Class 8 English Honeydew
Chapter 3(Poem) Macavity : The Mystery Cat
STANZAS FOR COMPREHENSION
I.Macavity’s a Mystery Cat: he’s called the Hidden
Paw–
For he’s the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s
despair :
For when they reach the scene of crime—Macavity’s
not there!
Paraphrase: Macavity is a mysterious cat. His mystery has given him another
name also—’Hidden Paw’. He is an expert criminal who can disobey the law with impunity.
His actions puzzle the police of Scotland Yard. The Flying Squad has in vain tried to chase
him. By the time they reach the scene of crime, Macavity disappears.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Macavity is a mystery cat because
(a) he has hidden powers (b) no-one understands his ways
(c) Scotland Yard is baffled by him (d) he has a hidden paw.
2. Macavity is never punished because
(a) he disappears into thin air (b) he has a hidden paw
(c) he is never found at the scene of crime (d) Scotland Yard does not understand him.
3. Macavity breaks
(a) the pots (b) the wall
(c) a fakir’s honour (d) human laws.
4. The adjective from the word mystery is
(a) mysterious (b) mystic
(c) mystify (d) mysticism.
II. Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like
Macavity,
He’s broken every human law, he breaks
the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir
stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime
-Macavity’s not there!
Paraphrase: There is no one like Macavity. He has broken all man-made laws.
He has broken even the law of gravity. Fakirs have mysterious powers. His floating in
the air without support would astonish even a fakir. Above all when you reach the scene
of crime, Macavity is nowhere to be seen.
Questions and Answers
1. Who is Macavity ?
Ans: Macavity is a cat.
2. What does Macavity do ?
Ans: Macavity does not follow any human law. He is a criminal.
3. Do people like Macavity ?
Ans: No, the people do not like Macavity.
4. What does the word ‘levitation’ mean?
Ans: The word ‘levitation’ means “floating in the air’’.
III. You may seek him in the basement, you
may look up in the air
But I tell you once and once again,
Macavity’s not there!
Macavity’s a ginger cat, he’s very tall and
thin ;
You would know him if you saw him, for
his eyes are sunken in.
Paraphrase: You may try to find Macavity in the basement or in the air but in
vain. Thus, one who looks for him finds him nowhere—under or over the earth.
Macavity is a ginger coloured cat. He is tall and thin. If you meet him, you will easily
recognise him because of his deep-set eyes.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The great difficulty is that Macavity
(a) is easily found (b) is very difficult to be found
(c) is a ginger cat (d) is tall and thin.
2. Ginger in the passage is
(a) a thing that Macavity likes (b) something which resembles
Macavity
(c) the colour of Macavity (d) the breed of Macavity.
3. The poet’s name is
(a) R.N. Tagore (b) Zulfikar Ghose
(c) William Blake (d) T.S. Eliot.
4. The word ‘sunken’ in the passage means
(a) deep-set (b) drowned
(c) floating (d) attractive.
IV. His brow is deeply lined with thought, his
head is highly domed ;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements
like a snake;
And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake.
Paraphrase: Macavity’s forehead is wrinkled. From that he appears lost in deep
thinking all the time. His head sits high on his body like the dome on a building. His body
is not well looked after. So the skin is dusty and the whiskers are uncombed. He moves
his head from side to side like a snake. He is always alert. When you think he is dozing,
he is wide awake.
Questions and Answers
1. What is the passage about ?
Ans: The passage is about a cat named ‘Macavity.
2. What is he doing with his deeply lined brow ?
Ans: He is thinking of his new criminal act.
3. What does the word ‘coat refers to in the passage ?
Ans: The word ‘coat refers to the skin.
4. Find word in the passage which is the opposite of ‘heed’.
Ans: ignore.
V. Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in
the square
But when a crime’s discovered, then Macavity’s not there !
Paraphrase: Macavity is special. There is no parallel to him. He is a devil in the
body of a cat. He is morally corrupt like a monster ! Ordinarily, you may find him
anywhere on your way. He may be there in a by-lane or in a square. However, when, his
crime is discovered and people look for him, he is nowhere to be found.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The fiend in feline shape is
(a) Macavity (b) a dog
(c) a human being (d) the poet.
2. It is difficult to find Macavity when
(a) he lives in the square (b) he lives in a by-street
(c) he is a fiend (d) he commits a crime.
3. Macavity is compared to
(a) man (b) a dog
(c) a cat (d) a devil.
4. The word depravity means
(a) deep thought (b) moral corruption
(c) bad actions (d) mystery.
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS
WORKING WITH THE POEM
Question. 1.
Read the first stanza and think.
(i) Is Macavity a cat really ?
Ans: (i) Macavity is a cat.
(ii) If not, who can Macavity be ?
Ans: (ii) If not, Macavity can be a thief.
Question. 2.
Complete the following sentences.
(i) A master criminal is one who ___
Ans: (i) A master criminal is one who is never caught.
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because ___
Ans: (ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because with all its might, it is unable to lay its
hand upon Macavity.
(iii) ____ because Macavity moves much faster than them.
Ans: (iii) Flying Squad is not able to get Macavity because Macavity moves much faster
than the Flying Squad.
Question . 3.
“A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through”. (Jules Verne)
Which law is Macavity breaking in the light of the comment above ?
Ans: The law of gravitation.
Question. 4.
Read stanza 3, and then, describe Macavity in two or three sentences of your own.
Ans: Macavity is a ginger coloured, very tall and thin cat with sunken eyes and high
head. He has a wrinkled forehead, dusty coat and uncombed whiskers. He is always alert
and moves his head from side to side like a snake.
Question . 5.
Say ‘False’ or ‘True’ for each of the following statements.
(i) Macavity is not an ordinary cat. (i) True
(ii) Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do. (ii) False
(in) Macavity has supernatural powers. (iii) False
(iv) Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright. (iv) False
(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one. (v) True.
Question. 6.
Having read the poem, try to guess whether the poet is fond of cats. If so, why does
he call Macavity a fiend and monster ?
Ans: The poet is fond of the cats. That is why, he describes a big cat in such detail.
However, for the rats the cat is certainly a fiend and a monster. So the poet gives him
those adjectives as well.
Question. 7.
Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect ? Find a few examples of it and
read those lines aloud.
Ans:
Yes. The following lines show that:
“He’s the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the
Flying Squad’s despair.”
“His powers of levitation would make a
fakir stare.”
“For he’s a fiend in feline shape, a monster
of depravity.”
