NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 20 The Snake Trying

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 20 The Snake Trying Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 20 The Snake Trying and select need one. NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 20 The Snake Trying Question Answers Download PDF. NCERT English Class 9 Solutions.

NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 20 The Snake Trying

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Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 9 English Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 9 English Chapter 20 The Snake Trying and After, NCERT Class 9 English Textbook of Beehive and Supplementary Reader (Moments). for All Chapters, You can practice these here.

The Snake Trying

Chapter: 20

BEEHIVE – POETRY

STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION

Read the stanzas given below and answer the questions that follow:

Stanza-1

The snake trying 

to escape the pursuing stick, 

with sudden curvings of thin 

long body. How beautiful 

and graceful are his shapes! 

He glides through the water away 

from the stroke.

Questions

(i) What is the snake trying to do?

(a) To follow the pursing.

(b) To cross the river through a stick.

(c) To escape the pursing stick.

(d) To have itself from the stick.

Ans: (c) To escape the pursing stick.

(ii) The poet has an opinion about the snake it is:

(a) Bitter opinion.

(b) Quite graceful.

(c) Beautiful.

(d) Quite lazy.

Ans: (b) Graceful. and (c) beautiful.

(iii) In the end the snakes to save itself through an activity. It is:

(a) Moving.

(b) A fast run.

(c) Polite movement.

(d) Gliding.

Ans: (d) Gliding. 

(iv) The word ‘escape’ here means:

(a) Save.

(c) Hide.

(b) Protect.

(d) Move.

Ans: (a) Save. 

(v) How does the thin body of the snake move?

(a) In sudden curves.

(b) In a zigzag manner. 

(c) In a straight line.

(d) It twists and turns.

Ans: (a) In sudden curves.

Stanza-2

O let him go

over the water 

into the reeds to hide

without hurt. Small and green

he is harmless even to children.

Questions

(i) The poet is addressing to:

(a) Pursuer.

(b) Snake.

(c) Reeds.

(d) Child.

Ans: (a) Pursuer.

(ii) The snake is quite not harmful even to:

(a) Boys. 

(b) Children.

(c) Animals. 

(d) All living beings.

Ans: (b) Children.

(iii) Which characteristics of the snake do you find in the poem?

(a) Long.

(b) Green.

(c) Small.

(d) Beautiful.

Ans: (c) Long.

(iv) The snake is going to hid itself into:

(a) Water.

(b) Earth. 

(c) Fissure.

(d) Reeds.

Ans: (d) Reeds. 

(v) ‘O let him go’ is an expression of:

(a) Command. 

(b) Prayer.

(c) Anger. 

(d) Joy.

Ans: (a) command.

Stanza-3

Along the sand 

he lay until observed 

and chased away, and now 

he vanishes in the ripples 

among the green slim reeds.

Questions

(i) One snake can be seen laying in the:

(a) Reeds. 

(c) Earth. 

(b) Water. 

(d) Sand.

Ans: (d) Sand.

(ii) We can see one of the traits of the poet’s personality: 

(a) Cruel. 

(b) Sympathetic.

(c) Arrogant. 

(d) Obstinate.

Ans: (b) Sympathetic.

(iii) ‘ripples’ here refer to:

(a) Circular shape on the surface of water.

(b) Triangular shapes on the surface of water. 

(c) Zigzag of shapes on the surface of water.

(d) None / all of these.

Ans: (a) Circular shape on the surface of water.

(iv) What happens ultimately to the snake?

(a) It is killed.

(b) It hides itself.

(c) It is caught.

(d) It is saved.

Ans: (b) It hides itself.

(v) For the snake the slim reeds became:

(a) Favourable.

(b) Safe.

(c) Protecting. 

(d) Like a house.

Ans: (a) Favourable.

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS

THINKING ABOUT THE POEM

Read the following questions and write your answers in 30-40 words each:

Q. 1. What is the snake trying to escape from? 

Ans: The snake is a very clever and careful creature. When it is attacked and followed with the sticks, it tries its best to save itself from death. It immediately curves its thin and long body and hides itself into the reeds.

Q. 2. Is it a harmful snake? What is its colour?

Ans: As per view of the poet, the snake is harmless for children. It is small and green in colour. The poet praises its beauty and shape. It looks graceful to him.

Q. 3. The poet finds the snake beautiful. Find the words he uses to convey its beauty.

Ans: The poet finds the snake beautiful. The relevant words are as under: 

How beautiful !

and graceful are his shapes

Q. 4. What does the poet wish for the snake?

Ans: The poet is full of mercy for the snake. He wants it to be saved. Consequently he says ‘Let him go away over the water.’ It is because it won’t have the hit of the stick.

Q. 5. Where was the snake before anyone saw it and chased it away? Where does the snake disappear? 

Ans: The snake was on the sand before anyone saw it and chased it away. When it was pursued by the stick, it curved its body, slid on the water and disappeared among the green as well as slim reeds to protect itself.

Q. 6. What reason does the poet give for not killing the snake?

Ans: The poet is giving the reason that it is harmless. It is not poisonous. It should not be killed and should be left unharmed and untouched.

Q. 7. What was the snake trying to do?

Ans: The snake was trying to escape the pursuing stick. It was afraid of the stick lest it should kill or hurt him.

Q. 8. Why was the snake gliding through the water?

Ans: It was gliding through the water to hide without being hurt.

Q. 9. Where does the snake vanish?

Ans: The snake is lying along the sand. But it is safe only till the time it is not observed. Once it is spotted, it is chased and it vanishes into the water.

II. Find out as much as you can about different kinds of snakes (from books in the library or from the internet.) Are they all poisonous? Find out the names of some poisonous snakes.

Ans: Some of the snakes are: 

(i) King Cobra.

(ii) Viper.

(iii) Python.

(iv) Karait.

All snakes are not poisonous. Cobra and Karait are very poisonous which are found around us.

Q. 2. Look for information on how to find out whether a snake is harmful.

Ans: All snakes are not poisonous. The water snakes are generally without poison and the poisonous snakes seldom appear on the earth. Information about a poisonous snake can only be known when it bites and affects the body. The poison reaches into our body immediately. 

Q. 3. As you know, from the previous lesson you have just read, there are people in our country who have traditional knowledge about snakes, who can catch poisonous snakes with almost their bare hands. Can you find something more about them?

Ans: This is quite correct that ‘saperas’ catch the poisonous snakes with bare hands with the help & use of herbs, which nearly mitigate the effect of poison. In this area, the snakes are mostly visible during the monsoon. During this period the snake may bite a man. The victim is treated and saved with the help of local medicines and herbs.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Q. 1. The snake is trying to escape from the attack. What does this reveal about the nature of the snake?

Ans: The snake is very clever and careful. When it is attacked, it tries its best to save itself. It tries to move its body in various curves. This reveals that snake is also coward. We all regard snake to be fearless but actually it wants to hide itself from the attack.

Q. 2. O let him go Over the water’ What does this expression indicate about the feelings of the speaker?

Ans: The speaker shows a great concern for the snake. He wants that no harm should be caused to the snake. This expression shows that speaker loves the snake very much. He shows great compassion and request in urging the speaker to let free snake. 

Q. 3. What have snakes been symbolic of in traditional Indian homes?

Ans: Snakes have been attached with Indian traditional homes. People regard snakes as symbols of power and beauty. Some of the popular kinds of snakes found in India are cobra, viper, python etc. These are worshipped in traditional homes and it is considered a bad omen to kill it.

Q. 4. What does the poet say about the snake and why does he want to let it go unhurt.

Ans: On seeing a snake lying on the sand, there followed a pursuing stick. It tried to move for the purpose of safety. But the poet praised its beautiful, magnificent and the gracious movement. He did not want it to be hurt since it harms only when it witnesses any forth coming danger. Its sudden curve fascinated the poet. While gliding through the water, its grace and beauty was very much visible. So he wants it to let go unhurt.

Q. 5. What makes the snake vanish? 

Ans: All the creatures of nature and the mankind have got no right to harm. When the snake was going to get hurt, it tried to make a fast movement of its body. It immediately curved its body and tried to hide itself in the green reeds among the sandy ripples.

Q. 6. Write a few sentences on the beauty of the snake. Why does it cylindrical attract towards the Veena?

Ans: A snake has a long and cylindrical body. It takes curves while making swift movements. Its body is always gracious, beautiful and it attracts our eyes. It loves ‘veena’. The poet is much appreciative of the snake due to its these virtues.

Q. 7. Why do we want to finish the snakes?

Ans: It is a general fallacy among all the human beings that the snakes are harmful and poisonous. Their bites can never spare a life. Keeping in view its deadly virtues, all want to finish it up immediately. We always chase it and hit it immediately. Whereas on its own part, it always tries its best for safety. It can even enter into the slightest hole in the earth.