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Night of the scorpion

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Beena Sunil
Beena Sunil

1) The narrator remembers the night when their mother was stung by a scorpion after it sought shelter from 10 hours of heavy rain under a sack of rice in their home. 2) When the scorpion stung the mother, neighbors came in swarms to pray and attempt to cure her by saying prayers to paralyze the evil scorpion and reduce her suffering in this and future births. 3) Over 20 hours, the mother writhed in pain as the father and a holy man tried various remedies and incantations to draw out the poison. After 20 hours, the poison lost its potency and the mother expressed thanks that the scorpion chose her and spared her children.

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Night of the Scorpion by Nissim Ezekiel PowerPoint Presentation Prepared by Beena. E.S.
Night of the scorpion
• Nissim Ezekiel-- 16 December 1924 – 9 January 2004. • Indian Writer. • First book---The Bad Day in 1952 • The deadly man, The Exact Name, Sixty Poems, The Unfinished Man, Latter, Day-Psalms, Hymns in Darkness... • Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983. • Padmashri in 1988.
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.
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.
Night of the scorpion

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Night of the scorpion

  • 1. Night of the Scorpion by Nissim Ezekiel PowerPoint Presentation Prepared by Beena. E.S.
  • 3. • Nissim Ezekiel-- 16 December 1924 – 9 January 2004. • Indian Writer. • First book---The Bad Day in 1952 • The deadly man, The Exact Name, Sixty Poems, The Unfinished Man, Latter, Day-Psalms, Hymns in Darkness... • Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983. • Padmashri in 1988.
  • 5. I remember the night my mother was stung by a scorpion.
  • 6. Ten hours of steady rain had driven him to crawl beneath a sack of rice
  • 7. Parting with his poison - flash of diabolic tail in the dark room - he risked the rain again.
  • 8. The peasants came like swarms of flies and buzzed the name of God a hundred times to paralyse the Evil One.
  • 9. With candles and with lanterns throwing giant scorpion shadows on the mud-baked walls they searched for him:he was not found.
  • 10. They clicked their tongues. With every movement that the scorpion made his poison moved in Mother's blood, they said
  • 11. May he sit still, they said
  • 12. May the sins of your previous birth be burned away tonight, they said.
  • 13. May your suffering decrease the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
  • 14. May the sum of all evil balanced in this unreal world against the sum of good become diminished by your pain.
  • 15. May the poison purify your flesh of desire, and your spirit of ambition, they said,
  • 16. and they sat around on the floor with my mother in the centre, the peace of understanding on each face.
  • 17. More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours, more insects, and the endless rain.
  • 18. My mother twisted through and through, groaning on a mat.
  • 19. My father, sceptic, rationalist, trying every curse and blessing, powder, mixture, herb and hybrid
  • 20. He even poured a little paraffin upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
  • 21. I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
  • 22. I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the poison with an incantation.
  • 23. After twenty hours it lost its sting.
  • 24. My mother only said Thank God the scorpion picked on me And spared my children.