NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem 3 Macavity: The Mystery Cat

NCERT Solutions for Class 8 English Honeydew Poem 3 Macavity: The Mystery Cat PDF are available for free on our website that helps you a better understanding of the chapter. These NCERT solutions have been provided after a detailed analysis of the latest syllabus issued by CBSE. Students of Class 8th can study the answers provided here to score well in their school exams.

CBSE Class 8th English Honeydew Poem 3 Macavity: The Mystery Cat Textbook Solutions

Working with The Poem

Question 1: Read the first stanza and think.

(i) Is Macavity a cat really?
(ii) If not, who can Macavity be?

Answer: (i) Macavity is a cunning cat.

(ii) If not a cat, he can be an expert thief or criminal or a mysterious creature.

Question 2: Complete the following sentences.

(i) A master criminal is one who _________________
(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because  _________________
(iii) _________________ because Macavity moves much faster than them.

Answer: (i) A master criminal is one who defies the law, evades arrest and escapes from the clutches of policemen.

(ii) The Scotland Yard is baffled because they are unable to catch Macavity red-handed as he escapes from the crime scene even before they arrive.

(iii) The Flying Squad is in despair because Macavity moves much faster than them.

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?

Answer: Macavity is breaking the law of gravity in light of the given statement. This implies that it is difficult to trace the mysterious cat, Macavity because he commits the crime and disappears from the scene even before the police arrives.

Question 4: Read stanza 3, and then describe Macavity in two or three sentences of your own.

Answer: Macavity is a very cunning and cautious cat. He is tall and thin. His eyes are sunken in, his forehead is wrinkled, and his head is dome like. His coat is soiled. Hair on his cheeks is not combed.

Question 5: Say ‘False’ or ‘True’ for each of the following statements.

(i) Macavity is not an ordinary cat – True

(ii) Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do – False

(iii) Macavity has supernatural powers – True

(iv) Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright – False

(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one – 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?

Answer: The poet admires the cat for his swift movement, expert criminality and the way he gives a slip to the police. But he is a law breaker at the same time, so the poet calls him a devil and giant.

Question 7: Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect? Find a few examples of it and read those lines aloud.

Answer: The following statements are examples of exaggeration.

  • He is the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad’s despair.
  • His power of levitation.
  • A fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.

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