Chapter 5
The Snake and the Mirror
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? When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer:
The doctor heard a soft sound from above, which he immediately recognized — it was the noise made by rats running on the beam. He had heard this kind of sound many times before, so it seemed usual to him. He heard the sound four times in total. Some phrases in the story that show this are:
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“Again I heard that sound from above.”
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“Again came that noise from above.”
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“Suddenly there came a dull thud...”
The sound stopped when the snake made its sudden appearance. The doctor guessed that even the rats must have sensed the snake and had gone quiet out of fear.
Question 2.
What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?
Answer:
While admiring himself in the mirror, the doctor made two major decisions:
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He decided to shave every day and grow a thin moustache, believing it would make him look more attractive.
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He also thought he should always keep a smiling face, as a pleasant smile adds charm to one’s appearance.
These decisions reflect how much he was thinking about his looks and trying to improve his personality.
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 first smiled at himself in the mirror, he was feeling proud and happy. He thought he looked good and was enjoying his own reflection.
(ii) When he smiled again, it was not out of pride but helplessness. He gave a weak smile because he was scared and facing danger — the snake was lying on his shoulder.
Between the two moments, his mood changed completely. At first, he was full of self-confidence. But the sudden appearance of the snake made him realize how powerless he actually was, and all his pride disappeared. His thoughts shifted from admiration to fear.
Question 1.
The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
Answer:
The doctor is not a rich man. He lives in a small, rented room without electricity. The room is full of rats. His belongings include a few clothes and around sixty rupees. He owns just one black coat.
However, he dreams of becoming a smart and successful man. He wants to look handsome, so he plans to shave daily and grow a stylish moustache. He also wishes to become rich someday and earn fame through his medical profession.
Question 2.
The person he wants to marry
The person he actually marries
Answer:
The doctor imagines marrying a woman doctor with good income and a busy practice. He also hopes that she would be fat, so that even if she gets angry with him, she wouldn't be able to chase him.
In reality, he marries a very thin woman, quite the opposite of what he had imagined. She is quick on her feet and has the energy of a sprinter — exactly what he had hoped to avoid!
Question 3.
His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Answer:
While looking into the mirror, the doctor feels proud and thoughtful. He admires his looks and decides to improve his appearance. He smiles and feels confident, thinking about his future.
But when the snake wraps itself around his arm, all those thoughts vanish. He is terrified and frozen with fear. His mind becomes blank. All he can do is sit silently, praying that the snake doesn’t bite.
Question 1
Match the sentences with what they reveal about the author:
(a) The author was afraid of the snake:
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I was turned to stone.
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The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.
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I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O God’.
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I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out.
(b) The author was proud of his appearance:
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I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.
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I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
(c) The author had a sense of humour:
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The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness … ! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water.
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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?
(d) The author was no longer afraid of the snake:
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I was no mere image cut in granite.
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I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.
Question 2
Complete the expressions that show fear:
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I was turned to stone.
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I sat there holding my breath.
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In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.
Question 3
Match the italicised expressions to their meanings:
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I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits. → Very frightened
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I got a fright when I realized how close I was to the cliff edge. → Frightened by something that happens suddenly
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He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him. → Frightened by something that happens suddenly
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You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that. → Made someone feel frightened
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Wait until I tell his story—it will make your hair stand on end. → Very frightened
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Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors. → Too scared to move
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The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle. → Too scared to move
Question 4
Reported Speech Transformation:
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Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day.
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David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
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He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
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She asked me when we were going to leave.
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Pran asked me whether I had finished reading the newspaper.
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Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
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Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.
Question 1: Using some of the expressions given above in Exercise III, talk about an incident when you were very scared.
Answer:
It was a dark, stormy night. The wind was howling outside and lightning flashed now and then, making the shadows dance on the walls of my room. I was alone at home, curled up in bed with a storybook. Suddenly, I heard a soft scratching sound near the window. My heart missed a beat. I told myself, “It must be the wind.” But then the sound came again—louder this time.
I got up slowly and tiptoed towards the window, every step as heavy as my heartbeat. My hands were trembling like a leaf. As I pulled the curtain aside, I saw a shadow move! I was frozen with fear. My mouth went dry, and my knees felt weak. I stood there, stiff as a statue, too scared to run, too scared to scream.
After what felt like forever, I gathered some courage, opened the door, and switched on the verandah light. And guess what? It was just a stray cat trying to get shelter from the rain!
That night, I learnt one thing for sure—sometimes our imagination can be scarier than reality.
Question 1.
Try to rewrite the story without its humour, merely as a frightening incident. What details or parts of the story would you leave out?
Answer:
One evening, a doctor was reading a book in his room. It was a quiet night, and the surroundings were calm. Suddenly, a snake fell on him from the ceiling. The snake coiled itself around his arm. He sat frozen, unable to move or call for help. Time passed slowly, and the fear inside him grew. At last, the snake looked into the mirror and moved away from his arm. Taking this chance, the doctor ran out of the house and did not return for a long time. He had a narrow escape and it was the most frightening moment of his life.
All humorous parts like admiring himself in the mirror or planning to marry a rich woman were left out to focus only on the fear and danger.
Question 2.
Make up a story about what the monkey is thinking, or why it is looking into a mirror. Write a paragraph about it.
Answer:
The monkey was sitting alone near a tree when he saw a shiny object on the ground. It was a broken mirror. Curious, he picked it up and looked into it. At first, he was surprised to see another "monkey" staring back. He touched the mirror again and again, thinking it might be a new friend. Then he looked carefully and thought, “Is this really me?” He started cleaning his face and straightening his hair, trying to look better. He wanted to become the smartest monkey in the jungle. Suddenly, a group of monkeys laughed at him. Embarrassed and angry, he threw away the mirror and ran up the tree, thinking, “Maybe I don’t need a mirror to feel special after all.”
Question 1:
Where did the snake move its head?
The snake slowly turned its head towards the mirror placed on the table.
Why did the narrator call it the “first snake”?
He humorously called it the “first snake” to look into a mirror, since he had never seen such behavior from a snake before.
Find a word in the passage that means ‘look at with pleasure and satisfaction’.
Admiring
Question 2:
Why did narrator want to remove his things?
He wanted to leave the room because he had been terribly scared by the snake encounter and didn’t want to stay there anymore.
Why was there little to carry?
There wasn’t much to take because someone had already stolen most of his belongings.
Write the opposite of “friend”.
Enemy
Question 3:
Why did the author not jump, tremble and cry?
Because he was in shock and fear when the snake wrapped itself around his arm—he was too stunned to react.
Did the snake bite the speaker? What was his reaction?
No, the snake didn’t bite him. The doctor sat completely still, frozen in fear, hoping the snake wouldn’t harm him.
What does the word “tremble” from the above lines mean?
Shake with fear or nervousness
Question 4:
Where did the snake settle after uncoiling from the writer’s arm?
After leaving the doctor’s arm, the snake rested for a moment on his lap.
Why did the snake move towards the mirror?
It seemed the snake was curious and wanted to get a closer look at its own reflection in the mirror.
What does the word “slithered” mean?
Moved smoothly over a surface in a curving manner, like a snake.
Question 5:
What did the snake do to him (doctor)?
The snake climbed up his body, slithered over his shoulder, and wrapped itself tightly around his left arm.
How far was death from him?
Death was just a few inches away, as the snake’s open hood and head were only 3–4 inches from his face.
Find a word in the passage which means the same as “stretched”.
Spread
Question 1:
What was the doctor thinking while he was seated before the mirror?
While sitting in front of the mirror, the doctor was imagining what would happen if the snake bit him. He thought about the medicines he had and wondered if any of them could actually save his life. He also felt that his pride and vanity had brought this trouble upon him, and perhaps it was God’s way of teaching him a lesson.
Question 2:
Why did the doctor run from his house?
Once the snake left his arm and moved towards the table, the doctor didn’t waste a second. He quickly got up, rushed out into the yard, and ran straight to a friend’s house. He was terrified and just wanted to escape safely.
Question 3:
How did the doctor show presence of mind when he encountered the snake?
The doctor showed mental strength in that tense moment. He stayed completely still, without screaming or making any sudden movement. Even though he was scared, he kept calm and didn't panic.
Question 4:
How did the snake change the writer’s opinion about himself?
Earlier, the writer considered himself quite smart and important. But the snake’s sudden appearance made him feel helpless and foolish. It humbled him, and he stopped feeling proud of being a doctor.
Question 5:
What decisions did the doctor make while looking into the mirror?
As he admired himself in the mirror, the doctor decided that he would begin shaving every day and grow a stylish moustache. He also made a grand personal decision: to always wear a pleasant smile on his face.
Question 6:
What did the doctor do on seeing the snake?
At first, the doctor saw the snake’s image in the mirror. Soon, he saw it directly as it slithered over him. He stayed still the entire time, but once the snake left his arm and moved away, he stood up and dashed out of the house.
Question 7:
What type of woman did the doctor want to marry and why?
The doctor imagined marrying a rich lady doctor with a successful practice. But more humorously, he also wanted her to be fat, so if he ever made a mistake, she wouldn’t be able to catch him if he tried to run away.
Question 8:
Why did the author fantasize about a fat wife?
The author’s idea was quite amusing—he believed that a fat wife wouldn’t be able to chase him if he ever got into trouble. It was his funny way of imagining safety from future quarrels or scolding.
Question 9:
Why did the snake leave the doctor’s arm?
The snake slowly uncoiled from the doctor’s arm because it noticed something in the mirror. It appeared interested in its reflection and slithered over to get a better look.
Question 10:
What made the doctor say, “Death lurked four inches away”?
The snake’s head was just a few inches from his face, and its hood was raised. One bite could end his life. Feeling that death was so close, he thought of this terrifying moment in those exact words.
Question 1:
Does the story "The Snake and the Mirror" support the saying "Birds of the same feather flock together"? Why or why not?
Yes, this story fits the saying well. Both the doctor and the snake seemed to enjoy admiring themselves. The doctor was lost in self-love, looking into the mirror and dreaming about becoming more handsome. Similarly, the snake, once on the doctor’s arm, seemed to forget everything and moved toward the mirror, fascinated by its reflection. Both shared a similar sense of self-admiration, bringing them together in that moment.
Question 2:
Without the mirror, would the story lose its charm and reality? Justify.
Definitely. The mirror plays a key role in the story—it reflects the doctor’s vanity and also becomes the reason the snake leaves his arm. It is in front of the mirror that the doctor makes his so-called “earth-shaking” decisions. Later, the snake too becomes absorbed by its reflection. If the mirror weren’t there, this crucial and humorous twist would be lost, and so would the uniqueness of the story.
Question 3:
What similarities are there between the doctor and the snake?
Interestingly, both the doctor and the snake appear to be fascinated with their appearance. The doctor looks into the mirror, imagining ways to look smarter. Similarly, the snake stares at its own reflection, possibly admiring itself. Both show signs of vanity and seem to be enjoying the moment of self-admiration.
Question 4:
How is the title ‘The Snake and the Mirror’ appropriate?
The title perfectly matches the story as both the snake and the mirror are central to the plot. The snake creates the conflict, and the mirror brings a humorous and unexpected twist. The mirror draws both the doctor and the snake’s attention—first for self-reflection and later as a moment of distraction. Without either, the story wouldn’t be as memorable.
Question 5:
Describe the doctor’s emotions when he saw the snake coiled around his arm.
The doctor was completely shocked and terrified. One moment he was lost in thoughts, and the next, a cold snake was around his arm, its hood raised near his face. He froze, too scared to move or scream. Thoughts rushed through his mind—he wondered if any of his medicines could save him. He also felt humbled, believing that this was a punishment from God for his earlier arrogance.
Question 1:
God has a lot of ways of controlling our lives. Discuss this in the light of the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’.
Answer:
The story "The Snake and the Mirror" clearly shows how human beings may plan many things, but ultimately, it is God or a higher power that controls the events of life. The young doctor believed that he was in charge of his destiny. He dreamed of fame, wealth, and marriage while admiring himself in the mirror. However, his confidence and pride were shattered in an instant when a snake silently appeared and coiled itself around him. At that moment, he realized how powerless and vulnerable he truly was. The sudden arrival of the snake was like a reminder from God that life is unpredictable and fragile. It taught the doctor a valuable lesson in humility — that no matter how intelligent or ambitious a person may be, life and death are not in our hands, but in God's.
