A Legend of the Northland
A Legend of the Northland by Phoebe Cary is a ballad that tells an old legend with a moral about greed and generosity. The page explains the poem's story, theme and devices, with exam-style questions.
Learning objectives
- Recall the legend told in the poem.
- Understand the moral and theme.
- Recognise the ballad form and devices.
- Answer comprehension and exam questions.
Key concepts
The story
The poem retells an old legend set in the cold Northland. Saint Peter, while travelling, becomes tired and hungry and stops at the door of an old woman who is baking cakes. He asks her for a single cake to satisfy his hunger. The greedy old woman, however, cannot bear to part with any cake: each one she bakes seems too large to give away, so she keeps making smaller and smaller cakes, yet still cannot bring herself to give even the tiniest one to the hungry saint.
The punishment
Angered by the old woman's extreme selfishness and lack of charity, Saint Peter punishes her. He declares that she is too greedy to live as a human being in a warm house with plenty of food. He turns her into a woodpecker, a bird that must bore into hard, dry wood to find its food, working for every meal. In this way, her punishment fits her crime of greed.
Theme and moral
The central theme is a warning against greed and selfishness, and a lesson on the importance of generosity and charity. The legend teaches that those who are too selfish to share, even a little, with the needy deserve to suffer, and it encourages kindness and a willingness to give to others.
Poetic devices and the poet
Phoebe Cary writes the poem as a ballad — a story-poem with a regular rhyme and rhythm and a clear moral. She uses simple narrative, allusion to a religious figure (Saint Peter), and a tone suited to a legend or folk tale. Phoebe Cary was an American poet, and the poem presents a memorable moral story for young readers.
Key definitions
- Legend
- A traditional story, often with a moral, passed down over time.
- Ballad
- A poem that tells a story, usually with rhyme and rhythm.
- Greed
- An excessive, selfish desire to have more, the old woman's fault.
- Charity
- Kindness and generosity in giving to those in need.
Solved examples
Q1. Who asks the old woman for a cake?
Solution: Saint Peter, who is tired and hungry.
Q2. Why does the old woman not give him a cake?
Solution: Because she is too greedy; every cake seems too big to give away.
Q3. What is the old woman turned into?
Solution: A woodpecker that must bore wood for its food.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Confusing who asks for the cake (Saint Peter).
- Thinking the woman gave a small cake (she gave none).
- Forgetting the punishment (turned into a woodpecker).
- Missing the moral against greed.
A Legend of the Northland — MCQ Quiz
10 questions with instant feedback. Use number keys 1–4 to answer.
A Legend of the Northland was written by:
Practice questions
Short answer
Who asks the old woman for food?
Saint Peter, who is tired and hungry.
Why does she refuse him?
Because she is too greedy to part with even a small cake.
How is she punished?
She is turned into a woodpecker that must bore wood for food.
Long answer
Narrate the legend told in 'A Legend of the Northland'.
The poem retells an old legend set in the cold Northland. One day, Saint Peter, while travelling, grows tired and hungry and stops at the door of an old woman who is baking cakes. He humbly asks her for a single cake to ease his hunger. But the old woman is extremely greedy and cannot bear to give away any of her cakes. Each cake she bakes seems too large to part with, so she keeps making smaller and smaller cakes; yet even the tiniest one seems too much to give to the hungry saint, and she gives him nothing. Angered by her selfishness and lack of charity, Saint Peter punishes her. He declares that she is too greedy to live as a human being enjoying a warm home and plenty of food, and he turns her into a woodpecker — a bird condemned to bore into hard, dry wood to find its food. Thus the legend ends with the greedy woman fittingly punished for her meanness.
What is the moral of the poem, and how is it conveyed?
The moral of the poem is a warning against greed and selfishness, and a lesson in the importance of generosity and charity. The poem conveys this through the story of the old woman, who is so greedy that she refuses to share even a tiny cake with a tired and hungry traveller, Saint Peter. Her extreme selfishness is shown by the way she keeps baking smaller and smaller cakes but still cannot give any away. Her punishment — being turned into a woodpecker that must labour to bore wood for its food — fits her crime perfectly, since the woman who would not share food must now work hard for every meal. By telling this memorable legend in the simple, rhythmic form of a ballad, the poet teaches young readers that selfishness and a lack of kindness are wrong, and that we should always be willing to help and share with those in need.
HOTS (Higher Order Thinking)
Why is the old woman's punishment considered fitting?
Because the woman who refused to share food is turned into a bird that must work hard to find every bit of its food, matching her greed with constant toil.
Why are legends like this told to children?
Because they teach important moral lessons, such as the value of generosity, in a simple and memorable story form.
Quick revision
Revision notes
- Poet: Phoebe Cary; a ballad/legend set in the Northland.
- Saint Peter, tired and hungry, asks an old woman for a cake.
- She is too greedy to give any, baking smaller and smaller cakes.
- Saint Peter turns her into a woodpecker; theme = warning against greed, value of charity.
Key takeaways
- The poem is a moral ballad against greed.
- The greedy old woman is fittingly punished.
- It teaches the value of generosity.
Frequently asked questions
Who wrote A Legend of the Northland?
The American poet Phoebe Cary.
Why was the old woman punished?
For her greed in refusing to share even a small cake.
What is the moral?
A warning against greed and selfishness, and the value of charity.