A LEGEND OF THE NORTH LAND BY PHOEBE CARY

 

 

A LEGEND OF THE NORTHLAND

BY

PHOEBE CARY

Q. 1. Which country or countries do you think the Northland 'refers to?

Ans.  The Northland 'refers to a country  countries of polar region. Sweden, Norway, Denmark etc. may be some of them. There the days are shorter and nights are longer. People use reindeer for food and sledge.

Q. 2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for?  What was the lady's reaction?

Ans. St. Peter asked the lady to give him a single cake from her store of cakes.  They seemed to be too big to be given. So she made a small cake, then smaller, and then still smaller but could not part with any because she was very selfish and greedy.

Q.3. How did Saint Peter punish her?

Ans.  She was turned into a woodpecker by Saint Peter's curse.  Then, she had to live in the tree and get her scanty food by boring all day in the hard, dry wood. 

Q. 4. How does the woodpecker get her food?

Ans.  The woodpecker gets her food by boring into dry, hard wood of the trees. 

Q. 5. Do you think the old lady would have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter really was?  What would she have done then?

Ans.  The old lady would not have been so ungenerous if she had known who St.  Peter really was.  She might have offered him the whole stock of her cakes.  Such persons have another kind of greed and that is ‘to be in heaven'. 

Q. 6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?

Ans.  It might not be a true story as the poet himself thinks. The part of the poem which tells us about the punishment of the old lady - how she was turned into a woodpecker due to her greed - is the most important part of the poem as it conveys a positive message that is, not to be greedy and  selfish.

Q. 7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?

Ans.  A legend is an old traditional story.  It is handed down from the past --- from generations to generations.  The present poem is a legend as it tells us about a popular traditional story of Northland.

Q.8.  Write the story of 'A Legend of the Northland' in about ten sentences. 

Ans.  Saint Peter used to go about preaching.  One day he reached the door of an old woman's cottage.  She was baking cakes.  Saint Peter was very hungry.  He asked her to give her only one cake.  But she thought all her cakes were too big to be given away. So he made smaller and smaller cakes.  But she was so greedy and selfish that she could not part with any.  Saint Peter was angry.  He turned her into a woodpecker.  Now she has to bore into hard wood to find food.