Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 – A Snake in the Grass

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass: “A Snake in the Grass” is the third prose chapter of Rainbow Part 1 for Bihar Board Class 11 English. The story is written by R. K. Narayan and presents a humorous situation created when a family learns that a cobra has entered its garden.

The story combines humour, fear, superstition, laziness and human behaviour. A simple incident involving a snake creates confusion and excitement among the members of a household and their neighbours. The character of Dasa, the servant, adds much of the humour to the story.

In this post, students can read the Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass summary, word meanings, textbook questions and answers, important questions, long-answer questions, composition and grammar-related preparation material.

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass – Overview

About the Author – R. K. Narayan

R. K. Narayan was one of the most well-known Indian writers in English. His stories often describe ordinary people and everyday situations in a simple but humorous manner.

Narayan’s writing is known for its gentle humour, irony and realistic portrayal of human behaviour. His fictional town of Malgudi appears in many of his works. “A Snake in the Grass” is also marked by these qualities, particularly its humour and observation of people’s reactions to an unexpected situation.

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass – Summary

The story begins on a hot afternoon when a family is resting after lunch. Suddenly, a cyclist arrives and informs the people in the house that he has seen a cobra entering their compound. The news immediately disturbs the peaceful afternoon.

The family members become worried and start discussing what should be done. They call their servant Dasa and ask him to search for the snake. However, Dasa is not interested in getting up from his rest. He says that there is no cobra in the garden.

The people blame Dasa for being lazy. They also point out that the garden is full of grass and plants and has not been properly maintained. Dasa defends himself by saying that he has repeatedly asked for a grass-cutter but nobody has provided one.

The situation becomes more serious when the family members begin searching for the snake themselves. They use sticks and other objects to look through the grass and plants. A college boy among them starts discussing statistics related to snake bites. His serious discussion about the number of people who die from snake bites makes the mother even more frightened.

The neighbours also gather around the house. Instead of immediately solving the problem, they discuss several other matters. Their conversation moves towards Dasa’s laziness, wartime shortages, black marketing and the danger of snake bites. The scene becomes both humorous and chaotic.

An old beggar woman arrives and gives the incident a completely different interpretation. She believes that the snake is actually God Subramanya and says that the family should consider themselves fortunate. She advises them not to kill the snake and offers to arrange a snake-charmer.

A snake-charmer eventually arrives. However, he cannot find the snake because nobody knows exactly where it is hiding. The family and neighbours continue searching the garden. They finally cut down the plants and grass so that the snake will have no place to hide.

Dasa then appears with a water pot whose mouth is closed. He claims that he has caught the cobra inside the pot. The family is relieved and impressed by his supposed bravery. Dasa proudly suggests that people should no longer call him lazy.

After Dasa leaves, however, the cobra suddenly appears from a hole in the garden. This reveals that Dasa had probably not caught the snake at all. He had cleverly created the impression that he had solved the problem.

The ending is humorous because the entire family believes Dasa’s story while the reader understands that his claim is doubtful. The story therefore exposes human fear, superstition, laziness and the tendency to believe convenient explanations.

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass – Central Idea

The central idea of the story is the humorous presentation of human behaviour during a crisis. A small incident creates fear and confusion, and each person reacts according to his or her own nature.

Dasa represents laziness and cleverness, the mother represents superstition and anxiety, the college boy represents an attempt at logical reasoning, while the old beggar represents traditional belief. Through these different characters, R. K. Narayan shows how people can respond very differently to the same danger.

Important Themes of A Snake in the Grass

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass – Important Characters

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass – Textbook Questions and Answers

A. Work in Small Groups and Discuss

Question 1. Have you ever seen a snake in your house or village?

Answer: Yes, I have seen a snake in our village. It was moving through the grass near a house.

Question 2. What was your reaction when you saw it?

Answer: I was frightened and immediately moved away from the snake. I also warned the people nearby to stay at a safe distance.

Question 3. How did other people of your family or village react to it?

Answer: Some people became frightened and stood at a distance, while others suggested that the snake should be removed or killed because they considered it dangerous.

Question 4. Did you kill the snake? Why?

Answer: No, I did not kill the snake. Another person dealt with it because people believed that it could be dangerous and might bite someone.

B.1 – Answer the Following Questions Briefly

Question 1. Why did the cyclist ring the bell?

Answer: The cyclist had seen a cobra entering the bungalow compound. He rang the bell to alert the people living there so that they could be careful.

Question 2. Why did Dasa say, “There is no cobra”?

Answer: Dasa did not want to get up and perform the difficult task of searching for the snake. He therefore denied that there was a cobra in the garden.

Question 3. What happens when someone wakes you up and asks you to do something?

Answer: I feel irritated when someone wakes me from sleep and immediately asks me to do some work. I need some time to become active again.

Question 4. What fault did the people find with Dasa?

Answer: The people considered Dasa extremely lazy. They also blamed him for not keeping the garden and surroundings clean and properly maintained.

Question 5. Do you find fault with the person who refuses to do what you want him to do?

Answer: Yes, I find fault with a person who refuses to perform a reasonable duty without a proper reason. Everyone should cooperate when an important problem needs to be solved.

Question 6. What was Dasa’s defence?

Answer: Dasa defended himself by saying that he had repeatedly asked for a grass-cutter for several months but had not received one. Therefore, he claimed that he could not properly cut and maintain the grass.

Question 7. What does “with cynical air” mean?

Answer: “With cynical air” means behaving in a doubtful or mocking manner. In the story, Dasa does not appear convinced that there is really a cobra in the grass.

Question 8. Why did the college boy quote statistics?

Answer: The college boy quoted statistics to prove that snake bites could be extremely dangerous. He wanted to support the seriousness of the situation with factual information.

Question 9. What made the mother nearly scream?

Answer: The college boy’s discussion about deaths caused by snake bites frightened the mother. She became worried that the cobra might bite someone from her family.

B.2 – Answer the Following Questions Briefly

Question 1. What made the old beggar happy?

Answer: The old beggar was happy because she believed that the snake was actually God Subramanya. She considered the appearance of the snake a fortunate event for the household.

Question 2. What did the beggar woman say?

Answer: The beggar woman asked the family not to kill the snake. She said that it was connected with God Subramanya and offered to send a snake-charmer to catch it.

Question 3. Why did the snake-charmer look helplessly about?

Answer: The snake-charmer could not see the snake anywhere. He explained that he could catch it only if the family could show him where it was hiding.

Question 4. Why did they cut down all the plants and grass in the garden?

Answer: The plants and grass were cut down to remove possible hiding places for the cobra. The people wanted the garden to become open enough for them to locate the snake easily.

Question 5. Cite instances from the lesson which show the old mother’s superstitious nature.

Answer: The mother’s superstitious nature becomes clear when she accepts the old beggar’s belief that the snake is God Subramanya. She regrets that she had forgotten a religious promise and also thinks about offering milk to the snake. She believes that the appearance of the snake may have religious significance.

Question 6. Did Dasa, in your opinion, really catch the cobra?

Answer: No, Dasa probably did not catch the cobra. He brings a water pot and claims that the snake is inside it, but the cobra appears from a hole after Dasa has left. This strongly suggests that Dasa had invented the story to make himself appear brave and useful.

Question 7. What impression of Dasa do you get from this episode?

Answer: Dasa appears to be lazy and unwilling to work, but he is also clever and imaginative. He knows how to create excuses and how to turn a difficult situation to his advantage. His final claim about catching the snake shows his cleverness and humorous dishonesty.

C.1 – Long Answer Questions

Question 1. What issues do the neighbours discuss when they assemble to hear about the cobra? What does their conversation suggest about people’s reaction when danger strikes?

Answer: The neighbours discuss several issues after hearing about the cobra. They talk about Dasa’s laziness, the condition of the garden, shortages during wartime, black marketing and the danger of snake bites.

Their conversation shows that people do not always react to danger in a calm and organised manner. Instead, they may become excited, frightened and distracted. They discuss unrelated matters and sometimes make the situation more complicated. The author presents this behaviour humorously to show how ordinary people can behave during a crisis.

Question 2. Why is the mother superstitious? Give examples from the story.

Answer: The mother believes strongly in religious signs and traditional beliefs. When the old beggar says that the snake is God Subramanya, she accepts the idea instead of questioning it.

She also remembers a religious promise and feels that the appearance of the snake may be connected with her failure to perform a religious duty. She thinks about offering milk to the cobra and seeks blessings through the beggar. These actions clearly show her superstitious nature.

Question 3. Describe the character of Dasa.

Answer: Dasa is one of the most interesting characters in the story. At first, he appears extremely lazy. When the family asks him to search for the cobra, he does not immediately agree. He would rather continue resting.

Dasa is also good at making excuses. He explains that the garden has not been cleaned because he had not been given a grass-cutter despite asking for one repeatedly.

At the same time, Dasa is clever. At the end of the story, he claims that he has caught the cobra and produces a sealed water pot. His confident behaviour makes the family believe that he has solved the problem. However, the later appearance of the cobra suggests that his claim was false. Thus, Dasa is lazy, clever, easy-going and somewhat dishonest.

Question 4. Describe the role of superstition in the story.

Answer: Superstition plays an important role in the story. The old beggar considers the cobra a form of God Subramanya, and the mother accepts this interpretation. Instead of simply treating the snake as a dangerous animal, they attach religious meaning to its presence.

This superstition creates an interesting contrast with the college boy, who tries to discuss the danger of snake bites using statistics. The story therefore places traditional belief and factual reasoning side by side.

Narayan does not present the situation as a serious debate. Instead, he uses it to create humour and show how people may interpret the same event according to their beliefs and experiences.

Question 5. How does R. K. Narayan create humour in “A Snake in the Grass”?

Answer: Narayan creates humour mainly through character behaviour and irony. The entire household becomes disturbed by the possibility of a snake, while nobody can actually find it.

Dasa’s laziness is another source of humour. He refuses to work at first but later claims that he has heroically caught the cobra. The old beggar’s religious interpretation of the snake also adds comic contrast to the family’s fear.

The neighbours further increase the humour by discussing unrelated topics while the snake remains hidden. The final appearance of the cobra after Dasa has supposedly caught it creates an ironic ending and makes the story especially amusing.

Question 6. What message do you get from the story?

Answer: The story teaches us that fear and uncertainty can make people behave irrationally. It also shows the importance of keeping a calm and practical attitude during difficult situations.

The story highlights the problems created by laziness, superstition and unnecessary panic. At the same time, it reminds us that people have different ways of responding to the same problem. Through humour, Narayan encourages readers to observe human behaviour carefully and not accept every claim without evidence.

Important Word Meanings – A Snake in the Grass

Important Questions from Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass

• Why did the cyclist warn the family about the cobra?
• Why did Dasa deny that there was a snake?
• What fault did the family find with Dasa?
• Why did the college boy quote statistics?
• Why was the mother frightened?
• Why did the old beggar consider the snake a divine presence?
• Why was the snake-charmer unable to catch the snake?
• Why did the family cut down the grass and plants?
• Describe the superstitious nature of the mother.
• Did Dasa really catch the cobra? Give reasons.
• Describe the character of Dasa.
• How does the story create humour?
• What message does the story convey?

Exam-Oriented Points – A Snake in the Grass

How to Prepare Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass

1. Read the story carefully and understand the sequence of events.
2. Remember the main characters and their individual traits.
3. Prepare all questions from sections B.1 and B.2.
4. Practise the six long-answer questions from C.1.
5. Learn important word meanings from the glossary.
6. Understand how humour and irony are used in the story.
7. Prepare questions related to Dasa’s character and the mother’s superstition.
8. Revise the central idea before the examination.

Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass – FAQs

Important Links

Conclusion

Bihar Board Class 11 English Chapter 3 A Snake in the Grass is an entertaining story that uses a simple incident to reveal different aspects of human nature. Fear, superstition, laziness, cleverness and humour all come together when a family hears that a cobra has entered its garden.

R. K. Narayan’s simple storytelling and ironic ending make the chapter easy to understand as well as enjoyable to read. For examination preparation, students should pay special attention to Dasa’s character, the mother’s superstitious nature, the role of the old beggar, the college boy’s statistics and the significance of the final appearance of the cobra.

Students who have completed this chapter can continue with the next prose lesson of Rainbow Part 1.