NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter The Snake and the Mirror
This worksheet provides complete and accurate NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter The Snake and the Mirror. This chapter is a humorous story written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and translated from Malayalam. It narrates a frightening yet amusing incident in the life of a young doctor who encounters a snake in his room. The story beautifully blends fear with humour and presents a contrast between imagination and reality. This worksheet strictly follows the NCERT structure and includes all instructions and answers exactly as given in the chapter exercises, helping students prepare confidently.
Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes
The Snake and the Mirror is a prose lesson that combines suspense with humour. The story focuses on a young doctor who admires himself in the mirror and dreams about his future. Suddenly, his dreams are interrupted when a snake coils around his arm. The central theme highlights human vanity, fear, and the contrast between dreams and harsh reality. The humorous narration makes even a frightening situation engaging and memorable. The chapter helps students understand character traits, narrative style, and tone.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
• Reading comprehension of a humorous narrative
• Understanding contrasts between imagination and reality
• Identifying character traits through thoughts and actions
• Vocabulary and expressions related to fear
• Grammar practice including reported speech
• Creative writing, speaking, and translation activities
How to use these NCERT solutions?
Students should first carefully read the chapter and attempt all questions independently. After completing the worksheet, they can compare their responses with these NCERT Solutions. Parents and teachers can use these solutions to explain how answers should be structured according to NCERT expectations. The answers follow the exact order and format of the textbook exercises, which makes revision systematic and effective.
Student tips & learning tricks
• Focus on the doctor’s personality and thoughts.
• Notice the humorous tone even in serious situations.
• Understand the contrast between pride and fear.
• Use exact expressions from the text when required.
• Practice reported speech rules carefully.
• Write answers in clear and complete sentences.
Why NCERT solutions are important?
NCERT Solutions ensure alignment with the CBSE curriculum. They provide clarity in answering long and short questions accurately. For Class 9 English, understanding tone, theme, and grammar rules is essential. These solutions strengthen conceptual learning, build confidence, and improve exam readiness.
Complete answer key – NCERT solutions
Thinking about the text
Instruction: 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? (Find the places in the text.) When and why did the sounds stop?
Answer: The doctor heard the sound of rats moving above. He thought it was the regular traffic of rats to and from the beam. He heard it several times. The sounds stopped when the snake fell on him and coiled around his arm.
2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?
Answer: The doctor decided that he would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome. He also decided that he would always keep an attractive smile on his face.
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 he first smiled, he felt proud of his appearance and admired himself.
(ii) When he smiled again, he realised he was a poor, foolish and stupid doctor. His thoughts changed because he was facing danger and death was near him.
Instruction: This story about a frightening incident is narrated in a humorous way. What makes it humorous? Write short paragraphs on each contrast.
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 had meagre earnings and very few possessions.
(ii) He wanted to look handsome and make his presence felt.
2. (i) The person he wants to marry
(ii) The person he actually marries
Answer: (i) He wanted to marry a fat woman doctor with plenty of money.
(ii) He actually married a thin reedy person with the gift of a sprinter.
3. (i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror
(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm
Answer: (i) While looking into the mirror, he thought about his appearance and future plans.
(ii) When the snake coiled around his arm, he thought about death and prayed to God.
Thinking about language
Instruction: Say which sentences tell you that the author: (a) was afraid of the snake, (b) was proud of his appearance, (c) had a sense of humour, (d) was no longer afraid of the snake.
1. (a)
2. (d)
3. (a)
4. (a)
5. (a)
6. (b)
7. (d)
8. (b)
9. (c)
10. (c)
Instruction: Read the story and complete the following sentences.
1. I was turned to stone.
2. I sat there holding my breath.
3. In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.
Instruction: Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italics.
2. frightened by something that happens suddenly
3. frightened by something that happens suddenly
4. makes another feel frightened
5. makes another feel frightened
6. too scared to move
7. too scared to move
Instruction: Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what.
1. Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day.
2. David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
3. He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
4. She asked me when we were going to leave.
5. Pran asked me whether I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.
Speaking
Instruction: Using some of the expressions given above, talk about an incident when you were very scared.
Answer: student-generated activity
Dictation
Instruction: Write the dictated paragraph with appropriate punctuation marks.
Answer: student-generated activity
Writing
Instruction:
1. Try to rewrite the story without its humour.
2. Make up a story about the monkey looking into a mirror.
Answer: student-generated activity
Translation
Instruction: Compare the two translations and answer the questions.
Answer: student-generated activity
These NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter The Snake and the Mirror help students clearly understand the story, grammar rules, and narrative techniques while preparing effectively for school examinations.