Short Answer Type Questions:- The Snake and the Mirror

Q1. What were the doctor and his friends discussing?
Ans: The doctor and his friends were discussing snakes, which led him to share his story about a snake encounter.

Q2. Who is the narrator of the story 'The Snake and the Mirror'?

Ans: The narrator of "The Snake and the Mirror" is a homeopath. He relates a humorous yet terrifying personal account of meeting a snake and describes his thoughts and actions during that incident.

Q3. Who shared the room with the narrator in the story 'The Snake and the Mirror'?

Ans: The narrator shared the room with rats. He heard familiar noises at night which he believed were caused by the rats moving about in the room.

Q4. Who did the narrator decide to marry?

Ans: He decided to marry a fat woman doctor with a good practice so that if he ever made a mistake and had to run away, she would not be able to chase and catch him.

Q5. How did the snake coil itself?

Ans: The snake coiled itself around the narrator's left arm, just above the elbow.

Q6. What happened when the snake looked in the mirror?

Ans: The snake uncoiled from the doctor's arm and moved toward the mirror to look at its reflection; it seemed to be captivated by its own appearance.

Q7. Where did the narrator spend his night when he was free from the snake's grip?

Ans: The narrator spent the night at a friend's house after escaping the snake. He smeared oil on his body, bathed and changed into fresh clothes to feel clean and safe.

Q8. Who entered the narrator's room in his absence during the night?

Ans: A thief entered the narrator's room during his absence and stole most of his belongings. The only thing left behind was the narrator's dirty vest.

Q9. Name the author of the story 'The Snake and the Mirror'.

Ans: Vaikom Muhammad Basheer is the author of 'The Snake and the Mirror'.

Q10. What made the doctor narrate his encounter with a snake?

Ans: During a conversation about snakes, the doctor was reminded of his own encounter and therefore decided to recount that memorable episode from his life.

Q11. When did the incident regarding the snake take place?

Ans: The incident occurred after the doctor had finished his meal and returned to his room at around ten o'clock at night.

Q12. Why did the doctor have to light the kerosene lamp on reaching his room?

Ans: The doctor lit a kerosene lamp because the room had no electricity and was completely dark; his limited income meant he could not afford better accommodation.

Q13. What kind of room did the doctor live in?

Ans: The doctor lived in a small, poorly furnished room without electricity. One wall faced an open yard, the tiled roof rested on beams with no ceiling underneath, and the room was infested with rats.

Q14. Why did the doctor live in a small, poor house?

Ans: The doctor lived in a small, poor house because he had just started his medical practice and was earning very little. His meagre income made it impossible for him to afford better lodgings.

Q15. What were the doctor's possessions when he set up his medical practice?

Ans: When he began his practice, the doctor had about sixty rupees in his suitcase, a few shirts, some dhotis, and a single black coat, which he was wearing then.

Q16. "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?

Ans: The doctor heard a rustling sound which he thought was rats moving on the beam. He heard it several times. The sound stopped when the snake fell from above onto his shoulder.

Q17. Why did the doctor look in the mirror again and again?

Ans: He looked in the mirror repeatedly because he admired his appearance and wanted to look more handsome. Being a bachelor and a doctor, he felt he should make a good impression.

Q18. What did the doctor do when the snake landed on his shoulder?

Ans: When the snake landed on his shoulder, the doctor remained remarkably calm. He held his breath and kept perfectly still so as not to provoke the snake. Although he felt as if he had turned to stone, his mind stayed alert. As the snake slid down his arm and onto the table, he moved quietly, left the room and ran to safety.

Q19. When did the doctor feel like a foolish, weak person? Why?

Ans: The doctor felt foolish and weak when he realised he was helpless in the snake's grip. He understood that there was no immediate cure for a snake bite, and his earlier pride vanished into fear and self-reproach.

Q20. How did the doctor feel when the snake coiled itself around his arm?

Ans: When the snake coiled around his arm, the doctor felt intense pain, as if his arm were being crushed by something burning. His arm grew numb and he felt drained of strength.

Q21. What thoughts crossed the doctor's mind when he saw the snake looking into the mirror?

Ans: Seeing the snake gazing at the mirror, the doctor wondered whether it was admiring its own beauty. He imagined, in a humorous way, that the snake might be thinking about growing a moustache, applying eye make-up, or even wearing a vermilion mark on its forehead.

Q22. How was the doctor relieved of the hold of the snake?

Ans: The snake became distracted by its reflection in the mirror. It uncoiled from the doctor's arm, slid into his lap and then crawled towards the mirror, allowing the doctor to escape.

Q23. What did the doctor do when the snake was absorbed in looking at the mirror?

Ans: While the snake was absorbed in the mirror, the doctor held his breath, rose quietly from his chair and slipped out of the room. He passed through the veranda and the yard and ran until he reached a friend's house.

Q24. What did the doctor do as soon as he reached his friend's house? Why?

Ans: He smeared oil, bathed, and changed clothes because he was frightened and wanted relief after the terrifying experience.

Q25. Why does the doctor remark that the snake was "taken with its own beauty"?

Ans: The doctor says the snake was "taken with its own beauty" because it kept staring at its reflection in the mirror, much like the doctor himself who would often admire his own looks.

Q26. What did the doctor and his friends find when they went to remove things from the room?

Ans: They found the room almost empty; a dirty vest was the only item left behind after a thief had taken the rest of the doctor's belongings.

Q27. Did the doctor marry a fat woman as he had wished?

Ans: No. The doctor did not marry a fat woman; his wife turned out to be thin and lean, and she could run very fast like a sprinter.