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Glossary
Earnings – money received as wages
Earth shaking- great
Encounter- to meet somebody unexpectedly
Feebly – in a weak manner
Full-blooded - strong
Lurk- to wait for someone secretly
Meager- very small
Reedy person - a tall and thin person
Resume - to start again
Slither - to move unsteadily
Sprinter - one who can run very fast
Take off - remove
Tremble - shiver
Wriggle - to move forward by twisting and turning
SUMMARY OF THE LESSON THE SNAKE AND MIRROR
The Snake and the mirror’ is a wonderful story written by the famous Malayalam
writer Vaikom Mohammed Basheer. It is a story about the lonely life of a
doctor. He had just started medical
practice and his earnings were meager. So he could not live in a comfortably
furnished house.
The house was not electrified and it was full of rats. But his dream and
ambitions were in
contrast to this. He was a great admirer of beauty and he believed in making
himself handsome.
He married a woman who was thin and slender. He thought of marrying a woman
who should have plenty of money and should have a good medical practice. She
should be fat so that she
should not be able to catch him whenever he makes a mistake in his life.
He speaks about the contradiction between his dream about his wife and how she
was in reality.
His aesthetic sense is really appreciable. He considers himself to be handsome
and he takes
earthshaking decisions such as keeping a good smile on his face, shaving daily
and keeping a thin
mustache etc.
While he was sitting on the chair after dinner, he heard a sound from the
roof. He felt that it was
a normal sound. After some time he was shocked to see that a cobra slithered
on his shoulder and
coiled around his arm. He arm grew weak and lifeless. He met death face to
face. It went to the
mirror and crept in to the table. He ran out and went to his friend’s house.
He narrated the
terrible incident to his friend. He felt that he was a poor, foolish stupid
doctor. He smiled feebly
at himself. When he reached at his house from friend, most of his valuable
belongings were
stolen leaving back his only dirty vest.
PROFILE OF VAIKOM MUHAMMAD BASHEER
Write the short profile of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer using the hints given
below.
Birth : January 19, 1908, Thalayolaparambu, Vaikom
Occupation: novelist, short story writer
Other activities: humanist, freedom fighter
Famous as:Beypore Sultan
Works :Balyakalasakhi, Shabdangal, Pathummayude Aadu, Mathilukal
Awards :PadmaShri (1982),Kerala State Film for best story(1989),Lalithambika
Antharjanam Award (1992),vallathol Award(1993)and Muttathu Varkey Award(1993)
Death: July 5, 1994, Beypore, Kozhikode
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer
The famous Indian writer ,Vaikom Muhammad Basheer was born on January19, 1908
at
Thalayalaparambu in Vaikom. He was a humanist, freedom fighter, novelist and
short story
writer. He was famous as Beypore Sultan. Some of his major works are
Balykalasakhi,
Shabdangal, Pathummayude aadu and Mathilukal. He was honored with Padmasri in
1982.
Kerala state Film Award for the best story in 1989,Lalithambika Antharjanam
Award in 1992,
Vallathol Award in 1993 and Muttathu workey Award in 1993. He passed away on
July 5, 1994
at Beypore in kozhikode.
The English Club of your school had decided to stage the story ‘The Snake and
the Mirror’
in your school. As the Secretary of the English Club, prepare a notice
informing the students about the program.
NOTICE
ABC HIGH SCHOOL,ALUVA
THE SNAKE AND THE MIRROR
Dear friends,
The English club of our school has decided to enact the story “The Snake and
the Mirror” by
Vaikkom Muhammed Basheer. The show will be on 26.6.2022 at 10 am in our school
auditorium. It will be inaugurated by the famous screenplay writer C. Nadirsha
. All are
cordially invited to enjoy the programme.
Aluva Secretary
20.6.2022. English Club
CHARACTER SKETCH OF THE HOMEOPATH
The Homeopath is a chief character in the story ‘The Snake and the Mirror’is
written by Vaikom
Mohammed Basheer. It deals with an encounter between a doctor and a snake. The
doctor is a
young, handsome and eligible bachelor. He was living in a rented room and it
was an un-electrified house. The house was full of rats. As he was an admirer
of beauty, he took earth-shaking decisions. He should shave daily and grow a
thin mustache to look more handsome.
He would always keep an attractive smile on his face as he was a handsome
bachelor's doctor. He
has a good humor sense too. He is also very humble and simple in nature. He
would marry a
young doctor who had plenty of money and good medical practice. He felt pity
for himself
when he knew that he didn’t have the necessary medicine to resist the snake
bite.
DIARY ENTRY OF THE HOMEOPATH
Diary
The doctor in the story The Snake and the Mirror writes about his encounter
with the snake. The next day he jotted down his experience in his diary.
Prepare the diary entry giving all the details.
10th JULY Tuesday2022.
What a horrifying experience it was! I can’t wipe out from my memory. It is a
strange incident in
my life. I can’t imagine how I encountered with a snake. It was a terrible
feeling to think about it.
A full blooded cobra slithered into my shoulder and coiled around my arm all
of a sudden. After
some time it unwounded itself from my arm. It crept on to the table and moved
towards the
mirror. I ran out of my room in a great shock and wonder. Somehow I managed to
reach my
friend’s house. Thank God for His blessing.
CONVERSATION
1. Prepare a conversation between the doctor and his friend
Friend : What happened? Are you scared?
Doctor : I am scared. I need rest. Let me sit here first.
Friend : Ok. Drink a glass of water. Please have a rest
Doctor : My heart beats faster.
Friend : Don’t worry. Have you seen anything horrible?
Doctor : A snake fell on my shoulder.
Friend : Did it bite you?
Doctor : No, somehow I ran out of my room.
Friend Where is the snake now?
Doctor : It went out of my room. It was my luck.
Friend : Nothing to worry. Now you are safe here.
Doctor: Thank you.
INFORMAL LETTER
1. The doctor wishes to write a letter to his friend describing his
terrible experience after escaping from the snake.
Rocky cottage
Main Road
Kannur .
17th July2022.
My dear friend,
How are you? Hope you are fine. I want to tell you a strange incident that
worried me
enormously. When I reached my room after dinner, suddenly I heard the noise
from the roof. I
was surprised to see a full blooded cobra was wriggling over the back of my
chair. I could not
move as I was frightened. The snake slithered from shoulder to arm. It spread
its hood and stared
at me for some time. Somehow I managed to escape from there and ran to my
friend’s home. I
met death face to face. I don’t know how I spent the time there. It was a
miraculous escape
Convey my regards to all at home.
Yours lovingly,
Name
Sd
2. The doctor’s friend decides to write a letter consoling him after the
miraculous escape from the snake bite.
Grace Villa,
Main Road,
Kollam.
18th JULY 2022.
Dear friend,
How are you? Hope you are fine. How is your vacation? I was great relieved to
know that you
had a miraculous escape from the snake bite. It is your great luck. God has
blessed you
immensely. Let me congratulate you for your presence of mind and bravery.
Nothing to worry. I
know you have managed easily. You have exhibited your will power and strength.
Your
experience must have taught you many things in your life. Definitely such
things will alter our
life.
Now you have to concentrate on your work and nothing will stop you from
working hard and
achieving your goal. Many of our friends are talking about your valour and
courage. Now you
are a hero in our locality.
Convey my best regards to all at home.
Yours lovingly,
Name
Sd
