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NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5 Poem - A Legend of the Northland

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Class 5 English A Legend of the Northland: Question and Answers FREE PDF Download

Vedantu offers comprehensive NCERT Solutions to Class 9 English A Legend of The Northland Question Answers. The poem is from the Beehive Reader, prescribed for Class 9 and teaches students about the evils of greed and selfishness. The solutions are curated and compiled by top subject matter experts at Vedantu, who ensure their accuracy and relevancy. 

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Table of Content
1. Class 5 English A Legend of the Northland: Question and Answers FREE PDF Download
2. Glance on English Chapter 5, A Legend of the Northland
3. Access NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 Poem- A Legend of the Northland
    3.1Thinking about the Poem
    3.2Value-based Questions
4. Benefits of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5
5. Conclusion
6. Important Study Material Links for Class 9 Chapter 5 Poem
7. Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive (Poem)
8. Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive
9. Study Material for NCERT Class 9 English:
FAQs


NCERT solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5 are prepared by the Vedantu experts and updated regularly to keep them compliant with the latest Class 9 English CBSE Syllabus.


Glance on English Chapter 5, A Legend of the Northland

  • "A Legend of The Northland" is a poem from northern Europe, including Scandinavia, Iceland, and Greenland. Parents tell this story to teach values like selflessness.

  • The poem tells of Saint Peter, who travelled the world preaching. On one journey, he stops at a cottage where a lady is baking cakes.

  • After fasting all day, Saint Peter asks the lady for some cakes. The selfish lady deems the cakes too big to give away and offers to bake a smaller one.

  • She continues baking smaller, thinner cakes but never offers any to the saint. In reality, she just wants to keep them for herself.

  • Angered by her selfishness, Saint Peter curses her to become a woodpecker. As a woodpecker, she must search for food and shelter, symbolising hard work.

  • The poem emphasises the importance of selflessness and caring for others.

Access NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5 Poem- A Legend of the Northland

Thinking about the Poem

I.

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

Ans: Northland refers to chilly regions of the world, especially those located in the Earth’s northern polar region. Countries in these regions include Norway, Canada, Greenland etc. 


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

Ans: The old lady was asked for one of her baked cakes to satisfy her hunger by Saint Peter. The lady went ahead and baked a small cake for him.


3. How did he punish her?

Ans: The saint got angry when the lady presented him with a small cake. The lady was punished by being changed into a woodpecker that built “as birds do” and gathered scanty food by boring in the “hard, dry wood” all day long.


4. How does the woodpecker get her food?

Ans: By boring holes into the trees, the woodpecker gets her food.


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: I don't think the old lady would have presented the saint with a smaller cake if she would have known he was a divine saint. If she would have known he was a saint, she would have given generously to please him and get his blessing.


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

Ans: The poem is a legend and isn't a true story. The part where the lady changes into a woodpecker is important since it teaches us the value of generosity and being caring and charitable. We shouldn't judge a person based on their looks and give as much as possible.


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

Ans: A ‘legend’ is a tale that’s carried down from generation to generation. They don't have a scientific explanation for the tales but are mythological. It has a message or moral. The poet starts by saying that he doesn't believe in the tale but finds the message enriching. This legend teaches us generosity towards other fellow beings.


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

Ans: The door of an old lady, who baked cakes, was knocked on by Saint Peter. He was hungry and weak after fasting for a day and wanted the lady to satisfy his hunger. He asked the lady to serve him one of the cakes in her store. The lady was selfish and didn't want to give a bigger cake to the saint. She baked smaller cakes multiple times for her but every time they were big enough for her to give. At last, she finally baked a cake as thin as a wafer but her inner consciousness wasn't ready to part with it either. The saint got infuriated with her behaviour and changed her into a woodpecker. She would have to bore into the rigid wood of the trees to build a nest to live in. The legend says that the bird still lives today in the woods.


II.

1. Let’s look at the words at the end of the second and fourth lines, viz., ‘snows’ and ‘clothes’, true’ and ‘you’, ‘below’ and ‘know’. We find that ‘snows’ rhymes with ‘clothes’, ‘true’ rhymes with ‘you’ and ‘below’ rhymes with ‘know’.

Find more such rhyming words

Ans: 

The rhyming words are: ‘Few’ and ‘through’

‘Earth’ and ‘hearth’ ‘Done’ and ‘one’

‘Lay’ and ‘away’ ‘One’ and ‘done’ ‘Flat’ and ‘that’

Myself and ‘shelf’ ‘Faint’ and ‘saint’

‘Form’ and ‘warm’ ‘Food’ and ‘wood’ ‘Word’ and ‘bird’

‘Same’ and ‘flame’ ‘Wood’ and ‘food’


2. Go to the local library or talk to older persons in your locality and find legends in your own language. Tell the class these legends.

Ans: There was a nymph called Echo that talked a lot. There was a great Juno and Echo because of her nature, she spoke rudely to him. Juno punished her and changed her to a mere parrot. She could only repeat what others would have said. Echo lost her nature and hid herself in the forest because she was ashamed of herself. 

Once she was seen by Narcissus, a young gentleman with golden locks, who was searching for his friends in a forest. While following the voice he saw Echo, instead of his friends and walked away quickly. Since that day, Echo never came out of the forest again and became a mere voice. It always has the tone of a mourning individual and is only heard in lonely places and deep forests.


Value-based Questions

1. What is the moral of this poem?

Ans: From this poem, we learn that sharing with the needy brings true happiness. Greed cannot bring any happiness in our lives. Our charitable nature lets us gauge the pains and sorrows of the ones suffering and we have many friends. However, the ones who are greedy hardly have any friends and are generally lonely.

 

2. What quality do saints show based on this poem?

Ans: Based on the verses of the poem, saints are generally wise people, having gained some heavenly power. They are not moved by riches, which normal individuals often crave. Their only need is food in order to survive. They prefer to travel around the globe to learn lessons.


Benefits of NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5

  • Vedantu offers comprehensive NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English A Legend of The Northland question answers. These solutions are easy to understand and provided in simple language to help students grasp and retain the material.

  • The solutions to the Class 9 English poem A Legend of The Northland Question answer are constantly checked and updated to align with the latest CBSE syllabus. 

  • Reading these solutions gives students a clear idea of the poem's content and plot.

  • NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5, A Legend of The Northland, are available in PDF format for FREE download, allowing students to study anywhere, anytime.

  • The Class 9 English A Legend of The Northland question answer solutions cover all textbook questions, ensuring students have all the answers they need for their exams and saving them time from searching for solutions elsewhere.


Conclusion

The Class 9 English Chapter 5, A Legend of the Northland, highlights a Scandinavian tale that sheds light on the values of selflessness, kindness, and the quality of providing to those in need. Vedantu provides comprehensive NCERT Solutions to Class 9 English Poem A Legend of The Northland Question Answer which students can refer to equip themselves for the examination. These solutions are compiled, created, and vetted by top professionals and subject matter experts with years of experience dealing with the CBSE syllabus, thus ensuring the accuracy and authenticity of the solutions.


Important Study Material Links for Class 9 Chapter 5 Poem

S.No. 

Study Material Links for Chapter 5 A Legend Of The Northland

1

Class 9 A Legend Of The Northland Revision Notes

2

Class 9 A Legend Of The Northland Important Questions


Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive (Poem)


Chapters-wise NCERT Class 9 English Beehive


Study Material for NCERT Class 9 English:

Now that you have a thorough understanding of the NCERT Syllabus for Class 9 English, you can take a look at some of the material that will take your preparation to the next level. These can be used as supplementary material to your main study routine:

FAQs on NCERT Solutions Class 9 English Chapter 5 Poem - A Legend of the Northland

1. What do you understand by the term ‘Legend’? Why is this poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ termed as a legend?

Traditional tales that usually preach some heroic deeds or conveys good morals are known as legends. Often, legends are not authenticated or validated with substantial evidence. However, legends are those stories that are more popular among the people verbally, and elderly people tell such famous stories to young children.


The poet says he is doubtful if this tale is true. This poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ is termed as a legend since it preaches a sense of generosity towards fellow beings.

2. What is the summary of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’?

The poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’ is an age-old tale about a saint and an old lady. One day, Saint Peter stopped by an old lady’s cottage, when she was baking cakes. The saint was weak from fasting and asked the old lady to help him with a cake. The old lady kept on trying to bake a small cake for him. However, every time every cake that she baked seemed to be big enough to part with for her. The last cake that she baked was as small as a wafer, but she was not ready to give it away. Hence she kept it on the shelf. The saint was vexed with the way she treated him, and he turned her into a woodpecker. She flew away through the window of her cottage with her scarlet cap and is still believed to be living in the woods, pecking at tree trunks for shelter, food, and warmth.

3. How many questions are there in the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5- A Legend of The Northland?

There are 10 questions in the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 5- A Legend of The Northland. The first 4 questions are short answer-type questions, the next 4 questions are a little more descriptive, and the last two questions are of the value-based type. All these questions are solved in the NCERT solutions for this poem on Vedantu and you can refer to them to get a better understanding of the poem.

4. Are the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive A Legend of The Northland Question Answer on Vedantu beneficial for exam preparation?

Yes, the Class 9 English Beehive A Legend Of The Northland Question Answer on Vedantu are very beneficial for exam preparation. These NCERT English solutions are prepared by the subject matter experts at Vedantu. They have prepared the solutions as per the NCERT guidelines for Class 9 so that students can refer to them for their exam preparation. You can download these solutions for free from Vedantu and go through them to get an idea of the appropriate writing style for NCERT English answers. These solved NCERT questions also make a reliable study material for your examination.

5. Is Chapter 5 Class 9 English difficult?

English as a literature subject can be a little difficult for some students of Class 9. But proper descriptions will make the students understand better. Proper understanding of Chapter 5 will make the students confident and give them the ability to write better answers. Literature subjects usually have deeper meanings that need to be comprehended properly in order to do well in examinations. Knowing what is being conveyed in Chapter 5 can help students ace well. For such guidance, you can refer to the Vedantu website or the app.

6. Who wrote Class 9 English Chapter 5 A Legend of the Northland?

A Legend of the Northland is actually a poem written by Phoebe Cary which was made in the form of a ballad in the past. The ballad was about an old Saint Peter who sought shelter and food from an old lady who baked cakes. It was written in the form of a legend or a folk tale that talks of one’s morality, the importance of caring about something and the virtue of unselfishness. This all is also described in the poem just the same.

7. Where can I get the best solutions for Chapter 5 Class 9 English?

You can find the best NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Chapter 5 English on the Vedantu website. Follow these steps:

  • You can first visit the page-NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Chapter 5.

  • Select the PDF then click on the download option.

  • Once redirected to a new page, you will be able to download it for free.

8. What did St. Peter ask the old woman?

St. Peter was understood to go to the house of the old woman in the Northlands. He went in search of some shelter and food to satisfy his hunger. The old lady was known to bake cakes and hence St. Peter asked her for some cake to eat. The old lady was unaware of the actual identity of the man and hence it was a test of her virtues in disguise. This concept is derived from an old tale of the past. To know more about the story students can visit the Vedantu website or the app.

9. What did the old woman do when St. Peter asked for some cake to eat?

The selfish and greedy lady was not convinced by the fact that she had to feed someone for free so she baked a cake as small as possible for St. Peter. She would not have done that if she knew who she was going to feed. This showed how low our moral values are and that she had no sense of care and humanity for people in need. The old woman had actually failed the test by baking such a small cake for her guest.