CBSE Class 9 English Chapter 5 The Snake and The Mirror NCERT Solutions

Reviewed by NCERT Help Editorial Team · Updated on 29 Jul 2026

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 9 PDF

CBSE Class 9 English, Chapter 5, 'The Snake and The Mirror' NCERT Solutions offer a deep dive into this engaging story. These solutions meticulously address extract-based questions, encouraging students to analyze specific passages and understand their significance. They also provide comprehensive answers to short answer questions, exploring the narrator's immediate reactions, his internal monologue during the tense encounter with the snake, and the eventual moment of self-reflection. The explanations focus on the narrator's fear, his surprising calm, and the ironic realization about his own vanity. By breaking down the narrative's key moments and thematic elements, these solutions aim to enhance students' reading comprehension and analytical abilities, equipping them for success in their English studies.

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Quick info

Board	CBSE
Class	Class 9
Subject	English
Session	2026
Language	English
Type	NCERT Solutions
Chapter	5. The Snake and The Mirror

Chapter summary

NCERT Solutions for 'The Snake and The Mirror' (Chapter 5, Class 9 English) offers detailed answers to extract-based and short answer questions. The solutions focus on understanding the narrator's encounter with a snake, his reactions, his thoughts while looking in the mirror, and the eventual humbling realization about his profession and pride. They help students analyze the text, identify key events, and comprehend the story's central message.

Learning outcomes

Understand the sequence of events during the snake encounter.
Analyze the narrator's thoughts and emotions.
Identify and explain the significance of the mirror in the story.
Interpret the narrator's self-reflection and realization.
Improve comprehension skills for literary texts.
Answer extract-based and short answer questions effectively.

Topics covered

Paper topics

Narrator's encounter with a snake
Self-reflection and vanity
Humility and realization
Fear and paralysis
Vocabulary from the text
Comprehension of literary passages
Character analysis
Themes of pride and fate

Important topics

The snake's appearance and actions
The narrator's reaction and thoughts
The role of the mirror
The narrator's self-assessment
Vocabulary and comprehension

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Questions and Solutions

Question 1 (i)

(i) Where did the snake move its head?

Solution: The snake moved its head towards the mirror, looking at its own reflection.

Question 1 (ii)

(ii) Why did the narrator call it the "first snake"?

Solution: The narrator referred to it as the "first snake" he had encountered that seemed to be admiring its own beauty in the mirror, suggesting a unique behaviour.

Question 1 (iii)

(iii) Find a word in the passage that means 'look at with pleasure and satisfaction'.

Solution: The word from the passage that means 'look at with pleasure and satisfaction' is "admiring".

Question 2 (i)

(i) Why did the narrator want to remove his things?

Solution: The narrator wanted to remove his things from his room because he was planning to leave the house due to the fear of the snake that had appeared.

Question 2 (ii)

(ii) Why was there little to carry?

Solution: There was very little to carry because thieves had previously stolen most of the narrator's belongings.

Question 2 (iii)

(iii) Write the opposite of "friend".

Solution: The opposite of the word "friend" is "foe".

Question 3 (i)

(i) Why did the author not jump, tremble and cry?

Solution: The author did not jump, tremble, or cry because the snake had fallen on him suddenly and coiled around his arm, leaving him no time to react. He felt frozen in fear.

Question 3 (ii)

(ii) Did the snake bite the speaker? What was his reaction?

Solution: No, the snake did not bite the speaker. His reaction was one of immense relief, as he felt he had narrowly escaped a dangerous situation. He expressed this relief with an "Oh!".

Question 3 (iii)

(iii) What does the word "tremble" from the above lines mean?

Solution: The word "tremble" from the lines means to shake involuntarily, typically as a result of anxiety, excitement, or fear; to shiver.

Question 4 (i)

(i) Where did the snake settle after uncoiling from the writer's arm?

Solution: After uncoiling from the writer's arm, the snake settled in the writer's lap.

Question 4 (ii)

(ii) Why did the snake move towards the mirror?

Solution: The snake moved towards the mirror, likely because it wanted to get a closer look at its own reflection and perhaps admire its beauty.

Question 4 (iii)

(iii) What does the word "slithered" mean?

Solution: The word "slithered" means to move with a smooth, gliding motion, like a snake.

Question 5 (i)

(i) What did the snake do to him (doctor)?

Solution: The snake slithered along the doctor's shoulder and then coiled itself around his left arm above the elbow, spreading its hood.

Question 5 (ii)

(ii) How far was death from him?

Solution: Death was extremely close to him; the snake's head was only three or four inches away from his face, indicating a perilous situation.

Question 5 (iii)

(iii) Find a word from the passage which means the same as "stretched".

Solution: The word from the passage that means the same as "stretched" is "spread".

Question 1

1. What was the doctor thinking while he was seated before the mirror?

Solution: While seated before the mirror, the doctor was contemplating his life and profession. He thought about his medical knowledge and whether he had enough resources to save himself if the snake bit him. He also reflected on his pride and arrogance, considering the snake's appearance as a divine intervention to humble him.

Question 2

2. Why did the doctor run from his house? OR Why did the doctor run away to his friend's house?

Solution: The doctor ran from his house to his friend's place out of sheer terror after the snake, which had coiled around his arm, eventually moved away towards the mirror. Once the immediate danger seemed to pass, he quickly got up, leapt out of the room, and fled to his friend's house to ensure his safety.

Question 3

3. How did the doctor show the presence of mind when he encountered the snake?

Solution: The doctor demonstrated remarkable presence of mind when he encountered the snake. Instead of panicking, he remained still, neither jumping nor crying out. He sat on the chair, holding his breath, and kept his body motionless, allowing his mind to remain active and assess the situation calmly.

Question 4

4. How did the snake change the writer's opinion about himself?

Solution: The encounter with the snake profoundly changed the writer's opinion of himself. Previously proud of being a doctor, he was humbled by the experience. He realized he was merely a "poor and stupid" doctor, recognizing his own vanity and the limitations of his profession when faced with nature's power.

Question 5

5. While looking into the mirror, what important and earth-shaking decisions did the doctor contemplate?

Solution: While looking into the mirror, the doctor contemplated decisions related to his appearance, such as whether to grow a moustache, use eye shadow and mascara, or wear a vermilion spot on his forehead. These were presented humorously as 'important' decisions he was considering, contrasting with the life-threatening situation.

Common mistakes

Confusing the narrator's initial thoughts with his later realizations.
Misinterpreting the snake's actions or intentions.
Failing to connect the narrator's pride with the snake encounter.
Not understanding the meaning of specific vocabulary within the context of the passage.

Revision tips

Reread the chapter carefully, paying attention to the narrator's internal monologue.
Practice answering the extract-based questions by referring back to the text.
Summarize the key events and the narrator's changing perspective in your own words.
Focus on understanding the vocabulary used in the story and its context.
Discuss the story's themes, such as pride, humility, and fate, with classmates.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What was the narrator doing when the snake appeared?

Q2. Why did the snake coil around the narrator's arm?

Q3. What realization did the doctor have about himself after the encounter?

Q4. What does the word 'slithered' mean in the context of the snake's movement?

Q5. Why did the narrator not jump or cry when the snake was on him?

Frequently asked questions

What is Chapter 5 of the CBSE Class 9 English textbook about?

Chapter 5, 'The Snake and The Mirror', is a story about a doctor's frightening encounter with a snake and the subsequent self-reflection it triggers.

What kind of questions are covered in these NCERT Solutions?

These solutions cover extract-based questions that require understanding specific passages, and short answer questions that explore the narrator's thoughts, actions, and the story's themes.

How do these solutions help students prepare for exams?

The solutions provide clear, detailed explanations for each question, helping students understand the text better, improve their comprehension skills, and practice answering exam-style questions effectively.

What is the main theme of 'The Snake and The Mirror'?

The main themes include the dangers of pride and arrogance, the importance of humility, and the unexpected ways life can lead to self-realization.

Are the questions in the source document exactly the same in these solutions?

Yes, the questions from the source document are preserved exactly, with their numbering and content. The wording of the questions has been expanded for clarity where possible.

How are the solutions presented?

Each solution is rewritten to be more explanatory, providing step-by-step reasoning and context to help students understand the answers thoroughly.

Content reviewed by the NCERT Help team. Editorial Team and update policy

NCERT Solutions PDF PDF on NCERT Help. URL unchanged for search indexing.