The Snake and the Mirror

Summary

The story is about a doctor’s encounter with a snake. The doctor lived in a small rented room
full of rats. One night, when he returned after dinner he heard a sound. He heard the sound
few times more as he lit a kerosene lamp and prepared for bed. Since, he couldn’t sleep; he
sat on a chair to read a book. There was also a large Mirror on the table. 3. He turned to see
what it was, and froze with fear to see a big snake. The snake then coiled itself around the
doctor’s left arm. The doctor prayed to God and sat still as stone. Then the snake looked into
the mirror on the table and uncoiled itself from the doctor’s arm and came on the table. The
doctor at once got up and ran out of the room. He spent the night at the house of one of his
friends. The next morning he came back to his room. He was shocked to find that during the
night some thief had taken away everything from his room.

Comprehension Questions

(a)Describe the doctor’s rented residence. Or What kind of a room did the doctor live in?
The doctor lived in a small, poorly furnished rented room which did not have any
electricity. It was an outer room with one wall looking upon the open yard. The roof
was tiled and supported by gables which rested on a beam. The room did not have a
ceiling and it was infested with rats.

(b)What were the doctor’s possessions?
Among the few pieces of furniture, there was his bed, a chair, a table with his medical
books, a kerosene lamp and a mirror on it. The doctor had about sixty rupees in his
suitcase. In addition he had some shirts, dhotis and one solitary black coat.

(c)Why did the doctor have to light the kerosene lamp on reaching his room?
The doctor had to light the kerosene lamp because the room did not have electricity
and the night was pitch dark. The doctor had limited money and as a result he could
not afford a better place.

(d) Why did the doctor look into the mirror again and again?
In those days, the doctor was a great admirer of beauty and believed in making himself
look handsome. He was unmarried and a doctor and felt that he had to make his
presence felt. Looking into the mirror gave him a chance to assess his looks again and
again.

(e)What kind of a woman did the doctor decide to marry? Why?
The doctor decided to marry a wealthy woman running a good medical practice. He
also wanted her to be fat so that in case he made some silly mistake, he could run away
without being chased and caught by her.

(f)How did the snake land on the doctor’s chair?
The snake fell from the beam of the room on the floor with a thud. In no time it
wriggled and reached for the narrator’s chair. Next, the snake slithered along
his shoulder and coiled around his left arm above the elbow. To make matters worse,
the snake spread its hood out and its head was hardly three or four inches from the
doctor’s face.

(g)What was the narrator’s reaction to the sight of the snake?
When the doctor found a snake on his shoulder, he did not shriek, jump, or tremble.
He could not breathe for a while. He was turned to a stone yet his mind was active. He
knew that the snake would strike him if he made any movement since the hood of the
snake was only four inches away from his face. He tried in his imagination to write the
word ‘O God’ outside his little heart. He realized that there were no medicines in the
house in case he was struck by the snake.

(h) How did the doctor feel when the snake coiled itself around his arm?
When the snake coiled itself around the arm of the doctor, he felt some pain as if his
arm was being crushed strongly with a rod made of molten fire. His arm lost all
strength and he felt very weak.

(i)What thoughts crossed the doctor’s mind when he saw the snake looking into the mirror?
When the doctor saw the snake looking into the mirror, he thought that perhaps it too
was admiring its beauty or was trying to make some important, actually frivolous
decisions like growing a moustache, or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a
vermilion spot on its forehead.

(j) How was the doctor relieved of the hold of the snake?
The snake happened to look at its reflection in the mirror on the table. It uncoiled
itself from the arm of the doctor, slipped into his lap and then crawled towards the
mirror. Perhaps, it too was fascinated by its looks like the doctor had a while ago.
(k)What did the doctor do when the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror?
As the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror, the doctor at once availed of the
opportunity and holding his breath, rose from the chair and quietly slipped out of the
room. From there he passed through the veranda and the yard and ran to finally reach
the house of a friend.

(k)What did the doctor do when the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror?
As the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror, the doctor at once availed of the
opportunity and holding his breath, rose from the chair and quietly slipped out of the
room. From there he passed through the veranda and the yard and ran to finally reach
the house of a friend.

Long answer type questions:

(a)What kind of room was the doctor living in and why did he decide to leave that room?
The room that the doctor was living in was a small, poor, uncomfortable and rented.
Since his medical practice was yet not well-established, he did not earn much and
could not afford a better place. This room was without the facility of electricity and he
had to depend on a kerosene lamp for light. The room was on the outer side of the
house and one of its walls opened into the yard. It had two windows; its roof was tiled. The room did not have any ceiling and it was infested with rats that kept making sounds all the time. The doctor’s description of the room shows that he was not happy with this poor accommodation. But he decided to leave it only after his encounter with the snake. It was such a horrifying experience that he had to run to a friend’s house to save his life. Hence, he decided not to live in the room any longer.

(b)What are the similarities between the behaviour of the doctor and of the snake? Or Do
you think both the doctor and the snake had some common qualities? Why/Why not?
The behaviour of the doctor and the snake did have certain similarities. Both of them
were enamoured by their reflection in the mirror and stood looking longingly at it.
However, the similarity ended at this aspect of their respective behaviour since the
doctor could not ascertain confidently the reason behind the snake getting charmed
by its own image. The doctor was certainly compelled by his vanity to repeatedly look
at his image. So, when he notices the snake looking into the mirror, he thinks that
perhaps it too was admiring its beauty or was trying to make some ‘important’
decisions just like him. But these too were as frivolous as the doctor’s decision to shave
daily and keep a thin moustache. Just like the doctor’s obsession with his looks landed
him in trouble, the snake too seemed to be ‘taken with its beauty’. It releases its victim
to have a better look at itself in the mirror. Thus both the doctor and the snake display
narcissistic tendency.

(c)Why did the snake not strike the doctor although it was so near his face? Or What saved the doctor’s life?
The snake did not strike the doctor although it was so near his face because the doctor
remained motionless even when his life was in danger. Displaying great presence of
mind, the doctor stayed still like a stone which assured the snake that there was no
danger to it. Snakes strike only in self defence. The doctor remained calm and didn’t
jump, or tremble or cry out. He did not try to either catch the snake to throw it away
or to loosen its hold on his arm. Fear had gripped him but he kept his cool. Thus the
snake left the doctor unharmed and moved to admire its image in the mirror. The
doctor’s qualities of patience, presence of mind, courage and calmness helped him
ward of the danger posed by the deadly snake, and saved his life.

(d)Write a note on the element of humour in the story. Or This story about a frightening
incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous?
Although the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’ is the narration of a serious incident, it
has an element of humour. This humour is generated by way of contrasts employed by
the writer. The doctor reveals his pride and arrogance by telling us how highly he rated
his looks and his profession as a doctor. This pride and arrogance stands in contrast to
his admittance that he felt feeble and foolish when faced with snake that was coiled
around his arm and its hood was four inches from his face.
The doctor’s desire to marry a fat and wealthy lady-doctor who cannot run after him
when he commits some silly mistake stands in contrast to the thin and agile lady, with
the physique of a sprinter, whom he finally marries. Further, the doctor pokes fun at
himself when he tells that the thief did not take away his dirty vest because he had a
sense of cleanliness. His remark, that the snake was perhaps making some decision
about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion
spot on its head is also very witty and humorous. Thus, even a serious incident is made
interesting by the doctor’s witty treatment of a very dangerous situation.

(e) “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 he
smiles first and then later? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?
(Textual)
The doctor rated his looks quite high and smiled at his image whenever he looked into
the large mirror on his table. He thought that he was very handsome and deserved to
stay well-groomed. On the second occasion, his opinion about himself was marked by
humility. By then he had realised that he had been vain, foolish and stupid. His encounter with the deadly snake had exposed his shortcomings to him. In spite of
being a doctor he did not have any medicines in his room even for an emergency like a
snake-bite. His good looks became immaterial when he came face to face with death
and the only thoughts that came to his mind then were about God. The feeble smile
indicated his acceptance of the folly and vanity that had so far governed his life.

Read the following extracts and answer the questions that follow in one or two lines.

(a) 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.
i. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this extract?
‘I’ refers to the homeopath doctor who narrates his encounter with a snake.
ii. At what time did ‘I’ return to his room and from where?
The doctor returned to his room at ten o’clock at night after having meal at a
restaurant.
iii. When did ‘I’ hear a noise? What type of noise was it?
The doctor heard a noise when he entered his room. It was a familiar noise like that of
the rats that lived in his room.
iv. Why does ‘I’ say that it was a familiar sound?
The doctor says that it was a familiar sound because there were many rats in his room
and their constant movement had become familiar.

(b) 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.
i. Who is ‘I’ in this extract?
‘I’ is the homeopathic doctor who recounts his encounter with a snake.
ii. Explain: ‘make my presence felt’.
‘Make my presence felt’ means to make a noticeable influence or effect.
iii. Why did ‘I’ feel that he had to make his presence felt?
The doctor felt that he had to make his presence felt because he belonged to the
prestigious profession of a doctor and he was still unmarried.
iv. What did ‘I’ do in order to make his presence felt?
In order to make his presence felt, he combed his hair carefully and adjusted the
parting.

(c)There was no time to do any such thing. The snake slithered along my shoulder and coiled
around my left arm above the elbow.
i. Who is describing this experience?
The homeopathic doctor is describing this experience that he had when he
encountered a snake.
ii. What did the speaker had no time for?
The speaker did not have time to save himself from the snake that had coiled around
his left arm above the elbow.
iii. Where had the snake come from?
The snake had fallen from the roof of the doctor’s ill-equipped room.
iv. How did the speaker react to the snake’s presence?
The speaker became motionless and did not jump, tremble or cry out when the snake
came so close to him.

(d)There were no medicines in the room. I was but a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. I forgot
my danger and smiled feebly at myself.
i. Who is ‘I’ in these lines?
In these lines, ‘I’ is the homeopathic doctor.
ii. Why did he need medicines?
He needed medicines in case the snake bit him and injected him with its poison.
ii. Why did ‘I’ feel poor and stupid?
The doctor felt poor and stupid because he realised that he was a doctor, yet he did
not have medicines for an emergency like this.
iii. Why did ‘I’ smile feebly at himself?
The doctor smiled feebly at himself because he felt weak and helpless on finding
himself face to face with a snake.
iv. What danger does ‘I’ refer to?
The doctor refers to the danger posed by a deadly snake that had wrapped itself on his arm and was slowly crushing it with force.

(e)The next morning at about eight-thirty I took my friend and one or two others to my room
to move my things from there. But we found we had little to carry.
i. Why did the doctor go back to his room in the morning?
The doctor went back to his room because the previous night he had to leave it
suddenly because of a snake. He wanted to check whether everything in the room was
in fact and whether the snake had left.
ii. Why did the doctor and his friends go to his room the next day?
The doctor wanted to move things from the room where he had encountered a snake
the previous day.
iii. Why did the doctor want to move things from the room?
He was extremely terrified after his encounter with the snake. He could no longer live
in a room that had no electricity, was infested with rats and visited by snakes.
iv. Why was there ‘little to carry’ from the room?
There was nothing left in the room except a dirty vest of the doctor. Everything had
been stolen by someone. So, there was ‘little to carry’ from the room.

Answers to Text book questions

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph. (30-40 words)
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?
The doctor heard a familiar sound caused by the movement of something on the beam
as returned to his room after a meal. He thought it was the sound made by the rats
that infested his room. He heard this sound three times, after short intervals and it
stopped when the snake fell down with a thud on the floor, as if a rubber tube had
fallen. When he turned, he saw a snake that wriggled over the back of the chair and
landed on his shoulder.

2. Which two ‘important’ and ‘earth-shaking decisions did the doctor make as he looked at
his image in the mirror?
The doctor made two decisions after looking at himself in the mirror. The first was that
he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache in order to look more handsome as
he was still unmarried and was in the reputed medical profession. The second decision was that he would keep a smile on his face to look more handsome.

3. What is the doctor’s opinion about himself when he first smiles and (ii) when he smiles
again?
When the doctor first smiled in front of the mirror, he was making himself look more
attractive. His opinion about himself at that point of time was that he was a bachelor
and a doctor too.
Later, when he smiled feebly at himself, a snake was coiled around him. He knew that
the snake would strike him and that he had no medicines in his room. At that moment,
his opinion about himself was that he was but a poor, foolish, and stupid doctor. His
thoughts had changed because of the lurking 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.) Write short paragraphs on each of these to get your answer.
1. (i) The kind of person the doctor is (money, possessions)
(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition)
The story presents a contrast between dreams and reality. This contrast has been
depicted in a humorous manner. The doctor had just started his practice. His earnings
were therefore meagre. He lived in a small rented room, which was not electrified. He
had only sixty rupees in his suitcase. Apart from a few shirts and dhotis, he had one
solitary black coat. His house was full of rats. However, his dreams and ambitions were
in contrast to this. He was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making himself
handsome. He laid great emphasis on the fact that he was unmarried and a doctor. He
was too pleased with his appearance. He decided to shave daily and grow a thin
moustache to look more handsome. The manner in which he decided that this decision
is an ‘important’ one is quite funny. Later, he also made an ‘earth-shaking decision’ to
always keep smiling in order to look more handsome. This contrast between the kind
of person he was and the kind of person he wanted to be makes the story humorous.

2. (i) The person he wants to marry
(ii) The person he actually marries
He had thought about the kind of person he would want to marry. He wanted to marry
a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice because he did
not have any of those. He wanted a fat wife so that whenever he would make a
mistake his wife would not be able to catch him. However, the woman he married was
a thin and slender person who could run like a sprinter. This contrast between the kind
of wife he wanted and the kind of wife he ends up marrying adds to the humour of the story.

II. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
When he looked into the mirror, he was full of appreciation for his good looks. He was
a great admirer of beauty and believed in making himself look handsome. He took a
close look at his face and decided that he would shave daily and grow a thin
moustache to look even more handsome. Then, he looked into the mirror and smiled.
He decided to keep smiling as he considered his smile very attractive. However, later
when the snake was coiled around his arm, he turned into a stone. At this moment, he
felt the presence of God near him. In his imagination, he tried to write ‘O God’ in
bright letters. He felt pain in his left arm where the snake was coiled. He realized that if
the snake struck him, then he did not even have any medicines in his room for the
same. That was when he thought that he was a poor, foolish, and stupid doctor. In this
way, his thoughts changed from calling himself an unmarried doctor who looked very
handsome to calling himself a poor, foolish, and stupid doctor. This sequence of events
also provided humour to the story.

PRACTICE SHEET

Q1 Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow.

(a) I was no mere image cut in granite. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. Still

holding my breath I got up from the chair. I quietly went through the veranda. From

there I leapt into the yard and ran for all I was worth.

i. Who is ‘I’ in these lines? When had he felt like an ‘image cut in granite’?

‘I’ in these lines is the homeopathic doctor who narrates his encounter with the

snake. He felt that he was an ‘image cut in granite’ when he found a snake coiled

strongly round his forearm with its taut hood barely three or four inches away

from his face. Gripped in fear he could neither move nor breathe properly.

ii. How was ‘I’ suddenly ‘a man of flesh and blood’?

When the snake let go its hold on his arm, the doctor was able to come out of

the state of shock which had made him numb like a stone. He regained his

senses and faculties of body and mind.

iii. What did ‘I’ do as ‘a man of flesh and blood’?

When the doctor got over his numbing shock, he got up from his chair, quietly

went through the veranda, leapt into the yard and ran with all his might.

iv. What is the meaning of ‘a man of flesh and blood’?

‘A man of flesh and blood’ means a living person with human feelings, strengths

and weaknesses.

(b) I went back into the room and sat down on the chair. I opened the box beneath the

table and took out a book, the Materia Medica. I opened it at the table on which stood

the lamp and a large mirror; a small comb lay beside the mirror.

i. Who is the speaker here? Where was he before coming back into the room?

The narrator, a homeopathic doctor speaks these lines. He was in the veranda

before coming back into the room.

ii. Why did he take out a book from the box?

He took out the book to read because he could not sleep as it was a hot summer

night and there was no electricity in his room. 

iii. What objects stood on the table?

A lamp and a large mirror stood on the table. A small comb lay beside the

mirror.

iv. Why did the speaker look into the mirror that stood on the table?

One feels tempted to look into a mirror when it is near one. In those days, the

doctor was a great admirer of beauty and believed in making himself look

handsome. He was unmarried and a doctor and felt that he had to make his

presence felt.

Q 2 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words each.

i. Why did the doctor live in a rented room?

The doctor was young and had just set up his medical practice and his earnings

were meagre. He did not have many possessions The doctor lived in a small

rented house because he could not afford to rent a better and more comfortable

accommodation with his earnings.

ii. What two important decisions did the doctor make in front of the mirror?

The doctor took two important decisions while standing before the mirror. The

first decision was that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look

more handsome. The second decision was an earth-shaking one. It was about

keeping an attractive smile on his face to look more handsome.

iii. When did the doctor feel like a foolish, weak person? Why?

The doctor felt like a foolish and weak person when, already in the grip of a

frightful snake, he realised that there was no medicine in the room for the snake

bite, which was a distinct possibility at that moment. He felt helpless and

frightened. He smiled feebly at his stupidity and ill-luck.

iv. What did the doctor do as soon as he reached his friend’s house? Why?

Immediately after reaching his friend’s house, the doctor applied oil to his entire

body, took a bath and put on fresh clothes. He did so because the snake had

slithered over his back, shoulder and arm. He wanted to get rid of his creepy

feeling and any possible ill-effects of a snake’s touch.

Q3 Answer the following questions in 100-150 words each

(a) What was the doctor’s opinion about himself? How did this opinion change after his encounter with the snake?

The doctor had a very high opinion of himself regarding both his appearance and profession. He was conscious of his looks and wanted to look even more handsome. He repeatedly looked at himself in the mirror to admire himself. He wanted to be attractive because he was an eligible bachelor and was also proud of being a doctor. But a short encounter with a snake cured him of his pride. When the snake reached his shoulder and coiled itself around his arm, the doctor lost all arrogance and was reminded of the existence of God. Face to face with death, he realised what a weak and foolish man he was. When he recalled that there were no medicines in his room to cure him of a snake-bite, he humbly and meekly regarded himself to be a stupid and helpless person. Thus, the encounter with

the snake transformed the doctor from a vain and foolish person into a humble and God-fearing man.

(b) What kind of a woman did the doctor want to marry? What does it show about his

character? What kind of a wife did he eventually get?

The doctor took pride in his handsome looks and his medical profession.

Therefore, he wanted to marry a rich lady-doctor with a good medical practice.

He also wanted his future wife to be a fat woman. His reason that if he made a

silly mistake and had to run away, a fat wife would not be able to chase and catch him. The doctor’s ambition about his marriage shows that he was a status- conscious, money-minded person. He did not think much about the appearance and other qualities of his wife and thought only of her riches. His desire to marry a fat wife shows that he had a sense of humour and could laugh at himself. However, the doctor’s real wife was unlike what he had desired. It is not clear whether she was a doctor or not but she was certainly a thin woman with the physique of a sprinter.