The Snake and The Mirror Notes Chapter 5 Class 9 English

Notes For All Chapters English Beehive Class 9

Author: Vaikom Muhammad Basheer

Translated by: V. Abdulla

About the Story

This is a humorous and thrilling story about a doctor, a snake, and a mirror.It shows the doctor’s vanity, foolishness, and fear, told in a funny and simple way.

Setting (Place & Time)

• The story happens on a hot summer night, around 10 o’clock.
• The doctor lives in a small rented room without electricity.
• The room has a tiled roof, rats running around, and only a lamp and a mirror on the table.

Main Character: The Doctor

• A young homeopath (a kind of doctor)
• Poor and newly started his practice
• Has big dreams and is proud of his looks
• Unmarried and wants to marry a rich, fat lady doctor so she cannot catch him if he runs away!

Summary of the Story

1. The Doctor’s Evening
   • The doctor returns to his room after dinner.
   • He lights a lamp and hears noises of rats on the roof.
2. Looking into the Mirror
   • He sits by the table with a mirror, comb, and lamp.
   • Starts admiring his looks.
   • Decides to shave daily and grow a thin moustache.
   • Also decides to always smile attractively.
3. Dreaming about Marriage
   • He plans to marry a rich and fat lady doctor with money and a good practice.
   • He thinks she will not be able to run after him if he ever makes a mistake.
4. The Snake Appears
   • Suddenly, he feels a dull thud and a cobra lands on his shoulder!
   • The snake coils around his left arm and raises its hood just inches from his face.
   • The doctor freezes in fear, unable to move or shout.
5. Doctor’s Thoughts in Fear
   • He feels God’s presence and prays silently.
   • His arm becomes weak and painful.
   • He thinks about what medicine he would need if bitten.
6. The Snake Looks into the Mirror
   • The snake turns its head and looks at its reflection in the mirror.
   • The doctor wonders if the snake is admiring its beauty or thinking like him.
   • Slowly, the snake uncoils and moves to the table toward the mirror.
7. Doctor Escapes
   • The doctor quietly gets up and runs out into the yard.
   • He runs to a friend’s house and takes a bath with oil and water.
8. Next Morning
   • He returns with friends to collect his belongings.
   • A thief had stolen everything, leaving only his dirty vest behind – as an insult!
   • The doctor jokes that the thief had a good sense of cleanliness.
9. Humorous Ending
   • When asked about his wife, the doctor says she is thin and fast, not fat as he had planned!
   • He laughs, saying he never saw the snake again – it was too busy admiring its own beauty.

Themes

1. Human Vanity – The doctor is proud of his looks and dreams big despite his poverty.
2. Fear and Helplessness – When danger comes, he realizes his weakness.
3. Irony and Humour – His proud thoughts are contrasted with his silly and helpless actions.
4. Reflection and Realization – The mirror symbolizes self-awareness; the doctor learns humility after the incident.

Humorous Elements

• The doctor’s funny dreams about a fat wife.
• His vanity about his looks.
• The contrast between his pride and fear.
• The snake admiring itself in the mirror.
• The thief leaving the dirty vest as a joke.