Thinking about the Poem

I.

Q1. Which country or countries do you think “the Northland” refers to?
Answer: The “Northland” refers to the region around the North Pole, such as Greenland, the northern parts of Russia, Canada, or Scandinavia. These are places where the hours of the day are few and the nights are very long in winter, and people use sledges pulled by reindeer.

Q2. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady’s reaction?
Answer: Saint Peter, being faint with fasting, asked the old lady for a single cake from her store to satisfy his hunger. The lady’s reaction was one of extreme greed. She tried to bake a very little cake for him, but each time she thought it was too big to give away.

Q3. How did he punish her?
Answer: Saint Peter punished her by cursing her. He said she was too selfish to live in a human form and that she would have to build as birds do and get her “scanty food by boring, and boring, and boring, all day in the hard, dry wood.” He changed her into a woodpecker.

Q4. How does the woodpecker get her food?
Answer: The woodpecker, which the old lady was transformed into, gets her food by “boring, and boring, and boring, All day in the hard, dry wood.”

Q5. 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?
Answer: No, the old lady would likely not have been so ungenerous if she had known who Saint Peter was. She would have probably given him a large cake to gain favor. Her actions were driven by greed and selfishness, not a lack of hospitality toward a holy person.

Q6. Is this a true story? Which part of this poem do you feel is the most important?
Answer: No, this is not a true story. It is a legend, a traditional tale passed down through generations to teach a lesson. The most important part of the poem is the moral lesson that selfishness and greed lead to suffering and that one should be generous and kind.

Q7. What is a legend? Why is this poem called a legend?
Answer: A legend is an old traditional story or a folklore that is popularly regarded as historical but is not authenticated. This poem is called a legend because it is a traditional tale about Saint Peter and a selfish woman, which teaches a moral lesson, but is not a factual account.

Q8. Write the story of ‘A Legend of the Northland’ in about ten sentences.
Answer: Away in the Northland, where the days are short, lived an old lady who was very selfish. One day, the good Saint Peter, who was travelling around the world, came to her cottage. He was faint from fasting and asked her for a cake. The old lady began to bake a very small cake for him, but she thought it was too large to give away. She then kneaded an even smaller piece of dough, but that also seemed too large. Finally, she took a tiny scrap of dough, rolled it thin as a wafer, but still could not part with it. Angered by her greed, Saint Peter cursed her, saying she was too selfish to have food, shelter, and fire. He turned her into a woodpecker, who now pecks on hard wood all day to get her food. She can be seen with a scarlet cap on her head, which was the only thing left from her human form.

II.

Q1. 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 ‘kn1ow’. Find more such rhyming words.
Answer: Other rhyming words from the poem are:

• few – through
• earth – hearth
• done – one
• lay – day
• back – black
• wear – there
• lay – away
• both – undergrowth
• come back – black
• wear – fair
• both – say

Q2. 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.
Answer: This is an activity for students to perform. They should research and share local legends in their own language with their class.