Updated on 03/06/2026
*5. A Legend of the Northland (Phoebe Cary)*
*1. Who is the poet of this poem?*
Ans. Phoebe Cary
*2. Which country does this legend belong to?*
Ans. To Northland
*3. How did the Northland children look in their furry clothes?*
Ans. Like bear’s cubs
*4. What animal is found mainly in Northland?*
Ans. Reindeer
*5. What are the sledges?*
Ans. Snow carts
*6. Why was St. Peter faint?*
Ans. He was faint with fasting and traveling
*7. What was the little woman doing?*
Ans. She was baking cakes
*8. What did Saint Peter ask for?*
Ans. For a piece of cake on the hearth
*9. Who was very selfish?*
Ans. The little old woman
*10. Where did the woman put the cakes?*
Ans. On the shelf
*11. How did Saint Peter punish the selfish woman?*
Ans. He cursed her to be changed into a bird
*12. What was the woman changed into?*
Ans. Into a woodpecker
*13. From where did she fly out?*
Ans. She flew out through the chimney
*14. What was the colour of the cap on her head?*
Ans. Scarlet (brilliant red)
*15. What has every schoolboy seen?*
Ans. A woodpecker
*16. What does the woodpecker do all day?*
Ans. Keeps boring and boring into the dry wood for food
17.Why did Saint Peter get angry with the little woman?
Ans. Because of her extreme greed and selfishness
*5. A Legend of the Northland (Phoebe Cary)*
1. What did Saint Peter ask the old lady for? What was the lady's reaction?
Ans. Saint Peter asked the old lady for one of her baked cakes. The lady tried to bake a small cake for the saint. But as the cake was baking, she noticed that it seemed too big to give away, so she kneaded smaller dough. But she did not give him any cake.
2. How does the woodpecker get her food?
Ans. The woodpecker got her food by boring holes into the trees.
3. What is the moral of the poem ‘A Legend of the Northland’?
Ans. A Legend of the Northland teaches us a strong moral that we should never be selfish and think of others too. The poem teaches us to be generous and to help the needy if we are capable. We should not be greedy for any little thing like the lady.
4. Theme of 'A Legend of Northland'
Ans. A Legend of the Northland gives us a moral lesson. The poem talks about a little woman who was punished by Saint Peter. The lady refused to give him a cake that she had baked. The behaviour of the woman provokes Saint Peter who curses her and changes her into a woodpecker. Saint Peter teaches a lesson to all humans that we must not be selfish.
Q.5 What does the poet mean by "the days are short and the nights are long in winter"?
Ans: In the Northland region, which is close to the polar circle, winters are extreme. The sun rises for a very short time, making the days brief, while the cold nights are so long that children cannot sleep through them completely.
Q.6 Why did Saint Peter say that the woman was "unfit to dwell in a human form"?
Ans: Saint Peter believed that human beings are blessed with speech, reasoning, a warm hearth, and food to eat. Since the woman lacked the basic human quality of pity, she did not deserve these divine comforts and was turned into a wild bird.
Q.7 Is this a true story? Why does the poet call it a "legend"?
Ans: No, it is not a historically true story; it is a folklore or myth passed down through generations. The poet calls it a legend because it carries an important cultural lesson and moral value for children, even if the events are not real.