Macavity – The Mystery Cat (Poem 3) • T. S. Eliot
🎯 Bilingual NCERT Study Pack — Summary, Poet info, Stanza‑wise Explanation + Hindi अर्थ, Hard Words, and NCERT‑style Q&A.
Book: Honeydew | Themes: Mischief Humour Crime & Cleverness
Summary (English)
Macavity is a legendary, law‑defying cat who always escapes. Whenever police reach the scene, he has vanished—so “Macavity’s not there!” He is cunning, acrobatic, and leaves no trace; even natural laws seem useless before him. The comic exaggeration turns a criminal into a mythical trickster, making the poem playful and memorable.
सार (Hindi)
मैकैविटी एक चालाक, नियम तोड़ने वाला बिल्ली‑चरित्र है जो हर बार बच निकलता है। पुलिस पहुँचती है तो वह गायब—अर्थात “मैकैविटी वहाँ नहीं होता!” वह इतना चतुर व फुर्तीला है कि कोई सुराग नहीं छोड़ता; यहाँ तक कि प्रकृति के नियम भी बेअसर लगते हैं। अतिशयोक्ति से कवि उसे हास्यपूर्ण, अद्भुत ठग के रूप में दिखाता है।
About the Poet • T. S. Eliot (1888–1965)
Nobel Laureate (1948), known for modernist poetry. Macavity comes from Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939), a playful collection on cat characters that later inspired the musical Cats.
Class 8 • Honeydew • Poem 3 — Macavity: The Mystery Cat
Original Poem • Stanza-wise Explanation (EN+HI) • NCERT Original Questions & Answers (Direct View)
📚 NCERT • Class 8
✍️ Poet: T. S. Eliot
🗂️ Exam Ready
Poem Text with Stanza-wise Explanation
Stanza 1
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!
Explanation (EN): Macavity is introduced as a mysterious “Hidden Paw” and a master criminal who always escapes the law. Even Scotland Yard and the Flying Squad fail to catch him.
व्याख्या (HI): मैकैविटी को “हिडन पॉ” और मास्टर अपराधी कहा गया है, जो हर बार कानून से बच जाता है। स्कॉटलैंड यार्ड और फ्लाइंग स्क्वॉड भी उसे नहीं पकड़ पाते।
Stanza 2
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!
He not only breaks human laws but even the law of gravity, which is exaggeration. He can seemingly levitate, yet he is never caught.
वह केवल मानव कानून ही नहीं, बल्कि गुरुत्वाकर्षण के नियम को भी तोड़ देता है। वह हवा में उड़ता प्रतीत होता है, पर पकड़ा नहीं जाता।
Stanza 3
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!
No matter where you search, Macavity disappears.
चाहे तहखाने में खोजो या आकाश में, मैकैविटी नहीं मिलेगा।
Stanza 4
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’s physical features: tall, thin, ginger cat, sunken eyes, domed head, dusty coat, uncombed whiskers, snake-like movements, appears sleepy but is alert.
मैकैविटी लंबा‑पतला, अदरक रंग का है, धँसी आँखें, उभरा सिर, धूलभरा कोट और बिखरी मूँछें हैं। उसकी चाल साँप जैसी है और वह हमेशा चौकन्ना रहता है।
Stanza 5
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!
Macavity is described as a fiend in feline shape. He may be seen in streets, but whenever a crime is discovered, he vanishes.
कवि कहते हैं कि मैकैविटी बिल्ली के रूप में शैतान जैसा है। गलियों में दिख सकता है, लेकिन अपराध सामने आते ही गायब हो जाता है।
NCERT Original Questions & Answers
1. Read the first stanza and think.
(i) Is Macavity a cat really?
(ii) If not, who can Macavity be?
EN: (i) No, not an ordinary cat. (ii) He is a symbol of a master criminal beyond law.
HI: (i) नहीं, साधारण बिल्ली नहीं। (ii) वह चालाक अपराधी का प्रतीक है जो हमेशा कानून से बच निकलता है।
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.
EN: (i) always escapes from the law. (ii) they cannot catch him. (iii) The Flying Squad is in despair because Macavity is faster.
HI: (i) जो हमेशा कानून से बच निकलता है। (ii) वे उसे पकड़ नहीं पाते। (iii) फ्लाइंग स्क्वॉड निराश है क्योंकि वह उनसे तेज है।
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?
EN: He breaks the law of gravity.
HI: वह गुरुत्वाकर्षण का नियम तोड़ता है।
4. Read stanza 3, and then, describe Macavity in two or three sentences of your own.
EN: He is tall, thin, ginger-coloured, with sunken eyes and snake-like movements, always alert.
HI: वह लंबा‑पतला, अदरक रंग का है, धँसी आँखें और साँप जैसी चाल है, हमेशा चौकन्ना रहता है।
5. Say ‘False’ or ‘True’ for each of the following statements.
(i) Macavity is not an ordinary cat.
(ii) Macavity cannot do what a fakir can easily do.
(iii) Macavity has supernatural powers.
(iv) Macavity is well-dressed, smart and bright.
(v) Macavity is a spy, a trickster and a criminal, all rolled in one.
(i) True
(ii) False
(iii) True
(iv) False
(v) True
(ii) False
(iii) True
(iv) False
(v) True
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?
EN: Yes, he is fond of cats. He humorously calls Macavity a fiend/monster because of his mysterious, lawless behaviour.
HI: हाँ, कवि बिल्लियों को पसंद करते हैं। वह हास्य और अतिशयोक्ति में मैकैविटी को शैतान/दानव कहते हैं क्योंकि उसका स्वभाव रहस्यमयी और कानून से परे है।
7. Has the poet used exaggeration for special effect? Find a few examples of it and read those lines aloud.
- “He’s broken every human law.”
- “He breaks the law of gravity.”
- “He’s a fiend in feline shape.”