English(Beehive) Class 9 : Lesson 5(Poem) - A Legend of the Northland

In this page you get NCERT Solution Class 9 English Beehive Lesson 5 Poem A Legend of the Northland being given. English have two parts. English Beehive Class 9th has been set by the CBSE Board. The speciality of this page is that here you can download pdf of NCERT Solution Class 9 English Beehive. I expect that the given Class 9 English Beehive solution Lesson 5 Poem A Legend of the Northland will be immensely useful to you.

Lesson 5 (Poem)
A Lengend Of The Northland

-Phoebe Cary

 

Thinking About the Poem

I

1. Which country or countries do you think the “Northland” refers to?

Ans. The “Northland” could refer to any extremely cold country in the Earth's north polar region,such as Greenland,the northern regions of Russia,Canada,Norway etc.

 

2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for?What was the lady's reaction?

Ans. Saint Peter asked the old lady for one of her baked cakes to satisfy his hunger.The lady tried to bake a small cake for the saint.

3. How did he punish her?

Ans. He punished the lady by changing her in to a woodpecker that built “as birds do” and gathered scanty food by boring in the “hard,dry wood” all day long.

 

4. How does the woodpecker gether food?

Ans. The woodpecker gets her food by boring holes in to trees.

 

5. 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. Some of the people lack basic human values.Selflessness is a rare virtue.One does not want to help any body without self-interest.They always want something in return.A person goes to a temple or a church or to a gurudwara just because they want something in return.The lady in the poem belongs to the same category.No,the lady would have behaved differently.She was a greedy woman.If she had known about Saint Peter and his power,she would have offered him her entire stock of cakes.She would have asked for some favours from him in return.

6. Is this a true story?Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?

Ans. The poem is a folklore.It passes on orally from one generation to the other.The main objectives of such poems or stories is to convey some values.Through some characters or incidents,some value are passed on from one generation to another.This method of spreading values is very effective.No,this is not a true story.The poet himself says,“I don't believe 'tis true.”It is a legend.The most important part of the poem is the one which conveys that one must not be greedy.

7. What is a legend?Why is this poem called a legend?

Ans. A ‘legend' is a popular story from the past which is believed by many but one cannot prove whether it is true or not.It usually contains a message or a moral and is narrated to children.The poet himself says that he doesn't believe this tale to be true.This poem,a‘legend',preaches generosity towards fellow beings.

                           

8. Write of‘A Legend of the North land in about ten sentences.the story

Ans. Once Saint Peter stopped by an old lady's cottage because he was feeling hungry and weak after the day's fasting.The lady was baking cakes on the hearth.Since he was weak with fasting,he asked her for a cake from her store of cakes.

The selfish lady tried to bake small cakes but each time they seemed too big for her to give away.Finally,she baked one that was as thin as a wafer.Unable to part with it too,she put it on a shelf and did not give any cake to the Saint.

Saint Peter was very angry with her behaviour and said she was too selfish to live as a human and have food,shelter and a fire to keep her warm.He punished her by changing her in to a woodpecker that would have to build a nest to live in,bore for food in the trunks of trees.Her clothes were burned and she was left with her scarlet cap on her head as she flew out through the chimney.Even today she still lives in the woods and is seen by all the country school boys.

Extra Questions

1. ‘For she was changed to a bird.’ Who was she and why was she changed to a bird?

Ans. An old woman of Northland was changed to a woodpecker by St. Peter. She was a greedy and selfish lady. She did not give a cake to the hungry saint. So, as a punishment, she was turned to a bird.


2. What is a ballad? Is this poem a ballad?

Ans. A ballad is a song narrating a story in short stanzas. Ballads are part of the folk culture and are passed on orally from one generation to another. The poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ is also a ballad as it contains the story of an old selfish woman.

3. ‘Away away in the Northland, where the hours of the day are few.’ Which place has been referred to? what kind of place is it?

Ans. The place is Northland. It is far off in the north. It is a cold place. Here days are short and the nights are long.

4. ‘And the children look like bear’s cubs.’ What have the children been compared to? Why?

Ans. Northland is a cold place. The children have been compared to bear’s cubs. They wear funny furry dresses to protect themselves from cold. While running and playing, it looks as if bear cubs are running and playing.

5. ‘I don’t believe ’tis true; And yet you may learn a lesson.’ What does the poet believe? Why does he want to tell the tale?

Ans. The poet himself admits that the story he was going to tell, may not be true. Still he wants to tell it because it contained a lesson. He wants the readers to learn a lesson from the poem.


6. ‘He asked her, from her store of cakes.’ Who is ‘he’ and what did he ask for? Who is ‘her’ here?

Ans. ‘He’ is Saint Peter. He is travelling from one place to another preaching. He is tired and hungry. He asked ‘for a cake from a woman who was baking cakes. ‘Her’ stands for the selfish lady.

7. “It seemed too large to give away.” What does ‘it’ stand for? What does the above expression show about the woman?

Ans. ‘It’ stands for the cake. Saint Peter asked for a cake from the lady. She prepared a tiny cake but even that seemed too large. She could not part with it. It shows that the lady was selfish.


8. ‘And surely such a woman was enough to provoke a saint.’ Who was the lady and how did she provoke the saint?

Ans. The lady was an old greedy woman who was making cakes when the saint visited her and asked for a cake. The old lady did not oblige the hungry and tired saint. The lady lacked decency. She did not part even with a wafer like cake. It provoked the saint who cursed her.


9. You are too selfish to dwell in a human form.’ Who said this and to whom? Why did he say so?

Ans. Saint Peter said so to the old greedy woman who did not oblige the saint by giving him a cake. She was a selfish lady. She did not deserve to be called a human being.

10. Who was St. Peter? How did he reach the old woman’s cottage?
Ans. St. Peter was an apostle of Christ. He used to travel from one place to another for preaching. He reached the old woman’s cottage during his travels.