A humorous narrative about a doctor, his vanity, and a terrifying encounter with a cobra.
"The Snake and the Mirror" is a story within a story. It is narrated by a Homeopathic Doctor to a group of people. He recounts a frightening yet funny incident from his bachelor days when a cobra fell on him, but his life was saved because the snake became fascinated by its own reflection in a mirror.
The story explores the theme of Vanity versus Reality. The doctor is initially obsessed with his looks (vanity), but the sudden arrival of death (the snake) makes him realize his helplessness and foolishness (reality). It humorously suggests that even animals might be capable of vanity!
The doctor lived in a small, rented room which was not electrified. It was an outer room with one wall facing the open yard.
It was a hot summer night. The doctor could not sleep, so he sat in front of a large mirror. Admiring his beauty, he made two "important" decisions:
Suddenly, there was a dull thud. As the doctor turned, a fat snake wriggled over the back of the chair and landed on his shoulder. Before he could react, the snake coiled around his left arm above the elbow. Its hood was spread out, hardly three or four inches from his face.
The doctor sat there like a "stone image in the flesh." He realized the irony: moments ago he was proud of his looks, but now facing death, he remembered he didn't even have any medicine for snakebite in the room. He felt like a "poor, foolish, and stupid doctor."
Answer: He wanted to marry a woman doctor who had plenty of money and a good medical practice. He also wanted her to be fat so that if he made a silly mistake and had to run, she would not be able to catch him!
Answer: He thinks this when the snake is coiled around his arm. Facing death, he realizes his vanity was baseless. He remembers he doesn't even have medicines for snakebite in his room, which humbles him.
Answer: He found that a thief had removed almost everything, except for his dirty vest. The thief had a sense of cleanliness and left the dirty vest behind as a final insult!
"Was it admiring its own beauty? Was it trying to make an
important decision about growing a moustache...?"
a) Who is thinking these lines?
The doctor is thinking this about the snake.
b) Why is he thinking this?
Because the snake was looking intently into the mirror, just as
the doctor had done earlier. It highlights the humorous parallel
between the doctor's vanity and the snake's behavior.