B.Sc. 3rd year final year 15th chapter PDF 2025
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B.Sc./B.A./B.Com. final year
English language
Chapter 15
THE MOUSE AND THE SNAKE
Vikram Seth
Paragraph 1:-
Much against their friend’s advice,
Visited a room where grain
Undisturbed for months had lain.
Other mice had entered; none
Lived to eat and tell--not one.
Hindi Translation:-
एक सुनहरी सुबह दो छोटे चूहे,
अपने मित्रों की सलाह के विरुद्ध,
एक ऐसे कमरे में पहुँचे जहाँ
अनाज महीनों से बिना छुए पड़ा था।
पहले भी कई चूहे वहाँ गए थे,
पर कोई लौटकर जीते जी कहानी न कह सका।
Paragraph 2:-
But the two friends, unpoliced,
Broke in and began to feast;
And their laughter fell and rose,
Till their blood with horror froze.
Hindi Translation:-
पर वे दोनों मित्र, बिना डरे,
अंदर घुसे और खाने में लग गए।
उनकी हँसी गूँजती रही,
तभी भय से उनका रक्त जम-सा गया।
Paragraph 3:-
Gold and shiny, vicious, long,
Venom-fanged, hypnotic, strong--
Slid a snake towards the pair,
Swallowed one right then and there,
Hindi Translation:-
सोने-सा चमकीला, क्रूर और लम्बा,
विषदंतों वाला, सम्मोहक और बलशाली—
एक साँप उन दोनों की ओर सरक आया,
और तत्काल ही एक को निगल गया।
Paragraph 4:-
Hissed obscenely at the other:
“That’s the first; and here’s another!”
And, when she stood shocked and still,
Sprang at once to make his kill.
Hindi Translation:-
उसने घृणित फुफकार कर दूसरे से कहा—
“यह पहला था; और अब अगली बारी तुम्हारी है!”
वह चूहिया स्तब्ध और जड़ खड़ी रह गई,
तो साँप झपटकर उसे मारने दौड़ा।
Paragraph 5:-
Glared at him, and twitched her nose.
Every time he slid or sprang,
Dripping venom from each fang,
Out beyond his reach she leapt,
Hindi Translation:-
वह उसे घूरती रही और नाक फड़काती रही।
जब-जब वह सरकता या झपटता,
उसके दाँतों से विष टपकता,
हर बार वह उसकी पहुँच से बाहर कूद जाती।
Paragraph 6:-
Till the snake, grown tired, crept
To his hole, slid first his head,
Then his gleaming, overfed
Trunk in, so that just his tail
Jutted out to thrash and flail.
Hindi Translation:-
आखिर साँप थककर अपने बिल में घुसने लगा।
पहले सिर, फिर उसका चमकीला, भरा-पूरा
शरीर
धीरे-धीरे भीतर गया,
सिर्फ उसकी पूँछ बाहर रह गई,
जो इधर-उधर फटकार रही थी।
Paragraph 7:-
Swift as rage the little mouse
Rushed towards the killer’s house,
Bit his tail once, twice, again,
Clung to it till, wild with pain,
Hindi Translation:-
क्रोध की गति-सी तीव्र, छोटी चूहिया
उस हत्यारे के घर की ओर दौड़ी,
उसकी पूँछ को एक बार, दो बार, फिर कई बार काटा,
और कसकर चिपकी रही, जब तक वह दर्द से तड़प न उठा।
Paragraph 8:-
Hissing wrath, the snake backed out,
Swerved his body round about,
Lunged towards the mouse and tried
Swallowing her--but she leapt wide
Hindi Translation:-
क्रोधित फुफकारते हुए साँप बाहर निकल आया,
उसने अपने शरीर को मरोड़ा,
चूहिया पर झपटा और निगलने की कोशिश की—
लेकिन हर बार वह दूर छलांग लगा देती।
Paragraph 9:-
Every time he lunged, till he,
Wriggling back exhaustedly,
Slid inside his hole once more.
Then, exactly as before,
Hindi Translation:-
हर बार जब वह झपटा,
वह बच निकलती,
और थककर वह फिर बिल में घुस गया।
और फिर, ठीक
पहले की तरह—
Paragraph 10:-
Down she clamped with might and main
On his tail till, mad with pain,
Yet again the snake emerged.
This the battle ebbed and surged
Hindi Translation:-
उसने पूरी ताकत से फिर उसकी पूँछ को दबोच लिया,
जब तक कि वह पीड़ा से पागल न हो उठा।
फिर से साँप बाहर निकल आया।
और यह युद्ध बार-बार चलता रहा।
Paragraph 11:-
And the mouse fought on and on
Till her strength was almost gone
--When the snake, without a sound,
Spat the dead mouse on the ground,
Hindi Translation:-
और वह चूहिया लगातार लड़ती रही,
जब तक कि उसकी शक्ति लगभग समाप्त न हो गई।
तभी साँप ने बिना कोई आवाज़ किए,
मरे हुए चूहे को ज़मीन पर उगल दिया।
Paragraph 12:-
And, with mangled slither, stole
Unopposed into his hole.
Then the mouse came up and cried
Bitter tears for her who’d died.
Hindi Translation:-
और घायल-सा रेंगते हुए
वह बिना रोके अपने बिल में चला गया।
तब चूहिया आई और रो पड़ी,
अपने मृत साथी के लिए कड़वे आँसू बहाती हुई।
Paragraph 13:-
Squeaking sadly, and bereft,
Corpse in mouth, she sobbed and left.
Hindi Translation:-
दुखी स्वर में चूँ-चूँ करती हुई,
मृत शरीर को मुँह में दबाए,
वह सुबकते हुए वहाँ से चली गई।
Paragraph 14:-
This was seen by Mr. Yang.
When his friend the poet Chang
Heard the mouse’s story later,
Eager to commemorate her,
Hindi Translation:-
यह सब देखा श्री यांग ने।
बाद में जब उनके मित्र कवि चांग ने
उस चूहे की कहानी सुनी,
तो वे उसकी याद में लिखने को उत्सुक हो गए।
Paragraph 15:-
As he walked back to his house,
He composed “The Faithful Mouse”--
Where in elegiac metre
He extols the Snake-Defeater
Hindi Translation:-
जब वे अपने घर लौट रहे थे,
तो उन्होंने “निष्ठावान चूहिया” लिखी—
जहाँ शोकगीत की लय में
उन्होंने उस साँप-विजेता की प्रशंसा की।
Paragraph 16:-
And in couplets sad and stoic
Celebrates her acts heroic--
Acts that prove that shock and pain,
Death and grief are not in vain--
Hindi Translation:-
और उदास, गम्भीर
दोहे में
उसके वीरतापूर्ण कार्यों का गुणगान किया—
वे कार्य जो सिद्ध करते हैं कि
आघात और पीड़ा, मृत्यु और शोक व्यर्थ नहीं जाते।
Paragraph 17:-
Which fine lines, alive or dead,
Neither of the mice has read.
Hindi Translation:-
किन्तु ये सुंदर पंक्तियाँ, चाहे जीवित हो या मृत,
किसी भी चूहे ने कभी नहीं पढ़ीं।
Important Big Q&A – The Mouse and the Snake
Q1. Give a summary of the poem “The Mouse and the Snake”
by Vikram Seth.
Answer:
“The Mouse and the Snake” tells a story of two little mice who enter a room
filled with grain, ignoring their friends’ warning. While they are feasting, a
snake suddenly appears. It swallows one of the mice instantly and then turns to
attack the other. The surviving mouse bravely resists, leaping away every time
the snake tries to strike.
The battle between the snake and the mouse continues for a
long time. Whenever the snake retreats into its hole, the mouse attacks its
tail, forcing the snake to come out again. Finally, exhausted and in pain, the
snake spits out the dead body of the first mouse and withdraws into its hole.
The surviving mouse, heartbroken, weeps for her friend, takes the corpse, and
leaves.
Later, a poet named Chang hears this story and writes a poem
in memory of the brave mouse. Thus, the poem highlights both the tragedy of
loss and the courage of loyalty.
Q2. How does Vikram Seth portray the character of the
surviving mouse?
Answer:
The surviving mouse is portrayed as a symbol of courage, loyalty, and
determination. Despite witnessing her companion’s death and facing the
terrifying snake, she does not run away. Instead, she fights fearlessly, biting
the snake’s tail again and again, and forcing him out of his hole. Her bravery
shows her refusal to surrender, even against a stronger and venomous enemy.
At the same time, she is also deeply emotional. After the
snake spits out the dead body of her friend, she mourns bitterly, carrying the
corpse with tears. This combination of courage in battle and loyalty in
friendship makes the mouse an admirable figure, celebrated later in verse by
the poet Chang.
Q3. What is the significance of the snake in the poem?
Answer:
The snake represents danger, deceit, and destructive power. It is described as
“gold and shiny, vicious, long, venom-fanged, hypnotic, strong.” These words
emphasize its terrifying nature. The snake enters suddenly, kills instantly,
and embodies death and cruelty.
However, despite its power, the snake is not victorious in
spirit. Though it kills one mouse, it fails to dominate the surviving one.
Forced into pain and exhaustion, it retreats into its hole, leaving the scene
without triumph. Thus, the snake stands as a symbol of evil or destructive
forces that may harm, but can be resisted with courage and determination.
Q4. What is the role of Mr. Yang and the poet Chang in
the poem?
Answer:
Mr. Yang is the witness of the tragic event. He sees the surviving mouse
mourning her dead companion. His role is to carry the story further, because he
narrates it to his friend, the poet Chang.
Chang, upon hearing the tale, feels inspired to honor the
loyalty and courage of the mouse. He composes a poem called “The Faithful
Mouse” in elegiac metre, celebrating her heroism. Their presence adds
another layer to Vikram Seth’s story: while animals enact the tale, human
beings preserve it through poetry. This shows how stories of courage and
loyalty are remembered and passed down through art and literature.
Q5. What is the moral of the poem “The Mouse and the
Snake”?
Answer:
The poem gives several important morals:
- Blind
Greed Leads to Danger – The two mice entered the room for grain,
ignoring their friends’ warning. Their greed led them into danger.
- Courage
Can Resist Evil – The surviving mouse, though small and weak, faced
the powerful snake with bravery. Courage can weaken even the strongest
enemy.
- Loyalty
in Friendship – The mouse’s devotion to her dead companion shows the
value of true friendship and love.
- Art
Preserves Heroism – The poet Chang immortalizes the mouse’s story in
verse, teaching that bravery and sacrifice are never forgotten.
Thus, the poem is both a fable with a moral lesson and a
tribute to loyalty and courage.
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