NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror are given below. This chapter contains many questions that are essential for exams. Our expert teachers answered all the questions with a detailed explanation that help students to complete their assignments and homework. We have also provided NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror in PDF format so that you can download them for offline use.

The Snake and the Mirror NCERT Questions and Answers

Think about the Text

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

Question 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? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?

Answer: The doctor lived in a room which was full of rats. He heard the sounds of the rats. There was a regular traffic of rats to and from the beam. He heard the sound thrice. The sound stopped suddenly as rats had seen a snake.

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

Answer:  The doctor took two “important” and “earth-shaking” while he was looking into the mirror First, he decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache. Second, always to keep an attractive smile on his face.

Question 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?

Answer: (i) When the doctor smiled first, he was thinking that his smile was very attractive.

(ii) When he smiled again, he was thinking that he was a poor and stupid doctor.

His thoughts changed from being a handsome doctor to being a stupid doctor between the two situations. His thoughts changed because his life was now in danger.

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.)

Question 1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)

Answer: (i) The doctor is a poor person. He has hardly any money. he lives in an unelectrified house. It is small rented room with plenty of rats living in it. He has just started his medical practice. So, he is not a man of possessions or money.

(ii) The Person wants to be rich. he also would like to have good appearance. That’s why he decides to grow a thin moustache.

Question 2. (i) The person he wants to marry
(ii) The person he actually marries.

Answer: (i) The doctor wants to marry a woman doctor with good medical practice and a lot of money. She would be fat as not to run after him and catch him.

(ii) He marries a thin reedy woman who has a gift of sprinter.

Question 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.

Answer: (i) His thoughts are full of joy and satisfaction. He decides to grow thin moustache and keep smiling always. He finds his smile attractive.

(ii) He turned to stone. He sat like stone image in the flesh. However, his mind was very active. He felt the great presence of creator. He decides to write the words ‘O God’ outside his little heart.