clothes burned black except for her red cap which remained the same.

4. How does the woodpecker get her food?

The woodpecker gets her food by boring, boring, and boring all day in the hard, dry wood. She has to make holes in tree trunks with her beak to find insects and larvae to eat. This is her punishment – she must work hard all day just to get very little food, unlike when she was human and had plenty of cakes.

5. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?

No, the old lady probably would not have been so ungenerous if she had known Saint Peter was a saint and not just an ordinary traveler. She would have given him a cake, perhaps even a large one, because she would have been afraid of his divine powers, wanted to earn his blessings, feared punishment, or wanted to appear generous before a saint.

However, this shows that true generosity should not depend on who is asking. A truly generous person gives to all who are in need, not just to important or powerful people. The old lady’s greed was so great that she couldn’t give even a tiny cake to a hungry stranger, which revealed her true selfish nature.

6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?

No, this is not a true story. The poet herself says she doesn’t believe it is true in the second stanza. It is a legend – an old traditional story passed down through generations.

The most important part of the poem is the moral lesson it teaches – greed and selfishness lead to punishment and suffering. The woman who couldn’t share even a tiny cake with a hungry person ended up spending her entire life working hard for scanty food. The poem teaches us to be generous and kind to others, especially to those who are in need. The punishment also shows that we should help others without expecting anything in return or without judging whether they deserve our help.

7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?

A legend is an old traditional story that has been passed down orally from one generation to the next. Legends are part of folk culture and usually teach moral lessons, though they may not be historically true. They often contain elements of magic, miracles, or supernatural events.

This poem is called a legend because it is a traditional story from the Northland, has been passed down through generations, contains a supernatural element (the transformation of woman into bird), teaches a moral lesson (against greed and selfishness), explains a natural phenomenon (why woodpeckers have red caps and black bodies), and the poet says she doesn’t believe it is true, but it contains a lesson.

8. Write the story of A Legend of the Northland in about ten sentences.

In the Northland where winters are long and harsh, people tell a curious legend. Once Saint Peter came to earth and traveled around preaching. He reached a cottage where a little woman was baking cakes on the hearth. Being faint with fasting, he asked her for a single cake. The greedy woman made a small cake but thought it too large to give away. She made smaller and smaller cakes but couldn’t part with any of them. She said even tiny cakes were too large to give away and put them on the shelf. Saint Peter became angry at her selfishness and cursed her. He said she was too selfish to live in human form and transformed her into a woodpecker. She went up the chimney as a bird with a red cap and black body, and still bores in wood for food.

II. Poetic Elements

1. Rhyming words in the poem:

The poem follows a consistent rhyme scheme where words at the end of lines create musical patterns. Examples include few and through, snows and clothes, true and you, below and know, earth and hearth, done and one, lay and away, flat and that, myself and shelf, faint and saint, form and warm, word and bird, same and flame, wood and food.

2. Finding legends in your own language:

Students should visit the local library or talk to older persons in their locality to find legends in their own language. They should then share these legends with the class. This helps preserve local folk culture and connects students with their cultural heritage.

Download Free Mind Map from the link below

This mind map contains all important topics of this chapter

[Download PDF Here]

Visit our Class 9 English page for free mind maps of all Chapters