Maharashtra Board Class 10 English Kumarbharti Unit Three Chapter 3.1 Night of the Scorpion PDF Download

Unit Three: Night of the Scorpion

Warming Up!

1. Get into pairs and discuss the following with your partners and complete the table.

Many people are superstitious. This means that they have belief for which they have no logical reason.

An example of superstition is that - walking under a ladder brings bad luck.

In pairs, list any superstitions that you know of.

Teacher's Note

Many children in India believe that seeing a cat crossing the road brings bad luck. These superstitions are part of our culture, but we should learn to think logically.

Exam Trick

Remember: Superstition = no reason or logic. Just like we trust our friend without proof, superstitious people believe things without proof.

Points to Remember

Superstition means belief with no logical reason.
Walking under a ladder is one famous superstition.
Many cultures have different superstitions.
We should always ask "Why?" before believing something.
Science and logic are better than superstitions.

2. Brainstorm what you know about Scorpions. Use the points given below.

Where they live

Their appearance

How they attack

Any more information about them

Teacher's Note

Scorpions live in many parts of India, especially in hot and dry areas. They are dangerous animals and we should be careful around them.

Exam Trick

Remember: Scorpion has a curved tail with poison. When you see a diagram of a scorpion, always look for the curved tail with the stinger at the end.

Points to Remember

Scorpions have eight legs and two pincers.
They hide in dark places during the day.
Their tail has poison that can hurt people.
Scorpions live in warm and dry places.
They come out at night to hunt for food.

Night of the Scorpion

I remember the night my mother was stung by a scorpion. Ten hours of steady rain had driven him to crawl beneath a sack of rice. Parting with his poison - flash of diabolic tail in the dark room - he risked the rain again.

The peasants came like swarms of flies and buzzed the name of God a hundred times to paralyse the Evil One.

With candles and with lanterns throwing giant scorpion shadows on the mud-baked walls they searched for him: he was not found. They clicked their tongues.

With every movement that the scorpion made his poison moved in Mother's blood, they said. May he sit still, they said May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight, they said. May your suffering decrease the misfortunes of your next birth, they said. May the sum of all evil balanced in this unreal world against the sum of good become diminished by your pain. May the poison purify your flesh of desire, and your spirit of ambition, they said, and they sat around on the floor with my mother in the centre, the peace of understanding on each face.

Nissim Ezekiel (1924-2004) was an Indian Jewish poet, actor, playwright, editor and art-critic. He was a foundational figure in post-colonial India's literary history, specifically for Indian writings of a wider range.

The poet depicts the selfless love of a mother who is stung by a scorpion.

diabolic: having the qualities of devil or wicked

paralyse: to stop an activity

diminished: to lessen; reduce

Whom does the word 'him' refer to in line no.3?

What does the phrase 'to paralyse the evil mean in stanza 3?

Who are 'they' in stanza 4?

Why does the poem begin with the poet's remembering the night?

What forced the scorpion to take shelter in the poet's house?

Teacher's Note

This poem is about a real event in the poet's life. In India, many mothers show this kind of love for their children, even when they are in pain.

Exam Trick

Remember: "him" in line 3 refers to the scorpion. Always read carefully to find what each pronoun refers to in the poem.

Points to Remember

The scorpion came inside to escape the rain.
The peasants tried to help using prayers and beliefs.
The mother suffered but did not complain.
The poem shows the mother's love for her children.
The villagers believed that pain could clean the soul.

More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours, more insects, and the endless rain.

My mother twisted through and through, groaning on a mat.

My father, sceptic, rationalist, trying every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.

He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.

I watched the flame feeding on my mother.

I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation.

After twenty hours it lost its sting.

My mother only said Thank God the scorpion picked on me And spared my children.

-Nissim Ezekiel

groaning: a mournful sound conveying pain or grief

incantation: the chanting of words claim to have magical power

rationalist: a person who believes in reason and knowledge than opinion and belief

When did the Mother find relief?

1. After reading the poem; complete the following. What happens?

There are three main parts of the poem. Do you know what they are about?

The first one is done for you.

Teacher's Note

This poem teaches us about a mother's selfless love. In Indian families, mothers often put their children first, just like the poet's mother did.

Exam Trick

Remember: The poem has three parts - the sting, the reaction of people, and the mother's recovery. Look for these three parts when answering questions about the poem.

Points to Remember

The poem is divided into three main parts.
Lines 1-7 show how the scorpion stung the mother.
Lines 8-33 show what the villagers did to help.
Lines 34-48 show the recovery and the mother's words.
The mother's love is the main theme of the poem.

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