Today in this post, ‘The Snake and the Mirror Question Answer Class 9 English’, we’ll study the NCERT solutions of Class 9th English Beehive chapter ‘The Snake and the Mirror’. We’ll examine each question under the Thinking about the Text, Thinking about Language, Writing, and Speaking sections, respectively. Let’s start class 9 English The Snake and the Mirror question answer ncert solutions with Thinking about the Text.
We’ve already read the summary of The Snake and the Mirror; you can read that as well for better understainding about text.
The Snake and the Mirror Thinking about the Text
I. Answer each question in a short paragraph
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? When and why did the sounds stop?
Ans: The doctor heard the sound of rats moving around in his room. At first, he thought it was normal because rats often ran across the beam. He heard the sound three times. The sound stopped when the snake appeared and fell into the room.
Q2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?
Ans: While admiring himself in the mirror, the doctor made two important decisions. First, he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look attractive. Second, he would marry a rich lady doctor who was fat, so she could not easily chase or catch him if he ever made a mistake.
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: The doctor’s opinion about himself when he smiles:
(i) When the doctor first smiles at himself, he feels proud, confident, and vain, admiring his looks and imagining a bright future.
(ii) When he smiles again, with the snake coiled around his arm, it is a weak, helpless smile. His thoughts change from pride to fear because of the life-threatening danger.
II. The humorous narration
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.) Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.
Q1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
Ans: The doctor was poor, living in a small rented room with very little furniture and no electricity. His room was full of rats, and he hardly had any possessions of value.
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
Ans: In contrast, he dreamt of being handsome, well-groomed, and admired by others. He wished to become rich, successful, and marry a lady doctor with wealth and a good practice, showing his ambitious and vain nature.
Q2. (i) The person he wants to marry
Ans: The doctor wanted to marry a rich lady doctor with a good medical practice, someone who would provide him with financial stability and a luxurious life.
(ii) The person he actually marries
Ans: Ironically, he ended up marrying a thin, poor woman, completely opposite to what he had imagined. This contrast between his dream and reality adds humour to the story.
Q3. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
Ans: When he looks into the mirror, the doctor is filled with vanity. He admires his looks, imagines improvements in his appearance, and feels proud, even making “earth-shaking” decisions about his future.
(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Ans: When the snake coils around his arm, all pride vanishes. He is terrified, helpless, and praying for his life. This sudden shift from vanity to fear creates humour in the story.
The Snake and the Mirror Thinking about Language
I. Sentences and what they show
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.
- I was turned to stone.
- I was no mere image cut in granite.
- 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’.
- I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out.
- I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
- I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
- I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
- 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.
Answer:
- I was turned to stone. → (a) He was afraid of the snake.
- I was no mere image cut in granite. → (d) He was no longer afraid of the snake.
- The arm was beginning to be drained of strength. → (a) He was afraid of the snake.
- I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O God’. → (a) He was afraid of the snake.
- I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out. → (a) He was afraid of the snake.
- I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile. → (b) He was proud of his appearance.
- I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. → (d) He was no longer afraid of the snake.
- I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it! → (b) He was proud of his appearance.
- The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness…! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water. → (c) He had a sense of humour.
- 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. → (c) He 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.
- I was turned……………………
- I sat there holding………………….
- In the light of the lamp I sat there like……………………
Answer:
- 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. Match the meanings
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.
- 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.
- He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him.
- You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that.
- Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end.
- Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors.
- The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle.
Answer:
- 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
- You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. → makes another feel frightened
- Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end. → very 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. Reported Questions
1. Meena asked her friend, “Do you think your teacher will come today?”
➡️ Meena asked her friend if he/she thought his/her teacher would come that day.
2. David asked his colleague, “Where will you go this summer?”
➡️ David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
3. He asked the little boy, “Why are you studying English?”
➡️ He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
4. She asked me, “When are we going to leave?”
➡️ She asked me when we were going to leave.
5. Pran asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper?”
➡️ Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her, “How long have you lived here?”
➡️ Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children, “Are you ready to do the work?”
➡️ Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.
The Snake and the Mirror Speaking Section
Q1. 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.
It is advised to self-attempt this question. Though for your reference, below is a model Speaking Answer for your exercise, using expressions from Exercise III (scared out of my wits, paralysed with fear, got a fright, jumped out of my skin, not moving a muscle, make your hair stand on end).
Model Answer:
Once, when I was in class 8, I had to walk home alone in the evening after tuition. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but when I turned around, no one was there. I was scared out of my wits and almost jumped out of my skin when a dog barked loudly nearby. For a moment, I was paralysed with fear and stood not moving a muscle. Finally, I realised it was only a stray dog following me. The whole incident could really make your hair stand on end!
Dictation – The Indian Cobra
Q1. 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 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.
Below is the dictation paragraph neatly written with punctuation, exactly as it should be:
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.
The Snake and the Mirror Writing Section
Q1. Rewrite the story without its humour (as a frightening incident)
One night, a young doctor was sitting alone in his small rented room. Suddenly, a snake dropped from the ceiling and coiled around his arm. The snake raised its hood dangerously close to his face. Terrified, the doctor sat frozen, expecting to die at any moment. He prayed silently and did not dare to move. Luckily, the snake became distracted by the mirror on the table. Slowly, it uncoiled from his arm and slithered onto the table. Taking this chance, the doctor escaped from the room and saved his life.
(Here, the humorous parts — like admiring himself in the mirror, thinking of marrying a fat lady doctor, or the thief stealing everything except his vest — are left out.)
Q2. Paragraph on the monkey looking into the mirror
The monkey found a shiny piece of mirror and held it curiously. At first, it was surprised to see another face staring back at it. Slowly, it realised that the reflection was its own. Fascinated, the monkey admired its features, tilting its head and touching its face again and again. Perhaps it was wondering if it was truly the most handsome among its companions. The mirror became a toy and also a tool for the monkey to discover itself, just like humans do when they admire their appearance.
The Snake and the Mirror Translation Section
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.
| A | B |
|---|---|
| When the phone rang I was in the kitchen, boiling a potful of spaghetti and whistling along with an FM broadcast of the overture to Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie, which has to be the perfect music for cooking pasta. I wanted to ignore the phone, not only because the spaghetti was nearly done, but because Claudio Abbado was bringing the London Symphony to its musical climax. | I’m in the kitchen cooking spaghetti when the woman calls. Another moment until the spaghetti is done; there I am, whistling the prelude to Rossini’s La Gazza Ladra along with the FM radio. Perfect spaghetti-cooking music! I hear the telephone ring but tell myself, Ignore it. Let the spaghetti finish cooking. It’s almost done, and besides, Claudio Abbado and the London Symphony Orchestra are coming to a crescendo. |
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.
Now Let’s compare Translation A and Translation B based on the given points.
Comparison of Two Translations
| Point of Comparison | Translation A | Translation B |
|---|---|---|
| Tense of narration | Written in past tense (“When the phone rang I was in the kitchen… I wanted to ignore…”) | Written in present tense (“I’m in the kitchen cooking spaghetti… I hear the telephone ring…”) |
| Short, incomplete sentences | Mostly complete, well-structured, formal sentences. | Uses shorter, conversational, sometimes incomplete sentences (“Another moment until the spaghetti is done; … Ignore it.”) |
| Sentence length | Sentences are longer and more descriptive, with a flowing style. | Sentences are shorter, snappier, and more immediate, creating a fast rhythm. |
Which translation I like and why?
I prefer Translation B because it feels more natural and engaging. The present tense and short sentences make the narration immediate, as if the events are happening right in front of me. It creates a lively, conversational style that is easier to connect with. (But if someone prefers a formal, descriptive style, they might like Translation A more.)
View all Chapter: NCERT Solutions for Class 9th English