NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake And The Mirror - 2025-26

Think About the Text

I. Discuss in pairs and answer each question below in a short paragraph (30 − 40 words).

1. “The sound was 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?

Ans: The doctor lived in a small, rented, unelectrified room that was full of rats. He heard the sound of rats, running back and forth the beam. He heard the thrice but then it stopped suddenly as if the rats had seen a snake in front of them.

2. What two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the mirror?

Ans: The doctor first decided to shave daily and grow a thin moustache and secondly, he decided to keep an attractive smile always on his lips. These were the two “important” and “earth-shaking” decisions the doctor made while looking in the mirror.

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

Ans: He had an inflated opinion about himself when he first smiled looking in the mirror, when he was admiring his looks and profession.

(ii) He smiles again? In what way do his thoughts change in between, and why?

Ans: Later the doctor smiled at his helplessness and foolishness. But his thoughts changed after he encountered the snake and accepted his stupidity.

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)

Ans: The doctor is a poor person with hardly any wealth. He lived in a small rented room with no electricity and lots of rats in it, since he just started with his medical practice, he didn't have much.

(ii) The kind of person he wants to be (appearance, ambition) 

Ans: He wants to be a person who is rich and attractive and hence decides to grow a thin moustache. 

2.

(i) The person he wants to marry

Ans: He wants to marry a woman who is fat so she couldn't run after him to catch him. She should possess a lot of money and have a good medical practice.

(ii) The person he actually marries

Ans: He couldn't marry the girl of his dreams. He instead got married to a thin reedy woman who has a gift of sprinter. 

3.

(i) His thoughts when he looks into the mirror

Ans: While looking into the mirror, he found his smile attractive. He decides to grow a thin moustache and keep smiling to show the joy and satisfaction he carries within. 

(ii) His thoughts when the snake is coiled around his arm

Ans: The sight of the snake frightened him. He sat like a stone image in flesh but his mind was active and felt the presence of the creator.

Thinking About Language

I.

1. Here are some sentences from the text. Say which of them 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. I was turned to stone.

2. I was no mere image cut in granite.

3. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength.

4. I tried in my imagination to write in bright letters outside my little heart the words, ‘O God’.

5. I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out.

6. I looked into the mirror and smiled. It was an attractive smile.

7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood.

8. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too on top of it!

9. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness…! The rascal could have taken it and used it after washing it with soap and water.

10. Was it trying to make an important decision about growing a moustache or using eye shadow and mascara or wearing a vermilion spot on its forehead?

Ans:

II. Expressions used to show fear

Can you find the expressions in the story that tell you that the author was frightened? Read the story and complete the following sentences.

1. I was turned __________.

Ans: I was turned to stone.

2. I sat there holding __________ .

Ans: I sat there holding my breath.

3. In the light of the lamp, I sat there like ____________.

Ans: In the light of the lamp, I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.

III. Match the meanings with the words/expressions in italics, and write the appropriate meaning next to the sentence. The first one has been done for you.

1. I knew a man was following me, I was scared out of my wits.

Ans: very frightened

2. I got a fright when I realised how close I was to the cliff edge.

Ans: frightened by something that happens suddenly

3. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bull coming towards him.

Ans: very frightened

4. You really gave me a fright when you crept up behind me like that.

Ans: frightened by something that happens suddenly

5. Wait until I tell his story — it will make your hair stand on end.

Ans: makes another feel frightened

6. Paralysed with fear, the boy faced his abductors.

Ans: too scared to move

7. The boy hid behind the door, not moving a muscle.

Ans: too scared to move

IV. Report these questions using if/whether or why/when/where/how/which/what. Remember the italicised verbs change into the past tense.

1. Meena asked her friend, “Do you think your teacher will come today?”

Ans: Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day.

2. David asked his colleague, “Where will you go this summer?”

Ans: David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.

3. He asked the little boy, “Why are you studying English?”

Ans: He asked the little boy why he was studying English.

4. She asked me, “When are we going to leave?”

Ans: She asked me when we were going to leave.

5. Pran asked me, “Have you finished reading the newspaper?”

Ans: Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.

6. Seema asked her, “How long have you lived here?”

Ans: Seema asked her how long she had lived there.

7. Sheila asked the children “Are you ready to do the work?”

Ans: Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.

Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and The Mirror - A Summary

Following the narrative technique of a story within a story, Beehive Chapter the Snake and the Mirror is a humorous tale that shows how a homeopath doctor assesses himself humorously and critically. The main idea of the story revolves around two aspects, which are the snake and the mirror.

The story adds a funny twist when the terrified doctor realises that the snake was least interested in attacking him but rather fascinated by its own reflection. Thus, it resulted in the doctor’s life being saved. The central message of the story highlights the fact that pride or vanity are virtues that cause one harm more than good. The fear of death makes a person come to the self-realization of the futility of worldly affairs and materialistic achievements as evident in the doctor’s narrow escape from death. 

To understand all important concepts and underlying themes and answer questions as per the CBSE standards, download the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror PDF for free. Refer to them to give your exam preparation the right direction.

The NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 The Snake and the Mirror have been created by our top English experts to ensure students have access to clear and concise solutions to all NCERT Textbook questions and other exercises provided in the chapter. A detailed study of the chapter followed by a thorough understanding of the topics and answers discussed in the Solutions will enable students to solve every question in the exam and score high marks.

Chapter 5 English Class 9 NCERT Solutions Beehive - Weightage Marks 

Solving the NCERT Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 solutions will provide students with a better perspective so as to understand how one should allot their time to different sections in the paper. The NCERT English Class 9 Chapter 5 solutions are an essential part of Class 9 exam. The Class 9 English Beehive ch 5 paper duration is for two hours, and the overall weightage is 15 marks. The solutions cover every line described in the subjects.

NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 Analysis

Section 1 – Before Being Consumed by Pride

Chapter 5 English Class 9 Beehive is humorous prose where the main protagonist is a homoeopathic doctor who went from falling in love with his reflection to fearing for his own life. This story begins with the author narrating about his close encounter with death due to his loss of humility.

On a summer night the doctor walked into his rented room, unaware of events that were about to unfold that night. He opened his windows and sat down to read a book. While studying his medical journal, he was interrupted by a mirror that sported his reflection.

Section 2 - The Part When the Doctor is Overcome With Pride

As Ch 5 English Class 9 beehive progresses, his own youthful beauty seemed quite attractive to him, causing different misconceptions to form in his mind. Readers will notice a rise in malicious pride and loss of virtue within the doctor in this part of the prose. He went from simply admiring himself to planning his future marriage. He even wished to marry a rich doctor.

Section 3 - The Moment of Realisation

With the doctor's trail of imagination in regards to admiring himself, he failed to notice the silence in his rat-infested home. As a snake slithered its ways to the doctor's shoulders, he began regretting his own actions. It is here in Beehive Class 9, Chapter 5 that the doctor realises that it was an act of punishment from God, for his vainglory. His fear awakened him from his malicious thinking and made him regret his actions immediately. As the doctor begged for forgiveness, the snake slithered from his shoulders towards the mirror, admiring its own reflection.

Using that opportunity, the doctor fled the scene to a friend's place for the night. As he came back the next morning, he was surprised to find only a dirty vest is left behind, while other contents are missing.

Moral of the Story

With the story coming to an end, readers realise how sometimes our pride makes us forget how simple we humans can be. It makes us aware of how easily pride can make and break us. Therefore it is essential for every being to keep their feet on the ground, no matter how high they aim.

NCERT Solutions For Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 Exercises

1. Fill in the Blanks

In NCERT solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5, the Snake and the Mirror fill in the blanks to help candidates learn about the story in detail. This segment uses various storylines and leaves one section blank for students to fill up. 

2. Matching Meaning With the Words

From this Class 9 English the Snake and the Mirror chapter students will understand the meaning of italicised words in a sentence. Inclusion of this exercise is to help students increase their vocabulary.

3. Report Questions by Using the 5 Ws

Ch 5 Beehive Class 9 consists of interrogative questions that use lines from the story to test how much the student knows about the chapter. A dialogue is placed within quotes, followed by a set of questions based on it.

4. Understanding the Meaning of a Sentence

Every sentence in literature holds some meaning which a student is required to comprehend after reading the chapter well. That is why, with the help of this exercise in NCERT solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5, the snake and the mirror, students get a grasp over the chapter.

Benefits of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5

With the help of NCERT solution Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 in Vedantu, students can avail the following benefits:

1. Language in these solutions is quite simple.

2. Question and Answer format is followed to reduce the burden on students.

3. Different types of exercises are included for better comprehension.

Referring to CBSE Class 9 English Chapter 5 solutions available on Vedantu will allow students to score well in upcoming examinations.

Conclusion

Exploring NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 - "The Snake and the Mirror" culminates in a deeper understanding of human fears and resilience. This insightful chapter unveils the intricate balance between fear, courage, and self-reflection, offering valuable lessons about confronting adversities. Embracing the journey of the protagonist, this chapter instills profound insights into human emotions and resilience, leaving readers enriched with timeless wisdom.

Important Study Material Links for Class 9 Chapter 5

Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive

Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive (Poem)

Study Material for NCERT Class 9 English:

Now that you have a thorough understanding of the NCERT Syllabus for Class 9 English, you can take a look at some of the material that will take your preparation to the next level. These can be used as supplementary material to your main study routine: