A Legend of the Northland

A Legend of the Northland - By Phoebe Cary

Lesson - 5, Page No: 65

Question and Answers:

1. Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?

Ans. The northland refers to the region around the north pole which is extremely cold. It could be any country like Russia, Canada, Greenland, Norway, etc.

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

Ans. Saint Peter asked the lady to give him a cake as he was hungry. The lady did not give him a cake out of the ones that she had baked, instead she baked a smaller one for him.

3. How did Saint Peter punish the lady?

Ans. He punished the selfish lady by turning her into a woodpecker bird that had to bore into the dry wood all day to get some food and shelter.

4. How does the woodpecker get her food?

Ans. The woodpecker gets food by boring holes in the wood.

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?

Ans. If the old lady knew who Saint Peter was, then she would not have been ungenerous. On the other hand, she would have served him well 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?

Ans. It is not a true story. The point of the story where the woman is turned into a woodpecker bird is the most important. This is so because the punishment teaches everyone the lesson to be generous.

7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend? (4 marks)

Ans. A legend is a popular story from the past which is believed to be true but cannot be verified. It contains a moral which is narrated to the children to teach them moral values.

Or, A legend is a mythological story which is passed on orally from one generation to the other. There is no evidence to prove its accuracy but it still remains in circulation for its instructive value.

This poem is called a legend because it is the story of Saint Peter and the old woman from ancient times. Its historical origin can not be proved but it teaches the lesson of love, kindness and charity.

8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of Northland’ in about ten sentences.

Ans. One day, Saint Peter was preaching around the world and reached the door of a cottage where this woman lived. She was making cakes and baking them on a hearth. St. Peter was fainting with hunger. He asked the lady to give him a piece of cake. The cake that she was baking then appeared to be too big, so she did not give him that and instead, she baked another smaller one. That also appeared to be big so she did not give him that also. The second time she baked yet another smaller cake but found it too big to give away. In the third attempt, she took an extremely little scrap of dough and rolled it flat. She had it as thin as a wafer but was unable to part with that also. This angered St. Peter a lot. He said that she was not fit to live in human form and enjoy food and warmth. He cursed her and transformed her into a woodpecker bird who had to bore in hard, dry wood to get its scanty food. She can be seen in the trees all day boring and boring for food.

Word-Notes:

Some important word meanings from the lesson - A Legend of Northland:
Curious = strange ; saint = holy person ; preaching = giving sermons ; Northland = New Zealand ; harness = fasten to the car ; swift = fast ; reindeer = a kind of deer ; sledge = a cart which moves on ice and snow ; bear’s cubs = young ones of bear ; furry = made of fur ; Cottage = small bungalow ; hearth = fireplace ; faint = lacking strength ; fasting =eating little or no food ; Seemed = appeared ; kneaded = pressed and stretched the dough ; large = big ; Tiny = very small ; scrap = small piece ; dough = flour ; wafer = thin bread or biscuit ; part with = give to someone else ; Grew = became ; faint = very weak ; provoke = make someone angry ; selfish = thinking of one’s own self ; dwell = live ; Build = to make ; scanty = very little ; boring = making holes ; woodpecker = a kind of bird ; Scarlet = bright red ; flame = fire.