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Extra Questions, Notes, Assignment and study material for Class 9th as Per CBSE Syllabus
Chapter- 5.1
THE LEGEND OF NORTHLAND
By- Phoebe Cary
The Legend of Northland Extra Questions
The Legend of The Northland Introduction
This is a simple poem with a moral. It teaches us that we should not be greedy. We must help the poor and hungry people. One day St. Peter was hungry after the day’s fasting. He saw a woman making cakes. He asked her for one. The woman was very greedy. She made a very small and thin cake for St. Peter. But she did not want to part with even this cake. St. Peter became angry. He cursed the woman to be changed into a bird.’ She became a woodpecker and flew out of the chimney. She still lives in the wood and keeps boring the trees for food.
(यह एक सादी एवं शिक्षाप्रद कविता है । यह हमें सिखाती है कि हमें लालची नहीं होना चाहिए । हमें गरीब एवं भूखे लोगों की सहायता करनी चाहिए । एक बार संत पीटर पूरे दिन के उपवास के बाद भूखे थे । उन्होंने एक स्त्री को केक बनाते देखा । उन्होंने उससे एक केक मांगा । स्त्री बड़ी लालची थी । उसने संत पीटर के लिए बहुत छोटा और पतला केक बनाया । मगर वह इस केक को भी नहीं देना चाहती थी । संत पीटर को गुस्सा आ गया । उन्होंने स्त्री को श्राप दिया कि वह पक्षी बन जाए । वह कठफोड़ा बन गई और चिमनी से निकलकर उड़ गई । वह आज भी जंगल में रहती है और भोजन के लिए वृक्षों में छेद करती रहती है ।)
The Legend of The Northland Introduction (2) :
“A Legend of the Northland” is a traditional, popular story composed in the style of a ballad. It narrates the legend of how St. Peter had once cursed an old lady for being mean and stingy. The poem, thus, imparts the important lesson that greed always gets punished.
The Legend of The Northland Theme
The poem is based on the theme that greed is a grave sin. Greedy people do not deserve the blessings and the comforts of human life. Human beings should thus acquire qualities of kindness, fellow-feeling and empathy. The little woman’s greed stopped her from sharing even her smallest cake with hungry Saint Peter, thus earning his wrath.
The Legend of The Northland Theme (2) :
Very often, we get a lot of moral teachings from legends. They help to learn things from the past. Those ideas help to reform society. In this poem, we come across a man who is in dire need of food. He visits a cottage to ask for food but the woman of the cottage fails to provide him with any. So he curses the woman for her selfish behaviour. The need to treat our guests with affection is emphasized here.
Justify The Title A Legend of The Northland
The title of the poem clearly states that the poem is about a legend from the cold region of Northland. Like every legend, it is a story passed on from generation to generation and believed to be true even though there is no evidence to establish its truth. The title is appropriate as it introduces the narrative form of the story which is to impart moral values. The place where the action of the story takes place is also clearly mentioned in the title. Hence, the title stands apt for launching a mythological tale.
The Legend of The Northland Literary Devices
Alliteration
Alliteration the repetition of vowel sounds (assonance) and of consonant sounds (consonance). The poets repeat sounds with the purpose of making a poem lyrical.
Examples:
- In their funny, furry clothes
(‘f sound has been repeated)
- If I tell the tale to you
(Here the poet repeats ‘ t’ sound)
- And being faint with fasting
(‘f sound has been repeated in this line)
- And still a smaller one
(‘s’ and ‘I’ sounds have been repeated here)
- Then she took a tiny scrap
(Find here the repetition of ‘ t’ sound)
- My cakes that seem too small
(s’ sound is repeated here)
Repetition
Repetition of words or phrases is a literary device that a poet employs for the purpose of emphasis.
Examples:
- In the opening line of the poem “Away, away in the Northland”, the repetition of ‘away’ emphasizes how distant Northland is.
- Similarly in the line “And rolled and rolled it flat“, the repetition of ‘rolled’ emphasizes that the lady rolled the dough many times to make it as flat and thin as a wafer.
- Again in the line “By boring, and boring, and boring“, the repetition of the word ‘boring’ emphasizes the hard effort that the woman-turned-woodpecker has to make to find its food.
Enjambment
Enjambment as a literary device refers to the practice of running lines from one to the next without using any kind of punctuation marks to indicate a pause (full stop, comma etc.).
Examples:
- And the nights are so long in winter
That they cannot sleep them through;
(Here the first line rolls on to the next)
- And the children look like bear’s cubs
In their funny, furry clothes:
(There is no comma or full stop after the first line and it rolls on to the second one)
- For she said, “My cakes that seem too small
When I eat of them myself
Are yet too large to give away.”
(The first line carries on to the next without any punctuation mark)
Simile
In a simile, a comparison between two distinctly different things is indicated by the word ‘like’ or ‘as’.
Examples:
- thin as a wafer
The thinness of the cake has been compared with the thinness of a wafer. Thus the cake was too thin to qualify as a proper cake. The comparison also highlights the little woman’s greed and stinginess.
- as black as coal
The body of the woodpecker became as dark and black as coal is.
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The Legend of The Northland Rhyme Scheme
The poem is in the form of a ballad with four-line stanzas. Each stanza follows the pattern of the rhyme scheme ‘abcb’ .
The Legend of The Northland Poetic Devices
- Alliteration
Repetition of initial consonants.
Example:
- Funny, furry clothes
- Personification
Giving human qualities to animals.
Example:
- Where she lives in the trees.
- Repetition
Multiple uses of a word.
Example:
- And rolled and rolled it flat
- Boring and boring for food
- By boring, and boring, and boring
- Simile
Comparing two distinct words using the word ‘as’.
Example:
- Black as coal in the flame
- Baked it thin as a wafer.
- Children look like bear’s cub.
The Legend of The Northland Short Summary
- The story occurred in Northland where days are short and nights long.
- When the snow falls, people go for sledging. Children wear heavy woollen clothes and look like bear cubs.
- The children are told some story to teach them an important lesson from their parents.
- The story is related to the teachings of Jesus Christ and spread by Saint Peter.
- Travelling far and wide Saint Peter approached a little woman. She was making cakes on the hearth.
- As Saint Peter was hungry and tired, he asked the little woman to give him only one cake.
- The little woman made a very small piece of the lake but she was surprised at its size.
- She made an even smaller cake, still, its size was big for her.
- She took an extremely small lump of dough made a flat and thin wafer which seemed bigger to her.
- She kept all the cakes on the shelf and turned away Saint Peter.
- Saint Peter was tired and hungry. But her behaviour irritated Saint Peter.
- Saint Peter cursed the selfish woman. He thought that she could not have all the comforts of human life.
- Saint Peter cursed the selfish woman that she must bore the hard, dry wood to get her food.
- The selfish woman was turned into a woodpecker and flew out of the top of the chimney black like coal.
- The selfish woman had a red cap like the woodpecker. Her clothes were burnt black as went out through the chimney.
- The villagers had seen her digging into the bark of trees for food as a woodpecker.
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Useful Expressions
- And walked about it, preaching, — Saint Peter was a holy man. He used to walk across different places to preach the teachings of Jesus Christ.
- … the day was almost done, — The day was about to end and evening set in.
- … couldn’t part with that. — The old lady was so greedy that it was impossible to part with the cake.
- Was enough to provoke a saint — The old lady was greedy and her behaviour so insulting that even a Saint like Peter could be provoked.
- … dwell in a human form, — The old lady was obviously a disgrace of womanhood. She could not live as a human being on earth.
- Black as coal… — The curse of Saint Peter turned the old lady into a woodpecker as she went through the chimney, her body became black like coal.
A Legend of The Northland Paraphrase
| STANZA | MEANING |
| Away, away in the Northland,
Where the hours of the day are few, And the nights are so long in winter That they cannot sleep them through; | The poet introduces the place from which her story is derived. She says that here days are short, and night is long. It is so cold that people cannot sleep comfortably at night. They often wake up because they are unable to bear the temperatures. |
| Where they harness the swift reindeer
To the sledges, when it snows; And the children look like bear’s cubs In their funny, furry clothes: | She also describes the people of the Northland. She says that when the snow falls, they like to go for sledging and they tie reindeer up to their sledges. Because of the cold, children wear heavy woollen clothes which cover them up completely they look like the cubs of bears. |
| They tell them a curious story –
I don’t believe ‘tie true; And yet you may learn a lesson If I tell the tale to you. | Here the poet talks about how parents in the Northland tell their children a story. Although the story may not be true, it should be told to teach children an important lesson. |
| Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below, And walked about it, preaching, Just as he did, you know, | The story is about Saint Peter who travelled around the world preaching the teaching of Jesus Christ. |
| He came to the door of a cottage,
In travelling around the earth, Where a little woman was making cakes, And baking them on the hearth; | He continues to say that once Saint Peter came to a little woman’s house who she was baking cakes on the hearth. |
| And being faint with fasting,
For the day was almost done, He asked her, from her store of cakes, To give him a single one. | Then she says that Saint Peter’s body was pale and tired at the end of a long day. He asked the woman to give him only of the many cakes that she was baking on the hearth. |
| So she made a very little cake,
But as it baking lay, She looked at it and thought it seemed Too large to give away. | The poet tells us that the woman made a very small cake. But before she could give it to Saint Peter, she thought that it was too big to just be given away like that. |
| Therefore she kneaded another,
And still a smaller one; But it looked, when she turned it over, As large as the first had done. | So the woman went on to make an even smaller cake but it looked as big as the first one. |
| Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,
And rolled and rolled it fiat; And baked it thin as a wafer — But she couldn’t part with that. | The poet says that the woman made the third attempt to make a cake so small that she wouldn’t mind giving it away. This time she took an extremely small lump of dough. When she rolled out the dough, her cake was as flat and thin as a wafer. However, she couldn’t even give that cake away. |
| For she said, “My cakes that seem too small When I eat of them myself
Are yet too large to give away.” So she put them on the shelf | Then, the woman said that the cakes that seemed small when she herself ate them were all too big to be given away. As a result, she kept all the cakes on the shelf and did not give any to Saint Peter. |
| Then good Saint Peter grew angry,
For he was hungry and faint; And surely such a woman Was enough to provoke a saint | The poet says that Saint Peter’s reaction to the woman was unbearable. He lost his temper because he was hungry and weak and needed to have some food very badly. The behaviour of the greedy woman irritated Saint Peter. |
| And he said, “You are far too selfish
To dwell in a human form, To have both food and shelter, And fire to keep you warm. | Then, Saint Peter cursed on the selfish woman, telling her she did not deserve to have such comforts of the human life she could not have a warm fire, a house to live in, and good food to eat whenever she wanted. |
| Now, you shall build as the birds do,
And shall get your scanty food By boring, and boring, and boring, All day in the hard, dry wood.” | The poet tells us Saint Peter told the woman that she would have to build her own nest as birds do. She must dig holes into wood so that she could get worms to feed herself. |
| Then up she went through the chimney,
Never speaking a word, And out of the top flew a woodpecker, For she was changed to a bird. | In the woman went up to the chimney of her house she was speechless. She had turned into a woodpecker. The same woodpecker could be seen flying out of the top of the chimney. |
| She had a scarlet cap on her head,
And that was left the same; But all the rest of her clothes were burned Black as a coal in the flame.
| The poet says that the woman had been wearing a red cap in human form. The woodpecker’s head has still the same shade of red in colour. However, her clothes were burnt and had become black as a coal. The woodpecker’s body is of the same colour. |
| And every country schoolboy
Has seen her in the wood, Where she lives in the trees till this very day, Boring and boring for food.
| Every living in the village has seen this woodpecker. She still digs into the bark of trees and looks for worms to feed on. |
The Legend of The Northland Word Meaning
Harness—to strap and fasten; Sledge—a cart used on ice; Cub—young one of bear, lion, etc.; Furry—covered with fur; Tale—story; Proseh—give religious speech; Cottage—a small house; Hearth—fireplace; Faint—weak; Fast—avoid having food on special occasions; Knead—make a mixture; Scrap—small pieces; Dough—flour mixed with water; Wafer—very thin dry biscuit; Shelf—along the piece of wood, slash, etc.; Provoke—to make angry; Dwell—live; Shelter—place for protection; Scanty—too small in size or amount; Boring—making holes; Chimney—a pipe through which smoke or steam is carried out; Woodpecker—a bird with a strong bill and stiff tail; Scarlet—bright red; Flame—fire;
Curious = strange = अजीब ; saint = holy person = संत ; preaching = giving sermons = उपदेश देना I Northland = New Zealand =न्यूजीलैंड ; harness = fasten to the car ; गाड़ी से लगाना ; swift = fast = तेज ; reindeer = a kind of deer = रेडियर ; sledge = a cart which moves on ice and snow = बर्फ पर फिसलने वाली गाड़ी ; bear’s cubs = young ones of bear = रीछ के बच्चे ; furry = made of fur = फर का बना हुआ I Cottage = small bungalow = कुटीर ; hearth = fireplace = चूल्हा ; faint = lacking strength कमजोर ; fasting =eating little or no food = व्रत रखना I Seemed = appeared = प्रतीत होता था ; kneaded = pressed and stretched the dough =गूंथना ; large = big = बड़ा I Tiny = very small = बहुत छोटा ; scrap = small piece = छोटा टुकड़ा ; dough = flour= आटा ; wafer = thin bread or biscuit = पतला ब्रैड या बिस्कुट ; part with = give to someone else = किसी को देना l Grew = became = हो गया ; faint = very weak = बहुत कमजोर ; provoke = make someone angry = नाराज करना ; selfish = thinking of one’s own self = स्वार्थी ; dwell = live = रहना Build = to make = बनाना ; scanty = very little = बहुत कम ; boring = making holes = छेद करना ; woodpecker = a kind of bird = कठफोड़ा I Scarlet = bright red = तीखा लाल ; flame = fire = लपट l
A Legend of The Northland Summary In English
In this poem, the poetess tells us a story. It is a story of the Northland. At that time, St. Peter lived on the earth. He used to go round the world and preach in his typical manner. One day, he came to a cottage. He saw a woman making cakes. St. Peter had fasted for the whole day. So he was hungry and tired. He asked the woman to give him a cake from her store of cakes.
The woman was very greedy. She made a very small cake for the saint. But when the cake was baking, she thought that it was too large to give away. So she made another one which was smaller even than the first. But when it was ready, she thought that it was also too big to be given. So she made a very small and very thin cake for him. But as she was greedy, she did not want to part with even this cake. She placed it on the shelf.
Saint Peter saw this and grew angry. He told her, “You are very selfish. You do not deserve to live in the world in human form. You do not deserve food, shelter and fire to keep you warm.” He cursed her to be changed in a bird. She became a woodpecker and flew out of the chimney. In the end, the poetess says that every school going boy has seen her in the wood: She still lives there in the trees. She keeps boring trees for her food all day.
A Legend of The Northland Summary In English (2) :
The poem is set in the backdrop of Northland, an extremely cold place, somewhere near the North Pole. This snow-covered area has very few hours of daylight and the cold nights in winters are so long and cold that people cannot sleep through them. When it snows here, I people harness their reindeers to pull their sledges and the children here look like bear’s cubs dressed in their funny and furry clothes worn to shield themselves from winter.
In this region, a mythological story is very popular and has been told from generation to generation. It is difficult to establish this story as true because it is a legend but like most legends, it has a significant moral lesson to teach.
According to the legend, once Saint Peter, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ, had come to this world to preach the word of God. While wandering, he reached a cottage where a little woman was baking cakes. The day was about to end and Saint Peter was feeling weak because he had been fasting. So, he asked the woman to give him just one cake out of her big stock.
The woman made a small cake for the Saint but when she laid it to bake, it seemed too big to her to be given for free. So she kneaded a smaller cake but it too seemed as big as the earlier one. Then she took a small bit of dough and rolled it as thin as a wafer but could not part even with that because of her greed. She was surprised that her cakes seemed very small when she ate them but appeared too large for charity.
However, Saint Peter, who had been waiting for the cake, grew angry since he was hungry and feeling weak. The greed of the woman had annoyed even a devout soul like Saint Peter. He pronounced that she was too selfish to deserve the blessings of human life with comforts of food, shelter, and fire for warmth. He cursed that she should become a woodpecker and get her little food only after working hard all day. After this, the little woman went through the chimney without getting a chance to say even a word. Out of the top of the chimney, flew a woodpecker that was earlier the little woman. The clothes worn by the woman were charred by the fire in the chimney and became the black body of the woodpecker. But the scarlet cap worn by her was saved as the red plumes of the bird.
Since then, every schoolboy in the countryside has seen her in the woods where she lives in the trees. Even today she has to bore the dry wood in search of food.
A Legend of The Northland Message
The poem conveys the message that as human beings, we should have positive qualities like affection, love, fellow-feeling, sympathy, generosity and a sense of sharing. The poet also brings forth the idea that people with negative, inhuman values like selfishness, greed and cruelty are ultimately punished. The blessings of human life with food, shelter and warmth have to be earned through good, moral conduct.
Go to the NCERT Solution “The Snake and the Mirror”
The Legend of Northland Summary in Hindi
इस कविता में, कवयित्री हमें एक कहानी सुनाती है । यह नार्थलैंड की कहानी है । उस समय संत पीटर धरती पर रहते थे। वे संसार में घूमा करते थे और अपने विशेष तरीके से उपदेश दिया करते थे । एक दिन, वे एक घर में आए । उन्होंने एक स्त्री को कैक बनाते हुए देखा । संत पीटर ने सारा दिन उपवास रखा था । इसलिए वे भूखे एवं थके हुए थे । उन्होंने स्त्री से कहा कि उन्हें अपने केकों के भंडार में से एक केक दे दे ।
स्त्री बहुत लालची थी ।उसने संत के लिए बहुत छोटा-सा केक बनाया मगर जब वह केक पका रही थी तो उसने सोचा कि यह देने के बहुत बड़ा केक है । इसलिए उसने एक अन्य केक बनाया ,जो पहले केक से छोटा था । मगर जब केक तैयार हो गया तो उसने सोचा कि यह केक भी देने के लिए बड़ा है । इसलिए उसने उसके लिए बहुत छोटा और केक बनाया । मगर क्योंकि वह लालची थी , वह इस केक को भी नहीं देना चाहती थी । उसने इसे शेल्फ पर रख दिया ।
संत पीटर ने यह सब देखा और उन्हें गुस्सा आ गया । उन्होंने उसे कहा; “तुम बहुत स्वार्थी हो । तुम इस संसार में मानवीय रूप के काबिल नहीं हो । तुम भोजन, आश्रय एवं स्वयं को गरम रखने के लिए आग की हकदार भी नहीं हो ।” उन्होंने उसे पक्षी बन जाने का श्राप दिया । वह कठफोड़ा बन गई और चिमनी में से निकलकर उड़ गई । अंत में, कवयित्री कहती है कि हर स्कूली लड़के ने उसे जंगल में देखा है । वह अभी भी वृक्षों में रहती है । वह अपने भोजन के लिए सारा दिन वृक्षों में छेद करती रहती है ।
Following is the complete question bank for – THE LEGEND OF NORTHLAND
The Legend of Northland MCQ
Choose the correct answer.
1. The poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ was written by :
(A) Robert Frost
(B) Phoebe Cary
(C) W. B. Yeats.
(D) Coates Kinney.
2.Where is Northland situated?
(A) It is near Scotland.
(B) It is in Holland.
(C) It is an island of New Zealand.
(D) It is an island of Ireland.
3.How will you compare the winter days and nights in Northland?
(A) The days are too long and the nights are too short.
(B) The days are too short and the nights are too long.
(C) The days and nights are of twelve hours each.
(D) There are no days; it is always night there.
4.Why can’t people sleep the winter nights through in Northland?
(A) Because the nights are too short there.
(B) Because the nights are too long there.
(C) Because it is all the time night there.
(D) Because there is no night there.
5.What do the people of Northland harness their sledges to?
(A) The Foxes.
(B) The oxen.
(C) The bullocks.
(D) The reindeer.
6.How do the children wearing furry clothes look?
(A) They look like little pups.
(B) They look like foxes.
(C) They look like fawns.
(D) They look like bear’s cubs.
7.What did Saint Peter do during his travels around the world?
(A) He looked after the poor and the rich.
(B) He preached the people.
(C) He met little women.
(D) He begged for food.
8.What was the little woman doing when Saint Peter went to her?
(A) She was eating cakes.
(B) She was giving away cakes to the poor.
(C) She was making and baking cakes.
(D) She was putting cakes on the shelf.
9.What time of the day did Saint Peter reach the little woman’s cottage?
(A) In the morning.
(B) At noon.
(C) At the close of the day.
(D) At night.
10.What did Saint Peter ask for from the little woman?
(A) A single cake.
(B) A dozen cakes.
(C) A loaf of bread.
(D) Something to eat.
11.How was Saint Peter feeling when he reached the little woman’s cottage?
(A) Tired and hungry.
(B) Hale and hearty.
(C) Happy and refreshed.
(D) Trembling with cold and fever.
12.The little woman baked a cake for Saint Peter. Then why did she not give it to him?
(A) She thought it was too big to give away.
(B) She thought it was too small for the holy man.
(C) She thought the holy man won’t like it.
(D) She thought the cake was not tasty.
13.What did the little woman think of the cakes she baked?
(A) She thought they were too big.
(B) She thought they were too small.
(C) She thought they were too small for her but too big to give away.
(D) She thought they were too big for her but too small to give away.
14.What made Saint Peter angry?
(A) The woman’s greed.
(B) The woman’s selfishness.
(C) The woman’s pride.
(D) The woman’s kindness.
15.What did Saint Peter say about the little woman?
(A) That she was too selfish to live in human form.
(B) That she was too selfish have both food and shelter.
(C) That she was too selfish have a fire to keep herself warm.
(D) All the above.
16.What curse did Saint Peter pronounce on the selfish woman?
(A) That she shall build her shelter as birds do.
(B) That she shall bore hard, dry wood for her scanty food.
(C) That she shall keep boring all day.
(D) All the above.
17.What was the selfish woman changed into?
(A) Into a fox.
(B) Into a crow.
(C) Into an eagle.
(D) Into a woodpecker.
18.What happened to the old woman’s clothes ?
(A) They were burnt black as she went up through the chimney.
(B) They were lost in the wood.
(C) They were taken away by the thieves.
(D) They were torn by the wild animals.
Hints : 1. B 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. D 6. D 7. B 8. C 9. C 10. A 11. A 12.A 13.C 14.B 15.D 16.D 17.D 18. A.
A Legend of The Northland Comprehension Questions
STANZA 1 & 2
Away, away in the Northland,
Where the hours of the day are few,
And the nights are so long in winter
That they cannot sleep them through
Where they harness the swift reindeer
To the sledges, ‘when it snows;
And the children look like bear’s cubs
In their funny, furry clothes:
हिंदी अनुवाद- बहुत दूर, बहुत दूर नॉर्थलैंड में जहाँ दिन बड़े छोटे होते हैं और सर्द रातें इतनी बड़ी होती है कि सोकर नहीं बिता सकते । जहाँ बर्फ पड़ने पर लोग बर्फ गाड़ियों के साथ रेडियार जोत लेते है, जो तेज चलते है तथा बच्चे अपने अजीब फर वाले कपड़ों में रीछ के बच्चों जैसे लगते हैं ।
Questions :
(i) Which country does this legend belong to?
(ii) How were the days and nights there?
(iii) How did the people drive their sledges when it snowed?
(iv) How did the children look in their furry clothes?
(v) What is the name of the poet of these lines?
Answers :
(i) This legend belongs to Northland.
(ii) The days were short and the nights were very long.
(iii) They drove them with the help of reindeer.
(iv) They looked like a bear’s cubs.
(v) The name of the poet is ‘Phoebe Cary’.
STANZA 3 & 4
They tell them a curious story—
I don’t believe ‘is true;
And yet you may learn a lesson
If I tell the tale to you.
Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below,
And walked about it, preaching,
Just as he did, you know,
हिंदी अनुवाद – वहाँ लोग बच्चों को एक अजीब कहानी सुनाते हैं । मैं नहीं समझती कि यह एक सच्ची कहानी है , लेकिन अगर मैं तुम्हें यह कहानी सुनाऊं तो तुम्हें एक शिक्षा मिलेगी । एक बार जब अच्छे संत पीटर नीचे धरती पर रहा करते थे और उपदेश देने के लिए इधर – उधर घूमा करता था , जैसे कि आप जानते है कि वे किया करते थे ।
Questions :
(i) What does the poetess say about the story?
(ii) Is it a true story?
(iii) Why is the poetess telling this story?
(iv) Where did Saint Peter live then?
(v) What did he do while he walked about the earth?
Answers :
(i) She does not believe the story to be true.
(ii) No, it is not a true story.
(iii) She is telling it because it preaches a lesson.
(iv) He lived on the earth below.
(v) He went preaching.
STANZA 5 & 6
He came to the door of a cottage,
In travelling around the earth,
Where a little woman was making cakes,
And baking them on the hearth;
And being faint with fasting,
For the day was almost done,
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give hint a single one.
हिंदी अनुवाद- धरती की यात्रा करते हुए वे एक घर के दरवाजे पर आए , जहाँ एक छोटे कद की स्त्री केक बना रही थी और उन्हें चूल्हे पर पका रही थी l और व्रत रखने से कमजोर होने के कारण , क्योंकि दिन लगभग समाप्त होने वाला था , उन्होंने औरत से कहा कि उन्हें अपने केकके स्टोर में से एक केक दे दे I
Questions :
(i) Where did St. Peter come?
(ii) What was the little woman doing?
(iii) Why was St Peter faint?
(iv) What did he ask the woman for?
(v) Name the poem and the poet.
Answers :
(i) He came to the door of a cottage.
(ii) She was baking cakes.
(iii) He was faint with fasting.
(iv) He asked the woman to give him a cake.
(v) The Legend la Northland’ by Phoebe Cary.
STANZA 7 & 8
So she made a very little cake,
But as it baking lay,
She looked at it and thought it seemed
Too large to give away.
Therefore she kneaded another,
And still a smaller one;
But it looked, when she turned it over,
As large as the first had done.
हिंदी अनुवाद – इसलिए उसने छोटा – सा केक बनाया , लेकिन जब यह पक तो उसने इसे देखा और सोचा कि देने के लिए यह बहुत बड़ा है ।इसलिए उसने एक अन्य केक का आटा गूंथा जो पहले से छोटा था । मगर जब उसने इसे पलटा तो उसे प्रतीत हुआ कि यह भी पहले केक जितना बड़ा है I
Questions :
(i) What did the woman make?
(ii) What seemed to the woman?
(iii) What did she do then?
(iv) flow did the second cake appear her to be?
(v) what quality of the woman is presented in this stanza?
Answers :
(i) She made a very little cake.
(ii) It seemed to the woman that the cake was too big to give.
(iii) She made the cake smaller than the first one.
(iv) It seemed to her to be as big as the first one.
(v) She was a selfish lady.
STANZA 9 & 10
Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,
And rolled and rolled it flat;
And baked it thin as a wafer—
But she couldn’t part with that.
For she said, ‘My cakes that seem too small
When feat of them myself
Are yet too large to give away.’
So she put them on the shelf.
हिंदी अनुवाद – तब उसने बहुत थोड़ा –सा गूंथा हुआ आटा लिया और उसे बेल – बेलकर चपटा कर दिया और बिस्कुट की तरह पतला केक बनाया I मगर वह उसे भी न दे सकी । क्योंकि उसने कहा , “जब मैं अपने खाने के लिए लेती हूँ तो केक बड़े छोटे प्रतीत होते हैं , किंतु देने के लिए ये बहुत बड़े हैं ।” इसलिए उसने इसे शैल्फ़ पर रख दिया ।
Questions :
(i) What did the woman do wills the tiny? crap of dough?
(ii) Did she give this cake to Saint Peter?
(iii) What did she think of her cakes?
(iv) What did she do wills her very little cake?
(v) Who was the woman to give the cake to?
Answers :
(i) She made a very small and thin cake.
(ii) No, she did not give it to Saint Peter.
(iii) She thought that when she ate her cakes, they appeared very small. But when she thought of
giving one to someone, they appeared very big.
(iv) She put it on the shelf.
(v) She was to give the cake to Saint Peter.
STANZA 11 & 12
Then good Saint Peter grew angry,
For he was hungry and faint;
And surely such as a woman
Was enough to provoke a saint.
And he said, ‘You are far too selfish
To dwell in a human form,
To have both food and shelter,
And fire to keep you warm.’
हिंदी अनुवाद – तब अच्छे संत पीटर को गुस्सा आ गया , क्योंकि वह भूखा और कमजोर था और निश्चय ही ऐसी औरत एक संत को भी क्रोधित कर सकती थी I और उसने कहा , “तुम इतनी अधिक स्वार्थी हो कि तुम मनुष्य के रूप में रहने के काबिल नहीं हो I तुम भोजन, आश्रय एवं स्वयं को गरम रखने के लिए आग प्राप्त करने की पात्र भी नहीं हो I ”
Questions:
(i) Why did Saint Peter grow angry?
(ii) Who made Saint Peter angry?
(iii) Who was very selfish?
(iv) Did she deserve to live in a human form?
(v) Who is described good In this extract?
Answers :
(i) He grew angry because he was hungry and faint.
(ii) The selfish woman made him angry.
(iii) The woman was very selfish.
(iv) No, she did not deserve to live in a human form.
(v) Saint Peter describes well in this extract.
STANZA 13 & 14
‘Now, you shall build as the birds do,
And shall get your scanty food
By boring, and boring, and boring,
All day in the hard, dry wood.’
Then up she went through the chimney,
Never speaking a word,
And out of the top flew a woodpecker,
For she was changed to a bird.
हिंदी अनुवाद – अब तुम पक्षियों की तरह घर बनाओगी और उनकी तरह तुम्हें बहुत कम भोजन तब मिलेगा , जब तुम सारा दिन लकड़ी में छेद करती रहोगी I तब वह चिमनी में से निकलकर उड़ गई और कोई शब्द नहीं बोला और चिमनी में से एक कठफोड़ा निकल ा, क्योंकि अब वह एक पक्षी बन गई थी I
Questions :
(i) How did Saint Peter punish the selfish woman?
(ii) What will she do to get her food like a bird?
(iii) What was the woman changed into?
(iv) Front where did she fly out?
(v) Name the poem and the poet.
Answers :
(i) He cursed her to be changed into a bird.
(ii) She will keep boring all day.
(iii) She was changed into a woodpecker.
(iv) She flew out of the chimney.
(v) The Legend of Northland’ by Phoebe Cary.
STANZA 15 & 16
She had a scarlet cap on her head,
And that was left the same;
But all the rest of her clothes were burned
Black as a lump of coal in the flame.
And every country schoolboy
Has seen her in the wood,
Where she lives in the trees till this very day,
Boring and boring for food.
हिंदी अनुवाद – उसके सिर पर तीखे लाल रंग की टोपी थी I मगर उसके बाकी सब वस्त्र आग में जलकर कोयले की तरह काले हो गए थे I
और हर स्कूली ग्रामीण लड़का उसे जंगल में देखता है I जहाँ वह आज भी वृक्षों में रहती है और भोजन के लिए तने में छेद करती रहती है I
Questions :
(i) What was the colour of the cap on her head?
(ii) the flow was the rest of her clothes?
(iii) What has every schoolboy seen?
(iv) What does the woodpecker do all day?
(v) Where does she live now?
Answers
(i) It was a scarlet cap.
(ii) The rest of her clothes were burned black as a lump of coal.
(iii) Every schoolboy has seen a woodpecker.
(iv) The woodpecker keeps boring the trees all day for food.
(v) Now she lives in the trees.
Go to the NCERT Solution “My Childhood”
A Legend of The Northland Very Short Question Answer
Q.1. Which country/countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?
Ans. “The Northland” refers to Northland country.
2. What is the feature of days and nights in the Northland in winter?
Ans. In winter in the Northland, the days are smaller and the nights are longer.
3. How did the Northland children look in their furry clothes?
Ans. They looked like bear’s cubs.
4. What animal is found mainly in the Northland?
Ans. Reindeer are found mainly in the Northland.
5. Why did Saint Peter walkabout?
Ans. Saint Peter walked about preaching.
6. Where did Saint Peter come one day?
Ans. One day Saint Peter come to the door a little woman’s cottage.
7. What was the little woman doing at the time when Saint Peter come to her cottage?
Ans. She was baking cakes.
8. How was Saint Peter feeling?
Ans. He was feeling hungry.
9. What did Saint Peter ask for?
Ans. He asked for a piece of cake.
10. How did the first piece of cake appear to the little woman?
Ans. This piece of cake appeared her to big to give to Saint Peter.
11. Why did Saint Peter grow angry?
Ans. Saint Peter grew angry because he was hungry and faint, and the little woman was not giving him any cake.
12. Flow did Saint Peter describe the little woman?
Ans. He described her as a selfish woman.
13. How did Saint Peter punish the little woman?
Ans. He punished her by changing her into a little bird.
14. What is the name of the poet of the poem ‘The Legend of Northland’?
Ans. Phoebe Cary.
A Legend of The Northland Short Question Answer
Q1. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
Ans. Saint Peter asked the old lady for a piece of cake. The lady behaved miserly and kept changing the size of the cake. At last, she did not give him anything to eat.
Q2. How did Saint Peter punish the old lady?
Ans. When the little woman refused to give Saint Peter even a small cake, he got angry. He felt she did not deserve to be a human being. He cursed her and made her a woodpecker.
Q3. What is a legend? Why is this poem called ‘A Legend of the Northland’?
Ans. A legend is a tale from ancient times about people and events that may or may not be true. It is a traditional story. It contains moral messages. The poem is a legend because it teaches us to be generous, unlike the old woman.
Q4. What happened to the cake every time which the old lady tried to bake it?
Ans. The old lady was a greedy woman. She had no desire to share her things with others. Once Saint Peter was tired and hungry. He arrived at her cottage to get something. The old lady tried, again and again, to bake a too small cake for Saint Peter. But the size of the cake always appeared to her bigger and the lady was unable to give this cake to the saint.
Q5. Describe the theme of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’.
Ans. A woman was busy baking cakes when St. Peter chanced to come to her door. He was hungry and tired. He asked the woman to give him a cake to eat. The woman made a small cake but it seemed to be big. She did not give it to St. Peter. She made another small cake but again it looked big. So she did not give it too. St. Peter became angry. He said that she was not fit to be a human as she was selfish. He changed her into a bird who had to search for food the whole day.
Q6. What happened to the old lady when Saint Peter cursed her?
Ans. Saint Peter became angry at her greed because she did not give a piece of cake to Saint Peter to satiate his hunger. When he cursed the lady, she turned into a bird. She became a woodpecker and flew through the chimney. She wore a red cap and her body was burned and had become black. This is the same colours that a woodpecker have on its body. Besides, she was bound to live in the forest with scanty food.
Q7. Why did the little old woman have to struggle for her scanty food after she was cursed to be a woodpecker?
Ans. The greedy little woman refused to give hungry Saint Peter even a small piece of cake. She made a very small piece of cake but it seemed too large for her to be given away. She went on making it still small and smaller. She was cursed by Saint Peter to be a woodpecker. She was made to struggle even for her scanty food. As a woodpecker, she went on boring to get a small morsel of food.
Q8. Do you think that the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then?
Ans. No, she would not have done this. On the contrary, she would have given him a large piece of cake to make him happy with the greed to get a handsome return.
Q9. How did Saint Peter’s curse act upon the old lady?
Ans. Saint Peter was a holy man. He cursed the old lady to be turned into a bird. His curse at once acted upon her. She was changed into a woodpecker wearing a scarlet cap. All her clothes were burnt black as she went through the chimney and flew out of the top.
Q10. How does the woodpecker get her food?
Ans. The woodpecker constantly bores into the dry hardwood. She has to make big efforts to get its little food.
A Legend of The Northland Long Question Answer
Q1. A holy man should not curse another human being. Justify this statement in the context of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’.
Ans. A holy man is known for his wisdom. He teaches moral lessons to the people whether they are liberal or greedy. All are equal in his eyes. In the present story, Saint Peter is a holy man. He is also famous for his preaching. He has preached and travelled a lot. So, he is hungry. He asks the lady for some food but she does not share her food with him. Finally, the saint becomes angry and curses her. In fact, he should have shown some mercy and the example of his wisdom with the power of his wisdom he could influence the woman and get some food. Therefore, it is appropriate to say that a holy man should not curse the lady.
Q2. What moral lesson do you get from the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland?
Ans. This poem teaches us that true happiness lies in sharing things with the persons who are in need. If we are greedy, we cannot have happiness in our life. On the other hand, our charitable nature makes us think about pains and sorrows suffered by other people. The charitable people have many friends and they are always connected with one another with a strong bond of sentiments. But the greedy people have hardly any friends and they often live alone in the world.
Q3. How is our happiness spoiled by greed? Explain in the context of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’.
Ans. True satisfaction lies in sharing things with others. Peace and satisfaction are the two sides of a coin. If there is satisfaction in our life, peace is bound to come in our life. However, greed spoils both. If we are greedy, we cannot get satisfaction as well as peace in our life. In the poem, the old lady was greedy and she failed to give the cake to the saint. If she had satisfaction, she would certainly have shown honour and regard to the saint. So, in the case of this little lady, it can be said that her greed had spoiled her peace and satisfaction. Actually, Saints try to create such societies in which all the people shall be treated with equality and greed will have no room in them. With the help of teachings, they desire to bring down heaven on the earth.
Q4. Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
Ans. The poem is a story about a selfish and greedy woman. She is asked by Saint Peter for some food as he has become weak from fasting and travelling. But her greed forces her not to give him anything. He becomes angry and turns her into a woodpecker who bores hard, dry wood to get food. Her clothes are burnt to ashes and she is left with a cap on her head. She continues boring into hardwood for her little food.
Go to the NCERT Solution “No Men Are Foreign”
A Legend of the Northland Quick Summary
1. Which country does ‘The Legend of Northland’ belong?
(A) England (B) Scotland
(C) Northland (D) Switzerland
Ans. (C) Northland
2. How are the days and nights in Northland in winter?
(A) the days are short and the nights are long (B) the nights are short and the days are long
(C) both the days and the nights have equal (D) all the options are the correct duration
Ans. (A) the days are short and the nights are long
3. Which is the most useful animal of the people in Northland?
(A) dog (B) horse
(C) reindeer (D) Rhino
Ans. (C) reindeer
4. What are the sledges?
(A) fast speed cars (B) snow carts
(C) pet animal Northland (D) local inhabitants of the
Ans. (B) snow carts
5. How do children look at their furry clothes?
(A) like small kittens (B) like bear cubs
(C) like small wolves (D) none of these
Ans. (B) like bear cubs
6. Where did Saint Peter live then?
(A) in heaven (B) on the clouds
(C) on the moon (D) on the earth
Ans. (D) on the earth
7. Why did Saint Peter go here and there?
(A) for preaching (B) for doing business
(C) for selling things (D) all the options are correct
Ans. (A) for preaching
8. Who came to the door of a cottage?
(A) the poet (B) the child
(C) a villager (D) Saint Peter
Ans. (D) Saint Peter
9. What was the little woman doing?
(A) washing clothes (B) cleaning the floor
(C) doing nothing (D) making cakes
Ans. (D) making cakes
10. How was Saint Peter feeling?
(A) very hungry (B) Very thirsty
(C) very cold (D) very hot
Ans. (A) very hungry
11. What did Saint Peter ask the woman for?
(A) a glass of water (B) a cake
(C) a little room (D) a blanket
Ans. (B) a cake
12. What sort of a cake did the little woman make the second time?
(A) a smaller cake (B) a bigger cake
(C) a tastier cake (D) a bad cake
Ans. (A) a smaller cake
13. Whom did the woman give the cake?
(A) Saint Peter (B) the poetess’
(C) a stranger (D) she did not give it to anybody
Ans. (D) she did not give it to anybody
14. Where did the little woman put the cakes?
(A) in a box (B) in a basket
(C) on the shelf (D) on the roof of her house
Ans. (C) on the shelf
15. For whom had she baked this cake?
(A) the poetess (B) Saint Peter
(C) her husband (D) her son
Ans. (B) Saint Peter
16. Why did Saint Peter grow angry?
(A) he was in pain (B) he was hungry and faint
(C) he was insulted (D) he was injured
Ans. (B) he was hungry and faint
17Who was very selfish?
(A) Saint Peter (B) the poetess
(C) the woman (D) none of them.
Ans. (C) the woman
18. Who made Saint Peter angry?
(A) the poetess (B) the woman
(C) a child (D) none of these
Ans. (B) the woman
19. What did Saint Peter change the woman into…..?
(A) a bird (B) a snake
(C) a cat (D) a goat
Ans. (A) a bird
20. Which bird the woman was changed into?
(A) sparrow (B) eagle
(C) crow (D) woodpecker
Ans. (D) woodpecker
A Legend of the Northland Value Based Questions
1. How did the woman behave when Saint Peter asked her for a cake?
Ans. Saint Peter had eaten nothing all day. He came to the door of a cottage. He saw a woman making cakes. He asked her for a single cake. The woman. baked a small cake for him. But then she thought it was too big to give away. She made a smaller cake. But she thought it was as big as the first one. Now she made a very tiny cake. It was as thin as a wafer. Even this one seemed to her too large to give away. She placed all the cakes on her shelf She did not give the saint any cake.
2. Why did the saint punish the woman? What was the punishment
Ans. The woman was very selfish. She didn’t give the saint even a small cake to eat. The saint was very angry. He cursed the woman. He said that she was too selfish to live in a human form. He said that she would now live like a bird. She would have to bore the hardwood for her food. At once, the woman went up through the chimney. When she came out at the top, she was turned into a woodpecker. Now she had to keep boring the trees for her little food.
Short Answer Type Questions (30 to 40 words)
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
(to be answered in about 30 – 40 words each)
Q1. Which country or countries do you think ‘the Northland’ refers to? (Textual)
Ans:-The action of the legend takes place in Northland, a remote polar region which is situated in the extreme north end of the world and is hence an extremely cold and snow-covered area.
Q2. What kind of days and nights are there in the Northland?
Ans:-In the extremely cold climate of Northland, the days are very short and the nights are very long. Closeness to the North Pole makes the nights exceedingly cold and uncomfortable.
Q3. Why are the people in the Northland not able to sleep throughout the night?
Ans:-The people in the Northland are not able to sleep throughout the night because the nights are intensely cold and much longer than the days. It is not possible to sleep throughout the long hours that make the nights.
Q4. What means of transportation are used in the Northland and why?
Ans:-The Northland is situated in a severely cold area which is covered with snow throughout the year. Hence, the means of transportation used here are sledges which are driven by reindeers found in this area.
Q5. What are the children made to wear in the Northland?
Ans:-As the Northland is marked by exceptionally cold weather, the children are made to wear clothes made from fur. These furry clothes, although funny, provide protection against the biting, cold weather.
Q6. What makes the appearance of children funny?
Ans:-The appearance of children is made funny by the clothes of fur that they have to wear to protect themselves from acutely cold weather. Since the clothes are made of fur like that of bears, children wearing these clothes look more like the cubs of bears rather than the children of human beings.
Q7. Who was Saint Peter? What did he do when he came down to the Earth from heaven?
Ans:-Saint Peter was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. In fact, he was the head of the apostles and the first Christian Pope. When he came down from heaven to the Earth, he performed the duty of preaching to the people the tenets of Christianity and wandered about spreading the message of Christ.
Q8. What kind of a story is popular in the Northland?
Ans:-In the Northland, the story or legend of Saint Peter and an old little woman is very popular. In fact, it is a mythological story, the authenticity of which is not proven. But the story is passed on from one generation to another for its moral significance and instructive value.
Q9. Which place did Saint Peter reach one day for his sermon?
Ans:-While wandering to preach the message of God, one day Saint Peter reached the door of a cottage where an old little lady was making cakes and baking them on the hearth.
Q10. Why did Saint Peter stop at the cottage of the little woman?
Ans:-Tired by the day’s travel and fasting, Saint Peter was feeling hungry and weak. So he stopped at the cottage of the little woman hoping to get something to eat.
Q11. What did Saint Peter ask the lady for? What was the lady’s reaction? (Textual)
Ans:-Saint Peter asked the old lady for just a single cake from the store of cakes that she was making but the little lady reacted in an inhuman way. She refused to part with her cakes, not even the one that was as thin as a wafer.
Q12. The little woman’s refusal to part with the cake is a mirror of her character. How?
Or
What does the woman’s reluctance to part with even her thinnest cake show about her character?
Ans:-The little woman’s refusal to part with even her thinnest cake gives us a clear peep into her greedy and stingy character. She is a very miserly and selfish woman who does not have the heart to do even the smallest act of kindness and charity.
Q13. What did the little woman feel about the cakes when she ate them herself?
Ans:-The little woman was so stingy, greedy and gluttonous that she felt that the cakes which she made for herself appeared to be very small, but the same cakes appeared to be too big to be given away.
Q14. Why was Saint Peter annoyed with the little woman?
Ans:-Saint Peter was annoyed with the little woman because he was upset at the utter lack of human kindness in her. She had a large store of cakes but was so greedy that she would not part even with the thinnest one. She did have the heart to feed a Saint who was feeling faint with hunger and fatigue.
Q15. What was the curse Saint Peter pronounced on the old woman?
Or
How did Saint Peter punish the old woman? (Textual)
Or
How did Saint Peter react to the old lady’s selfishness?
Ans:-Angered by the woman’s selfishness, Saint Peter lost his patience and reacted by punishing her with the curse. He pronounced that she would no longer enjoy the comforts and blessings of human life. Ample food, secure shelter, and the warmth of the fire will no longer be available to her. She would become a woodpecker and would have to drill the hardwood all day for food.
Q 16. Why did Saint Peter feel that the woman should not be a human being?
Ans:- Saint Peter believed that God had blessed human beings with a number of comforts and expected them to share them with the poor and the needy. However, when the greedy woman was reluctant to part with her share of cakes, Saint Peter felt that she did not deserve to enjoy human life.
Q17. What happened to the little old woman after Saint Peter cursed her?
Or
What was the effect of Saint Peter’s curse on the little woman?
Ans:-After Saint Peter pronounced the curse, the little old woman/ without speaking a word, went up the chimney and came out through the top in the form of a woodpecker. Her scarlet cap was now the red plumes of the bird but all her clothes had got burnt and became the black-as-coal body of the woodpecker.
Q18. How does the woodpecker get her food? (Textual)
Ans:-Deprived of the plenty of food that she could find easily human form, the woman-turned-woodpecker has to labour hard all day long to get her meagre food by continuously drilling the hard trunks of trees with her beak.
Q19. Where is the little woman found to fill this day and in what form?
Ans:-Till this day, the little woman is found in the dense trees of forests in the form of a woodpecker boring the hardwood all day for her scanty food.
Q20. What moral does the legend of the Northland teach?
Ans:-The moral lesson that the legend of the Northland teaches is that human beings must practice kindness, generosity and empathy with others, especially the poor and the needy. They should always be ready to share whatever little they have, for God helps those who help other children of the same God.
Q21. Do you think that the lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was? What would she have done then? (Textual)
Ans:-The lady would not have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was. Had she known that the man asking for just a single cake was a divine saint endowed with heavenly powers, she would have generously given away not one but many cakes. She would have sought his blessings by providing him not only food but also shelter.
Q22. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important? (Textual)
Ans:-I don’t think it is a true story. It is a folk tale of a legend that has been told by one generation after the other with the twin purpose of entertaining the readers and teaching the moral lesson of being kind, generous and charitable, especially to the poor and the needy. The most important part of the poem is when the greedy woman is turned into a woodpecker because it contains an important message that selfish and stingy people get severely punished.
Q23. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend? (Textual)
Ans: –A legend is a mythological story which is passed on orally from one generation to the other. There is no evidence to prove its accuracy but it still remains in circulation for its instructive value. This poem is called a legend because it is the story of Saint Peter and the old woman from ancient times. Its historical origin cannot be proved but it teaches the lesson of love, kindness and charity.
Value-based questions-
Other Important Questions
1. How did the woman behave when Saint Peter asked her for a cake?
Ans. Saint Peter had eaten nothing all day. He came to the door of a cottage. He saw a woman making cakes. He asked her for a single cake. The woman. baked a small cake for him. But then she thought it was too big to give away. She made a smaller cake. But she thought it was as big as the first one. Now she made a very tiny cake. It was as thin as a wafer. Even this one seemed to her too large to give away. She placed all the cakes on her shelf She did not give the saint any cake.
2. Why did the saint punish the woman? What was the punishment
Ans. The woman was very selfish. She didn’t give the saint even a small cake to eat. The saint was very angry. He cursed the woman. He said that she was too selfish to live in a human form. He said that she would now live as a bird. She would have to bore the hardwood for her food. At once, the woman went up through the chimney. When she came out at the top, she was turned into a woodpecker. Now she had to keep boring the trees for her little food.
Q3. Why and how did the little lady bake the cake again and again for Saint Peter?
Ans:-The little old lady had to bake several cakes because of her stingy and uncharitable nature. When Saint Peter, who was feeling weak because he had been fasting and wandering all day, asked the woman to give him just one cake out of her big stock, the greedy woman set down to bake a new cake for him. She first made a small cake but when she laid it to bake, it seemed much too big to be given away. So she kneaded a still smaller cake but it too seemed as big as the earlier one. Then she took a small bit of dough and rolled it as thin as a wafer but could not part even with that. She was surprised that her cakes seemed very small when she ate them herself but appeared too large for charity. Thus, driven by greed, the woman repeatedly baked a cake for Saint Peter.
Q4. How and why was the little woman turned into a woodpecker?
Ans:-The little woman was turned into a woodpecker towards the end of the poem. Her greedy behaviour had provoked and angered Saint Peter and he pronounced a curse upon her. He observed that the woman was so selfish that she could not part even with her thinnest cake. He felt that God had blessed her with food, shelter and warmth of the fire, but she was extremely greedy and selfish. This led him to conclude that she did not deserve the comforts of human life. So, he cursed her to become a woodpecker and find her food with difficulty. After the curse was pronounced, the woman has driven up the chimney and came out of the top as a woodpecker. Her clothes had burnt black as coal and had become the body of the bird while her scarlet cap remained as the red plumes of the bird. To this day, the woman can be seen as a woodpecker pecking at the trees for food.
Q5. The poet, Phoebe Cary, introduces Saint Peter in the poem as “Good Saint Peter”. Which values of his character justify this introduction? Or
How is Saint Peter presented as a dedicated missionary who wants human beings to have positive human values?
Ans:-Saint Peter, the apostle of Christianity, has been presented through this legend as a messenger of God whose mission is to preach age-old human values of kindness and charity. He is a dedicated and devoted saint who has come down to the Earth with the purpose of imparting good values to humanity.
Such is Saint Peter’s dedication to his mission that he roams about the whole day on an empty stomach. By evening, he is very tired and hungry, still, he asks only for a single cake from the little woman. As a ‘Good Saint’, he waits patiently for her while she bakes one small cake after the other to be given to him as charity.
However, Saint Peter does not tolerate greed and selfishness. He believes that human beings are blessed with food, shelter and warmth of a fire and that they should be ready to share these comforts with the needy. If they lack the will to share their blessings, they have no right to enjoy the comforts of human life. Hence, although he is a saint, he loses his temper and curses the woman. The selfishness of the stingy woman upsets and provokes good Saint Peter.
Thus, Saint Peter is a dedicated missionary who wants human beings to have positive human values of mercy and generosity.
Q6. Which values does the legend of Saint Peter and the little woman teach?
Ans:-The legend of Saint Peter and the little woman teaches the values of love, mercy, pity, charity, kindness, and a sense of sharing. The tale is based on the moral lesson that human beings must rise above selfishness and agreed to help people in need. They should be ready to share their blessings and joys with others. God is never happy with people whose interests are confined to themselves. It is inhuman to find somebody in need and not provide the required help. The story reveals that those who lack love and empathy and are not charitable will be punished by God or His messengers. If the little woman had shared food with Saint Peter, she would have enjoyed a happy, contented life. But her greed and selfishness resulted in her doom. She was deprived of all human comforts and was converted into a woodpecker who had to lead a life of hardship. The values of kindness, generosity, and compassion are emphasised by this legend.
Q7. Suppose you are Saint Peter and have been denied food by the little woman. Angered by her greed, you have turned that woman into a woodpecker. Write a diary entry in about 150 words describing your experience.
Ans:- (Day and Date) (Time)
Dear Diary
My experience today at the cottage of the little woman was unexpected and shocking, to say the least. In the severely cold weather, having fasted the whole day, I was feeling extremely tired and was hungry. As I reached the cottage of this woman I expected to be served food as she was making cakes and baking them on the hearth. I also expected that the woman would offer me a place in her warm cottage to rest for some time. But her behaviour was completely contrary to my expectations. She turned out to be very greedy and miserly as she made smaller and still smaller cakes but could not give me even the one that was thin as a wafer.
I was very angry to find her devoid of any love and kindness. I felt that she did not deserve the life of a human being. I believe that human beings should possess the value of sharing and since the woman could not share even the smallest bit, I decided that she too should not get food easily. I converted her into a woodpecker so that she would have to dig into the hardwood all through the day even for a small quantity of food.
I know that this punishment is very severe but people without love, charity, and kindness do not deserve sympathy. May the Almighty free the world from such unkind people!
Saint Peter
