Answers to
Textbook questions
Thinking about the Poem
I. 1. Which country or countries do
you think “the Northland” refers to?
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?
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?
He punished the lady by changing her
into 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 get her
food?
The woodpecker gets her food by boring
holes into 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?
No, the old lady would not have been
so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was. Instead, she would
have tried to please him with her cakes for the fulfilment of her greedy
desires.
6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do
you feel is the most important?
No, this not a true story; it is a
legend. I feel that the point in the story where the old lady is changed into a
woodpecker is the most important. This is because the punishment meted out to
the lady teaches us the value of generosity and charity.
7. What is a legend? Why this poem is called a
legend?
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. The poet himself says that he doesn't
believe this tale to be true. This poem is called a 'legend' because it
preaches generosity towards fellow beings.
8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in
about ten sentences.
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. The saint 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 into 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.
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