Tec

Chapter 2 · A Poem

Cat

A playful, sound-filled chase between a mischievous cat and an annoyed chaser

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Tec — The Education Consultancy | Grade 6 English Lesson & Worksheet

This lively, playful poem by Eleanor Farjeon captures the voice of someone chasing an irritating cat away, scolding it with a stream of colourful, half-teasing insults — calling her a sly flatterer, a quick-tempered chatterer, and a sharp-clawed, green-eyed scratcher. Short, sharp commands like "Scat!" and "Off her mat!" give the opening lines real energy and urgency, as if the speaker is genuinely trying to shoo the cat away while barking dog-like "Wuff! Wuff!" sounds alongside her.

The poem's second half shifts into a wonderful burst of invented, nonsense-sounding words — "Slathery," "Slithery," "Hithery," "Thithery," "Pfitts!," "Spitch!" — which do not carry ordinary dictionary meanings but instead exist purely for their sound, mimicking the quick, darting, hissing movements of the fleeing cat. Chased "hithery thithery" (here and there), the cat scrambles and scratches her way up the bark of a sycamore tree, finally reaching safety in its branches — described playfully as her "ark," a place of refuge — where she turns to hiss defiantly back down at her pursuer.

The poem closes on a brisk, satisfied note, with the speaker declaring the chase over in a few short, punchy words: "Scat, Cat! That's that!" Through its rhythm, invented sounds, and playful tone, the poem turns a simple, everyday scene — chasing a cat away — into something full of energy, humour, and musicality.

Through invented, sound-based words like "Pfitts!" and "Scritching," the poem lets readers almost hear the cat's hissing, scrambling escape up the tree.

Copy the Poem Here

Read "Cat" from your textbook, then copy it neatly onto the lines below in your own handwriting.

About the Poet: Eleanor Farjeon (1881–1965) was an English author and poet, widely celebrated for her children's poetry, stories, and songs. She is especially remembered for her playful use of language, rhythm, and invented sound-words, and for the popular hymn "Morning Has Broken."

Vocabulary

atter — at her

sleeky (sleek) — attractively smooth and shiny

flatterer — one who compliments and praises somebody too much

spitfire — one who is quick-tempered

scat — (usually used as a command) leave immediately!

slathery — a word here used more for the sound, rather than any meaning

slithery — slippery; slipping easily

dithery (dither) — hesitating; trembling or quivering

hithery thithery — hither and thither; here and there

scritching — a word sounding like scratching; used for sound effect

ark — the ship that animals went into to survive the Flood (from the Bible); a safe place

Worksheet — Cat

Comprehension · Vocabulary · Poetic Appreciation — Grade 6

Name:

Class:

Date:

Score:

A. Questions

1. What kinds of insults does the speaker call the cat at the beginning of the poem?

The speaker calls the cat a "sleeky flatterer," a "spitfire chatterer," a "whiskery spitter," and a "green-eyed scratcher."

2. Where does the cat finally escape to, and how does the poem describe this place?

The cat escapes up a sycamore tree, which the poem playfully calls her "ark" — a safe refuge from her pursuer.

3. What does the cat do once she reaches safety in the tree?

She hisses defiantly down at the speaker who was chasing her.

4. How does the poem end?

It ends abruptly and playfully with the short lines "Scat, Cat! That's that!"

B. Multiple Choice Questions

1.What word is repeatedly used to tell the cat to leave?

"Stop!"

"Scat!"✓

"Run!"

"Hide!"

2.What kind of tree does the cat climb to escape?

An oak tree

A sycamore tree✓

A willow tree

A pine tree

3.What does the poem call the cat's safe spot in the tree?

Her nest

Her castle

Her ark✓

Her home

4.What sound does the cat make once she reaches the tree?

Purring

Hissing✓

Meowing softly

Growling

5.Which of these is an invented, sound-based word used in the poem?

"Flatterer"

"Pfitts!"✓

"Scratcher"

"Whiskery"

6.Who wrote the poem "Cat"?

Emily Dickinson

Eleanor Farjeon✓

James Reeves

David L. Weatherford

C. True or False

1. The speaker calls the cat several teasing, insulting names.
TrueFalse
2. The cat calmly walks away without being chased.
TrueFalse
3. The poem uses invented, nonsense sound-words to describe the chase.
TrueFalse
4. The cat escapes by climbing a sycamore tree.
TrueFalse
5. Once safe, the cat purrs happily at the speaker.
TrueFalse
6. The poem ends with the short phrase "Scat, Cat! That's that!"
TrueFalse

D. Match the Words with Their Meanings

1. sleeky → (c)

2. flatterer → (a)

3. spitfire → (d)

4. dithery → (e)

5. ark → (b)

a. one who praises somebody too much

b. a place of safety or refuge

c. attractively smooth and shiny

d. one who is quick-tempered

e. hesitating; trembling or quivering

E. Theme

1. What is the central theme or purpose of "Cat"?

The poem's main purpose is playful entertainment — it captures the energy, humour, and drama of an everyday chase between a person and a mischievous cat, celebrating the fun and musicality of language itself.

2. Although the speaker seems annoyed at the cat, does the poem feel genuinely angry or more playful? Explain your answer.

Open-ended — accept answers noting that the exaggerated insults, rhythm, and invented sound-words give the poem a light-hearted, playful tone rather than real anger, making it feel more like a game than a genuine conflict.

F. Figurative Language

1. Words like "Pfitts!," "Spitch!," and "Scritching" imitate real sounds. What is this poetic device called?

This is onomatopoeia — using words that imitate the actual sounds they describe, such as hissing or scratching, to make the scene feel more vivid and alive.

2. The cat's hiding place in the tree is called her "ark." What figure of speech is this, and what does it suggest?

This is a metaphor — comparing the tree to Noah's ark from the Bible suggests the tree is a place of safety and survival for the cat, escaping the "flood" of her pursuer's chase.

3. Phrases like "Sleeky flatterer" and "Spitfire chatterer" repeat similar sounds close together. What technique is this, and what effect does it create?

This is alliteration and rhyme working together — the repeated sounds create a playful, rhythmic, almost musical quality that makes the poem fun and lively to read aloud.

G. Critical Thinking

1. Why do you think the poet chose to invent nonsense words rather than using ordinary language throughout the poem?

Open-ended — accept answers suggesting that invented words let the poet capture sounds and movements that ordinary vocabulary cannot fully express, making the chase feel more exciting, musical, and fun to read aloud.

2. If you were to write a similar poem about chasing away a different animal, which animal would you choose, and what invented sound-words might you use?

Open-ended — accept any imaginative response that includes a chosen animal and a few plausible invented sound-words, showing understanding of the poem's playful style.