Jharkhand Board Class 9TH English Notes | THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
JAC Board Solution For Class 9TH English Prose Chapter 6
COMPREHENSION
■ Read the following passage and answer the questions that
follow :―
1. 'Has a snake ever coiled itself round any part of your body?
A full-blooded cobra ?' All of us fell silent. The question came
from the homeopath. The topic came up when we were discussing
snakes. We listened attentively as the doctor continued with his
tale.
It was a hot summer night about ten o'clock. I had my meal
at the restaurant and returned to my room. I heard a noise from
above as I opened the door. The sound was a familiar one. One
could say that the rats and I shared the room. I took out my box of
matches and lighted the kerosene lamp on the table.
The house was not electrified; it was a small rented room. I
had just set up medical practice and my earnings were meagre. I
had about sixty rupees in my suitcase. Along with some shirts and
dhotis, I also possessed one solitary black coat which I was then
wearing.
Q (a) What did the doctor do after coming into the room?
(b) How much money did the doctor have and where did
he keep it?
(c) Where had he taken his meal and what was the time?
(d) What did the speaker hear?
(e) Find words from the passage which mean- not enough,
vigorous.
Ans.(a) He took his box of matches and lighted the kerosene
lamp on the table.
(b) He had about sixty rupees which he kept in his suitcase.
(c) He had taken the meal at the restaurant at about en
O'clock.
(d) The speaker heard a familiar noise.
(e) Meagre, full blooded.
2. One feels tempted to look into a mirror when it is near One.
I took a look. In those days I was a great admirer of beauty and I
believed in making myself look handsome. I was unmarried and I
was a doctor. I felt I had to make my presence felt. I picked up the
comb and ran it through my hair and adjusted the parting so that it
looked straight and neat.
Again I heard that sound from above.
Q. (a) What made the speaker feel that he must try to look
more handsome?
(b) What did the narrator do with the comb and why?
(c) What was there in the room?
(d) What type of doctor the narrator was?
(e) Pick out a word from the passage which means the
same as 'desirous'.
Ans.(a) The speaker was a bachelor and a doctor. Such a man
musttry to make his presence felt. So the speaker tried to
look more handsome.
(b) He ran the comb through his hair. He adjusted the
parting. So that it looked straight and neat.
(c) There was a mirror in the room.
(d) The narrator was a homeopath doctor.
(e) tempted.
3. I took a close look at my face in the mirror. I made an
important decision-I would shave daily and grow a thin moustache
to look more handsome. I was afterall a bachelor, and a doctor!
I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive
smile. I made another earth-shaking decision. I would always keep
that attractive smile on my face..... to look more handsome. I was
afterall a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!
Q. (a) What two important decisions did the doctor take while
he was looking into the mirror ?
(b) What the Doctor think about him self?
(c) What was the earth-shaking decision ?
(d) When did he take these decisions ?
(e) Give the opposites of thin, handsome ?
Ans. (a) He took two important decisions. The doctor wanted to
look more handsome. So he decided to shave daily and
grow a thin moustache. He also decided to keep an
attractive smile always on his face.
(b) Doctor thinks that he is after all a bachelor and a doctor
too on top of it.
(c) The earth-shaking decision was to keep an attractive
smile on his face to look more attractive.
(d) He took these decisions when he had a look at his fake
in the mirror.
(e) Thick, ugly.
Long Answer Type Quosions
■ Answer these questions in about 80-100 words each :-
Q. 1. Did the doctor find this incident humorous or
mightening or both? Give reasons.
Ans. This incident appears to be humorous as well as
tightening. The doctor was a great admirer of beauty and wanted
look handsome. He looked into the mirror and combed his hair.
He admired his own looks in the mirror. The snake also saw its
ellection in the mirror and crept onto the table and moved towards
be mirror. It wanted to enjoy its reflection in the same way as the
doctor had done. It was very humorous to see a snake looking its
reflection in the mirror.
The doctor found the incident frightening also. The snake
caught hold of his left arm and its mouth was only four inches
away from his face. The doctor found himself helpless. He
remembered God. Thus it is quite obvious that the incident is both
humorous and frightening.
Q.2. Is there a similarity between the doctor and the snake?
If so what is it?
Ans. Yes, there is a similarity between the doctor and the
snake. The similarity between the two is that of admiration for
beauty. Both are tempted to look into the mirror when they are
near it. Both were the admirers of their own beauty. The doctor
says that he was a great admirer f beauty in those days rather this
own beauty. As soon as he looks into the mirror, he at once picks
up the comb, run it though his hair and adjust the parting. Then to
look more handsome he decides to shave daily and grow thin
moustache. He looks into the mirror and smiles. So he decided that
he would always keep an attractive smile on his face. The behaviour
of the snake is similar. While it has coiled itself around the doctor's
arm, it turns its head and looks into the mirror. As soon as it looks
into the mirror and see its own reflection, it forgets the doctor. It
seems to be making some decisions to look more beautiful. So,
leaves the doctor's arm. It creeps onto the table and moves towards
the mirror to enjoy it's reflection at closer quarters. So we see that
there is one thing common between the two. Both are the admirers
of beauty.
Q. 3. The snake has been compared to three objects. What
are they?
Or, How are the objects similar to the snake?
Ans. The snakes has been compared to three objects namely a
rubber tube a thick leaden rod and a rod made of molten fire. The
comparison of snake with a rubber tube is very accurate. The snake
falls on the floor with a dull thud. The rubber tube when falls on
the ground produces a dull noise.
Both are very smooth and soft to touch. The snake tightens
its coil around the doctor's arm. It is compared to thick leaden rod.
Doctor feels as if something like a thick leaden rod is slowly but
Powerfully crushing his arm. Finally it has been compared to a rod
of molten fire. It shows what a burning sensation a snake can cause
When it coils itself tightly around some part of our body. Thus all
the comparisons are appropriate and very suitable
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