A Legend of Northland

Word and Meanings

Summary

The poem is a legend about on old lady who angered Saint Peter because of her greed. The story opens with a day when Saint Peter was preaching around the world and reached the door of a cottage where the old woman live. She has a shop of cake baking prepared by herself. That aed lady was busy in baking cake on a hearth. Saint Peter was fainting with hunger and asked her a piece of Cake. The Cake that she was baking then appeared to be   too big. So She did not give him that and instead she baked another small one, again that appeared as a big in size for her. Thus she baked another smaller one. That also appeared to be big in size to give away. In the third attempt    she took on extremely little scrap of dough and rolled it flat. She had made it is thin as a wafer but was unable to part with that also. This angered saint Peter a let. He said that she was not fit to liue in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her and transformed her into a woodpecker bird who had to bore. In hard, dry woad to get its scanty food. She can be sun in the   trees all day by wailing for food.

āĻŽূāϞāĻ­াā§ąঃ

āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাā§° āĻ•াāĻšিāύী āĻāĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧাā§° āϏৈāϤে āφ⧰āĻŽ্āĻ­ āĻšā§Ÿ āϝি⧟ে āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°āĻ• āĻ–āĻ™ āωāĻ াāχāĻ›িāϞ । āĻāĻĻিāύ āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§° āϏāĻ•āϞো āĻĢাāϞে āĻ–াāĻĻ্āϝ⧰ āϏāĻž্āϚাāύāϤ āϘূā§°ি āĻĢুā§°িāĻ›িāϞ āφ⧰ু āφāĻšি āĻāϟা āϏ⧰ু āϜুāĻĒুā§°ি āĻĒাāχāĻ›িāϞ āϝ’āϤ āĻāĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧাāχ āĻ•েāĻ• āĻŦিāĻ•্ā§°ী āϕ⧰িāĻ›িāϞ । āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āύিāϜ āĻšাāϤেā§°ে āĻŦāύোā§ąা āĻ•েāĻ• āĻŦিāĻ•্ā§°ী āϕ⧰িāĻ›িāϞ । āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āϜুāχāĻļাāϞāϤ āĻ•েāĻ• āĻŦāύাāχ āφāĻ›িāϞ āĻ•েāĻ• āĻŦāύাāχ āφāĻ›িāϞ । āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ā§° āĻ­োāĻ•āϤ āĻĒ্ā§°াāĻŖ āϝাāĻ“ঁ āϝেāύ āĻšৈāĻ›িāϞ āφ⧰ু āĻŽāĻšিāϞা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীāĻ• āĻāϟুāĻ•ুā§°া āĻ•েāĻ• āĻ–াāĻŦā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻŦিāϚাā§°িāĻ›িāϞ । āĻŽāĻšিāϞা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āύিāϜে āĻŦāύোā§ąা āĻ•েāϕ⧰ āϟুāĻ•ুā§°াāĻŦোā§° āĻĄাāϙ⧰ āϝেāύ āĻĻেāĻ–িāĻ›িāϞ । āϏে⧟েāĻšে āϤেāĻ“ঁ āĻŽাāύুāĻšāϜāύāĻ• āĻĻিāĻŦāϞৈ āĻĒুāύ⧰ āϏ⧰ু āĻ•েāϕ⧰ āϟুāĻ•ুā§°া āĻŦāύাāĻŦ āϧ⧰িāϞে āφāĻ•ৌ āϤেāĻ“ঁ āĻ•েāϕ⧰ āϟুāĻ•ুā§°াāĻŦোā§° āĻĄাāϙ⧰ āĻĻেāĻ–ি āϤেāĻ“ঁāĻ• āύিāĻĻিāϞে । āϤেāĻ“ঁ āφāĻ•ৌ āϤিāύিāĻŦাā§°াāϞāĻ•ে āϏ⧰ু āϏ⧰ু āĻĒিāϚ⧰ āĻ•েāĻ• āĻŦāύাāϞে āĻ•িāύ্āϤু āϏāĻ•āϞোāĻŦোā§°ে āĻĄাāϙ⧰ āϝেāύ āĻĻেāĻ–িāĻ›িāϞ । āĻļেāώāϤ āϤেāĻ“ঁ āĻāĻ•েāĻŦাā§°ে āϏ⧰ু āφ⧰ু āĻĒাāϤāϞāĻ•ৈ āĻ•েāϕ⧰ āϟুāĻ•ুā§°া āĻŦāύাāϞে āĻ•িāύ্āϤু āϏেāχ āϟুāĻ•ুā§°াāϟোāĻ“ āĻĻিāĻŦāϞৈ āϏাāĻŽā§°্āĻĨ āύāĻš’āϞ । āĻāχ āĻ•āĻĨাāϤ āĻ›েāχāύ্āϤ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ā§° āĻ–āĻ™ āωāĻ িāϞ āφ⧰ু āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীāĻ• āĻ•āĻ িāĻ•āϟি⧟া āϚ⧰াāχ āĻš’āĻŦāϞৈ āĻ…āĻ­িāĻļাāĻĒ āĻĻিāϞে । 


(Thinking about the Poem)

(āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোā§° āĻŦিāώ⧟ে āĻ­াāĻŦা)

1. Which Country or countries do you think ‘’The Northland’’ refers to? 

āϤোāĻŽাā§° āĻŽāϤে ‘āωāϤ্āϤ⧰ āĻĒাā§°ā§° āĻĻেāĻļ’ āĻŽাāύে āĻ•োāύāĻĨāĻ–āύ āĻĻেāĻļāĻ• āĻŦুāϜাāχāĻ›ে ?

Answer: The Northland refers to a country of North where   days are short and nights are long. 

‘āωāϤ্āϤ⧰ āĻĻেāĻļ’ āĻŽাāύে āωāϤ্āϤ⧰ āĻĒাā§°ā§° āĻāĻ–āύ āĻĻেāĻļāĻ• āĻŦুāϜাāχāĻ›ে āϝ’āϤ āĻĻিāύāĻŦোā§° āĻ›ুāϟী āφ⧰ু ā§°াāϤি āĻĻীāϘāϞ । 


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

āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ে āĻŽāĻšিāϞা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীāĻ• āĻ•ি āĻŦিāϚাā§°িāĻ›িāϞ ? āĻŽāĻšিāϞাāĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীā§° āĻĒ্ā§°āϤিāĻ•্ā§°ি⧟া āĻ•েāύেāϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āφāĻ›িāϞ ?

Answer: Saint Peter was dying in hunger and ask the old lady for a piece of cake.

        The lady behaved miserly and kept decreasing the six of the cake. At last she did not give him anything to eat.

āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ā§° āĻ­োāĻ•āϤ āĻĒ্ā§°াāĻŖ āϝাāĻ“ঁ āĻšৈāĻ›িāϞ āφ⧰ু āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীāĻ• āĻāϟুāĻ•ুā§°া āĻ•েāĻ• āĻ–াāĻŦāϞৈ āĻŦিāϚাā§°িāĻ›িāϞ । 

       āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āĻ…āϤি āĻĒুāϤৌāϜāύāĻ• āĻ­াā§ąে āϤেāĻ–েāϤ⧰ āϞāĻ—āϤ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āϕ⧰িāĻ›িāϞ āφ⧰ু āĻ•েāϕ⧰ āϟুāĻ•ুā§°াāĻŦোā§° āϏ⧰ু āϕ⧰ি āĻĻিāĻ›িāϞ । āĻļেāώāϤ āĻāĻ•ো āĻ–াāĻŦāϞৈ āĻĻি⧟া āύাāĻ›িāϞ । 


3. Who did he punish her? (āϏি āĻ•িāĻĻā§°ে āϤাāχāĻ• āĻļাāϏ্āϤি āĻĻিāĻ›িāϞে?)

Answer: He was getting angry with her and cursed her to become a woodpecker.

āϤেāĻ–েāϤ⧰ āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧাā§° āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীā§° āĻĒ্ā§°āϤি āĻ–āĻ™ āωāĻ িāĻ›িāϞ āφ⧰ু āϤেāĻ“ঁāĻ• āĻ•াāĻ āĻ•āϟি⧟া āϚ⧰াāχ āĻš’āĻŦāϞৈ āĻ…āĻ­িāĻļাāĻĒ āĻĻিāĻ›িāϞ । 


4. How does the woodpecker get her food?

āĻ•াāĻ āĻ•āϟি⧟া āϚ⧰াāĻ‡ā§Ÿে āĻ•িāĻĻā§°ে āĻ–াāĻĻ্āϝ āϞাāĻ­ āϕ⧰ে ? 

 Answer: The woodpecker bores the hard and dry wood to get its food.

āĻ•াāĻ āĻ“āϝ়াāϞা āϤাā§° āĻ–াāĻŦাā§° āĻĒাāĻ“āϝ়াā§° āϜāύ্āϝ āĻ•āĻ োā§° āĻāĻŦং āĻļুāĻ•āύো āĻ•াāĻ āĻ•ে āϜোā§° āϕ⧰ে।


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?

āϤুāĻŽি āĻ•ি āĻ­াāĻŦা āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧা āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°িāϚ⧟ āĻĒোā§ąা āĻŦুāϞেāĻ“ āĻāύে āϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻŦে⧟া āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āϕ⧰িāϞে āĻšেঁāϤেāύ āύে ? āϤেāĻ“ঁā§° āĻĒā§°িāϚ⧟ āĻĒোā§ąা āĻšāϞে āϤেāĻ–েāϤ⧰ āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āĻ•েāύে āĻš’āϞ āĻšā§Ÿ?

Answer: No she would not have done this. On the contrary, she would have given him a large piece of cake to make him happy with the gruel to get a handsome return.

āύাāχ āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧাāĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āĻŽাāύুāĻšāϜāύāĻ• āĻĒā§°িāϚ⧟ āϜāύা āĻšāϞে āĻāύে āĻŦ্āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšাā§° āύāϕ⧰িāϞে āĻšā§Ÿ । āĻ‡ā§Ÿাā§° āĻŦিāĻĒā§°ীāϤে āϤেāĻ“ঁ āĻŽাāύুāĻšāϜāύāĻ• āϏ⧰āĻš āϏংāĻ–্āϝāĻ• āĻ–োā§ąা āĻŦāϏ্āϤু āĻĻিāϞে āĻšā§Ÿ āĻŽাāĻĨো āϤেāĻ“ঁāĻ• āϏāύ্āϤুāώ্āϟ āϕ⧰িāĻŦāϞৈ āφ⧰ু āĻ…āϧিāĻ• āĻ•িāĻŦা āϤেāĻ“ঁā§° āĻĒā§°া āĻĒোā§ąাā§° āφāĻļাāύ্āϤ । 


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

āĻāχāϟো āϏāϚাঁ āĻ•াāĻšিāύী āĻšā§Ÿ āύে? āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোā§° āĻ•োāύāϟো āĻ…ংāĻļ āφāϟাāχāϤāĻ•ৈ āĻĒ্⧰⧟োāϜāύী⧟ ? 

Answer: No, the story deals with imagination, it is just a legend. 

                         The third stanza of the pome is important as is shaws how the lady suffers for her reed. 

āύāĻšā§Ÿ āĻāχ āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟো āĻ•āϞ্āĻĒāύাā§° āĻ“āĻĒā§°āϤ āφāϧাā§°িāϤ āχ āĻāĻ• āφāĻ–্āϝাāύ । 

                        āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোā§° āϤৃāϤী⧟ āϏ্āĻ¤ā§ąāĻ•āϟো āφāϟাāχāϤāĻ•ৈ āĻĒ্⧰⧟োāϜāύী⧟ āϝ’āϤ āĻŽāĻšিāϞাāĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী⧟ে āύিāϜ⧰ āϞুāĻ­ী⧟া āϏ্āĻŦāĻ­াā§ąā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āĻļাāϏ্āϤি āĻĒাāχāĻ›িāϞ ।

 

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

āφāĻ–্āϝাāύ āĻŽাāύে āĻ•ি ? āĻāχ āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোāĻ• āĻ•ি⧟ āφāĻ–্āϝাāύ āĻŦুāϞি āĻ•োā§ąা āĻšৈāĻ›ে ?

Answer: A legend is a story from ancient times about people and events. The little of the poem tells that it is a legend. The poet himself says that he does not believe it is tree.

āφāĻ–্āϝাāύ āĻŽাāύে āĻĒুā§°āĻŖি āĻĻিāύ⧰ āĻŦ্āϝāĻ•্āϤি āϤāĻĨা āϘāϟāύাā§° āĻ“āĻĒā§°āϤ āφāϧাā§°িāϤ āĻ•াāĻšিāύী । āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোā§° āĻļিā§°োāύাāĻŽে āĻ‡ā§ŸাāĻ• āφāĻ–্āϝাāύ āĻŦুāϞি āĻĒā§°িāϚ⧟ āĻĻিāĻ›ে । āϤāĻĻুāĻĒā§°ি āĻ•āĻŦি⧟ে āύিāϜেāχ āĻ•াāĻšিāύীāϟো āĻ…āĻŦিāĻļ্āĻŦাāϏ্āϝ āĻŦুāϞি āĻ•ৈāĻ›ে । 


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

āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোā§° āĻ•াāĻšিāύী āύিāϜ⧰ āĻ­াāώাā§°ে āĻĻāĻš āĻļাā§°ীāϤ āϞিāĻ–ি āωāϞিāĻ“ā§ąা । 

Answer: The poem draws a picture of on old greedy woman. She is asked by Saint Peter for food who has become weak because of fasting and travelling. But her greed for more hold her back to giv4e him anything. Her greediness makes him angry and he curses her to become a woodpecker who bores Hord, dry wood to get food. Her clothes are burnt to ashes and she is left with a cap on her head. She continues boring into hard wood for her little food.

āĻ•āĻŦিāϤাāϟোā§ąে āĻāĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ী āϞুāĻ­ী⧟া āĻŦৃāĻĻ্āϧাā§° āĻ•ৈāĻ›ে । āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ে āĻ­োāĻ•āϤ āϜ⧰্āϜ⧰িāϤ āĻšৈ āĻĒā§°িāĻ›িāϞ āĻŦিāĻ­িāύ্āύ āĻ াāχ āĻ­্ā§°āĻŽি āĻĢুā§°াā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে । āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ে āĻŽাāύুāĻš āĻ—ā§°াāĻ•ীāĻ• āĻ–োā§ąা āĻŦāϏ্āϤু āĻŦিāϚাā§°িāĻ›িāϞ āϝি⧟ে āύিāϜ⧰ āϞোāĻ­ā§° āĻŦাāĻŦে āϤেāĻ“ঁāĻ• āĻ–োā§ąা āĻŦāϏ্āϤু āĻĻিāĻŦ āύোā§ąাā§°িāϞে āϝাā§° āĻĢāϞāϤ āĻ›েāχāύ্āϟ āĻĒিāϟাā§°ে āϤাāχāĻ• āĻ•াāĻ āĻ•āϟি⧟া āϚ⧰াāχ āĻšāĻŦāϞৈ āĻ…āĻ­িāĻļাāĻĒ āĻĻিāϞে, āϝি⧟ে āĻ—āϛ⧰ āĻĄাāϞāϤ āĻ–ুāϟি⧟াāχ āĻ–ুāϟি⧟াāχ āĻ–াāĻĻ্āϝ āĻ—েāĻšāĻŖ āϕ⧰িāĻŦ āϞাāĻ—িāĻŦ ।


Angamita Dutta

(M.A in English)