MACAVITY
Read the poem and answer the questions that follow:
Macavity the Cat TS Elliot 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 the crime—Macavity’s not there!
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 the crime—Macavity’s not there!
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!               Â
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.
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.
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!
He’s outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard’s
And when the larder’s looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke’s been stifled,
Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair
Ay, there’s the wonder of the thing! Macavity’s not there!
And when the Foreign Office find a Treaty’s gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,
There may be a scrap of paper in the hall or on the stair—
But it’s useless to investigate–Macavity’s not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service says:
It must have been Macavity!’—but he’s a mile away.
You’ll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumb;
Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.
Macavity, Macavity, there’s no one like Macavity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibi, and one or two to spare:
At whatever time the deed took place—MACAVITY WASN’T THERE!
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!
Choose the correct alternatives from the options given below:
 (a) Macavity is called the ‘hidden paw’ because
(i) He is a master criminal                 (ii) He is difficult to catch
(iii) He has defied the law                 (iv) All of the above
(b) Even though the law suspects that all the major crimes are caused by Macavity, they cannot arrest him because
 (i) He is never found near the place of crime          (ii) He always has a strong alibi
 (iii) He leaves no clues                                              (iv) All the above
Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
 (c) What causes the Flying Squad of the Scotland Yard to feel depressed?
 (d) Why would a Fakir be astonished to see Macavity?
 (e) How do we know that Macavity is not very particular about his physical appearance?
 (f) Mention any two crimes committed by Macavity?
 (g) Why has Macavity been compared to Napoleon?
(h) Who are the people who help Macavity?
 =Find words from the passage which mean the same as each of the following:
(i) immorality/corruption (line 15-20)
(j) rogue/villain (line 15-20)
ANSWERS:-
 (a) (iv)
(b) (iv)
 (c) The Flying Squad and Scotland Yard feel depressed because though Macavity defies the law, they can never catch him at the scene of the crime. He is a master criminal and leaves no clues through which they can catch him.
(d) Fakirs are ascetics who are famous for being able to meditate in mid-air. But Macavity defies the law of gravity as well — he can levitate so powerfully that even a Fakir would stare in astonishment at his skills.
(e) The line “His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed” illustrates that Macavity is not very particular about his physical appearance.
(f) Looting the larder and breaking the greenhouse glass and trellis are two crimes committed by Macavity.
(g) Napoleon Bonaparte is one of the world’s most successful military commanders. Macavity is compared to Napoleon because of his reputation as a master criminal who defies capture and also directs other notorious cats in their criminal activities.
(h) The cats Mungojerrie and Griddlebone help Macavity and are his agents.
 (i) Depravity.
 (j) Fiend.
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