U1 [A] The snake and the mirror. Summary and About the Author.

                                         

        SUMMARY

'The Snake and the Mirror' is a frightening tale told in a humorous way. The story has been! written by V.M. Basheer, a well known Malayalam writer. The incident in the story is both humorous and frightening. It also has a surprise ending. It is about a doctor's encounter with a snake in his room.

   An unmarried doctor (homeopath) with a very little incore lived in a small rented room. The valuables in his room were some shirts, dhotis, a black coat, a vest, a box, a-large mirror, a small comb, a kerosene lamp, a box of matches, a bed and sixty rupees of money in a suitcase. The room had no electricity but it had many rats on its beams making noise.

   On a hot summer night the doctor reached his room after finishing his meal. He heard a familiar noise from above as he opened the door. He lighted the kerosene lamp and took off his clothes and hung them. As he could not sleep, he sat down on the chair and started reading the book 'The Materia Medica' at the table on which stood the lamp and the large mirror.

   He felt tempted and took a look into the mirror. He began to admire his handsomeness and adjusted the parting of his hair. He had many youthful thoughts and decided to grow a thin moustache and to have an attractive smile on his face.

Meanwhile the doctor heard that sound two times from above.

   He continued to have some more funny and silly thoughts like marrying a fat rich woman doctor. Suddenly there care a dull sound as if a rubber tube had fallen to the ground. When he turned to look what it was, a snake landed on his shoulder. The doctor became silent and did not make a move in fear. The snake coiled around his left arm. He sat in the chair like a stone image in panic mood holding his breath. Fortunately the snake turned its head. It looked into the mirror and saw its reflection. It slowly moved into his lap, crept onto the table and moved towards the mirror. The doctor became a normal man and got up from the chair. He quietly went out through the door and ran till he reached a friend's house.

   The next morning he took his friend and one or two others to his room to move his things. But to his surprise all his valuables were stolen by a thief except his dirty vest. He felt it was an insult for him the thief leaving his vest treating it as a useless thing. Finally the doctor laughed saying that the snake was attracted by its own beauty and he had never seen it since.

                      About the Author

Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (21 January 1908-5 July 1994) was a Malayalam fiction writer from the state of Kerala in India. He was a humanist, freedom fighter, novelist and a short story writer.

   He is noted for his down-to-earth style of writing that made him equally popular among literary critics as well as the common man. He is regarded as one of the most successful and outstanding writers from India. Transla tions of his works into other languages have won him worldwide acclaim. The story 'The Snake and the Mirror' was translated into English. His notable works include Baalyakaalasakhi, Shabdangal, Mathilukal, and Anarga Nimisham. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1982. He is fondly remembered as the Beypore Sultan.