UP Board Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 Solutions – The Snake and the Mirror

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Chapter 5 of the UP Board Class 9 English Beehive book – “The Snake and the Mirror,” is a funny and interesting story. It’s about a young man who thinks very highly of himself. One day, something unexpected happens that changes how he sees himself. The story shows how he learns an important lesson about who he really is. It makes us laugh while also teaching us about how people can change.

UP Board Class 9 English Beehive chapter 5

UP Board Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 Solutions

SubjectEnglish (Beehive)
Class9th
Chapter5. The Snake and the Mirror
AuthorVaikom Muhammad Basheer
BoardUP Board

Think about the Text

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

1 . “The sound was 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 a familiar sound which he believed to be rats scurrying about. He heard this sound three times in the night, as mentioned in the text. The sounds ceased abruptly after a dull thud, which the doctor later realized was a snake falling from the ceiling. This sudden silence alerted the doctor that something unusual had occurred.

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

Ans. While looking in the mirror, the doctor made two decisions he considered important. First, he decided to shave daily and grow a thin mustache to improve his appearance. Second, he resolved to maintain an attractive smile on his face to appear more approachable and friendly to his patients. These choices were aimed at enhancing his professional image as a doctor.

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?

Ans. When the doctor first smiles at himself in the mirror, he feels confident and proud of his appearance and profession. However, after his encounter with the snake, his perspective changes dramatically. When he smiles again, it’s a feeble smile at his own foolishness for being so vain earlier. This change in his thoughts occurs because he realizes how close he came to death, making him understand that his looks and status are far less important than his life. The dangerous situation with the snake humbled him and shifted his priorities.

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.

  1. The doctor’s current situation contrasts sharply with his aspirations. He lives in a small, rat-infested room with little money and few possessions. Yet, he dreams of being an impressive, well-groomed professional. This gap between his reality and self-image creates humor.
  2. The doctor’s ideal wife differs greatly from the one he actually marries. He imagines marrying a wealthy, plump woman who can’t chase him. Instead, he ends up with a thin, athletic wife. This unexpected outcome adds a humorous twist to his plans.
  3. The doctor’s thoughts change drastically from vanity to fear. When looking in the mirror, he admires himself and makes grand plans. But when faced with the snake, he realizes how foolish his earlier concerns were. This sudden shift in perspective is both funny and relatable.

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?

Ans.

(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.
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.
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
2. I was no mere image cut in granite.
7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.

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 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. 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. 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. (Too scared to move)
  3. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him. (so much frightened by something that happens suddenly)
  4. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. (frightened by something that happens suddenly)
  5. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end. (very frightened)
  6. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors. (too scared to move)
  7. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle. (too scared to move)

IV. Report these questions using if/whetheror 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 his colleague where he would go that summer.
  3. He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
  4. She asked me when we were 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.

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