SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs (2026–27) | Assam Eduverse
The SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs (2026–27) are prepared strictly according to the latest ASSEB syllabus for Assam Board students. These SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs include important objective questions, poetic devices-based MCQs, and exam-oriented practice sets designed to improve board exam performance. Practicing these seba class 9 a legend of the northland mcqs helps students understand the theme, moral lesson, and literary elements of the poem.
Prepared by subject experts of Assam Eduverse, these class 9 seba english important mcqs focus on the story of Saint Peter, the greedy woman, and the transformation into a woodpecker. Solving seba class 9 english a legend of the northland objective questions and assam board class 9 english objective questions regularly strengthens conceptual clarity and builds confidence for the 2026–27 examination. Continuous revision using these SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs ensures better performance in objective-type board exam questions.
SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs – Assam Board 2026–27 Exam Practice
Table of Contents
Before You Start
Read every question carefully. As soon as you tap an option, it is checked automatically — no need to press any button. The explanation unlocks right after you answer the question so that you can learn every concept properly.
Where is the story set according to the poem?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The opening stanza of Phoebe Cary's ballad introduces us to the geographical setting, stating clearly: "Away, away in the Northland." This refers to the cold, sub-arctic northern polar regions where winters are exceptionally harsh and snow dominates the landscape.
Option Analysis
- A. Southland, B. Eastland, and D. Midlands are incorrect regions not mentioned in the poem's layout. The geographical clues like snow and sledges belong entirely to the far north.
Exam Tip
The geographical term Northland sets the tone for the entire lifestyle described in the chapter, including the unique clothing and survival adaptations used by the people who live there.
What is special about the days in the Northland?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The poet notes that because the Northland is located close to the polar circle, "the hours of the day are few." During their harsh winter cycles, the sun barely peaks over the horizon, making the daylight hours incredibly limited and brief.
Option Analysis
- A. They are very long is incorrect because it is the polar nights that stretch out endlessly, not the days.
- C. They are hot and D. They are rainy are completely wrong weather profiles that contradict the freezing, snow-covered landscape of the legend.
Exam Tip
The phrase "hours of the day are few" is the textbook's way of explaining that daylight is limited. Always link this directly to the idea of very brief days.
Why are the nights long in the Northland?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The change in seasons dramatically shifts daylight hours in the polar zones. The poem points out that during winter, the dark hours stretch out so extensively that the inhabitants "cannot sleep them through," meaning the nights feel almost endless.
Option Analysis
- A. Because of summer is incorrect; polar summers have long daylight hours instead.
- B. Because of heavy rain and D. Because of storms confuse standard weather conditions with the seasonal tilt of the Earth that causes long polar nights.
Exam Tip
The phrase "and the nights are so long in winter" is the direct textual explanation. Keep this seasonal link clear for short answer sheets.
What animals are harnessed to the sledges?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
To travel across the dense, pathless snow drifts, the locals use specialized winter transport. The second stanza notes that they harness the swift reindeer to their wheelless sledges, relying on these native, cold-adapted animals to glide quickly across the ice.
Option Analysis
- A. Horses and D. Oxen are traditional draft animals that struggle to walk through deep snow.
- B. Dogs pull sledges in some northern cultures, but they are not the specific animal named in Phoebe Cary's verses.
Exam Tip
The textbook explicitly uses the phrase "swift reindeer". Associate this animal choice directly with the word "sledges" to secure a perfect score on factual items.
The children in the Northland look like bear’s cubs because they wear:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The extreme cold requires heavy insulation. The poet describes the local children looking exactly like little bear cubs because they are bundled up completely in funny, furry clothes made of thick animal pelts to keep warm.
Option Analysis
- A. Woollen caps and D. Heavy coats are common winter items, but they do not capture the specific, shaggy, bear-like appearance highlighted by the poet.
- C. Animal masks is a literal distractor not mentioned anywhere in the stanzas.
Exam Tip
The text relies on a simile here: "And the children look like bear’s cubs / In their funny, furry clothes." Recognizing this description will help you answer style and imagery questions perfectly.
The story told in the poem is described as:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The poet introduces the narrative elements in the third stanza, admitting openly: "I don’t believe ’tis true; / And yet you may learn a lesson / If I tell the tale to you." She explicitly defines it as a curious story passed down through folk tradition.
Option Analysis
- A. A true incident and C. A historical fact are incorrect because the poet directly questions the literal truth of the magical transformation.
- D. A fairy tale is close, but the textbook vocabulary specifically labels the narrative as a curious legend or story designed to pass down values.
Exam Tip
The subtitle of the poem is "A Legend of the Northland." A legend is a traditional story that may not be historically true but carries deep cultural and moral value.
The poem teaches the readers a:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The primary objective of this ballad is educational. By showcasing how a simple, greedy woman was punished for refusing to share a single slice of bread, the legend conveys an important moral lesson about the values of charity, kindness, and shared humanity.
Option Analysis
- B, C, and D are incorrect because the stanzas are completely free from complex science data, political ideologies, or actual factual history records.
Exam Tip
Traditional legends are built to share cultural values. The core message here targets the negative traits of greed and selfishness, encouraging students to develop open hearts instead.
Who came to the cottage of the little woman?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The main plot begins when an elite spiritual traveler knocks on her door. Saint Peter, an apostle of Christ, arrives at her remote cottage hearth after a long, tiring journey spent walking across the countryside.
Option Analysis
- A. A king is incorrect because he was traveling humbly on foot without any royal guards or luxury.
- B. A traveller and D. A beggar are partially true descriptions of his physical appearance, but option C provides his exact name and spiritual role as detailed in the poem.
Exam Tip
Make a clear mental note of his title: Saint Peter. He acts as the main divine figure who tests the woman's hospitality.
Saint Peter was travelling around the earth:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Saint Peter's global travels were driven by his spiritual mission. The text notes that he moved from settlement to settlement preaching religious sermons and sharing spiritual wisdom with regular citizens, just as holy saints traditionally do.
Option Analysis
- A. Selling goods, C. Hunting, and D. Exploring are secular or commercial tasks that do not match his role as a dedicated spiritual teacher.
Exam Tip
The textbook uses the specific phrase "just as he did, you know, / Preaching...". Linking his name directly to religious teaching will keep your answers accurate.
Why was Saint Peter feeling faint?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
By the time he reached the cottage door at the end of the day, Saint Peter's energy was completely drained. The text notes that he was close to passing out because he had been fasting for a long time, spending the entire day walking and teaching without consuming any food.
Option Analysis
- A. He was sick and C. He was injured are incorrect medical assumptions not supported by the chapter's lines.
- D. He was tired from walking is a true physical condition, but the primary, explicit reason given for his dizziness is his empty stomach due to religious fasting.
Exam Tip
The text explicitly states: "With fasting, for the day was almost done." This direct link between his dizziness and his empty stomach makes fasting the definitive answer.
What did Saint Peter ask from the old lady?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Seeing the woman baking on her hearth, Saint Peter made a very modest request. He didn't ask for a full meal or money; he simply asked her to share a single cake out of her large store to help him recover his strength.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and C are standard things a traveler might request, but they miss the specific factual focus of his dialogue. He only requested a minor piece of food to break his fast.
Exam Tip
The modesty of his request highlights the extreme nature of her greed. The fact that she refused to share even one small cake with a fainting saint emphasizes her profound selfishness.
The old lady was baking the cakes on the:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The poem utilizes a traditional domestic setting. The old woman was baking her dough directly over the open fire of her hearth (the stone or brick floor of a fireplace), which was typical for rural cottages before modern stoves were invented.
Option Analysis
- A. Stove and B. Oven describe modern cooking appliances that do not fit the historical, rustic setting of the legend.
- D. Firewood is the material burned to create the flame, rather than the physical structure where the baking took place.
Exam Tip
Commit the word hearth to your vocabulary notes. Examiners pull these exact traditional terms directly out of the text to form their correct choices.
The first cake the old lady made seemed:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The old woman set out to bake a cake for Saint Peter, but her intense greed immediately got in the way. As she looked at the baking dough, it appeared far too large to give away for free, forcing her to pull it back and start over with a smaller portion of dough.
Option Analysis
- A. Too small is incorrect because she thought the cake was far too substantial to give to a stranger.
- B. Too sweet and D. Burnt are incorrect culinary descriptions that do not appear anywhere in the poem's stanzas.
Exam Tip
The text explicitly notes: "She looked at it, and thought it seemed / Too large to give away." This observation serves as our first clear glimpse into her deep-seated selfishness.
What happened when she made a smaller cake?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Hoping to produce a tiny snack, she rolled out a much smaller lump of dough. However, once it was placed on the hearth to bake, her greedy perception played tricks on her: it looked just as large as the first one had been, making her feel that this second version was also too big to donate.
Option Analysis
- A, C, and D are incorrect physical occurrences that do not align with the text. The poem focuses on how the baked items repeatedly appeared huge to her selfish eyes.
Exam Tip
The poet writes: "It looked, when she turned it over, / As large as the first had done." This repetition demonstrates that her perception of food size was entirely driven by her unwillingness to share.
How thin was the third cake she made?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Determined to give almost nothing, she took a tiny scrap of dough and rolled it completely flat. The text notes that she flattened it down until it was as thin as a wafer, completely losing any substantial thickness in an attempt to minimize her donation.
Option Analysis
- A. Like bread is incorrect because bread is thick and soft, which is the opposite of her flattened creation.
- B. Like paper is a common real-world description for thinness, but it misses the specific baked item term used by the poet.
- D. Like a biscuit is an incorrect distractor.
Exam Tip
The poet uses a direct simile here: "And rolled and rolled it flat, / And baked it thin as a wafer." Remembering this exact comparison will help you confidently pick the right answer.
Even the wafer-like cake seemed too large because the old lady was:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Her problem was completely psychological. Even though the final cake was as paper-thin as a wafer, her selfish and greedy character wouldn't allow her to hand it over. She admitted that her cakes felt tiny when she ate them herself, but felt massive the moment they were meant for charity.
Option Analysis
- A. Poor is incorrect because her cottage was well-stocked with shelves of food materials.
- B. Hungry and D. Afraid are incorrect traits not supported by the narrative of the poem.
Exam Tip
Her character flaw is the core theme of the lesson. Her extreme selfishness blinded her to the basic human duty of helping a fainting, hungry traveler.
What did the old lady finally do with the cakes?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
After rejecting three separate baking attempts for being "too large," she decided against giving Saint Peter anything at all. She took all her prepared cakes and put them away safely on her storage shelf, leaving the holy man completely empty-handed.
Option Analysis
- A. Gave them away is the exact opposite of what happened in the scene.
- B. Ate them and C. Threw them are incorrect physical actions that contradict her storage choices.
Exam Tip
The text states clearly: "And she put them on the shelf." This action marks the absolute peak of her stinginess, directly triggering the saint's anger.
How did Saint Peter react to her behavior?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Her persistent selfishness completely broke his patience. Tired, fasting, and dizzy, Saint Peter grew incredibly angry at her total lack of compassion, as her extreme greed was enough to provoke even the most patient religious preacher.
Option Analysis
- A. He forgave her and B. He ignored her are incorrect because her behavior directly resulted in a harsh curse, showing he did not overlook it.
- D. He laughed is an incorrect emotional tone that misses the serious mood of the scene.
Exam Tip
The text highlights his exact emotional reaction: "Then good Saint Peter grew angry, / For he was hungry and faint." This anger serves as the direct turning point that triggers the magical transformation.
According to Saint Peter, the woman was too selfish to dwell in:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Saint Peter delivered a profound judgment on her character. He told her she was completely unworthy of holding a human form, because having an open heart and empathy are what define a true human being. Her complete lack of sympathy meant she didn't deserve human privileges.
Option Analysis
- A. Heaven is a common spiritual guess, but the text specifically focuses on her physical shape on Earth first.
- B. A palace and D. A village are physical locations that miss the biological transformation described in his speech.
Exam Tip
The exact phrase used by the saint is: "You are far too selfish / To dwell in a human form." This line delivers the core moral takeaway of the whole chapter.
Saint Peter said she had both food and shelter and fire to keep her:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The saint pointed out the many comforts she took for granted in the cold Northland environment. He noted that she had an abundance of food, a cozy shelter, and a bright hearth fire to keep her warm—blessings that she refused to share with anyone else.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and D are generic comforts that do not match the specific physical effect of a fireplace highlighted in the stanza lines.
Exam Tip
The text lists her privileges clearly: "To have both food and shelter, / And fire to keep you warm." Remembering this line will make answering context questions simple.
Saint Peter guessed her to build as the:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
As punishment, Saint Peter stripped away her comfortable human lifestyle. He declared that from that moment on, she would have to build her home exactly as birds do, working hard to construct a nest from scratch out in the elements.
Option Analysis
- A, C, and D are incorrect social or biological groups that do not match the avian curse delivered by the saint.
Exam Tip
The text records his exact words: "Now, you shall build as the birds do." This command leads directly to her physical transformation into a bird.
According to the curse, how would she get her food?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Because she had hoarded an abundance of food, her punishment was to work hard for every single crumb. The curse specified that she would gather her tiny meals by boring and boring into solid, dry wood to find hidden insects, mirroring the behavior of a woodpecker.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and C are human or alternative animal feeding habits that do not match the specific method described in the curse.
Exam Tip
The word boring means drilling holes. The repetition of "by boring, and boring, and boring" in the text emphasizes just how much effort she now has to make to find food.
How did the woman leave the house after the curse?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The physical transformation happened silently inside the cottage. Before she could speak a single word of apology, she was swept up into the fireplace soot and flew straight out through the chimney, emerging into the open air as a completely different creature.
Option Analysis
- A. Through the door and B. Through the window are regular human exits that she didn't use during this magical event.
- D. Through the roof is an incorrect structural distractor.
Exam Tip
The text records this sudden exit clearly: "Then up she went through the chimney, / Never speaking a word." This black soot exit also helps explain the dark color of the bird's feathers.
Into which bird was the old lady changed?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The magical transformation turned her into a woodpecker. This bird's behavior—drilling endlessly into hard tree trunks to find tiny insects—serves as a permanent physical reminder of her punishment for hoarding food.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and D are common birds, but they do not match the specific tree-boring habits that define the old woman's curse.
Exam Tip
The final lines explicitly name the creature: "And out of the top flew a woodpecker, / For she was changed to a bird." Always connect the old woman directly to the woodpecker to score full marks.
What remained unchanged after her transformation?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
When the old lady was transformed into a bird, a single physical detail linked her back to her human form. She had been wearing a bright red or scarlet cap on her head while baking, and this feature remained completely unchanged, appearing as the distinct red crest on the head of the woodpecker.
Option Analysis
- A. Her dress and D. Her hands are incorrect because her human clothing and limbs were completely altered or destroyed during the transformation.
- B. Her voice is wrong because she lost her ability to speak human words, leaving her only with a sharp bird call.
Exam Tip
The word scarlet means a brilliant, bright red color. Remembering this vocabulary link helps visualize the woodpecker's red head feathers described in the text.
What happened to the rest of the woman’s clothes?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The story provides a creative explanation for the bird's dark color. As the woman shot up through the narrow opening of the fireplace, the intense soot and flame completely charred her clothing, leaving her feathers burned black as a coal.
Option Analysis
- A. They turned white is the opposite of the soot-stained look described in the poem.
- B. They remained the same is incorrect because only her cap survived the fire unchanged.
- D. They disappeared is wrong because they transformed directly into the black body feathers of the bird.
Exam Tip
The poet uses a vivid simile here: "And all the rest of her clothes were burned / Black as a coal in the flame." Remembering this comparison makes it easy to lock in the correct choice.
The woodpecker is seen in the woods boring for:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
According to the terms of the curse, the transformed woman must work hard for every single crumb. Local school children still see her tapping against tree trunks in the forest, drilling into hard, dry bark specifically to search for tiny insects to use as food.
Option Analysis
- A. Shelter and D. Nesting describe things birds build, but the text emphasizes her constant, difficult struggle to secure a meal as her primary punishment.
- B. Fun contradicts the tiring, painful nature of her daily work.
Exam Tip
The concluding stanza states: "And by boring and boring for food." This highlights that her endless search for basic sustenance is the core lesson of the story.
Who is the poet of the poem?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
This famous narrative ballad was written by the American poet Phoebe Cary. Alongside her sister Alice, she published numerous lyrical pieces and children's poems during the nineteenth century, often weaving clear moral guidelines directly into traditional story styles.
Option Analysis
- A. William Wordsworth and C. Robert Frost are famous male nature poets from Britain and America who did not write this piece.
- D. Sarojini Naidu is a legendary Indian poet known for works like "The Bazaars of Hyderabad."
Exam Tip
Always keep a clean index matching poem titles to authors. Remembering Phoebe Cary as the creator of this Northland legend is an easy way to secure direct marks on your papers.
A ballad is:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The introductory textbook notes define the poem's literary form. A ballad is a traditional folk composition designed as a musical song or poem that tells a clear, continuous story using brief, easy-to-remember stanzas.
Option Analysis
- A. A long novel and D. A play are extended prose or theatrical forms rather than brief rhyming poems.
- B. A short story captures the narrative aspect, but lacks the essential musical rhythm and stanza structure that defines verse.
Exam Tip
Remember the dual requirement for a ballad: it must tell a story and it must be highly musical or song-like. This definition is a regular focus for structural exam items.
Ballads are usually passed down through:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Before being recorded by modern writers, folk ballads belonged to the community. They were preserved through oral tradition, meaning they were memorized, sung aloud, and passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth rather than written on paper.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and C describe formal print media or institutional channels, which came long after these stories had already spread through community storytelling.
Exam Tip
The phrase "oral tradition" simply means spoken or sung communication. Think of parents telling bedtime stories to their children to remember how these legends survived for centuries.
The word ‘legend’ means:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The poem's title explicitly styles it as a legend. A legend is defined as an ancient, traditional story handed down across generations. While it often features magical events that cannot be historically verified, it is preserved because it carries deep cultural and moral value.
Option Analysis
- A. A modern tale is wrong because legends are rooted in ancient history.
- C. A poem describes a form of writing, but a legend can easily be shared as regular prose text as well.
- D. A mythological creature confuses a narrative format with an individual character type.
Exam Tip
Keep definitions simple: Legend = Old Traditional Story. This concept helps explain why the poet shares the tale even while doubting its literal truth.
The word ‘provoke’ means:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The poet uses this term to describe how the woman's greed tested the saint's patience. To provoke means to deliberately irritate, challenge, or make someone angry, pushing them past their limits.
Option Analysis
- A. To please and B. To forgive describe positive, calming actions that mean the exact opposite of provoke.
- D. To ignore is wrong because provoking someone forces them to react.
Exam Tip
The text states that her stinginess was "enough to provoke a saint." This emphasizes that her greed was so extreme it would make even the most patient, forgiving holy person lose their temper.
Saint Peter refers to:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The character profile provided in the textbook identifies his historic background. Saint Peter was a key disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, who traveled widely to spread the foundational teachings of the early Christian church.
Option Analysis
- A. A king and C. A poet are incorrect roles that contradict his spiritual identity.
- D. A traveller describes his physical movement in the scene, but misses his specific historical and religious role as an apostle.
Exam Tip
Make sure to include his religious title in your summaries. Knowing he is an apostle of Christ helps explain why his sermons and spiritual authority are central to the story.
Which pair of words rhyme in the poem?
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The ballad follows a strict, consistent ABCB rhyming scheme across all its stanzas. Checking the text confirms that end pairs like snow/clothes, true/you, and earth/hearth all share matching acoustic sounds, helping give the poem its memorable, song-like flow.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and C are all valid, accurate rhyming pairs found within different stanzas of the poem, which makes option D the comprehensive correct choice.
Exam Tip
Rhyme scheme questions require you to check the final sound of each line. Frost and Cary utilize these clear acoustic balances to make traditional folk ballads easy to sing and memorize.
The main theme of the poem is:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The core message of the text focuses on human behavior and accountability. The legend serves as a warning against selfishness, demonstrating how the woman's extreme greed led directly to her punishment when she was transformed into a bird forced to drill into wood for food.
Option Analysis
- A. Bravery and D. Adventure describe action-focused themes that are absent from this quiet domestic conflict.
- B. Kindness and generosity are the positive values the poem encourages, but the actual plot focus centers on showcasing the consequences of greed.
Exam Tip
Theme items ask for the moral heart of the story. The woman's choice to hoard her food and the resulting curse point straight to the consequences of greed and punishment.
Assertion (A): The old lady was punished by Saint Peter. Reason (R): She refused to give even a small cake though she had enough.
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Assertion (A) matches the literal climax of the story: the woman is cursed for her lack of charity. Reason (R) perfectly explains the motive behind her punishment, noting that she refused to share even a tiny, wafer-thin cake with a fainting traveler despite having plenty of dough on her shelves. Therefore, her stinginess is the direct cause of her punishment.
Option Analysis
- B is wrong because her refusal to share food with a hungry saint is the exact action that triggered his anger and caused her transformation.
- C and D are incorrect because both statements are fully supported by the text of the ballad.
Exam Tip
Read both claims with the word "because" in between: The old lady was punished because she refused to give away even a small cake despite having plenty. Since this follows the plot perfectly, option A is your answer.
Assertion (A): The old lady was kind and generous. Reason (R): She gave a wafer-like cake.
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Both statements are completely contradicted by the poem. Assertion (A) is false because the old woman was incredibly greedy and small-hearted rather than kind. Reason (R) is also false because she never actually gave the wafer-like cake away; her extreme stinginess pushed her to keep it back and put it on the storage shelf with the others.
Option Analysis
- A, B, and C are incorrect because they mistakenly claim that at least one of these incorrect statements is true.
Exam Tip
Read carefully! Do not confuse her baking a wafer-thin cake with actually donating it. Her absolute refusal to hand it over makes both statements completely false, matching option D.
Assertion (A): Saint Peter was faint with fasting. Reason (R): He had not eaten the whole day.
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Assertion (A) accurately records Saint Peter's physical exhaustion at the end of his journey. Reason (R) provides the direct textbook cause for his weak state: he was close to passing out precisely because he had spent the entire day traveling on foot and preaching without consuming any meals.
Option Analysis
- B is wrong because his empty stomach due to religious fasting is the exact reason why he was feeling dizzy and faint.
- C and D are incorrect because both claims match the literal textual lines of the fourth stanza perfectly.
Exam Tip
Test the link by joining the claims with "because": Saint Peter was faint with fasting because he had not eaten anything the whole day. Since this makes perfect sense, option A is your definitive path.
Assertion (A): The woman went out through the top of the house. Reason (R): She was turned into a bird.
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Assertion (A) correctly highlights her sudden, unusual exit path through the chimney. Reason (R) provides the literal explanation for this strange movement: she went out through the top of the house precisely because she had been transformed into a bird capable of flight, winging her way out into the open sky.
Option Analysis
- B is incorrect because her immediate transformation into a flying creature is the direct explanation for why she left the home through the high chimney opening rather than a standard human exit door.
- C and D are incorrect since both narrative elements are core parts of the poem's magical climax.
Exam Tip
Read the sentences together: The woman left through the chimney opening because she was transformed into a bird. This direct relationship confirms option A as the correct answer.
The old woman’s behaviour shows she was:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Her actions throughout the stanzas provide a masterclass in greed. By pulling back three separate cakes because they looked too substantial to give away for free, her behavior demonstrates that she was deeply selfish, preferring to hoard her food resources rather than help a traveler in need.
Option Analysis
- A. Honest, C. Brave, and D. Polite are positive character virtues that completely contradict her stingy actions and rude refusal to assist Saint Peter.
Exam Tip
Character traits summarize a person's behavior profile. Her choices to hoard her food resources point directly to her selfishness, which serves as the core theme of the lesson.
“Boring and boring” means:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The poet uses this verb to describe physical labor. In this avian context, boring means drilling or making holes inside solid wood using a sharp beak, referencing how a woodpecker taps tirelessly against tree trunks to uncover tiny insects.
Option Analysis
- A. Feeling dull is a modern emotional slang definition that doesn't fit the bird's active physical behavior in the forest.
- C. Singing loudly and D. Flying fast describe entirely different avian actions that miss the mechanical drilling concept.
Exam Tip
Context clues are vital for vocabulary items. The repetition of "boring and boring" in the final stanzas highlights the intense, repetitive physical effort the bird must exert to secure food.
The lesson of the poem is to:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The overarching objective of the legend is moral instruction. By showing the severe consequences faced by the stingy old woman, the poem encourages readers to help others in distress and reject greed, celebrating generosity as an essential human value.
Option Analysis
- A. Save money encourages individual hoarding, which is the exact opposite of the poem's charitable message.
- B. Travel the world and D. Cook carefully are minor situational elements rather than the core moral takeaway of the story.
Exam Tip
Traditional ballads are designed to pass down values. Focus on options that support social virtues like generosity and charity to find the right answer.
The Northland is where daylight hours are:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The opening stanza establishes the polar geography of the setting. The poet notes that in the Northland, "the hours of the day are few," meaning that the sun sets very quickly and leaves the inhabitants with a very limited amount of daylight during the long winter season.
Option Analysis
- A. Many is incorrect because it is the dark night hours that stretch out endlessly, not the daylight.
- C. Bright and D. Hot are incorrect environmental descriptions that contradict the freezing, dark landscape of the sub-arctic region.
Exam Tip
The phrase "hours... are few" is an explicit indicator of brevity. Always choose the option that highlights a scarcity of daylight hours for this regional setting.
The story is told mainly to:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
Phoebe Cary frames the legend with an educational purpose. She notes in the third stanza that while she doesn't believe the story is literally true, she chooses to share it because "you may learn a lesson / If I tell the tale to you," indicating that passing down values is her primary goal.
Option Analysis
- A. Entertain only uses a limiting word that ignores the clear, heavy moral message built into the saint's curse.
- C. Describe winter and D. Praise Saint Peter highlight secondary background details rather than the main goal of the narrative.
Exam Tip
Traditional folk legends are rarely told for amusement alone. Look for options that emphasize moral instruction or passing down values to ensure a perfect score.
The old woman felt cakes were too small:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The woman's perspective shifted depending on whether she was consuming or donating the food. She openly admitted that her cakes appeared tiny and insignificant when she ate them herself, but the exact same portions looked massive and valuable the moment they were meant to be given away as charity.
Option Analysis
- A. To eat is incorrect because she found them perfectly fine to consume personally.
- B. To bake and C. To sell do not capture the specific contradiction between her personal consumption and her unwillingness to donate food, as detailed in her dialogue.
Exam Tip
The text explicitly records her reflection: "My cakes that seem too small / When I eat of them myself, / Are yet too large to give away." This clear contrast is a favorite target for textual comprehension questions.
Saint Peter shows:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The saint's anger isn't an unprovoked or petty emotional reaction. He grows angry because he recognizes a profound moral failure—the woman's choice to hoard resources and ignore a suffering traveler. His reaction represents a righteous anger at injustice and selfishness, showing that greed violates basic human values.
Option Analysis
- A. Greed and C. Laziness are negative traits that belong to the woman's profile rather than the holy preacher.
- D. Fear is incorrect since the saint acts with total authority and confidence when delivering his judgment.
Exam Tip
The saint functions as a moral judge in this legend. His anger is triggered directly by her lack of empathy, serving as a warning against being blind to the needs of others.
The transformation teaches that selfish people:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The magical climax serves as a clear warning about accountability. Turning the woman into a woodpecker shows that those who choose to live selfishly will eventually face severe consequences, stripping away their comforts if they refuse to show basic kindness to others.
Option Analysis
- A. Are rewarded and D. Become rich describe positive outcomes that run completely counter to her harsh punishment.
- B. Are ignored is incorrect because the saint actively intervenes to punish her behavior, showing her actions were not overlooked.
Exam Tip
Look for choices that focus on accountability. Her transformation into a bird forced to drill for food is a classic example of how selfish behavior brings about inevitable consequences.
The poem is an example of a:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The textbook introductory entries classify this work's structural format. A ballad is a traditional folk verse designed as a rhythmic, musical poem that narrates a clear, continuous story using short stanzas and simple rhyme patterns.
Option Analysis
- A. Drama, C. Novel, and D. Essay are theatrical or extended prose compositions rather than short, rhyming musical stanzas.
Exam Tip
Always remember the dual rule for this format: a ballad must tell a distinct story while maintaining a song-like, musical rhythm. This definition is a regular focus for literary term questions.
The cap on the woodpecker was:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
A single visual detail connected the bird back to its human past. The old woman had been wearing a bright red or scarlet cap while working at her hearth, and this feature survived her transformation, appearing as the distinct red crest on the head of the woodpecker.
Option Analysis
- A. Blue and B. White are wrong colors that do not appear anywhere in the description of her clothing.
- D. Black describes what happened to her remaining clothes after they were charred by the fireplace soot, not her cap.
Exam Tip
The term scarlet refers to a vivid, bright shade of red. Keeping this specific vocabulary link clear makes choosing the right option very simple.
The poem suggests generosity is better than:
✅ Correct Answer
Concept Explanation
The ultimate goal of the legend is to champion human values. By illustrating how hoarding resources and ignoring others leads to distress, the ballad demonstrates that an open heart and generosity are far superior to greed, encouraging us to value charity over selfishness.
Option Analysis
- A. Wisdom, C. Courage, and D. Fame are alternative positive virtues or social goals that are not part of this specific domestic moral conflict.
Exam Tip
Look for the direct thematic contrast. The entire plot is a struggle between the saint's request for charity and the woman's deep-seated greed, making it the clear choice.
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SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs for Assam Board Exam 2026–27
The SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs are prepared strictly according to the latest ASSEB syllabus 2026–27. These SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs include exam-oriented objective questions, theme-based seba class 9 a legend of the northland mcqs, and poetic devices-focused practice sets specially designed for Assam Board students.
Students preparing for the Assam Board examination should regularly practice SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs to strengthen exam performance. These class 9 seba english important mcqs cover the moral lesson of generosity, the character of Saint Peter, symbolism, imagery, rhyme scheme, and the consequences of greed. Solving seba class 9 english a legend of the northland objective questions along with seba class 9 a legend of the northland mcqs improves textual understanding and enhances readiness for objective-type board exam questions.
The SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs also emphasize themes of kindness, charity, and moral responsibility frequently asked in examinations. Practicing assam board class 9 english objective questions and class 9 seba english important mcqs from this poem ensures better preparation for analytical and comprehension-based questions in the Assam Board examination.
Consistent revision using SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs, seba class 9 english a legend of the northland objective questions, and other class 9 seba english important mcqs enhances comprehension skills, improves accuracy, and increases scoring potential in the 2026–27 Assam Board examination. Continuous practice of SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs builds confidence and ensures better results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Are these SEBA Class 9 English A Legend of the Northland Important MCQs based on the latest syllabus?
Yes, these MCQs follow the latest ASSEB syllabus for the 2026–27 academic session.
2. Are these useful for Assam Board exam preparation?
Yes, these objective questions are designed for effective Assam Board exam preparation.
3. What is the moral of A Legend of the Northland?
The poem teaches the importance of generosity and warns against greed.
4. Why is this poem important for exams?
The poem includes important moral lessons and poetic devices frequently tested in objective questions.
5. Who prepared these MCQs?
These MCQs are prepared by subject experts of Assam Eduverse.
6. Are these helpful for internal exams?
Yes, these class 9 seba english important MCQs are useful for both internal and annual examinations.
7. Can practicing these MCQs improve scores?
Yes, regular practice improves comprehension, interpretation skills, and objective accuracy.
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