The doctor heard a familiar scurrying sound from above. He thought it was the sound of rats. He heard it three times. The sounds stopped suddenly because the rats had seen the snake and likely fled; the sound stopped just before the dull thud of the snake landing.

While looking into the mirror, the doctor decided:
1. He would shave daily and grow a thin moustache to look more handsome.
2. He would always keep that attractive smile on his face to look better.

(i) First Smile: He was proud, vain, and conscious of his beauty. He felt important as a bachelor and a doctor.
(ii) Second Smile: He smiled feebly at his own foolishness and helplessness. He realized he was a “poor, foolish and stupid doctor” who didn’t even have medicines for a snakebite. His thoughts changed from vanity to humility due to the immediate threat of death.

1. Reality vs Ambition:
The doctor is actually poor; he lives in a small rented room with no electricity, owns only sixty rupees, a few shirts/dhotis, and one black coat. However, he wants to appear handsome, dashing, and rich, making “earth-shaking” decisions about his looks despite his poverty.

2. Marriage Plans vs Reality:
He wants to marry a fat woman with a good medical practice so she cannot run after him if he makes a mistake. In reality, he marries a thin, reedy woman with the gift of a sprinter.

3. Thoughts in Mirror vs With Snake:
When looking in the mirror, he is lost in admiration of his own beauty and charm. When the snake coils around his arm, he turns to stone, mentally praying to God, feeling like a “foolish, stupid doctor,” completely stripped of his earlier vanity.

1. I was turned to stone. → (a) was afraid of the snake
2. I was no mere image cut in granite. → (d) was no longer afraid
3. The arm was beginning to be drained of strength. → (a) was afraid
4. I tried… to write… the words, ‘O God’. → (a) was afraid
5. I didn’t tremble. I didn’t cry out. → (a) was afraid (too scared to move)
6. I looked into the mirror and smiled… → (b) was proud of his appearance
7. I was suddenly a man of flesh and blood. → (d) was no longer afraid
8. I was after all a bachelor, and a doctor too… → (b) was proud
9. The fellow had such a sense of cleanliness…! → (c) had a sense of humour
10. Was it trying to make an important decision… → (c) had a sense of humour

1. I was turned to stone.
2. I sat there holding my breath.
3. In the light of the lamp I sat there like a stone image in the flesh.

1. Scared out of my wits → very frightened
2. Got a fright → frightened by something that happens suddenly
3. Jumped out of his skin → frightened by something that happens suddenly
4. Gave me a fright → makes another feel frightened
5. Make your hair stand on end → makes another feel frightened
6. Paralysed with fear → too scared to move
7. Not moving a muscle → too scared to move

1. Meena asked her friend if she thought her teacher would come that day.
2. David asked his colleague where he would go that summer.
3. He asked the little boy why he was studying English.
4. She asked me when we were going to leave.
5. Pran asked me if I had finished reading the newspaper.
6. Seema asked her how long she had lived there.
7. Sheila asked the children if they were ready to do the work.

“The Indian cobra is the common name for members of the family of venomous snakes, known for their intimidating looks and deadly bite. Cobras are recognised by the hoods that they flare when angry or disturbed; the hoods are created by the extension of the ribs behind the cobras’ heads. Obviously the best prevention is to avoid getting bitten. This is facilitated by the fact that humans are not the natural prey of any venomous snake. We are a bit large for them to swallow whole and they have no means of chopping us up into bite-size pieces. Nearly all snakebites in humans are the result of a snake defending itself when it feels threatened. In general snakes are shy and will simply leave if you give them a chance.”

The Vain Monkey
In the dense foliage of the Delhi ridge, a monkey stumbled upon a treasure discarded by a passerby—a small, broken shard of a mirror. Curious, he picked it up and saw a strange face staring back. He tilted his head; the face tilted too. He grinned, and the reflection grinned back. “My, aren’t I handsome!” he seemed to think, smoothing down the fur on his head. He spent hours preening, checking his teeth, and admiring his ears, completely ignoring the chatter of his troop. For that afternoon, he wasn’t just a monkey; he was the king of the ridge, the fairest of them all, captivated by the magic of his own reflection.