A Legend of the Northland — Phoebe Cary

'A woman baked a LITTLE cake, and then she said: "This cake is TOO BIG to give away."'

Full Poem

Away, away in the NORTHLAND,
Where the hours of the day are FEW,
And the nights are so LONG in winter
That they cannot SLEEP them through;

Where they harness the swift REINDEER
To the sleighs, when the snow falls down;
And the children look like BEAR'S cubs
In their funny, furry CLOTHING;

They tell a LEGEND, handed down
From the times of OLD,
A story that has NEVER died,
Though the TIMES are ever cold.

Saint Peter, tired and HUNGRY,
Knocked at the door of a COTTAGE small,
Where a WOMAN was baking CAKES
On the hearth-stone, standing TALL.

She asked him: 'What is it you WANT?'
He said: 'I am hungry. Give me a CAKE.'
She took a LITTLE cake, and then she said:
'This cake is TOO BIG to give away.'

She took a SMALLER one, and then she said:
'This is STILL too large.'
She took a TINY one, and then she said:
'This cake is JUST as large as the others.'

And she PUT them ALL on the shelf,
And would NOT give him ONE.
Then Saint Peter grew ANGRY,
For she was OLD and ALONE.

'You are TOO GREEDY,' he said,
'To give a piece of BREAD.
Henceforth, you shall be a BIRD,
And seek your LIVING as the WOODPECKER:

'With a SCARLET cap on your head,
And a LONG and PECKING beak,
You shall BORE into the TREES,
For the food that you SEEK.'

About the Poet — Phoebe Cary

Phoebe Cary (1824–1871) was an American poet from Ohio. She wrote MANY poems, but her most FAMOUS is 'A Legend of the Northland' — a BALLAD that retells a traditional FOLK tale. Cary and her sister Alice were well-known poets in 19th-century America. 'Cary's poetry is ACCESSIBLE and MORAL — she wrote stories in verse that taught CLEAR lessons about RIGHT and WRONG.'

Summary and Meaning

The poem is a LEGEND from the NORTHLAND (the Arctic regions of Europe — probably Scandinavia or Russia). In this cold land, where days are short and nights are LONG, people tell a story about SAINT PETER.

Saint Peter, tired and hungry, knocks on an old woman's door and asks for a CAKE. The woman takes a cake but thinks it is TOO BIG to give away. She takes a SMALLER one — still TOO big. She takes a TINY one — still 'just as large.' She cannot bring herself to GIVE. She puts ALL the cakes on the shelf and sends Saint Peter away EMPTY-HANDED.

Saint Peter becomes ANGRY and PUNISHES her. He turns her into a WOODPECKER — with a 'scarlet cap on her head and a long and pecking beak.' She must SPEND her life boring into trees for food.

'The legend is a WARNING against GREED. The old woman had PLENTY — she baked many cakes. But her HEART was so small that she could not share EVEN one.'

Poetic Devices

• Ballad Form: The poem is a BALLAD — a narrative poem that tells a story. Ballads traditionally have SIMPLE language, REPETITION, and a MORAL.
• Rhyme Scheme: ABCB — the second and fourth lines of each stanza RHYME.
• Imagery: Vivid pictures of the NORTHLAND — 'swift reindeer,' 'sleighs,' 'funny, furry clothing,' 'long winter nights.'
• Repetition: The woman REPEATEDLY takes cakes and finds excuses — building the TENSION and REVEALING her greed.
• Irony: The woman thinks each cake is 'too big' — but NONE of them is big enough to share. Her GREED makes every portion seem LARGE.
• Symbolism: The WOODPECKER symbolises ENDLESS, FRUITLESS labour — a punishment for those who refuse to SHARE.
• Dialogue: Saint Peter and the woman SPEAK — bringing the story to LIFE.
• Hyperbole: The nights are 'so LONG' they 'cannot sleep them through' — exaggerating for effect.

Vocabulary

1. Legend — a traditional story sometimes regarded as historical
2. Northland — northern regions of the world
3. Reindeer — a deer species found in Arctic regions
4. Sleigh — a vehicle on runners for travel on snow
5. Hearth — the floor of a fireplace
6. Scarlet — a bright red colour
7. Bore — to make a hole in something
8. Peck — to strike with the beak
9. Greedy — having an excessive desire for something
10. Henceforth — from this time onward

Themes

1. Greed and Its Consequences: 'The old woman's GREED does not save her cakes. It LOSES her EVERYTHING — including her HUMANITY.'
2. Hospitality: In many cultures (including India), offering FOOD to a guest is a SACRED duty. The old woman VIOLATES this duty.
3. Punishment and Justice: Saint Peter's punishment is APPROPRIATE — she who would not SHARE food must now SCRATCH for it.
4. The Power of Legends: The poem shows how STORIES carry MORAL lessons across GENERATIONS.
5. Appearances: The woman's OUTWARD appearance (old, alone, baking) suggests POVERTY — but her REAL poverty is in her HEART.

Important Quotes

1. 'A woman baked a LITTLE cake, and then she said: "This cake is TOO BIG to give away."'
2. 'Saint Peter, tired and HUNGRY, knocked at the door of a COTTAGE small.'
3. 'She took a TINY one, and then she said: "This cake is JUST as large as the others."'
4. 'You are TOO GREEDY,' he said, 'to give a piece of BREAD.'
5. 'Henceforth, you shall be a BIRD, and seek your LIVING as the WOODPECKER.'

Exam-Focused Questions

Short Answer Questions (2–3 marks)

1. What is the setting of the poem? (Answer: The poem is set in the NORTHLAND — a cold, Arctic region with long winter nights, reindeer, sleighs, and snow. The specific 'cottage small' where Saint Peter knocks is a typical home in this region.)
2. Why did Saint Peter punish the old woman? (Answer: Saint Peter was hungry and asked for a piece of cake. The woman had MANY cakes but was too GREEDY to share even the smallest one. Saint Peter punished her for her GREED and LACK of HOSPITALITY.)
3. What happened to the woman after Saint Peter's curse? (Answer: The woman was turned into a WOODPECKER — a bird with a scarlet head and a long beak. She must SPEND her life boring into trees, searching for food — a never-ending punishment for her GREED.)
4. What does the WOODPECKER symbolise in the poem? (Answer: The woodpecker symbolises the CONSEQUENCE of greed — a life of endless, FRUITLESS labour. The woman who would not SHARE a cake must now SPEND her life pecking for scraps. 'The woodpecker is a LIVING reminder of what happens when the HEART is too small to share.')

Long Answer Questions (5–6 marks)

1. Analyse the CHARACTER of the old woman. What does her behaviour reveal about human nature? (Answer: The old woman is not POOR — she has 'many' cakes. But her HEART is poor. When asked to share, she finds EXCUSES — the cake is too big, then too small, then 'just as large.' She is RATIONALISING her greed, convincing HERSELF that she cannot give. 'Her behaviour reveals a DARK truth about human nature: GREED is not about what you HAVE. It is about what you REFUSE to share. Even with PLENTY, the greedy heart can always find a REASON to hold back.')
2. What does this legend TEACH about the value of HOSPITALITY? (Answer: In MANY cultures — especially in cold, harsh regions — hospitality is SACRED. A traveller in the Northland needs warmth and food to SURVIVE. Saint Peter REPRESENTS every hungry traveller. The woman's refusal to share is not just RUDENESS — it is a MORAL FAILURE. 'The legend teaches that what we HAVE is not OURS alone. We have a DUTY to share with those in need.' In Indian culture, 'ATITHI DEVO BHAVA' (the guest is God) expresses the SAME idea — hospitality is a SPIRITUAL duty.)
3. How does the poet create a SENSE of place in the poem? (Answer: The poet uses VIVID imagery to paint the Northland — 'swift reindeer,' 'sleighs when the snow falls down,' 'children look like bear's cubs in their funny, furry clothing.' The LONG WINTER nights — 'the hours of the day are few' — create a sense of ISOLATION and HARSHNESS. 'The Northland is not just a SETTING — it is a CHARACTER in the story. The cold, the darkness, the isolation make hospitality even MORE important. In such a place, REFUSING food to a traveller is a DEEPER betrayal.')

AP Board / Indian Context

The legend's message about GREED and HOSPITALITY resonates deeply in Indian culture. 'India has a TRADITION of hospitality that spans MILLENNIA. "Atithi Devo Bhava" — the guest is GOD — is a FUNDAMENTAL Indian value.' The poem also echoes the Indian belief in KARMA — actions have CONSEQUENCES, and punishment is APPROPRIATE. For AP Board students, the poem is a GENTLE reminder that GENEROSITY is a virtue and that GREED — even small greed — can have LASTING consequences.

Grammar and Writing Practice

Paraphrase: 'A woman baked a LITTLE cake, and then she said: "This cake is TOO BIG to give away."' (Rewrite: An elderly woman prepared a small pastry but decided it was excessively large to offer to her guest.)

Summary (75 words): A legend from the Northland. Saint Peter, hungry and tired, asks an old woman for a cake. She has many cakes but is too greedy to share even the smallest. Saint Peter curses her, turning her into a woodpecker. She must spend eternity boring into trees for food. The poem is a MORAL tale about GREED and the importance of HOSPITALITY.

Discussion Questions for Classroom

1. Why was the old woman unable to share? Is greed about what you have or who you ARE?
2. Do you think the punishment was FAIR? Why or why not?
3. How does this poem reflect Indian values about HOSPITALITY?
4. What other legends do you know that teach MORAL lessons?
5. How can we learn to be MORE GENEROUS in our daily lives?